When is the final payment due, and how does the APA work on an expedition charter?

John Boullin
Yacht charter broker, DMA Yachting

The balance of your charter fee plus the APA are due about six weeks before departure; your agreement shows the exact date.

The APA, your onboard budget for fuel, provisioning and running costs, tends to sit at the higher end of the usual 25 to 40% on expedition charters, because remote regions carry real extra costs: long fuel legs, park and permit fees, local guides, and provisioning flown to far-flung ports. The captain accounts for it all and refunds the unspent balance.

We go through those numbers carefully with you, because remote-region expenses are exactly where a knowledgeable broker earns their keep. We flag the likely permit and park fees before you sign, not after.