What Does a Crewed Tahiti Sailing Charter Actually Include?

A fully crewed Tahiti charter means you book the entire yacht and its crew — the captain plans the passages, the chef cooks every meal, and you set the pace. This is the opposite of a bareboat, where you skipper yourself, and it’s why so many people searching “moorings tahiti” or “tahiti sailing” end up confused: most of that content is written for people who want to helm their own boat.

For nearly all our clients heading to the Society Islands, we recommend a crewed catamaran. Shallow draft gets you into the lagoons, the twin hulls sit flat at anchor, and the indoor-outdoor deck living suits the way you actually spend time here. A bareboat is cheaper on paper, but it becomes a project the moment you hit the passes and moorings of Bora Bora.

The crew

Who is aboard and what they do

The crew is the single most important factor in whether the week works — more than the boat’s age or spec. On a mid-size catamaran you’ll have two crew: a captain and a chef/host. On larger vessels a deckhand joins to run tenders and water toys.

The captain handles passage planning across the Leeward Islands, reads the reef passes, and secures moorings — which matters because anchoring is banned in Bora Bora. The chef provisions in Papeete or Raiatea and cooks everything from grilled mahi-mahi to poisson cru with fresh Taha’a vanilla. You get flexible scheduling: linger a day at a Taha’a coral garden, or move on if the light’s better elsewhere.

What the base rate includes — and what it doesn’t

The base charter fee covers the yacht, the full crew, insurance, and the standard kit: snorkel and fishing gear, two kayaks, floating hammocks, a dinghy, and on the better boats paddleboards, air-conditioning, a water-maker and a Nespresso machine. Most itineraries include all meals aboard, though some plan for a couple of dinners ashore.

What the base rate does not include is the operating cost, and this is where first-timers get caught out. French Polynesia charters carry an APA — an Advanced Provisioning Allowance — of 30–35% of the base fee, higher than the Caribbean’s 25% because provisioning and fuel are more expensive this far out.

• APA covers fuel, all food and drink, moorings, customs and shore excursions — unspent APA is refunded.
• A 5% tax and service fee applies to the gross charter rate.
• Bora Bora moorings run about 4,000 XPF (~$40) per night since anchoring is prohibited.
• Gratuity is separate — French Polynesian crews commonly expect 17–25%. Budget for it upfront.

What a crewed week actually costs

The real fleet we place clients on in Tahiti spans a wide band. Crewed catamarans start around $15,000 per week for a large 4–5 cabin boat with two crew, and run up through the high-quality 65–80 foot range at roughly $60,000–$100,000. Motor yachts stretch far higher — from about $9,000 a week at the entry end to over $400,000 for the largest vessels. Remember to add the 30–35% APA on top of any base figure.

For a first charter, three boats give a sense of the range. DAWN, an 18.3 m catamaran with four cabins, sits in the mid-tier from around $40,000 a week. CATALYST, a Fountaine Pajot Samana 59 heading to French Polynesia, runs from about $51,000. At the top, BUNDALONG, a 24.4 m catamaran, starts around $85,000. Browse more options on our yachts under $60k and under $100k pages.

Why crewed beats a resort or bareboat here

Put the numbers side by side and the crewed yacht stops looking like an extravagance. An overwater bungalow at the Four Seasons or St. Regis Bora Bora runs $1,750–$8,000 a night for one room in one location. A crewed catamaran gives your whole group meals, crew, water toys and a moving address — you wake in a different lagoon each morning.