Do You Need Insurance to Charter a Yacht in Greece?

Do You Need Your Own Insurance to Charter a Yacht in Greece?

The charter company's policy does two jobs. It insures the hull, rigging, engine and equipment against major loss, and it carries the third-party liability that Greek law requires for every vessel it sends out. That liability cover pays for injury or damage you cause to other people, boats or property while you sail.

What the company's policy does not do is protect you from the excess. If you run aground, drag anchor into another boat or lose the dinghy, the company keeps part or all of your deposit to cover the repair. A separate policy fixes that gap, and you can arrange yacht cover through our yacht insurance service for both charter trips and boats you own.

Bareboat vs Skippered Charter: Who Insures What?

This is why deposit insurance and skipper liability cover are almost always discussed in the context of bareboat charters. When the company's own skipper runs the boat, a grounding or a torn sail is their professional problem. When you sign as skipper, every incident report carries your name.

Charter Deposit Insurance vs the Charter Company's Damage Waiver

Deposit insurance, sometimes sold as damage waiver insurance, works like a refund. You still pay the deposit to the base, and if the company deducts money for damage, you claim it back from your insurer. It is bought before the trip and covers the whole charter for a fixed premium.

Skipper Liability Insurance: the Gap the Yacht's Policy Leaves

Deposit insurance does not respond in these situations either: it refunds a withheld deposit, but a recourse claim from the fleet insurer or an injured third party is addressed to you directly and has no €5,000 ceiling. For a modest fixed premium per season, skipper liability policies typically cover:

• Recourse claims from the charter fleet's insurer when damage to the chartered yacht is blamed on negligent skippering.
• Third-party claims against you personally, for injury or damage that exceeds or falls outside the fleet policy's liability limits.
• Legal defence costs, including representation before Greek port authorities after an incident.
• Financial loss claims from the charter company, such as loss of charter income while the yacht is repaired.

Standard travel insurance rarely fills this gap — many policies exclude bareboat sailing or cap how far offshore you are covered. If you charter regularly or skipper friends' boats, our yacht insurance service can arrange annual skipper liability alongside deposit cover in one policy.

What Does Greece Legally Require to Charter a Yacht?

The insurance certificate, in Greek or English, must be kept on board and shown to the Port Authority if asked. The charter company provides this document with the boat's papers, so check it is in the ship's folder before you leave the dock.

• A valid sailing licence. The skipper must hold a recognised certificate. Greek harbourmasters accept the ICC, RYA Day Skipper and most national licences.
• A second competent crew member. For bareboat charters Greek rules generally require a co-skipper to be named on the crew list.
• Third-party liability certificate on board. The charter company's insurance document, in Greek or English, must be available for the Port Authority.
• A signed crew list. Filed with the port before departure, listing everyone aboard for the voyage.