Terms and Conditions
Aphelion Yachting provides yacht charters, a range of yacht management and other services. By booking a service or performing a transaction in any of these services it is considered that that you have fully understood and agree on all the terms mentioned herein.
Booking a yacht
By sending your request it will be necessary to provide us with details such as dates, ports, size of yacht and number of crew/passengers. You will receive a complete offer, in the shortest possible time by one of Aphelion Yachting personnel. Clients are responsible for providing accurate information during the booking process. If any of the yachts proposed is of interest, please ask us to hold her for you on “option”. The option is valid for up to 5 days depending on the period and gives you the time to finalize trip details. You are ready to book the yacht. Please send us written your confirmation mentioning also any special requests you might have such as skipper, blister etc. Immediately you will receive from us a re-confirmation as well as the charter contract. During the charter agreement, some of your personal data will be required to finalize the contract. As soon as you return to us the charter agreement signed and the down payment is wired to our Bank, as per the terms of our re-confirmation, then your charter is considered firm.
Sailing license
The Greek Sailing law requires at least one official sailing license in order to take over a yacht without the presence of a professional skipper onboard. Greek Port Authorities will accept any sailing license or certification from a sailing school, a yacht club or any relative organization is defined as the appropriate documentation officially recognized in the charterer’s home country.
ASA & RYA certifications are fully recognized.
A sailing experience declaration may be required by the local port authorities for the skipper and co-skipper.
Aphelion Yachting must decline by law a sailing license not recognized or accepted by the Greek Port Authorities. Aphelion Yachting reserves the right to oblige the charterers to hire a skipper if any doubt as to their sailing skills arises during embarkation or afterwards.
In bareboat charters at least one sailing license must be sent to us along with the booking confirmation.
– The license must be in English language or translated and suitable for specific yacht.
– Day skipper license is not accepted by Greek authorities.
– The skipper is obliged to keep on board an updated authorized crew list at all times. In bareboat charters at least one sailing license must be sent to us along with the booking confirmation.
Crewed charters
In case you require a skipper onboard, Aphelion Yachting can provide a professional skipper for all the period of the charter if the bareboat chartering requirements are not met, or for a desired by the client period of time if those requirement are met but the presence of a skipper is requested. The skipper fee is always agreed beforehand and in writing and must be fully paid upon embarkation. The same applies for any other kind of crew required such as hostess or cook. Please note that the crew needs his own cabin as they are obliged to sleep on board from the beginning to the end of their period of service and the charterer is obliged to provide all the crew with the necessary daily meals or the corresponding cost.
Delivery and redelivery of the yacht
The delivery of the yacht is made by a specific procedure of the presentation of the yacht by an experienced member of Aphelion Yachting. The client is obliged to follow this procedure, referred as check-in. The check-in takes place at approximately 17.00 o’clock on the first day of charter and the client will be assisted to familiarize with the yacht and her equipment and make sure that everything is in good working order. The yacht must return to base the evening before disembarkation where a technical inspection of the yacht will take place to evaluate the condition of the yacht after the charter. The check-out is arranged at about 09.00 o’clock in the morning on the last day of the charter period. Please note that you are responsible for returning the yacht at the pre-agreed place and time and evaluate the weather conditions in order to be able to do so. Extra charges apply for the late return of the yacht pursuing to the Charter Party Agreement.
Weather Conditions
The charterer is obliged to be aware of the upcoming weather conditions and act accordingly in order to ensure the safety of the crew and the yacht. In the event of harsh weather conditions the charterer is navigating on his own risk and will be responsible for any unwanted outcome of his actions. The Greek Coastguard reserves the right to charge the charterers for any meaningless mobilization for their forces due to lack of seamanship and navigation knowledge or ignorance about the harsh weather conditions.
Payments (Not Applicable During Covid-19)
In order to confirm the booking, a down payment of 30% of the charter fee will be required. The down payment must be done through a bank transfer according to our invoice. The remaining charter fee has to be wired to our Bank 30 days prior to embarkation. Any extras are to be paid upon embarkation in cash or credit card.
Security deposit
The security deposit is compulsory for bareboat or skippered charters. The client will be required to pay a specific amount of refundable security deposit or a reduced amount of it in combination with a non-refundable deposit that will not be returned even in the event of lack of any damages on the yacht. The security deposit will be arranged before embarkation at the base. Payment by credit card, we accept Visa and MasterCard.
The non-refundable deposit is applied to cover only one incident at a time of substantial nature. In case of multiple damages or losses the charterer pays a new non-refundable immediately upon receipt of replacement or repair. The Security Deposit applies per accident (damage or loss). This means that should an incident occur, in order to be covered against a 2nd incident, the Charterer must leave a new security deposit equal to the initial amount. In any other case, the charter agreement will be terminated.
Aphelion Yachting reserves the right not to accept the non-refundable deposit.
Cancellation and Payment Policy (During COVID-19):
a) For already confirmed bookings for 2020, in case the clients cannot travel to Greece due to any travel restrictions (border closure, flight cancellations etc.), clients can change their booking dates with available ones later in the the season of 2020 or in the next season 2021.
b) In case the clients have payed downpayment for the initial booking, this payment will be handled as downpayment for the rescheduled reservation.
c) For all new bookings, the downpayment will be 10% of the charter fee and the final payment will be due 15 days before embarkation.
Disclaimer
By accepting our services the client confirms that he/she is in good health and suffers from no minor or serious physical or mental injury, illness or disability that would make client especially susceptible to injury or disability while performing any activities related to or in connection with the services.
The client fully comprehends and accepts all of the risks associated with his/her participation in the services including, without limitation, exposure to unfavorable weather conditions, food sickness, allergic reactions, choking, injuries (e.g. without limitation, those arising out of self-inflicted accidents or mishaps) and death.
The client agrees to indemnify and hold Aphelion Yachting harmless from and against any criminal act or conduct and any illegal use of the yacht during the chartering.