What should I check in the yacht charter contract before paying a deposit?
Read the complete agreement, including the form edition, special conditions and incorporated documents. Hill Dickinson’s account of the April 2025 MYBA revision identifies changes involving KYC, sanctions, breakdown-related rights and an entire-agreement provision affecting prior communications. (hilldickinson.com)
Use this recommended issue register:
| Issue | Question for the broker or lawyer |
|---|---|
| Parties and authority | Who owes the yacht’s obligations, and who signs for each party? |
| Yacht and charter period | Are identity, dates, hours and ports correct? |
| Payment | What is due, when, to whom and under what release conditions? |
| Expenses | How are APA, top-ups and reconciliation handled? |
| Buyer cancellation | What becomes payable and what may be recoverable? |
| Owner cancellation | What evidence, refund and damages provisions apply? |
| Breakdown | What thresholds and remedies apply before and during the charter? |
| Itinerary | What discretion and restrictions govern changes? |
| Essential features | How are material promises recorded? |
| Yacht sale or crew changes | What notification and other rights apply? |
| Insurance | Which risks remain with the charterer? |
| Disputes | What notice, governing-law and dispute-resolution provisions apply? |
Ask counsel to turn important sales promises into suitable contractual wording where appropriate. A written preference sheet and a contractual commitment serve different purposes.
Approval standard: no material issue should remain hidden behind “it is the standard contract.” Record the answer, responsible person and whether the principal accepts the residual risk.