Crewed Yacht Charter Seychelles

Crewed yacht charter in the Seychelles

A crewed yacht charter in the Seychelles is the most straightforward way to sail the islands. Your catamaran comes with a skipper who knows the waters and a crew who run the boat, cook aboard and look after the day-to-day, so the only thing left to you is to decide where the day goes. The fleet departs from Eden Island Marina on Mahé and runs from spacious cruising catamarans up to a 77-foot flagship, carrying six to fourteen guests.

It is a holiday with the work taken out of it. There are no passages to plan, no anchoring to judge, no provisioning to organise. You wake where you chose to anchor, the day is yours to shape, and the practicalities are handled by people who do this for a living and sail these islands all year.

What a crewed charter includes

On a crewed charter, things are taken care of for you.

• The skipper plans the passages, handles the sailing, judges the weather and shares the anchorages and snorkelling spots worth knowing. They shape the week around what you want to see and adjust it day to day.
• The cook (optional) prepares meals aboard — breakfast, lunch and dinner as you prefer — built around a provisioning plan agreed before you sail, including any dietary needs.
• The crew (optional)  keep the yacht in order, sets up the dinghy and water toys, and looks after the small things so you do not have to.

You travel as a guest on your own private yacht. How active a part you take in the sailing is up to you: some guests enjoy a turn at the helm, others never lift a finger.

Choosing your yacht

• Arcturus (Bali 5.4) and Ocean (Lagoon 50) are the entry point to the crewed fleet — modern cruising catamarans with open living space, well suited to a family or two couples sharing, at the most accessible weekly rates.
• Nowo (Lagoon 51) takes up to fourteen guests, making it a good choice for a larger family group or friends travelling together who want everyone on one boat.
• Marlena (Lagoon 620) and Eye Candy (Catalante 720) are larger again, with more cabin comfort, more deck space and a larger crew — a step up for guests who want room to spread out.
• Akula is a Leopard 53 power catamaran rather than a sailing yacht. It suits guests who prefer to motor between islands at a steadier, faster and more level pace, covering more ground in a day.
• Spirit of Ponant, a Lagoon 77 with a crew of four, is the flagship — the yacht for a significant occasion, with the space and service to match.

While the other yachts may be designated as bareboat, they all offer the option of a skipper and crew. We will talk you through the differences and recommend two or three that fit your group, your dates and your budget.

The crewed fleet

The cruising catamarans — Arcturus, Ocean and Nowo — give a family or a group of friends generous space at a sensible weekly rate. Marlena and Eye Candy step up in size and comfort for those who want more room and a larger crew. Akula, a Leopard power catamaran, suits guests who prefer motoring between islands at a steadier, faster pace. Spirit of Ponant, a Lagoon 77 with a crew of four, is the flagship for a special occasion. Every yacht is SMSA-licensed and fully crewed, and period-forecast pricing sets the exact rate for your dates.

Where you’ll sail

Crewed charters can loop through the Inner Islands. A typical week can look something like this:

• Sainte Anne Marine Park: A brief sail from Eden Island, the marine park encompasses Cerf, Round, Moyenne and Long islands — easy snorkelling, calm anchorages and a gentle easing into the trip while you settle in.
• North and west Mahé: Beau Vallon Bay, Baie Ternay and Port Launay on the west coast offer sheltered overnight anchorages and good snorkelling, with Thérèse and Conception islands close by.
• The crossing to Praslin: The passage to Praslin is the one stretch of real sailing in a typical week. Praslin’s Côte d’Or and Anse Lazio and the Vallée de Mai, home of the coco de mer palm, are favourites.
• Curieuse, Cousin and Aride: These protected islands sit just off Praslin. Curieuse is known for its giant tortoises, and Cousin and Aride for seabirds.
• La Digue: Anchor off La Passe and go ashore by bicycle to Anse Source d’Argent, one of the most photographed beaches anywhere, with its granite boulders and shallow, clear water.
• Félicité, Grande Soeur and the Sister Islands: Quiet anchorages east of La Digue, good for a final couple of nights before the sail back to Mahé.

We will tailor the route to your dates and the season, and the crew will take care of the rest so the week stays relaxed.

A week aboard

A crewed week usually begins at Eden Island and works north and east through the Inner Islands, though your skipper builds the route around you.

From Mahé, the first day often takes in Sainte Anne Marine Park and the west-coast bays for snorkelling and a gentle start. The yacht then crosses to Praslin, with its beaches at Anse Lazio and Côte d’Or and the Vallée de Mai ashore. From Praslin, the protected islands of Curieuse, Cousin and Aride are close at hand. La Digue follows, with its bicycle ride to Anse Source d’Argent, and the quieter Sister Islands and Félicité offer calm anchorages for the last nights before the return to Mahé.

Because the crew sail these waters year-round, they know which bay is sheltered in a given wind, where the snorkelling is best on the day, and which anchorage will be quiet. The plan flexes to the weather and to your party rather than following a fixed schedule.

A representative week might open with a night in Sainte Anne Marine Park off Mahé, move to the west coast for snorkelling on the second day, then cross to Praslin for two nights, taking in Côte d’Or, the Vallée de Mai ashore, and the tortoises on Curieuse. From there, the yacht sails to La Digue for the ride to Anse Source d’Argent, spends a quieter night around Félicité or the Sister Islands, and returns to Mahé with a final stop in the marine park. Your skipper sets the actual route according to the conditions and what you most want to see.

Life aboard

Days settle into an easy rhythm. Mornings tend to be the active part — a sail to the next island, snorkelling from the boat or off a beach, a walk ashore — with afternoons for swimming, reading and time on the water. The cook serves meals when it suits you rather than to a fixed timetable, and the crew set up whatever the yacht carries by way of paddleboards, snorkelling gear and a tender for getting ashore. Evenings are usually spent at anchor in a quiet bay. How full or how slow you make the week is entirely your choice; the crew take their cue from you.

Crewed or bareboat?

If your group has the experience and wants the independence of skippering yourselves, a bareboat charter may suit you better, with the option to add a skipper for part of the trip. Choose a crewed charter when you would rather not sail the boat at all — when the point of the holiday is to be looked after, to travel with people who do not sail, or to mark an occasion without anyone aboard taking on the responsibility. Many guests who could sail bareboat choose crewed simply for the rest it gives them.

Crewed charters work particularly well for honeymoons and anniversaries, where the appeal is being looked after; for families and multi-generation groups, where having the sailing handled lets everyone relax; for milestone celebrations; and for small corporate or incentive groups. Tell us the occasion and the group, and we will match the yacht and the crew to it.

Best Time for a Yacht Charter in Seychelles

How far ahead to book

Crewed yachts, and the better weeks in particular, book up well in advance. The calmest, most popular periods — April to May and October to November, and the Christmas and New Year weeks — are often reserved months ahead, so if your dates are fixed it is worth enquiring early. That said, shorter-notice charters are sometimes possible, especially in the quieter months, and we will always tell you honestly what is available for your dates. Because we work across an independent fleet rather than a single set of boats, we can usually offer an alternative yacht if your first choice is taken.

Food, provisioning and costs

On most crewed charters, catering is arranged through a provisioning allowance — sometimes called an APA — agreed before you sail. It covers food, drinks, fuel and park fees, and is reconciled at the end of the charter against what was actually spent, with the balance returned. This keeps the catering genuinely tailored: the cook shops to your preferences and dietary needs rather than to a fixed menu. We explain exactly how this works for your chosen yacht in your quote, so there are no surprises.

When to charter

The islands are warm year-round. May to September bring the steadier south-east trade winds and drier air; November to March is calmer and warmer, with lighter winds and occasional rain; April and October to November are often the clearest, calmest weeks of the year and are popular, so worth booking ahead. Your skipper plans around whichever season you sail in.

What’s included

Included: the yacht, the skipper and crew, and the running of the charter. Provisioning, fuel, marine park fees, and bar are covered by the agreed allowance described above. We itemise the base rate and the allowance separately in your quote so you can see the full cost before you commit.

Booking, the way we do it

Submit a booking request form or send an enquiry, and we will reply by WhatsApp, email or phone. We confirm availability and a quote for your dates, talk through the yacht, the crew and the route, and arrange provisioning to your preferences. Payment is via a secure link, and a member of the team stays with you from the first message through departure — and is reachable while you are aboard.

Why charter with Chartercraft

We are a Seychelles charter broker working with an SMSA-licensed fleet of independently owned, fully crewed yachts that berth at Eden Island Marina on Mahé. Because we are not limited to one owner’s boats, we can put you on the right yacht with the right crew for your group and occasion. And because a person handles the charter from enquiry to departure, the things that make a crewed holiday work — the catering, the itinerary, the match of crew to guests — are arranged with care.

Enquire about a crewed charter

1. Use the Private Charters menu to browse the category pages on the site.
2. Find the craft you like. Send the booking request. Date, group size, and what you want to do.
   1️⃣ View our fleet.
   2️⃣ Click or tap on the yacht you like.
   3️⃣ Submit the Booking Request form.
3. We send a quote with terms within twenty-four hours.
4. Sign the terms, pay the deposit. We confirm.
5. You get a final reservation email with the berth or helipad, time and crew contact.

Message us on WhatsApp at +248 277 9832, call +248 442 2901, or email bookings@chartercraft.sc.

Crewed Yacht Charter Seychelles Frequently Asked Questions

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