What does APA actually stand for?

APA stands for Advance Provisioning Allowance. It’s a working budget the charterer pays alongside the base charter fee — typically 25-30% of the base — that the captain spends on fuel, food, drinks, dockage, port fees, and any other consumables during the week. The captain tracks every expense and refunds whatever isn’t used. The acronym is standard across the global charter industry; you’ll see it on contracts from the BVI to the Bahamas to the Mediterranean. The “advance” part means it’s paid upfront. The “provisioning” part means it covers what gets bought for the trip. The “allowance” part means unspent funds come back. See the booking process.