What happens if the captain gets sick before a crewed yacht charter?

If the captain gets sick before a crewed yacht charter, the yacht’s owner is responsible for putting a qualified relief captain aboard, not the guest and not the broker. The crew work for the owner, directly or through a management company, so delivering a captain for the week is the owner’s obligation. In practice that means a freelance skipper brought in for the week. If nobody suitable can be found, the booking falls under the same rule as a yacht that cannot be delivered: a comparable substitute yacht or a full refund.

It matters most on owner-operated catamarans, where the captain is often the owner and half of a two-person crew. Crew changes are common, too. Between late July and early October 2026, about one in seven crewed yachts in the BVI listed a new captain. CYBA expects central agents to tell brokers holding confirmed charters about a crew change, so ask the broker to confirm the named captain and chef a few weeks before boarding. Choosing a BVI charter company covers that crew check.