APA — the Advance Provisioning Allowance — is your charter’s expense account: typically 25–40% of the base rate, paid upfront, spent on fuel, food, drinks, berths, and everything consumed on board, and reconciled to the cent at the end. Whatever is not spent comes back to you.
It is the part of yacht chartering that surprises first-time clients most, and in Corsica it has its own personality — because here, more than in most destinations, the route you choose decides what the APA becomes.
What the APA actually pays for
- Fuel — for the yacht, the tender, and the toys; the biggest variable by far
- Food and drinks — provisioned to your preference sheet, from breakfasts to the wine list
- Berths and mooring fees — marina nights, park fees like the La Maddalena permit
- Port charges and local taxes along the route
Your captain keeps the accounts and shows you where it stands whenever you ask — there is no mystery to it. At the end of the week you see every receipt, and the remainder is returned. It is not a fee; it is your money, spent on your week, by people who do this every day.
Why fuel is the Corsica variable
Corsica routes are route-driven — Bonifacio, the Lavezzi, maybe La Maddalena, maybe the west coast. Miles add up, and on a motor yacht miles are fuel. The same yacht can burn a modest APA on a slow south-coast loop or a substantial one on an ambitious two-island route at speed. This is the honest trade behind the motor yacht vs catamaran decision: speed buys you anchor time and costs you fuel; sails buy you quiet APAs and cost you range.
When we plan a route with you, we will tell you which legs are the expensive ones and what cutting or reordering them saves. A good example: running direct from the mainland to the islands burns money over water with nothing to see — one of several reasons we tell clients to start the charter where the cruising is, as we explain in how many days do you really need.
Berths, parks, and the other line items
Marina nights in Bonifacio or Porto Cervo in August are premium items; nights at anchor are nearly free. A route that swings between the two — anchor most nights, marina when the town is the point — keeps the APA sane without costing the week anything. Park fees are small by comparison: the La Maddalena permit is priced by boat length and handled entirely by your crew.
How to budget it, simply
Plan with the standard bracket: 25–40% of the base charter rate, leaning higher for fast motor yachts on ambitious routes and lower for catamarans on gentle ones. On top of the base rate you should also expect VAT and, by custom, crew gratuity at your discretion — our Corsica cost guide puts all three together with worked full-week budgets so there are no surprises.
Two habits keep clients happy: tell us your provisioning style honestly upfront (champagne lists and spearfished lunches are both fine — surprises are not), and ask the captain for a mid-week APA check-in. Both take minutes and remove the only part of APA that ever causes friction: not knowing.
Frequently asked questions
Do we get unused APA back?
Yes — every unspent euro is returned at the end of the charter, with the accounts to show for it.
Why is APA not just included in the price?
Because it is not the yacht’s money — it is yours. Two groups on the same yacht can spend wildly different amounts on fuel, wine, and marinas. The APA keeps the base rate honest and your choices yours.
Can the APA run out mid-charter?
On an unusually thirsty week, yes — the captain will flag it early and top-up is straightforward. This is exactly why we route-plan the fuel legs with you before the charter, not during it.
Is crew gratuity part of the APA?
No. Gratuity is separate, discretionary, and typically given directly to the captain at the end of the week.
Want your route priced honestly?
Send us the route you are dreaming about and we will tell you what it really costs to run — including which legs are worth their fuel and which we would redesign. No surprises at reconciliation is a planning choice, and it starts now.
Get a real all-in estimate from a broker who has reconciled these accounts before.
