Group Expenses on a Sailing Vacation
If you are doing your sailing vacation with a group of people, there will be expenses that will be shared by the group that are outside the costs of the charter or boat rental. Especially if you are new to sailing vacations this could be confusing, so put together a nifty guide to help you plan.
First, pick the purser of the boat. This person will be in charge of all the group expenses during the trip. This person will be in charge of collecting money before the trip and documenting all the expenses.
Second, plan the expenses. This allows the purser to collect money before the trip, instead of tracking everyone down after the trip. Here are usually the biggest expenses the purser needs to plan.
Food - Are you going to be eating a shore a lot? Or are you going to be cooking on the boat a lot? Take an hour and plan out your meal plan so you can create an estimate of what you will be buying prior to the trip. (Recommendation: $150 a person)
Alcohol - Is your group going to be drinking expensive champagne the whole week, or enjoying cheap beers. (Recommendation: $50 a person)
Docking and Mooring Fees - This will vary a lot based upon location. In Croatia, you can spend over $100 a night. In places like Greece, it is free. It is important to speak to your captain or who you rented the boat from on what they recommend allocating. (Recommendation: Ask your skipper)
Tip for Skipper. If you hired a skipper for the week, plan on giving him or her a tip at the end of the trip. You should also cover their food for the week and invite them ashore to eat with you. (Recommendation: 15% of boat rental)
Miscellaneous. You should plan for other expenses that may come up or that you want to plan. For example, will your boat rent kayaks or wifi hotspots for the week? Maybe you want to buy some boat decorations!
Third, collect money in advance. You should collect the money that you planned for in the previous step, plus a little extra. Having the money before hand allows an easier process for the purser. Make sure the purser also has plenty of cash as well during the trip, many docks and moorings will require cash.
Fourth, document the expenses. Create an google spreadsheet or keep a piece of paper on the boat that the purser can document for the group what the money is being spent on.
Finally, enjoy the trip! And return extra money! If you planned correctly, usually there is money left over after the trip. The purser can return the extra money to everyone or maybe you all decide to spend it on one last group dinner to celebrate old and new friendships you enjoyed during your yacht life sailing vacation!