The base fee is the headline weekly rate for the yacht and crew, typically quoted in EUR and commonly ranging from around EUR 25,000 to EUR 350,000 or more depending on vessel size, calibre and season. This figure covers the vessel and crew for the week. It does not cover fuel, food, drink, dockage, or other variable costs incurred during the charter.

None of this is about persuading a guest toward a particular Ocean Independence yacht charter or region. It is about listening long enough to build an itinerary that suits the people taking it, then adjusting as the week actually unfolds. That is the difference between a charter that is simply booked and one that is properly planned.

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This level of service is reflected in how the week is priced and structured, distinct from more basic charter formats that put day-to-day running of the vessel in guests' own hands. A crewed week is designed around removing that responsibility entirely, rather than reducing it partially.

Start with condition. Ask what surveys have already been carried out on the vessel, when, and by whom. A consultant should be able to explain the difference between a hull survey, an engine survey and a rig inspection, and why a buyer might want all three before committing. Ask, too, what the survey is unlikely to cover, since no single inspection catches everything.

Timeline is worth pressing on directly. Ask how long survey, sea trial, negotiation and paperwork typically take from offer to completion, and what could extend that. Buyers who expect a purchase to close in a fortnight are often disappointed, and a consultant working to a realistic schedule will say so plainly.