What a boat actually costs in Malta

Charter pricing looks opaque because four different things are being sold under one word. Here is what the number on the card includes, and what it does not.

Per boat, or per head

A shared Comino day tour is priced per person, around €38. A private charter is priced per boat. For two people the shared tour wins on price every time. From about six people up, a private hull is usually cheaper and you choose where it goes.

Fuel is the one that moves

• Included. The quote is the quote. Common on sail and on catamarans, where consumption is low and predictable.
• Metered. You pay for what you burn, settled on return. Fair, and normal on self-drive.
• Extra. You refill before you hand it back. On a fast RIB pushed hard this can add a meaningful amount to a half day.

A planing motor yacht at cruising speed burns a great deal more than the same boat idling between two bays. If the price says fuel extra and the plan is Gozo and back at speed, budget for it.

Skipper and crew

On most Maltese charters over about 12 metres a skipper is not optional, and the fee is inside the price. Where it is separate it is typically €150 to €250 for a day. A crewed boat means a skipper plus at least one deckhand, which is what you are paying for on a flybridge or above.

Security deposits, and why we take none

Most Maltese operators hold one: a few hundred euro on a small self-drive, several thousand on a large motor yacht, released after the boat is checked back in. It is not a cost, but it is a hold on your card and it is worth knowing the number before you arrive at the pontoon. Booking through SailSeeker there is no deposit at all, on any boat, so the charter price is the only amount that touches your card.

What we charge

SailSeeker takes 10% of the booking. It is inside the price you see, not added at checkout, and the operator receives the balance the morning you sail.