APA stands for Advanced Provisioning Allowance. How exactly it works and why it exists may seem confusing. The charter fee generally covers only the hire of the yacht and crew, all other expenses are in addition to the charter fee. These additional expenses are covered by the Advance Provisioning Allowance.
With this in mind, the MarinaReservation.com team thought it would be a good idea to break things down and start from the beginning.
How much is APA?
The APA is usually 30% of the charter fee (sometimes 35% if the yacht burns a lot of fuel or if you intend to do more than about 4 hours of cruising per day). The APA essentially creates a bank account for the Captain (and chef) on the yacht to provision on your behalf.
What is covered by the APA?
The APA covers the cost of fuel, food, wines and liquors, dockage, communications, etc. Any APA not used will be returned to you at the end of the charter as you leave. On the other hand, if expenses exceed the APA (maybe excessive cruising so high fuel costs, requests of rare liquors, etc.) you will be expected to reimburse the yacht as you leave the charter. This is rare but you need to be aware of this possible expense.
How do I pay the APA?
APA is payable in advance of your yacht charter, and normally at the same time as paying your initial charter fee. This is usually by bank transfer.