Guides
What is yacht sitting?
Yacht sitting is an arrangement to look after a boat under an owner’s agreed instructions.
YachtSitting team · Updated:
It can mean periodic visits to a moored boat, a longer caretaking assignment or staying aboard while providing agreed care. These are different arrangements. The owner may be absent, partly present or living aboard; a stay does not automatically include sailing or permission to move the yacht.
Start with the boat’s location, the dates and the actual tasks. Routine observations and reporting differ from repairs, navigation and responsibility for machinery. Agree when to contact the owner, who can authorise spending and which work needs a suitably qualified specialist.
Agree the actual terms
Accommodation may be exchanged for duties, carry an agreed stay fee or involve a contribution to actual living costs. Professional care can instead be paid work without accommodation. Separate these amounts, materials and tools; do not assume a free stay or unpaid work. When the owner lives aboard, sharing actual living costs is also possible without care duties unless these are separately agreed.
Check permissions before proceeding
Confirm the owner’s consent, marina rules, insurance terms and applicable local requirements for the specific arrangement. Permission cannot be inferred from a listing or profile. Ask the marina and insurer directly; these guides are preparation, not jurisdiction-specific legal advice.
Start at your own pace
We are developing YachtSitting with our first users. Features are introduced gradually; profiles do not guarantee a match, available stays or bookings.