Why Charter With Us
The right yacht is only the beginning. We plan the whole charter around you — the crew, the chef, the route, the season and the way your group likes to travel — drawing on real time at sea to get the match right.
Choosing well
A Great Charter Is More Than a Yacht List
A beautiful yacht is only one part of the week. The crew’s personality, the chef, the destination and season, the itinerary and the activities on offer — and your group’s own priorities — all shape how the charter actually feels.
Comparing specifications alone misses most of what makes a charter memorable. That’s why we start with you, and work outward to the yacht.
How We Help You Choose
Four ways we turn a wide, confusing market into a short list that genuinely fits your group.
Understand the charter you want
We start with your group, not a yacht — how you like to travel, who’s aboard and what you want from the week. Everything we suggest is already shaped around that, so you’re choosing from options that fit.
Match the yacht and crew
The yacht matters, but the crew and chef often shape the week more. We weigh layout, service style and the people aboard — because a great charter is about who looks after you, not just the specification.
Plan around real-world variables
Destination, season, itinerary and the activities you care about all move the answer. We plan around the things that actually affect your days on the water — not just the headline price.
Stay supported from enquiry through charter
You work with a real person from the first question to the final details — clear answers on costs and inclusions, and someone to speak to if your plans change.
Behind the recommendation
Judgement Earned on the Water
Our recommendations come from real time at sea — sailing, racing, diving and delivering yachts across the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and beyond — and from inspecting yachts in person at boat shows and on the dock.
Long-standing relationships with Central Agents, yacht managers and crews mean we understand how a yacht really runs and who looks after guests well. The fleet changes constantly, so staying current is part of the job.
What You Can Expect
What Clients Say About Working With Hannes
A mix of charter guests and people who have sailed, dived and worked alongside Hannes over the years — in their own words.
We just returned home yesterday after one unforgettable week in the BVI. In addition to myself, our group included my wife, our 15-year-old son, and our 14-year-old daughter. Suffice it to say I doubt we'll ever stay in a resort after this.
The People You’ll Be Planning With
Every enquiry reaches a real broker — here’s the team behind your charter.
Yachtmaster Ocean and PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer with over 10,000 logged dives — founder of Yacht Charter Agents.
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Hannes is a Yachtmaster Ocean and PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer with over 10,000 logged dives, and the founder of Yacht Charter Agents. His background spans years working in dive stores throughout the Caribbean, crewing and leading private yacht trips, expedition voyages, bluewater sailboat racing, and cross-ocean deliveries — including sailing the Cape to Rio Yacht Race alongside John Sanders OBE. He has completed hundreds of charters across the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Seychelles, Hawaii, Thailand, Australia, South Africa, and Central and South America, crossed the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans multiple times, and worked aboard two of the top 10 largest private yachts in the world. He founded Yacht Charter Agents to bring that hands-on, hard-won expertise to every charter he books — not just a list of boats, but real answers from someone who's actually been on the water.
A writer, marketer and lifelong explorer who's travelled to more than 55 countries — including circumnavigating the globe aboard a small academic ship in 100 days.
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A writer, marketer and lifelong explorer, Julia has built her career around storytelling, travel, design and creating meaningful experiences. Her work spans marketing, community building, travel planning and project management, combining creativity with thoughtful organisation and a genuine appreciation for people, culture and place. Having travelled to more than 55 countries — including circumnavigating the globe aboard a small academic ship in 100 days, sea kayaking in Antarctica, trekking through Patagonia, and living throughout Central and South America and Europe — Julia brings a truly global perspective to every client journey. She believes that exceptional travel is about far more than reaching a destination. It is about creating experiences that are seamless, personal and memorable through thoughtful planning, authentic local connections and careful attention to the details that often make the greatest difference. At Yacht Charter Agents, Julia combines her background in writing, marketing, project management and international travel to help clients transform a yacht charter into an unforgettable experience, ensuring every stage of the journey is thoughtfully planned from the first enquiry through to returning home with lasting memories.
Brand van Dyk brings years of professional sailing, diving and charter experience to Yacht Charter Agents — an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore and PADI Dive Instructor who has captained charter yachts throughout the British Virgin Islands and across the Caribbean.
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Brand van Dyk brings years of professional sailing, diving and charter experience to Yacht Charter Agents. Originally from Pretoria, South Africa, Brand is an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore and PADI Dive Instructor who has captained charter yachts throughout the British Virgin Islands and across the Caribbean. His calm professionalism, friendly personality and genuine passion for creating memorable experiences have earned him the respect of guests, crew and industry colleagues alike. A passionate waterman, Brand enjoys fishing, kitesurfing, spearfishing, wakeboarding and exploring new destinations. He is equally passionate about exceptional food and is well known for grilling freshly caught fish and Caribbean lobster, both onboard and ashore, bringing people together over great meals after unforgettable days on the water. When he isn't working in the charter industry, Brand operates an organic farming and food supply business in South Africa, where he is committed to sustainable agriculture while helping teach and support members of his local community through practical farming knowledge. At Yacht Charter Agents, Brand combines first-hand operational experience, local destination knowledge and a genuine passion for hospitality to help clients choose the right yacht, crew and itinerary for an unforgettable charter experience.
Michael Befus is an active sailor, mentor and passionate advocate for introducing more people to life on the water — based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he spends much of the sailing season exploring Lake Michigan.
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Michael Befus is an active sailor, mentor and passionate advocate for introducing more people to life on the water. Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he keeps his sailboat in Muskegon and spends much of the sailing season exploring Lake Michigan with family and friends. A firm believer that sailing is best learned by doing, Michael is actively involved in local sailing programmes that introduce both youth and adults to the sport. He enjoys helping new sailors build confidence, develop practical seamanship skills and discover the unique freedom that comes with travelling under sail. Whether enjoying an afternoon sail, an overnight cruise or mentoring someone at the helm for the first time, Michael values the friendships, confidence and lasting memories that sailing creates. He believes some of life's best conversations happen with the engine off, the sails drawing and nowhere to be except on the water. At Yacht Charter Agents, Michael brings practical sailing experience, a passion for sharing the sport and an appreciation for the slower, more meaningful style of travel that sailing offers. He enjoys helping clients discover charters that create unforgettable experiences for families, couples and groups alike.
Let’s Plan the Right Yacht, Crew and Destination
Tell us who’s travelling and what you’re hoping for. A broker will talk it through and shortlist yachts that genuinely fit — real guidance, no pressure.