The Yacht Purser's Charter Week: A Practical Workflow

What a yacht purser actually does on a charter week, from booking confirmation to final accounts: paperwork, APA, guest admin, crew admin and handover.

About this guide

A yacht purser runs the business side of the yacht: charter paperwork, the APA and accounts, guest and crew admin, and the logistics that keep the captain and heads of department free to run the boat. On a charter week, the purser's job is to make sure every booking, payment, document and request is in the right place before anyone has to ask.

This guide sets out a practical workflow for one charter, from the moment the booking is confirmed to the day the final statement goes to the broker. Every yacht adapts it, but the order of work stays much the same.

What does a yacht purser do?

On most larger yachts the purser looks after finance, administration and logistics. In practice that means the APA and ship's accounts, crew contracts, payroll support and travel, guest paperwork and clearance information, supplier orders and payments, and the documents the captain needs for port and flag. On smaller yachts these duties are often split between the captain and the chief stew.

Finance: APA, ship's accounts, cash, cards and supplier payments. Guest admin: manifests, passport details for clearance, preference sheets and special requests. Crew admin: contracts, certificates, rotation travel, visas and onboarding. Logistics: deliveries, agents, berth and restaurant bookings, transfers. Compliance support: keeping documents current for the captain, flag and port.

Weeks before embarkation

Read the charter agreement in full: dates, ports, guest numbers, APA amount and any special terms. Confirm the APA receipt with the broker or central agent before committing large spends. Send the preference sheet and the guest information request, with a clear return date. Collect the guest manifest and passport details needed for clearance on the planned route. Check crew certificates, visas and travel for anyone joining or leaving around the charter. Open a fresh APA ledger and a folder for receipts for this charter only.

Agree with the captain early on who signs off what spend, and up to what amount. It saves awkward calls mid-week.

The last 72 hours

Confirm deliveries, provisioning slots and agent bookings against the itinerary. Brief heads of department on guest names, cabins, dietary needs and celebrations. Confirm transfers and arrival times, and who meets the guests. Print or prepare anything the captain needs for clearance at the first port. Share the final guest-facing itinerary so the crew and guests are looking at the same plan.

During the charter

Most purser work mid-charter is keeping records current, so there is no backlog at the end. Log every APA spend the same day with its receipt, update bookings as the itinerary changes, and keep a simple running total the captain can share with the charter guests if asked.

Daily: log APA spends and receipts, check tomorrow's bookings and deliveries. When the plan changes: move restaurant, berth and transfer bookings, and update the guest itinerary. Track any APA top-up early, before the balance becomes a problem.

After disembarkation

Close the APA ledger and reconcile it against receipts and bank statements. Send the final APA statement and any refund or balance request through the agreed channel. Write the guest history notes while the week is fresh. Hand over open items to the next charter's file.

Mistakes worth avoiding

  • Spending APA before its receipt is confirmed.
  • Leaving receipts to the end of the week.
  • Keeping guest details in personal email threads instead of one shared file.
  • Forgetting to update bookings when the captain moves a day for weather.
  • Not recording guest preferences for a repeat booking.

Frequently asked questions

What are the main duties of a yacht purser?

Finance, administration and logistics: the APA and ship's accounts, crew contracts and travel, guest paperwork, supplier orders and payments, and supporting the captain with documents for flag and port.

Do all yachts have a purser?

No. Dedicated onboard pursers are more common on larger yachts, while smaller yachts often share these duties between the captain and chief stew. Some yachts work with a remote purser instead: the administration still needs doing, but it does not always require a full-time position on board. Remote purser companies such as Purser Support work with the yacht and its crew to provide shoreside support, with responsibilities agreed to suit the yacht's needs.

Does the purser manage the APA?

Usually, yes. The purser tracks spending against the APA, keeps receipts and prepares the final statement, with the captain signing it off.

What skills does a yacht purser need?

Bookkeeping and organisation first, then calm communication with guests, brokers, agents and suppliers. Many pursers come from hospitality, finance or the interior department.

Where the tooling helps

One shared guest file

Preferences, dietary needs and special requests in one place for every department.

Live itinerary

When a day moves, the guest-facing plan moves with it.

Guest service requests

Spa, room service and steward calls logged rather than passed on by word of mouth.

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One way crews keep the charter week in one place

Some pursers keep the guest file, itinerary and service requests in Guest Trip, so every department works from the same plan. Try it free on your next charter.