Chris de KockYacht charter broker, DMA Yachting
The crew and the owner fix it, at their cost, not yours. A yacht is a working machine and small faults happen. What you should expect is to be told early, offered an alternative, and kept moving.
A real example from this summer. On one of our Greek charters the main engine failed mid-week. The owner arranged and paid for the repair, then organized a fast tender so the guests still reached Spetses that afternoon and lost none of their day.
That is the standard, not the exception. Your charter agreement puts the condition and operation of the yacht on the owner, and the charter fee covers it, so a mechanical problem is theirs to solve. Repairs are not taken out of your APA.
If a fault ever costs you real time on board, there is a conversation to be had about compensation, and your broker runs it for you rather than leaving you to argue with an owner mid-holiday. It is also worth reading our note on travel insurance, which covers the things the owner cannot.