No hunting for a crew, no planning stress: in a 5-minute quiz we match you with a crew that really fits you – experienced skipper on board. Grown out of real trips with friends, now open to you. Applying is free – you only pay a deposit once you accept a match proposal.
The concept
We work differently from classic sailing operators: instead of fixed trips, we build matches. You apply with your preferred dates, the captain puts together a crew that fits you — and proposes a specific date.
Deposit only after you accept. The application and the quiz cost you nothing. Only once the match proposal works for you and you say yes do you put down 50% of the trip price as a deposit. You pay the rest a few weeks before departure.
Fill out the crew quiz (5 min), tell us your preferred trip + preferred weeks. Free, no obligation.
From the applicants, the captain assembles a crew that fits and sets a specific date.
You get the date, a crew preview and the price. You decide in your own time — yes or no, no pressure.
When you say yes, you put down a 50% deposit. It secures your spot and is protected until the captain formally books the boat.
Once the crew is complete, the captain books the boat with the charter company. From now on your deposit is committed and the trip counts as firmly booked — now you can sort out your travel to the harbor.
A few weeks before departure you pay the second half. The exact deadline is in your match proposal.
The crew meets at the harbor, safety briefing, and off you go. A week you won't forget.
If no crew comes together, or you turn down the proposal before the captain formally books the boat, you get your deposit back 100%.
Application + quiz are free — the deposit is only due once you accept a specific match proposal. Until the captain formally books the charter, your deposit is 100% protected: if no crew comes together or you turn down the proposal, you get everything back. Once the captain has firmly booked the boat (you get a confirmation), the deposit is committed — cancelling after that costs you this 50%, because the boat is then reserved and paid for. We say this openly so you know exactly where you stand.
Never sailed before? Perfect.
You don't have to be a sailor. You don't have to know anything. We'll show you exactly what a typical week with us looks like — from the first meeting at the harbor to sunrise over the bay.
You get to know each other at the harbor — usually over a first coffee or beer. Then you go shopping together (breakfast, snacks, drinks, a few dinners for the coves — you plan restaurant evenings as you go). While the skipper (with a co-skipper from the crew, if someone feels like it) handles the boat handover with the charter company, you stow the supplies.
After that: the safety walkthrough. Life jackets, distress signals, gas system, fire safety, man-overboard maneuver — the skipper explains everything calmly and concretely. You won't be quizzed. You just need to know where everything is.
Anyone who feels like it takes on a small role: dinghy skipper (drives the tender), hatch officer (checks before every departure that everything is sealed), anchor-drink officer (the most important post!), and you organize cooking and dishwashing crews among yourselves. For emergencies — breakdown, man overboard — everyone gets a fixed safety role from the skipper.
In the evening, either relaxed in the harbor with pizza or a restaurant — or you cast off right away, anchor in the first cove, jump in for a swim and cook together on board. Depending on the crew's mood and the weather.
The crew decides the program together — depending on mood, weather and how everyone feels. Some days are straightforward (sail, arrive, sleep). Others have excursions, hikes, island tours. In a thunderstorm we stay in the harbor — and turn it into the best evening of the week.
The skipper sails the boat. You're on vacation. Full stop.
Crew profile free · no sign-up needed
Our promise
Classic operators add a 40–50% markup on the charter costs — skippers often get nothing but a free berth. We work differently: no boat fleet, no overhead, just a transparent 20% service fee. That's why you pay from 500 € per week instead of over 1,000 € like elsewhere.
No deposit without a concrete match proposal. No pressure. If the crew doesn't come together: 100% back.
How it works & legal
We believe in clarity – no hidden costs, no unfair clauses. Here you'll find all the key information about how things work on board and our terms.
Join the Captain is currently preparing for regular booking operations. The full booking and travel terms are sent individually before any binding booking and only become part of a contract once the legal review is complete.
During the pre-launch period you can already register your interest as crew, create your profile and save quiz results. Binding bookings are not currently possible.
If you have questions about our planned model, feel free to write to us at ahoi@join-the-captain.de.
Your skipper
"A good match doesn't need a crowd – just the right people at the right time on the right boat."
You'll get the full skipper profile after your personal match.
No stock photos. What you see here is what you get — a week in the Mediterranean, the way it really is.
What's included?
Experienced, certified skipper – on board all day, own cabin
Berth in a 2-person cabin with bed linen, towel, use of bathroom & saloon
Breakfast daily – all ingredients on board, prepared together by the crew
Snorkel set, stand-up paddle board, life jackets
Guided excursions & hikes (depending on the trip)
Complete safety equipment (EPIRB, AIS, life raft)
100% refund as long as no travel group comes together
8 guest berths in 4 double cabins + separate skipper cabin (10-berth yacht)
Travel to and from the port of departure
Lunch & dinner at restaurants (the skipper's restaurant visits are covered by the crew – a seafaring tradition)
On-board kitty (approx. 250–350 € / person) – covers breakfast ingredients, fuel, harbor fees & shared excursions
Ibiza club entry: Pacha 30–65 €, Amnesia 40–60 €, Hï 50–80 € / person – we organize, you pay
Security deposit (100–200 € / person cash) – or the worry-free package 45/65 €
Single occupancy of the cabin (surcharge = double the per-person price, since the 2nd berth otherwise stays empty)
Travel health & trip cancellation insurance (recommended!)
Personal expenses, souvenirs, excursions at your own expense
Parking fees at the port of departure
How it could be
Example scenarios — fictional. Real reviews will follow after the first trip.
"I was skeptical whether the matching would work – but after 9 days the email came. Perfect date, great crew. Stromboli at night was the experience of my life!"
"The concept is brilliant – I'd given 4 weeks as possible dates and after just 6 days the match was perfect. As a couple we got the Ibiza trip and it was unforgettable."
"The deposit was clear right away – either it works out and I go, or I get it back. That gave me the confidence. Mallorca–Menorca was a dream."
FAQ
Everything you need to know before you reserve – answered honestly and clearly.
Write to us
Private inquiries, group trips or simply a question about the matching concept – we reply within 24 hours.
Direct contact
