YOLO Charters · Charter Planning · 5 September 2026
Cover: Lemon’s cockpit table and twin helm positions. Photo: YOLO Charters fleet library.
The bags are nearly packed, the crew chat is full of island suggestions, and somebody is already asking where to have the first dinner. Finding a passport scan in an old email is probably not how you want to spend the evening before your flight.
The YOLO Guest Dashboard is your online space for getting your yacht charter ready: crew details, requested documents, handover records and the sailing plans shared with you. Take care of the practical side before arrival, then come aboard with more time to meet the team and settle into your holiday.
Before you travel: get the crew paperwork out of the way
Start with the yacht name, dates and booking reference on your dashboard. Then fill in the charterer’s details and the crew list, including the passenger information requested for your trip. It is an easier job with the documents in front of you than with six people searching their bags on the quay.
You can upload the requested identification and skipper qualifications from a phone or computer, using supported photographs or PDF files. Make sure the details are readable and include both sides where requested. Completing an online upload does not replace bringing any originals the charter team asks you to carry.
For eligible multi-week charters with a crew change, separate weekly crew lists help keep each part of the holiday organised. Always check the dates before entering information; if the expected booking or crew leg is missing, ask the team to check it.
Once that is done, turn to the more enjoyable preparations. Our Preveza arrival and provisioning guide helps you think through the first afternoon, while the Ionian sailing packing list covers what earns its place in a soft travel bag.
At the base: follow your Check-In on your own phone
The handover is when the yacht becomes familiar: which locker holds what, how the everyday systems work, and anything you want clarified before departure. Your dashboard supports that conversation; it does not replace the base manager’s briefing.
The manager can open a customer QR link for Check-In. Scan it on your phone to follow the inspection as it is recorded, review the condition of the yacht and the attached evidence photographs, and read the document you are being asked to sign.
If something does not match what you have discussed, raise it before signing. When a completed document is available for your signature, you can also review and sign through the dashboard. The signed PDF is available once generated, so you have a record to return to. Our yacht charter handover checklist suggests the questions worth asking while the team is beside you.
During your charter: keep the useful details together
Instead of searching through separate messages, return to the documents YOLO has shared with you. Your dashboard also shows the extras and services recorded for your booking, including what is included and what is payable at the base.
If the team or your assigned skipper has prepared an itinerary, you can explore its day-by-day plan, map and available stop information, and download the itinerary PDF. An assigned skipper’s profile and the Sailing Guide appear when those details or access have been added to your booking.
Thinking about an unhurried lunch stop or a village walk? Browse our Meganisi sailing guide for inspiration, then discuss what fits your actual route. Your itinerary is a plan, not a fixed promise: weather, local conditions and the skipper’s judgement still shape each day.
Before leaving a reliable connection, download the files you want handy. The dashboard needs internet access; saved PDFs can be opened separately when reception is limited.
At the end of the week: review your Check-Out clearly
The return inspection deserves the same attention as the departure. Through the manager’s Check-Out QR link, you can follow the return document on your phone, review the recorded condition and photographs, and see any recorded security-deposit deduction before you sign.
Ask about anything that needs explaining or correcting while you are still together at the yacht. Completed Check-In and Check-Out records shared with you remain accessible through the dashboard, with the signed PDF available once generated. That gives you something concrete to refer to after the holiday, not just a memory of the conversation on the quay.
Your security deposit, without the guesswork
When YOLO enables card pre-authorisation for your booking, the dashboard lets you review the exact amount and complete the Stripe authorisation flow. A pre-authorisation reserves funds on the card; it is separate from paying the charter balance.
You can see the recorded authorisation status. If an amount is later captured, the available breakdown shows the amount charged, the released remainder and the recorded reason. Always check the yacht and dates before authorising; if the option you expect is missing, contact the team rather than use another booking.
Not sure how the security deposit differs from other charter costs? Our Ionian yacht charter cost guide explains the wider picture. The amounts and arrangements confirmed for your own booking are the ones to follow.
Five minutes now, a calmer arrival later
- Check your trip: yacht, dates and booking reference.
- Get the crew ready: complete and save the requested passenger details.
- Upload clear documents: check that nothing requested is missing or unreadable.
- Review the arrangements: extras, services and amounts payable at the base.
- Keep useful copies: download shared documents and any available itinerary.
The point is not to spend more of your holiday looking at a screen. It is to get the necessary admin into one place, understand what you are signing and leave more room for the week you came for.
A few questions before you log in
Do I need to install an app?
No. Open Guest Login in your browser on a phone, tablet or computer, using the access details provided by YOLO.
Will every booking show the same options?
No. Itineraries, Sailing Guide access, skipper details and card pre-authorisation appear when they have been added or enabled for your booking. Damage-waiver acceptance applies when a waiver is recorded for your trip, not simply because it is offered as an option.
Does signing Check-In or Check-Out make a payment?
No. Signing the inspection document is separate from making a payment or authorising a card hold. Review each action and its amount in its own flow.
A little preparation. More room for the holiday.
Your crew, your documents and the details of your trip — ready when you need them.
A guide from YOLO Charters. Your confirmed booking, charter agreement and handover instructions govern your trip. Available dashboard features depend on your booking; sailing decisions remain with the skipper.