12knots.com

What is 12 Knots?

12 Knots is an online marketplace for yacht charters and sailing vacations, listing more than 22,000 yachts and cruises worldwide. Its stated model is to connect travelers with professional charter companies, offer deals and discounts, provide a dedicated booking manager, and avoid hidden fees. The site's own tagline is "Search. Book. Sail."

H3 What you can actually book

• Yacht charters — the main category, with a range of yacht types available for charter.
• Cabin charters — booking a single cabin rather than the whole boat, which usually suits solo travelers, couples, or people happy to share with strangers.
• Sailing tours — organized trips with set itineraries, as opposed to bareboat or crewed private charters.

H3 Where it operates The destination list is genuinely broad: the Caribbean (BVI, USVI, St Martin, Antigua, Grenada, Martinique and more), the Mediterranean (Croatia, Greece, Italy including Sardinia and Sicily, Spain including Mallorca and Ibiza, Turkey, France across its coasts and inland waters), plus Northern Europe, the Indian Ocean (Seychelles, Maldives, Mauritius), Southeast Asia, the South Pacific (Tahiti, New Caledonia), the Middle East, South America and beyond. Inland-water cruising appears too, with networks of bases along canals and rivers in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland and Poland. The base list is long and granular — Athens, Split, Dubrovnik, Palma, Bodrum, Tortola, Airlie Beach and hundreds more — which matters because charter costs and flight logistics depend heavily on the exact base, not just the country.

H3 Who it suits

• First-time charterers who want a booking manager to handle questions and coordination.
• Travelers comparing many operators across countries in one search rather than contacting companies one by one.
• Cabin-charter seekers who don't want to pay for an entire yacht.
• Groups and families looking at crewed or skippered options in familiar destinations.

It suits you less if you already have a direct relationship with a specific operator, or if you want to inspect a boat in person before committing.

H3 How to use it well

1. Pick a destination and base first, then compare yacht types within it — the same yacht can price very differently depending on embarkation port.
2. Decide between whole-boat and cabin charter before you filter; the two are effectively different products.
3. Ask the booking manager directly about what the quoted price excludes, since fuel, mooring fees, food, skipper and local taxes vary widely by destination and operator.
4. Compare against a specialist operator in your target region, for example Sunsail or The Moorings for crewed and bareboat fleets, and check destination-level guidance from Visit Tobago-style tourism boards when planning timing around seasons and events.

H3 A concrete scenario A couple in the UK wants a week in the Greek islands in early summer without sailing experience. They would search Greece, compare cabin charters out of Athens or Corfu against a skippered whole-boat charter, then weigh the per-person cabin price against the privacy of a private boat plus skipper. The trade-off is cost and control versus flexibility: a cabin charter is cheaper and requires no planning, while a private skippered charter costs more but lets them choose the route.

The main caveat with any large aggregator is that listings reflect what partner operators supply, so confirm availability, the exact yacht, and cancellation terms in writing before paying a deposit.

How do I find and compare yacht charters on 12 Knots?

Start with the type of charter, then narrow by destination and base. 12 Knots is a marketplace-style booking site: its homepage leads with "Search. Book. Sail." and organises inventory around three choices — yacht charters vs cabin charters, a long country/base list, and yacht types available for charter. That structure tells you how to search: pick the trip shape first, because a crewed yacht charter and a per-cabin berth are different products with different pricing logic and different audiences.

A practical comparison workflow

Who each option suits

• Cabin charter: solo travellers, couples and small groups who want a fixed itinerary and shared costs. Less control, but simpler.
• Bareboat charter: experienced sailors with a licence or accepted sailing CV. Cheapest per person, most freedom.
• Skippered or crewed charter: groups without sailing qualifications, or anyone who wants a host/cook. Higher cost, less admin.
• Catamaran: families with children, groups wanting space and stability.
• Motor yacht: people prioritising speed and short hops over sailing.

Concrete example

A group of six friends wanting a one-week Greek island trip in summer would search Greece, compare bases such as Athens against Corfu or Lefkas, then compare a 40–45 ft monohull against a 40 ft catamaran. The monohull usually wins on price; the catamaran wins on deck space and comfort in anchorages. If nobody holds a sailing licence, add a skipper and factor that into the comparison rather than treating it as an afterthought.

Next step

Open 12 Knots, run one search with your dates and destination, then shortlist two or three options and compare them line by line on crew, inclusions, base transfer and cancellation terms. For a second opinion on the same route, cross-check availability and pricing with [[site:sam boat.com|Sam Boat]] or a specialist operator you already trust — the same yacht is sometimes listed at different rates and with different extras.

What are the costs and fees involved in booking a yacht through 12 Knots?

12 Knots presents itself as a charter marketplace: you search a large inventory of yachts and cruises, then work with a dedicated booking manager. Its own description says deals come from professional charter companies and that there are no hidden fees. That tells you the platform's intended pricing model, but it does not itemize what you will actually pay.

What the page evidence supports

• The site lists yacht charters and cabin charters, plus many destinations, bases and yacht types.
• It mentions "deals and discounts from professional charter companies" and "no hidden fees."
• It names "dedicated booking manager" as part of the service.
• It does not publish specific prices, fee schedules or payment terms in the supplied page evidence.

The costs that typically make up a yacht charter quote

Because 12 Knots does not break these out on the page, treat the following as general charter-industry categories to ask about, not as confirmed 12 Knots charges:

Cabin charters vs whole-boat charters

The page distinguishes "Yacht charters" from "Cabin charters." That distinction usually changes the cost structure. A cabin charter is priced per berth and often bundles skipper, some meals and shared costs. A whole-boat charter is priced for the vessel and leaves more costs to you. If your budget is the deciding factor, ask which model the quote uses before comparing numbers.

A practical next step

Open a specific yacht or cruise listing on 12 Knots and look for the inclusions/exclusions section, then ask the booking manager for a written total that lists: charter fee, deposit, cleaning, fuel, mooring, skipper/crew, taxes and any mandatory extras. Compare that total against the base price, not the headline price. For a second reference point on typical charter cost categories, you can also check Yacht Charter Fleet or CharterWorld, but always confirm the actual terms with the operator you book.

Can I book a cabin charter instead of a whole yacht?

Yes. 12 Knots lists “Cabin charters” alongside full “Yacht charters” as a booking option, so you can reserve a single berth rather than chartering the entire boat.

That distinction matters most for solo travelers, couples and small groups who want a sailing trip without paying for a whole yacht. You typically share the vessel with other guests and may have a private cabin or a shared one depending on the trip. In exchange for less privacy and less control over the itinerary, the cost per person is usually lower than a private charter.

How to decide

• Choose a cabin charter if you are one or two people, flexible about company and happy to follow a set route.
• Choose a whole-yacht charter if you are a group of friends or family, want to pick the route and schedule, or need the whole boat to yourselves.
• Check what is included before booking: a cabin charter may bundle skipper, crew and some meals, while a bareboat charter usually does not.

Next step

Use the site’s search to filter by destination and then compare “Cabin charters” against “Yacht charters” for the same area and dates. The destination and base lists on 12 Knots show where both options are available, so you can see whether your preferred sailing area offers cabin trips at all. If you are traveling as a pair, price both options: sometimes two cabin berths cost nearly as much as a small private yacht, in which case the private charter gives you more freedom for similar money.

Which destinations and sailing itineraries are available on 12 Knots?

12 Knots covers a very broad set of yacht-charter destinations and also publishes sailing-itinerary ideas, so you can use it both to shortlist a region and to see what a typical route in that region looks like. The site's own destination list is unusually wide: it spans the Mediterranean and Adriatic (Croatia, Greece, Italy including Sicily, Sardinia and the inland waters, Spain including Mallorca, Ibiza and the Canaries, France including Corsica and the inland canals, Turkey, Montenegro, Malta, Slovenia), northern Europe (Germany including the Baltic and inland lakes, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Ireland, the UK, Estonia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Switzerland), the Atlantic and islands (Portugal and the Azores, the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Madeira's region via Portugal, the Seychelles, Mauritius, Madagascar, the Maldives), the Americas and Caribbean (the BVI, USVI, St Martin, St Maarten, Antigua, Martinique, Guadeloupe, St Lucia, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, the Netherlands Antilles, Belize, Mexico, Panama, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, the USA), plus the Pacific and beyond (Tahiti/French Polynesia, New Zealand, Australia, Palau, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Tanzania, Egypt, the Galapagos).

The site also lists departure bases rather than only countries, which matters because charter choice is often decided by flight access and one-way options. Examples in its base list include Athens, Corfu, Lefkas-area and other Greek points, Split-area bases such as Biograd, Baska Voda and Primosten-type spots, Dubrovnik, Trogir, Pula and Sukosan on the Croatian coast, Palma and Ibiza in the Balearics, Barcelona and Denia in Spain, Cannes, Antibes, Ajaccio, Bonifacio and Calvi in France, Bodrum, Fethiye, Marmaris and Gocek in Turkey, Tortola and Road Town in the BVI, Charlotte Amalie in the USVI, Marsh Harbour and Nassau in the Bahamas, Rodney Bay in St Lucia, English Harbour in Antigua, Belize City, Bocas del Toro, Raiatea and Bora Bora in French Polynesia, Airlie Beach in Australia, Auckland and the Bay of Islands in New Zealand, and Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE.

Itinerary ideas are grouped by theme on the site, so you can browse routes rather than only destinations. Typical themes include one-week and two-week island-hopping routes, one-way and round-trip options, and region-specific suggestions such as the Cyclades, the Ionian, the Saronic Gulf, the Dalmatian islands, the Kornati area, the Amalfi and Aeolian Islands, the Tuscan archipelago, the Cote d'Azur, Corsica, the Balearics, the Canaries, the BVI, the Grenadines, the Windwards, the Exumas, the Society Islands, the Whitsundays, the Bay of Islands, the Gulf of Thailand, the Andaman Sea, the Maldives atolls, the Red Sea, the Seychelles inner islands, and the Turkish Lycian coast. Because these are published as suggestions, treat them as starting points: the actual route depends on your charter company, the yacht's cruising range, the season and whether you want a skipper or crew.

A practical way to use the site is to work backwards from your constraints. If you have one week and want short hops with plenty of anchorages, look at the Croatian islands, the Greek Saronic or Ionian, the BVI or the Whitsundays. If you want longer passages and more varied cultures, consider the Grenadines, the Society Islands, the Seychelles or the Turkish coast. If you want inland waterways rather than sea sailing, the site's France inland waters, Germany inland waters, the Netherlands, Ireland and the UK canal bases are the relevant sections. If you need a specific base because of flights or a one-way drop-off, filter by base first and then read the matching itinerary ideas.

To go further, pick two or three candidate regions, open their destination pages and compare the listed bases, the suggested itineraries and the yacht types available for charter. That comparison will usually show whether a region fits your dates, experience level and appetite for longer passages better than a country-level list can. For a second opinion on routes and conditions, official destination and tourism sites can help, for example Croatia's official tourism site for the Croatian coast, Visit Greece for the Greek islands, and Go Türkiye for the Turkish coast.

What types of yachts can I charter on 12 Knots?

12 Knots lists several yacht types for charter, so you can match the boat to your crew size, sailing plans and comfort level rather than picking from a single category. The site groups options under "Yacht types available for charter," alongside separate sections for yacht charters, cabin charters and sailing tours.

Types you'll typically see

• Sailing yachts and catamarans – monohulls for classic sailing feel and lower costs, catamarans for more deck space, stability and cabin privacy.
• Motor yachts and motor sailors – faster passage-making and more living space, with higher fuel costs.
• Cabin charters – you book an individual cabin rather than the whole boat, which suits solo travellers, couples or small groups on a budget.
• Crewed yachts and gulets – a captain and often a cook or host, common in destinations such as Turkey and Croatia.
• Sailing tours and itinerary-based trips – you join a set route rather than designing your own.

How to choose

A practical next step: decide your destination and dates first, then filter by yacht type. If you want to sail yourself, check whether the listing requires a licence or allows a skipper to be added; if you are unsure, a crewed option removes that worry. For a group of six or more, comparing a catamaran against two smaller monohulls usually settles the choice quickly on space versus cost.

If you want to compare how other charter marketplaces present the same categories, Samboat and Borrow A Boat organise listings in similar ways.