Seychelles Travel
The Yacht Desk

The Yacht Desk

The Yacht Desk

Your vessel, our waters. We run the shore side so the captain can run the sea side.

What we do

Pierre has been sailing these waters for twenty years. He knows where the wind hides behind Praslin in the northwest monsoon. He knows the anchorage north of Pointe Zanguilles that does not appear in the charter company brochures. He also knows every port agent, every provisioning supplier, and every marine biologist who will board a vessel at 5:30am to get guests in the water before the whale sharks sound.

The Yacht Desk is the shore side of your charter. Your captain navigates and commands. We handle everything that touches land — port clearances, shore programming, provisioning, medical routing, and the small emergencies that no brochure mentions but every experienced charter guest knows can happen.

We work with captains from Dream Yacht Charter, Moorings, and independent operators. We also have a preferred fleet — vessels we have sailed on, whose engineers we know by name. If you have already shortlisted a boat, we can advise. If you are starting from scratch, we can source.

The Seychelles is a complex cruising ground. The tidal range is small but the currents between islands are significant. The anchorages in the inner islands are well charted; those in the outer Amirantes are not. Our briefing documents cover both, with notes on bottom composition, swell exposure, and the timing of passages that the standard pilot books understate. We give every charter guest our Yacht Desk briefing pack before they board. It covers what the charter companies do not.

From the water

Catamaran at anchor, Anse Lazio — Praslin
Catamaran at anchor, Anse Lazio — Praslin
Provisioning day at Victoria Marina, Mahé
Provisioning day at Victoria Marina, Mahé
Skiff approaching the Alphonse outer flat at first light
Skiff approaching the Alphonse outer flat at first light
La Digue from the water — the inner loop anchorage at Anse Grosse Roche
La Digue from the water — the inner loop anchorage at Anse Grosse Roche
Sunset passage north of Praslin — the trade wind at 12 knots
Sunset passage north of Praslin — the trade wind at 12 knots
Shore guide meeting the vessel at Curieuse — tortoise walk arranged
Shore guide meeting the vessel at Curieuse — tortoise walk arranged
Snorkelling the outer reef, Desroches — the drop-off begins at 20m
Snorkelling the outer reef, Desroches — the drop-off begins at 20m
Night on the passage south — the Milky Way from the cockpit, 80km offshore
Night on the passage south — the Milky Way from the cockpit, 80km offshore
Anse Victorin, Fregate — access by tender only, the beach entirely private
Anse Victorin, Fregate — access by tender only, the beach entirely private

What we run

  • Port clearances and agent coordination at every stop
  • Shore programming — private beaches, guided walks, cultural visits
  • Vessel provisioning to your dietary brief
  • Helicopter and seaplane transfers to and from the vessel
  • Medical routing and after-hours emergency contacts
  • Naturalist guides who board the vessel at key anchorages
  • Restaurant and property day-use bookings ashore
  • Post-charter conservation impact report

What the captain runs

  • Navigation and passage planning
  • Onboard service and crew management
  • Anchoring and mooring decisions
  • Weather routing and timing of passages
  • Guest safety at sea
  • Vessel maintenance and technical decisions

Signature Routes

Three ways through the archipelago

The Inner Loop

The Inner Loop

5–7 days

Mahé, Praslin, La Digue, Curieuse, Félicité. Sheltered waters, short passages, granite anchorages. The classic Seychelles charter for guests new to the archipelago or who want reliable conditions.

  • Passages of 2–4 hours
  • Calm anchorages nightly
  • Shore guide at every island stop
  • Tortoise excursion on Curieuse included
Amirantes Reach

Amirantes Reach

10–14 days

Desroches, Poivre, Alphonse. Blue-water sailing, world-class fly-fishing, and total seclusion. The outer islands are a different Seychelles — flat, coral, and unvisited.

  • One overnight blue-water passage
  • Fly-fishing guide at Alphonse
  • No other vessels at anchor
  • Provisioning topped up at Desroches
The Aldabra Expedition

The Aldabra Expedition

14–21 days

The UNESCO atoll at the edge of the archipelago. SIF permit required. A serious ocean passage for a serious crew — and the most remote, pristine wilderness in the Indian Ocean.

  • SIF permit coordinated by us
  • Certified expedition guide aboard
  • Snorkelling in the lagoon channel
  • 150,000 giant tortoises in the wild

Choosing a vessel

Which vessel fits your passage

Pierre's view: the vessel is the least important decision. The itinerary, the shore programming, and the captain matter more. But here is his honest guide to vessel type.

Catamaran (40–55 ft)

Catamaran (40–55 ft)

Most popular for families and groups. Stable platform, generous deck space, shallow draft for reef anchorages.

Monohull (38–50 ft)

Monohull (38–50 ft)

Preferred by experienced sailors and passage-oriented guests. Better upwind performance for the Amirantes route.

Gulet / Motor-sailer

Gulet / Motor-sailer

For guests who want sailing character with motor-yacht comfort. High headroom, large cabins, full crew.

Motor Yacht (45–65 ft)

Motor Yacht (45–65 ft)

Fast passages, air-conditioned cabins, generator independence. Our choice for the Aldabra expedition when time is a constraint.

The Captain's Brief

One document. Every detail.

A two-page printed document covering port clearances, agent contacts at every stop, medical routing, after-hours emergency numbers, provisioning menu options, and anchorage notes for the inner and outer island routes.

Request it below and a named member of our Yacht Desk — Pierre or one of his team — will follow up within 24 hours.

Request the Captain's Brief

Begin a conversation with the Yacht Desk.

Begin a conversation