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A 40m motor yacht in the Bahamas in standard peak winter charters at $160,000 to $250,000 a week. The full check, after a 10 percent VAT, a 32 to 38 percent APA, and a 12 percent crew gratuity, lands at $260,000 to $410,000. The Bahamas is the second-largest Caribbean charter market by yacht count and the closest cruising ground to the US East Coast, which is why the fleet skews larger than the BVI's and the charter season runs slightly later into spring. This guide is the worked version of the Bahamian rate card, broken down by size, by season, and by the permit math that catches first-time Bahamas charter clients off guard.
The Bahamas runs two distinct cruising areas with different pricing and different operational profiles. The Abacos and Nassau-Eleuthera, in the north, are the calmer-water, easier-access market with shorter delivery legs from Florida. The Exumas, running south from Highbourne Cay to Great Exuma, are the marquee anchoring ground, the swimming-pig postcard market, and the route most clients ask for. The pricing is roughly the same on the headline rate; the operational APA is meaningfully higher in the Exumas because fuel docks are further apart.
Weekly rate card, standard peak season (mid-January to mid-March)
Rates below are typical broker pitch numbers for current MYBA-contracted yachts in the Bahamian fleet, standard peak weeks. Holiday weeks (Christmas, New Year, Presidents Week) carry a separate premium covered below. Shoulder weeks (mid-November, late March, mid-April) are 20 to 30 percent below standard peak.
| Size class | Yacht type | Weekly rate ($) | Typical APA % | Full check (peak) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24m to 30m | Sailing catamaran | 45,000 to 75,000 | 25 to 30 | 70,000 to 115,000 |
| 30m to 38m | Motor yacht | 80,000 to 130,000 | 30 to 35 | 125,000 to 200,000 |
| 38m to 45m | Motor yacht | 130,000 to 210,000 | 32 to 38 | 200,000 to 330,000 |
| 45m to 55m | Motor yacht | 210,000 to 340,000 | 35 to 40 | 330,000 to 540,000 |
| 55m to 70m | Motor yacht | 340,000 to 600,000 | 35 to 40 | 540,000 to 950,000 |
| 70m to 100m | Motor yacht | 600,000 to 1,300,000 | 38 to 42 | 950,000 to 2,100,000 |
The Bahamas fleet has more 70m-plus inventory than any other Caribbean market, driven by the proximity to the US East Coast yards (Derecktor, Bradford, Lauderdale) and the relatively short delivery from Mediterranean repositioning. A 90m motor yacht is meaningfully easier to charter in Nassau or the Exumas than in St Barths.
Holiday weeks
| Week | Premium over standard peak | Typical lead time to book |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas (Dec 23 to Dec 30) | 35 to 55 percent | 10 to 14 months |
| New Year (Dec 30 to Jan 6) | 45 to 65 percent | 12 to 14 months |
| Presidents Week (mid-February) | 20 to 30 percent | 6 to 9 months |
| Spring break (last week March) | 10 to 20 percent | 4 to 6 months |
Christmas week in the Exumas is the single most-booked superyacht week in the Western Hemisphere. The 80m to 100m flagships that work the Mediterranean in August reposition to the Bahamas for December. Inventory at the top of the market books 14 months ahead. Brokers who claim Christmas inventory is available 60 days out are either selling a problem yacht or a yacht with a cancelled charter the fleet wants to backfill quietly.
The Bahamian cruising permit and per-person tax
The Bahamas charges a cruising permit and a per-person passenger fee that together run $500 to $4,000 a week depending on yacht size. The math, as of the 2025 to 2026 season:
| Yacht LOA | Cruising permit (entry) | Per-person tax | Typical weekly total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 35 feet (10.6m) | $300 | $20 per person | $400 to $600 |
| 35 to 100 feet (10.6 to 30.5m) | $600 | $20 per person | $700 to $900 |
| 100 to 150 feet (30.5 to 45.7m) | $1,500 | $30 per person | $1,800 to $2,200 |
| 150 to 200 feet (45.7 to 61m) | $3,200 | $30 per person | $3,500 to $3,800 |
| Over 200 feet (over 61m) | $4,300 | $30 per person | $4,600 to $4,900 |
The permit covers a 12-month entry period in some categories and a single entry in others, and the per-person component is paid at clearance. Most fleet brokers fold the figure inside APA. The line is worth checking on the contract draft because the rate card has moved twice in the last four years.
What the APA covers in the Bahamas
| Line item | Share of APA | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel | 42 to 52 percent | Bahamas diesel runs $1.85 to $2.20 a liter at marina pumps. Exumas fuel is scarcer than Abacos fuel. |
| Provisioning (food, drink) | 22 to 28 percent | Imported wine carries a premium. Standing orders out of Lauderdale via runner save 15 to 20 percent. |
| Mooring and dockage | 8 to 14 percent | The Bahamas is more anchoring-led than marina-led. Atlantis Paradise Island and Albany run premium rates for the larger end. |
| Cruising permit and per-person | 3 to 6 percent | Set rates per the table above. |
| Sundries | 3 to 6 percent | Onboard SIM, water-toy fuel, dive tank fills. |
| Contingency | 5 to 10 percent | Refunded if unused. |
The Exumas fuel premium is structural. The fleet works long days between Highbourne, Sampson, and Great Exuma, and the next reliable fuel dock from Highbourne Cay is at Compass Cay or further south, with smaller pumps and longer queues. Captains plan accordingly; charter clients should expect a higher absolute fuel line in the Exumas than in the Abacos.
Worked example: a 42m motor yacht, one week in the Exumas, mid-February
| Line | Amount ($) |
|---|---|
| Weekly charter fee | 205,000 |
| Bahamian VAT (10 percent of fee) | 20,500 |
| APA (35 percent of fee) | 71,750 |
| Crew gratuity (12 percent, paid at trip end) | 24,600 |
| Full check | 321,850 |
Same yacht, same crew, Christmas week in the Exumas:
| Line | Amount ($) |
|---|---|
| Weekly charter fee | 305,000 |
| Bahamian VAT (10 percent) | 30,500 |
| APA (38 percent, holiday provisioning premium) | 115,900 |
| Crew gratuity (12 percent, paid at trip end) | 36,600 |
| Full check | 488,000 |
The $166,000 swing between mid-February and Christmas is similar in shape to the BVI premium and runs slightly larger in absolute terms because the Bahamian rate base is higher.
The Bahamas versus the BVI on the full check
For the 42m motor yacht in standard peak, the two markets compare:
| Line | BVI ($) | Bahamas ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly charter fee | 195,000 | 205,000 |
| VAT | 0 | 20,500 |
| APA | 62,400 | 71,750 |
| Gratuity | 23,400 | 24,600 |
| Full check | 280,800 | 321,850 |
The Bahamas full check runs roughly 15 percent above the BVI on a like-for-like booking, driven by VAT, higher APA percentage, and a slightly higher headline rate. The trade is a different and broadly larger fleet, better access for US East Coast clients, and the Exumas anchorages.
Where the Bahamas is the cheap option, and where it is not
The Bahamas is not the cheap Caribbean. It is the Caribbean for clients who want a 60m-plus motor yacht for under 14 days, who want the Exumas, or who fly into Florida and want a four-hour delivery instead of an eight-hour flight to Tortola. For under-60m sailing or for first-time Caribbean charter on a budget, the BVI is cheaper.
The Bahamas is also not the cheap option for the bareboat market. The bareboat fleet is thinner than the BVI's, and the cruising distances make it operationally harder for first-time skippers.
What we mark up and what we pass on
We mark up Bahamian brokers who break out the cruising permit and per-person line on the first pitch email rather than burying it in APA. We mark up Exumas weeks in February and March for clients who want anchoring over marinas. We pass on December weeks inside a six-month window unless a known cancellation has been documented. We pass on the "Bahamas as a cheaper BVI" framing that some Florida-based brokers run when their preferred inventory is Nassau-based, because the full-check math does not support it.
For trip planning, see the Bahamas charter guide, the Exumas guide, and the Abacos guide. For the regional context, see Caribbean weekly rates. For the most-misbudgeted line, see APA explained.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a yacht charter in the Bahamas cost per week? A 40m motor yacht charters at $160,000 to $250,000 in standard peak. The full check after VAT, APA, and gratuity is roughly 55 to 65 percent above the pitch rate.
Is there VAT on Bahamas yacht charter? Yes. A 10 percent VAT on the charter fee, plus a cruising permit and per-person tax that together run $500 to $4,900 a week depending on size.
Is the Bahamas cheaper or more expensive than the BVI? More expensive by roughly 15 percent on the full check, on a like-for-like yacht.
When is the cheapest week to charter in the Bahamas? Mid-November and the last two weeks of April. Rates run 30 to 40 percent below Christmas-week peak.
What is the crew gratuity convention? Twelve percent on motor and ten percent on sailing, paid in cash at trip end. The captain distributes the pool.