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A 30 to 40m yacht French Polynesia in 2026 peak (May to October dry season) runs $90,000 to $150,000 per week plus a 30 percent APA, takes 8 to 10 guests, and bases out of Papeete on Tahiti or Raiatea. Inventory at the bracket is the thinnest of any major charter region (roughly 10 to 14 yachts at peak across the Society Islands, the catamaran fleet included) because the Pacific repositioning leg is long and the season is half a year. Guests fly into Faa'a International (PPT) on the Air France, French Bee, Air Tahiti Nui, and Hawaiian Airlines lift and join the yacht at Papeete or by short-hop flight to Raiatea (RFP) or Bora Bora (BOB). This page covers French Polynesia pricing and tactics at the bracket.
Why French Polynesia at this bracket
French Polynesia splits into five archipelagos: the Society Islands (Tahiti, Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea, Tahaa, Bora Bora, Maupiti), the Tuamotus (77 atolls including Fakarava and Rangiroa), the Marquesas (the high-island chain 800nm northeast of Tahiti), the Australs (south of Tahiti), and the Gambiers (far southeast). The Society Islands hold the charter calendar at the 30 to 40m bracket. The Tuamotus add three to five days to a charter on a 14-day window. The Marquesas, Australs, and Gambiers sit beyond the bracket on a standard contract.
The 30 to 40m bracket fits the Society Islands rotation because the passages are short (Tahiti to Moorea 12nm, Moorea to Huahine 80nm overnight, Huahine to Raiatea 20nm, Raiatea to Tahaa inside the same lagoon, Tahaa to Bora Bora 18nm), the bracket carries the at-anchor stabilizers for the outer-reef anchorages, and the draft sits inside the pass tolerances at Raiatea and Bora Bora.
Above 40m the inner-lagoon anchorages tighten (Bora Bora's western lagoon mooring is limited above 40m), and the programme tilts toward the Marquesas and Tuamotus reach that the bracket cannot serve on a standard contract.
Weekly rates from French Polynesia in 2026 to 2027 season
Ranges below are for peak weeks (June, July, August, late September) before APA at 30 percent and gratuity at 10 to 15 percent. French Polynesia has a dry season (May to October, southeast trade winds, low humidity) and a wet season (November to April, light winds and squalls).
| LOA bracket | Motor yacht (low to high) | Sailing yacht (low to high) |
|---|---|---|
| 30 to 33m | $90K to $115K per week | $70K to $95K per week |
| 33 to 36m | $110K to $135K per week | $90K to $115K per week |
| 36 to 40m | $130K to $150K per week | $110K to $140K per week |
Shoulder season (May and October) trims rates 15 to 20 percent. The Hawaiki Nui Va'a outrigger canoe race in late October books out Bora Bora moorings; avoid the final week of October if you want quiet anchorages. The wet season (November to April) sees reduced charter inventory as some yachts reposition to the Caribbean or Asia.
What you get in the French Polynesia fleet at this bracket
Cabins. 5 cabins for 10 guests on motor yachts. The Polynesian catamaran fleet (30 to 24m, 4 to 6 cabins for 8 to 12 guests) is well-suited to the inter-island runs and books at 25 to 35 percent below motor-yacht rates.
Crew. 5 to 7 on motor yachts, 4 to 5 on large catamarans. The French Polynesia crew bench is thin and most peak-season crews are repositioned from the Med or Caribbean for the season. The risk is the chef and AV technician categories where the spec varies. Confirm chef bio and AV spec before booking.
Tenders. A beach-landing tender is mandatory because most anchorages are open-water with reef approaches. A second tender rated for the Tuamotus pass currents is required for any week including a Fakarava or Rangiroa drift dive. A jet ski programme is the standard Bora Bora and Tahaa add-on.
At-anchor stabilizers. Mandatory at 33m and above. The Society Islands lagoons are calm but the inter-island passages run cross-swell from the southeast trades and the overnight anchor at the outer reef of Bora Bora rolls without zero-speed stabilizers.
Route shapes from French Polynesia at this bracket
The Society Islands rotation. Embark Tahiti, one night Moorea, one overnight passage to Huahine, two nights Huahine, one night Raiatea and Tahaa (inside same lagoon), two nights Bora Bora, return Tahiti by short flight or overnight passage. Seven to eight nights. The first-trip charter at the bracket.
The leeward-islands week. Embark Raiatea (fly in from Papeete), three nights Raiatea-Tahaa lagoon (sacred Faaroa River, vanilla plantations, pearl farms), three nights Bora Bora, one night Maupiti, return Raiatea. Seven nights. Skips the Tahiti and Moorea legs in favour of more reef time.
The Tuamotus extension. Embark Tahiti, two-night reach to Fakarava (the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve), three nights inside Fakarava with the south-pass drift dive and the north-pass coral, return to the Society Islands for the final week. 14 nights. Requires a 36m-plus motor yacht with bunkering and watermaking for the reach.
What this bracket does not do well in French Polynesia
Marquesas reach. The Marquesas sit 800nm northeast and need a 14-day window minimum plus an expedition-grade vessel. Even the upper end of the bracket cannot serve a Marquesas charter on a one-week contract.
Late-October week of the Hawaiki Nui Va'a. The outrigger canoe race fills Bora Bora and Raiatea moorings for a week. Charter clients who want quiet should avoid the late-October window every year.
What we would pass on
Yachts without a watermaker for any French Polynesia week including a Tuamotus leg. Bunkering at Fakarava is reliable for fuel but water depends on rainfall and the on-board watermaker is the trip's operational margin. We would also pass on motor yachts without proper at-anchor stabilizers for any Bora Bora overnight at the outer reef.
Our pick
For two couples, eight nights in late June: a 33m motor yacht with 4 cabins, embark Raiatea, leeward-islands rotation with Maupiti finale. Budget $110K plus APA, all-in roughly $155K. Booking lead time: 9 to 12 months.
For a family of 10, fourteen nights in August: a 38m motor yacht with 5 cabins, embark Tahiti, Society Islands rotation plus four-night Fakarava reach. Budget $300K plus APA plus reach fuel surcharge, all-in roughly $440K. Booking lead time: 12 to 15 months.
Build year, refit, condition
The French Polynesia 30 to 40m fleet is small and several yachts have been on the Pacific circuit for five-plus seasons. A 2017 build or later with a 2022 refit is the motor-yacht threshold. Older sailing-yacht inventory is common at the bracket; the threshold there is documented rig survey and pass-tested engine performance within the past 12 months.