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A 30 to 40m yacht the Grenadines in 2026 peak runs $95,000 to $155,000 per week plus a 30 percent APA, takes 8 to 10 guests, and bases out of Bequia (Admiralty Bay), Union Island (Clifton), or one-way contracts from St Lucia and Grenada across the December to April Caribbean season. The Grenadines is a 60nm chain of 32 islands running south from St Vincent to Carriacou, with the Tobago Cays marine park as the anchor of any charter week. Inventory in the bracket is thin (roughly 25 yachts across the chain at peak) and most weeks at this bracket position in from St Lucia or Grenada rather than embarking on chain. This page covers Grenadines pricing and tactics.
Why the Grenadines at this bracket
The Grenadines chain runs from Bequia (9nm south of St Vincent) through Mustique, Canouan, Mayreau, Tobago Cays, Union, and Carriacou. The chain is anchorage-only at the bracket; berthing options at 30 to 40m are limited to Glossy Bay Marina at Canouan and a few seasonal arrangements at Petit St Vincent. The Tobago Cays marine park is the trip's anchor and the mooring rotation in the park is permit-managed and capped.
The 30 to 40m bracket fits the Grenadines because the inter-island passages are short (Bequia to Mustique 16nm, Mustique to Canouan 8nm, Canouan to Tobago Cays 6nm), the chain offers daily different anchorages without long days at sea, and the size carries the at-anchor stabilizers that the Tobago Cays exposure demands.
Above 40m, the Tobago Cays rotation tightens (yachts above 40m typically anchor outside Petit Bateau and tender in), Mustique anchorage availability narrows, and the Glossy Bay Marina becomes the only practical overnight option. Below 30m, the bareboat market and the live-aboard catamaran fleet dominates and the dedicated motor yacht inventory thins.
Weekly rates from the Grenadines in 2026 to 2027 season
Ranges below are for peak weeks (Christmas, New Year, and President's Day week in February) for the 2026 to 2027 season, before APA at 30 percent and gratuity at 10 to 15 percent. The Grenadines spans two jurisdictions (St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada from Carriacou south) and each carries its own VAT and cruising permit regime.
| LOA bracket | Motor yacht (low to high) | Sailing yacht (low to high) |
|---|---|---|
| 30 to 33m | $95K to $115K per week | $75K to $100K per week |
| 33 to 36m | $115K to $135K per week | $90K to $120K per week |
| 36 to 40m | $130K to $155K per week | $110K to $145K per week |
One-way charter contracts (embark St Lucia Rodney Bay, disembark Grenada Port Louis, or the reverse) typically add a 10 to 15 percent reposition fee on top of the headline weekly rate. The one-way premium is justified because it unlocks the full chain without a return passage and is the standard pattern for the bracket.
Off-peak (mid-January, March outside President's week, April) runs 20 to 25 percent below peak. The strongest value window is mid-March, when the trade winds steady and the Tobago Cays anchorage is at its most reliable.
What you get in the Grenadines fleet at this bracket
Cabins. 5 cabins for 10 guests on motor yachts. The Grenadines large-catamaran inventory at 30 to 24m carries 5 to 6 cabins for 10 to 12 guests and is well-represented because the chain is sail-friendly.
Crew. 5 to 8 on motor yachts, 4 to 5 on large catamarans. The Grenadines crew bench is the thinnest in the eastern Caribbean for trades like AV and engineering; on a peak charter, problems on board take 24 to 48 hours longer to resolve than in St Martin or Antigua. Confirm chef bio and tasting menu before booking, and confirm AV spec to a higher bar than elsewhere.
Tenders. A beach-landing tender is mandatory because every Grenadines beach is a sand approach. The toy spec runs lighter than the BVI and St Barths norm because the cruise is anchorage-focused, but a dive-rated tender is useful for the Tobago Cays.
At-anchor stabilizers. Mandatory at the bracket. The Tobago Cays anchorage is exposed to easterly swell and yachts without zero-speed stabilizers roll through the night, ruining the most important anchorage of the trip. We would pass on any yacht at 33m or above without at-anchor stabilizers for a Grenadines week.
Itinerary patterns from the Grenadines at this bracket
The classic chain run. Embark St Lucia Rodney Bay (or Bequia by direct flight), one night Bequia, one night Mustique, one night Canouan, two nights Tobago Cays, one night Mayreau, one night Union, disembark Grenada. Seven to eight nights, one-way contract. The bracket fits this and most Grenadines weeks default to it.
The Tobago Cays-centered week. Embark Bequia, work south to Mustique and Canouan, three nights Tobago Cays at the mooring, two nights Mayreau and Union, return Bequia. Seven nights, slower pace. Works for charter clients who want the Cays as the anchor.
The Mustique-anchored stationary week. Embark Bequia, three nights Mustique with on-island service (the Cotton House, Basil's Bar), two nights Tobago Cays, two nights Union. Seven nights. The Mustique anchorage and the on-island service is the draw at peak.
Where the bracket struggles in the Grenadines
Long open-water positioning legs. The St Lucia to Bequia passage is 60nm of open water and the Carriacou to Grenada leg is 30nm with cross-swell. The bracket handles both but the trip rhythm is best served by one-way contracts that bypass the return.
Berthing-required weeks. The chain is anchorage-dominant and yachts that need fixed berthing for the week should base St Lucia or Antigua and not the Grenadines.
Quiet at Christmas. The Tobago Cays mooring rotation across Christmas runs at capacity and the Mustique anchorage holds 6 to 8 yachts on a busy night. Charter clients who want true quiet should book mid-January or mid-March.
What we said no to
Motor yachts at 33m and above without proper at-anchor stabilizers for any Grenadines week between December and March. The Tobago Cays night roll is the determinant of trip satisfaction at the bracket and the spec is not negotiable. We would also pass on yachts that route the chain on a return basis (embark and disembark Bequia or St Lucia) at peak because the day-budget burned on return passages compresses the Tobago Cays time below the threshold that justifies the charter.
The pick
For two couples, seven nights in mid-March: a 33m sailing yacht with 4 cabins, embark St Lucia, one-way to Grenada via Bequia, Mustique, Tobago Cays, Union. Budget $105K plus APA plus one-way fee, all-in roughly $155K. Booking lead time: 4 to 6 months.
For a family of 10, ten nights at New Year: a 38m motor yacht with 5 cabins, embark St Lucia, one-way to Grenada, three nights Tobago Cays, two nights Mustique. Budget $220K plus APA plus one-way fee, all-in roughly $300K. Booking lead time: 9 to 12 months minimum for the NYE block.
Build, refit, what to ask
The Grenadines 30 to 40m fleet rotates slowly. Many yachts in the chain are owner-operated charter inventory that stays on the southern circuit for multiple seasons. A 2017 build or later with a 2022 refit is the motor yacht threshold. The sail inventory in the Grenadines includes older racing-pedigree hulls; the threshold there is documented rig survey and electronics refit within the past three seasons.