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A 30 to 40m motor yacht the Ligurian Coast in 2026 high season runs $130,000 to $205,000 per week plus a 30 percent APA, takes 8 to 10 guests, and operates almost exclusively on mooring buoys and anchorages. Portofino's harbour is too small for the bracket at berth and offers mooring buoy assignments only. Genoa Marina Porto Antico is the regional embarkation point for the bracket; Sanremo to the west handles Italian-French crossings; La Spezia to the east handles Cinque Terre and Tuscany runs.
Why the bracket fits the Ligurian Coast specifically
The bracket suits a coast where almost every anchorage and mooring has size caps. Portofino's harbour assigns buoys to the bracket on a same-day-request pattern through the Marina di Portofino office, with capacity at the bracket typically two to four buoys at any moment. Above 40m the buoy assignment collapses and yachts are pushed to anchor in the Bay of Paraggi or in the Bay of San Fruttuoso, both of which are restricted-zone anchorages with night limits enforced.
The Cinque Terre coast is a marine protected area with five-village anchorage policy that caps overnight presence at the bracket. Day visits are routine. Overnight presence is permitted in the Bay of Vernazza, off Riomaggiore, and at the Punta Mesco anchorage; the bracket fits all three. The Cinque Terre charter pattern is a daylight rotation, not a port-side overnight stay; the villages have no berth-friendly infrastructure.
The bracket also crosses the Tigullio comfortably. Portofino-Camogli-San Fruttuoso-Santa Margherita Ligure-Sestri Levante is a single afternoon at the bracket cruising speed.
Weekly rate map for 2026
Ranges below are for high season (mid-July to late August) in 2026, before APA at 30 percent, gratuity at 10 percent, and Italian VAT under the commercial exemption rules. Italian Liguria runs at the lower end of the Italian peak band because August demand here is comparatively softer than at the Amalfi Coast and Costa Smeralda.
| LOA bracket | Motor yacht (low to high) | Sailing yacht (low to high) |
|---|---|---|
| 30 to 33m | $130K to $160K per week | $100K to $130K per week |
| 33 to 36m | $150K to $185K per week | $120K to $155K per week |
| 36 to 40m | $170K to $205K per week | $140K to $180K per week |
Mooring buoy and anchorage fees are not slip fees. Portofino harbour buoy is roughly €1,500 to €4,000 per night for the bracket; San Fruttuoso buoy is roughly €600 to €1,200. APA absorbs both.
Shoulder season (mid-May to late June, and after 1 September) drops these by 25 to 35 percent. The shoulder is genuinely the best Ligurian window. June Portofino is meaningfully calmer than August, the harbour buoy assignment is easier, and the air is clearer for the Cinque Terre day. Boat International photographers shoot September Liguria for a reason.
For broader context, see Mediterranean charter weekly rates and the Ligurian Coast destination page.
What the bracket includes in the Ligurian fleet at this bracket
Cabins. 5 cabins for 10 guests is standard. The Ligurian charter fleet is more weighted toward Italian-built 5-cabin commercial yachts because the regional shipyard density (Sanlorenzo La Spezia, CRN Ancona, Benetti Viareggio just south) feeds the local charter market.
Crew. 7 to 8 Italian-flagged majority. Crew quality is strong on hospitality. The chef placement matters because dinner-aboard rotation is heavier here than in Saint-Tropez: Portofino dinner-out options (Da Puny, Lo Stella, Da U Batti) are limited and tightly booked, and the Cinque Terre village dinner is a day-pattern outlier rather than a routine.
Tenders. Two tenders is standard. The Ligurian tender pattern is heavy on shore runs (Paraggi, San Fruttuoso, Vernazza) and lighter on beach landings. Tender ground clearance for the Vernazza and Manarola landings matters.
At-anchor stabilizers. Useful but not as critical as on the Amalfi Coast. The Tigullio bay anchorages are well-protected. The Cinque Terre overnight in Punta Mesco can take swell, and stabilizers matter for that specific night.
Helipad. Less useful here than in most Western Med destinations because the Genoa and Pisa airports are 35nm and 70nm respectively, and the road infrastructure is good. A touch-and-go helipad is a nice-to-have, not a load-bearing spec for Ligurian charters.
Trip shapes that fit the bracket
The Tigullio plus Cinque Terre week. Embark Genoa Marina Porto Antico, Camogli, Portofino (two buoy nights), Sestri Levante, La Spezia, Cinque Terre day rotation, Lerici, return Genoa. Seven nights. The bracket is the textbook size for this run.
The Liguria-Sardinia cross. Embark Genoa, Portofino, Elba, Capraia, Sardinia (Costa Smeralda or Alghero), return south via Bonifacio strait. Ten to fourteen nights. The bracket handles the passage; the trip is for the third-time Italian charter client.
The Liguria-French Riviera cross. Embark Genoa or Sanremo, Sanremo, Cap Ferrat, Monaco, Cannes, Saint-Tropez. Seven nights. The bracket fits everywhere. The cross is best run east-to-west because the Ligurian afternoon sea breeze pushes from the west and a Saint-Tropez-to-Genoa passage runs upwind.
For destination context, see Charter Ligurian Coast and Charter Costa Smeralda.
What does not work at this bracket on the Ligurian Coast
August Portofino harbour buoy. The harbour capacity drops to one to two bracket buoys during the first two weeks of August. Charter clients who want a guaranteed Portofino harbour overnight in central August should pick the Bay of Paraggi anchorage as fallback and accept the tender-to-Portofino-Piazzetta pattern.
Cinque Terre overnight presence. The marine protected area enforces overnight caps that vary year to year. The five-village charter visit is a day-rotation, not a stationary week. Charter clients who want a stationary week with the Cinque Terre as the centrepiece should base in Lerici or Portovenere and day-out to the villages.
Long-passage weeks south. Liguria to Amalfi is a hard two-day passage at the bracket. Charter clients planning either should reposition at the end, not inside the week.
What we would book
For two couples, seven days in mid-June: a 33m motor yacht with 4 cabins, Tigullio plus Cinque Terre week. Budget $160K plus APA plus VAT, all-in roughly $245K. Booking lead time: 4 to 6 months. Mid-June is the value window.
For a family of 8 to 10, ten days in early August: a 38m motor yacht with 5 cabins, Tigullio plus Cinque Terre week with a confirmed Portofino harbour buoy on day three. Budget $195K plus APA plus VAT, all-in roughly $300K. Booking lead time: 8 to 10 months.
For a sailing-led trip, six guests, ten days in early September: a 38m sailing yacht out of Genoa, Liguria-Sardinia cross. Budget $155K plus APA plus VAT, all-in roughly $235K. Booking lead time: 4 to 6 months. Early September is the best Ligurian sailing window of the year.
Vintage and refit checks
The Ligurian 30 to 40m fleet is the most yard-active in the Mediterranean because of regional shipyard density (Sanlorenzo, CRN, Codecasa, Benetti, Perini Navi all within 100nm). A 2014 to 2024 build with a current refit is realistic, and the fleet quality at the bracket is the strongest in Italy.