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A 30 to 40m yacht St Martin in 2026 peak runs $115,000 to $175,000 per week plus a 30 percent APA, takes 8 to 10 guests, and bases out of Simpson Bay Lagoon, Marigot Bay, or Anse Marcel across the December to April Caribbean season. St Martin carries the deepest 30 to 40m inventory in the northeast Caribbean because the island is the regional service and refit hub, the SXM airport handles direct flights from Europe and the US, and Simpson Bay Lagoon is the only protected lagoon berthing in the area at the bracket. This page covers St Martin pricing and tactics; for the wider region, see the Caribbean bracket page.
Why St Martin at this bracket
St Martin is a 37 square mile island split between French (Saint-Martin) and Dutch (Sint Maarten) jurisdictions, with Simpson Bay Lagoon as the marine center. The lagoon is the largest enclosed harbor in the northeast Caribbean, accessed by two drawbridges (Dutch Simpson Bay and French Sandy Ground), and carries roughly 200 charter yachts across the season at all brackets.
The 30 to 40m bracket fits St Martin for three load-bearing reasons. First, the lagoon berth depth runs 3 to 4m, which holds the bracket comfortably. Second, the open-water positioning legs to Anguilla, St Barths, Saba, and Statia are 6 to 30nm and fall inside the bracket's weather window. Third, the island's refit and provisioning infrastructure (FKG, Bobby's, Island Water World) means crew changeover, refit work, and APA provisioning all happen on the dock.
Above 40m, the lagoon drawbridge clearance and the inner basin depth constrain berthing options. Below 30m, the dedicated charter inventory thins because the smaller-yacht market in St Martin is mostly day-cruise.
Weekly rates from St Martin 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. St Martin charges a charter VAT on the Sint Maarten side; the French side charges the French DOM VAT separately.
| LOA bracket | Motor yacht (low to high) | Sailing yacht (low to high) |
|---|---|---|
| 30 to 33m | $115K to $135K per week | $85K to $115K per week |
| 33 to 36m | $130K to $155K per week | $105K to $135K per week |
| 36 to 40m | $150K to $175K per week | $125K to $160K per week |
Off-peak (early December outside Christmas, mid-January, March outside President's week, April) runs roughly 20 to 25 percent below peak. The strongest value window is the second and third weeks of January and the last two weeks of March.
What you get in the St Martin fleet at this bracket
Cabins. 5 cabins for 10 guests is the spec on motor yachts at the bracket. The St Martin fleet runs both motor yachts and large catamarans, with the catamaran inventory in the 30 to 24m bracket carrying 5 to 6 cabins for 10 to 12 guests.
Crew. 7 to 9 on motor yachts, 4 to 6 on large catamarans. The St Martin crew bench is the deepest in the eastern Caribbean for engineering and AV trades because the island is the regional service center; chef quality is workable through January and tightens at peak.
Tenders. The bracket runs the full spectrum on toys because the destination supports water sports on the French side (Orient Bay, Tintamarre) and beach-cruise on the cays. Two tenders is the spec.
Stabilizers. At-anchor stabilizers are useful but not mandatory because the anchorages (Anse Marcel, Marigot Bay, Tintamarre, Pinel) run flat through most of the season. The exception is the Atlantic-side French cays in late January when north swell wraps around.
Refit status. The 2017 Hurricane Irma reset the St Martin fleet meaningfully. Yachts that based in St Martin pre-Irma without post-2017 refit work are off the shortlist. The post-Irma rebuild also pulled fresh tonnage into the lagoon, so the bracket skews newer than the wider Caribbean.
Trip shapes from St Martin at this bracket
The northeast Caribbean classic. Embark Simpson Bay, work to Anguilla for two nights at Road Bay, run to St Barths for two nights at Gustavia, return via Tintamarre and Pinel. Seven nights, four destinations, all inside 30nm of base. The bracket fits this and most St Martin weeks default to the pattern.
The St Martin to Saba to Statia loop. Embark Simpson Bay, two nights St Barths, two nights Saba at Ladder Bay, one night Statia, return Simpson Bay. Seven nights. Works for charter clients who want the diving leg and quieter anchorages off the St Barths rotation.
The lagoon-base maintenance week. Embark Simpson Bay, base the lagoon for refit access or AV upgrade, day-cruise Tintamarre and Pinel. Seven nights, mostly stationary. Uncommon as a charter shape but works for owners cross-using the booking window.
Where this bracket falls short in St Martin
Late-season weeks. St Martin season closes through May and the on-island service narrows from late April. Yacht weeks past 25 April price down for a reason.
Long-passage Caribbean weeks. St Martin to Antigua is a 90nm open-water passage and the trip rhythm breaks at the bracket. Reposition through a one-way charter contract if a multi-island Caribbean week is the target, or base Antigua directly.
Quiet at the NYE rotation. The Simpson Bay Lagoon and St Barths road traffic is heavy across the NYE block. Charter clients who want quiet at NYE should base Antigua or the Grenadines.
What we passed on
Yachts at the bracket that base year-round in Sint Maarten without taking a proper Caribbean refit window. Year-round Caribbean operation without a refit haul-out pulls the systems hard, and the bracket is large enough that the cumulative wear shows in AV, water-makers, and tender outboards by the fourth season. We would also pass on charter contracts that price St Martin port and lagoon bridge fees outside the APA without itemizing them.
What we would book
For two couples, seven nights in late February outside President's week: a 33m motor yacht with 4 cabins, Simpson Bay base, two nights Anguilla and two nights St Barths. Budget $125K plus APA, all-in roughly $165K. Booking lead time: 5 to 7 months.
For a family of 10, ten nights at Christmas: a 38m motor yacht with 5 cabins, Simpson Bay base, three nights Anguilla, three nights St Barths, four nights local cays. Budget $230K plus APA, all-in roughly $300K. Booking lead time: 9 to 12 months minimum.
Build year and refit
The St Martin 30 to 40m fleet rotates well because the post-Irma rebuild and the post-Dorian fleet shifts (some operators repositioned from the Bahamas) refreshed inventory. A 2018 build or later, or a documented post-2017 refit covering structural, electrical, and AV, is the threshold. Pre-2015 hulls without a 2022 or later refit should not be on a charter client's shortlist at peak rate.