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The 40 to 50m bracket is the most-booked LOA range in the Caribbean winter charter market. In the December 2026 to April 2027 high season, a 40 to 50m motor yacht the Caribbean runs $160,000 to $360,000 per week plus 25 to 30 percent APA, accommodates 8 to 12 guests, carries 9 to 13 crew, and crosses cleanly between St Barths, Antigua, the BVI, the Grenadines, the Bahamas, and Puerto Rico without operational compromise. There are roughly 130 to 160 yachts in this bracket actively chartering in the Caribbean each winter, the bulk of them having repositioned from the Med in November.
Why the 40-50m bracket is the Caribbean default
The Caribbean is wider than it looks, and the 40 to 50m bracket is the bracket that does the inter-island runs comfortably. The Anguilla-to-St Barths-to-St Martin triangle, the BVI-to-USVI loop, the Antigua-to-St Barths run, and the longer Grenadines passages are all 30 to 80 nautical mile open-water legs that smaller yachts handle slowly and larger yachts handle wastefully.
The bracket also sits in the right size envelope for the Caribbean's two binding constraints: Gustaf III Airport (St Jean, St Barths) cannot bring large groups in directly, so guest groups arrive in batches by tender from St Martin or by light aircraft, and the yacht needs to be sized for that intake pace; and the Christmas-New Year week peak demand in St Barths is so concentrated that the 40 to 50m bracket is the most flexible bracket for late-add bookings (60m+ inventory is gone by August; 30 to 40m inventory is gone by October).
Weekly rate map for winter 2026 to 2027
The rate ranges below are for the Caribbean winter season (mid-December 2026 to early April 2027), before APA at 25 to 30 percent and gratuity at 10 to 15 percent.
| LOA bracket | Motor yacht (low to high) | Sailing yacht (low to high) |
|---|---|---|
| 40 to 43m | $160K to $215K per week | $130K to $175K per week |
| 43 to 47m | $200K to $280K per week | $165K to $230K per week |
| 47 to 50m | $250K to $360K per week | $205K to $295K per week |
Christmas and New Year weeks (the two-week window from December 22 to January 5) carry a 35 to 50 percent premium on top of the high-season range, with most yachts in this bracket sold by August. The St Barths New Year's Eve raft is the single most expensive concentrated demand event in the global charter calendar.
The Caribbean rate floor sits roughly 10 to 15 percent below the equivalent Med high-season floor, but the APA percentage runs slightly lower because fuel burn is lower per mile in the trade winds and port fees are lower than Med equivalents. Net all-in is closer than the headline rate suggests.
For wider context, see Caribbean charter weekly rates.
What the bracket buys you on a Caribbean charter in this bracket
Cabins. 5 cabin layout dominates: full-beam master, two VIP doubles, two doubles. The Caribbean bias is toward couples-friendly layouts (more equally-sized doubles, fewer convertible twins) because the typical Caribbean group is two-couples-plus-friends rather than the multigenerational family that books the Med summer.
Crew. 10 to 13 crew. The chef, the chief stew, the deckhand-tender driver who runs the watersports program, and the captain are the four hires that make or break the trip. A captain who has done five-plus seasons across both St Barths and the BVI is a different category of operator from a captain on his first Caribbean season.
Tenders. The Caribbean watersports program is more central than the Med equivalent. Expect a primary 8 to 9m tender, a secondary 6 to 7m tender, jet skis, paddleboards, kite gear, and a wakeboard tow setup. The bracket carries this kit standard.
Air conditioning. The Caribbean is hot. AC capacity and silent-running performance overnight is a real differentiating spec at this bracket. Older yachts with marginal AC create a bad guest day. Confirm with the broker that the AC has been refit or upgraded recently, particularly on hulls built before 2015.
At-anchor stabilizers. Required. Caribbean anchorages outside the BVI's protected waters (St Barths, the Grenadines, the Bahamas Exuma chain) are exposed and the easterly trade-wind chop after sunset is real. At-anchor stabilizers are the comfort variable.
Trip shapes that fit the bracket
The 40 to 50m bracket fits the standard Caribbean route shapes well.
The St Barths week. Embark St Martin (Princess Juliana arrival), hop to St Barths, base off Gustavia or anchor Anse de Colombier for five of seven nights, day-runs to Anguilla and Tintamarre, return St Martin. The bracket is the right size everywhere.
The BVI loop. Embark Tortola, work the Norman, Cooper, Salt, Virgin Gorda (the Baths and Saba Rock), Anegada, then return via Jost Van Dyke. Seven to ten nights. The bracket is the upper end of what feels right in the BVI's compact anchorages, and 47 to 50m is the practical ceiling.
The Antigua to St Barths arc. Embark Antigua, work Barbuda, then northwest to St Barths via St Kitts and Nevis. Seven to ten nights. The bracket handles the open-water legs well.
The Grenadines run. Embark Grenada, north through Carriacou, Union, Mayreau, Tobago Cays, Mustique, Bequia, return Grenada or continue to St Vincent. Seven to ten nights. The bracket is the right size for the protected anchorages.
The Bahamas Exuma chain. Embark Nassau, work the Exumas south to Staniel Cay, Norman's Cay, Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, then optionally further south. Seven to fourteen nights. The bracket sits well, though some yachts in the upper end of the bracket need shallow-draft tenders for the inner Exumas anchorages.
For destination-by-destination context, see the country-specific 40-50m pages and Charter Caribbean.
Where the bracket struggles in the Caribbean
The St Barths Gustavia harbour overnight at New Year. The harbour is a stern-to raft and the slot allocation is political. Yachts at 47 to 50m sometimes hold a slot, sometimes do not. Plan to anchor outer Gustavia and tender for the New Year's Eve party run.
Anegada channel approach. Anegada is the BVI's outer atoll and the channel approach is shallow and reef-strewn. Yachts at the upper end of the bracket (3.0 to 3.3m draft) can transit but require the captain's local knowledge and a daylight approach. Confirm before assuming Anegada is on the itinerary.
The hurricane shoulder. The Caribbean charter season is December to April. Late November charters are repositioning weeks (the yacht just arrived from the Med and the crew is refitting) and early May charters are pre-departure. Both are a different product from peak season and the broker should be explicit about which one the booking is.
Two we would book
For two couples, seven days in mid-January, St Barths and Anguilla: a 43m motor yacht with 5 cabins, modern interior, embarkation St Martin. Budget $235K plus APA, all-in roughly $310K. Booking lead time for non-holiday: 4 to 7 months.
For a family of 10, ten days in mid-February, BVI loop: a 46m motor yacht with 5 cabins plus convertible, full watersports program, embarkation Tortola. Budget $320K plus APA, all-in roughly $440K. Booking lead time: 6 to 9 months.
For a multigenerational group of 12, two weeks Christmas and New Year (the holiday peak), St Barths-anchored: a 49m motor yacht with 6 cabins, embarkation St Martin December 24, NYE in St Barths. Budget for two weeks $1.0M to $1.2M plus APA, all-in roughly $1.4M to $1.6M. Booking lead time: 12 to 18 months for the holiday weeks.
Build, refit, what to ask
The Caribbean charter fleet in this bracket overlaps significantly with the Med summer fleet because the same yachts cross the Atlantic in November and return in April. Build year and refit guidance therefore tracks the Med (see the 40-50m Mediterranean page). The single Caribbean-specific addition is AC capacity. A 2010 to 2014 build that has not had its AC refit will struggle in February heat and humidity. Pass on yachts that cannot show recent AC service and capacity records.