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French Polynesia at 40 to 50m is the Pacific's most expensive and most complex bracket, and a charter here is always a positioning commitment. A 40 to 50m motor yacht the Society Islands and Tuamotus in 2026 peak May through October weeks runs $215,000 to $340,000 per week plus 30 percent APA, takes 10 to 12 guests, and embarks Papeete (Tahiti) at Marina Taina or the deep-water quay at Papeete commercial port. The active 40 to 50m fleet running French Polynesia charter through the May to October season is roughly 7 yachts, the smallest dedicated bench of any major charter destination because the long-haul positioning from the Caribbean or the Mediterranean amortises only against a six-month season, and most owner-programme tonnage at the bracket does not cross the Panama Canal.
Why French Polynesia works for the bracket
French Polynesia splits into five archipelagos covering 2,000nm east to west. The charter geography compresses to two: the Society Islands (Tahiti, Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea, Tahaa, Bora Bora) and the western Tuamotus (Rangiroa, Tikehau, Fakarava, Apataki). The Marquesas (Nuku Hiva, Hiva Oa) sit 750nm northeast and run as dedicated 14 to 21-night programmes at the upper end. The Society Islands island-to-island runs are 20 to 100nm depending on routing, the Tuamotus runs are 150 to 250nm across open ocean, and the destination's structural feature is the pass-positioning into the Tuamotu atolls timed against the tide.
The base is Marina Taina at Papeete and the deep-water commercial quay for the upper bracket. Bora Bora's Vaitape anchorage and the Hilton-side outer anchorage hold the bracket at the western end of the Society chain. Raiatea has the Apooiti Marina secondary alongside positions. Inside the Tuamotus there is no marina at the bracket and the inner-atoll anchorages are open-water with limited shore infrastructure.
Weekly rate map for 2026 to 2027 season
Rates below are for peak weeks (June through August austral winter, and the November through January positioning windows where applicable) for the 2026 to 2027 season, before APA at 30 percent and gratuity at 12 to 15 percent. The French Polynesia cruising permit, the Marquesas park entry, the Tuamotu lagoon access fees, and the local clearance fees run through the APA. The French Polynesia VAT runs to the standard French metropolitan structure with local adjustments.
| LOA bracket | Motor yacht (low to high) | Sailing yacht and large catamaran (low to high) |
|---|---|---|
| 40 to 43m | $215K to $260K per week | $185K to $225K per week |
| 43 to 47m | $250K to $295K per week | $210K to $255K per week |
| 47 to 50m | $280K to $340K per week | $245K to $295K per week |
The shoulder window (April to early May and October to November) runs 18 to 25 percent below the headline peak. The wet season (December through March) is workable for the Society Islands but the Tuamotu programme runs at weather risk and the programme prices it as a discount window. The all-in cost at the bracket runs 18 to 25 percent above the equivalent Caribbean peak because of the positioning amortisation. For corridor context see the Maldives bracket page and the 30 to 40m French Polynesia bracket.
What is in the bracket in this bracket
Cabins. 5 to 6-cabin layouts dominate. The French Polynesia pattern at the bracket runs across multi-couple Society Islands ten-nights, family summer fortnights across the Society Islands and a Tuamotus extension, and dedicated 14-night programmes through the Tuamotus and Marquesas. The 5-cabin spec runs the Society Islands week and the 6-cabin upper-end runs the family fortnight.
Crew. 9 to 12 on motor yachts. The French Polynesia crew bench is the thinnest of any major destination because the destination is geographically remote and the labour pool draws from Tahiti only. Last-minute substitution flies in from Los Angeles or Auckland on a four to six day window. A captain with prior Tuamotu pass-experience is the spec for any Rangiroa or Fakarava programme because the tide-timed entry requires local knowledge.
Tenders. A primary 9 to 10m fast tender plus a 6 to 7m beach-landing secondary, plus a dive tender of 6m or larger with compressor and tank rack. The Tuamotu drift dives at Tiputa, Tumakohua, and the Fakarava south pass are the trip's structural daytime activity at the bracket, and the dive infrastructure is mandatory.
At-anchor stabilizers. Mandatory. The Society Islands outer anchorages take residual Pacific swell year-round and the Tuamotus inner-lagoon anchorages take wind-driven chop from the trades. At-anchor stabilizers are the comfort variable that decides whether the week works.
Helipad. Useful at the upper end for the Bora Bora to Tahiti shuttle and the Marquesas resort and airfield connections. The Bora Bora airport handles fixed-wing and the helipad is a premium spec rather than a requirement.
Trip shapes that fit the bracket
The classic Society Islands ten-night. Embark Papeete, run west to Moorea for two nights, Huahine for one night, Raiatea and Tahaa for two nights at the Coral Garden and the inner lagoon, Bora Bora for three nights, return Tahaa or disembark Bora Bora one-way. Ten nights. The Society chain west-bound run is the destination's structural feature and the bracket fits this comfortably.
The Society Islands and western Tuamotus fourteen-night. Embark Papeete, Society Islands chain over seven nights, position northeast to Rangiroa for two nights and Tikehau for two nights, return Papeete over the final two days. Fourteen nights. Best at the upper end of the bracket for the Tuamotu open-water positioning and the pass-timing.
The full Marquesas twenty-one-night. Embark Papeete, position northeast to the Marquesas over three days, Nuku Hiva and Hiva Oa for ten nights at the inner anchorages, return over three days via the northern Tuamotus for two nights. Twenty-one nights. The Marquesas programme requires the bracket's upper end with operational range and dedicated captain experience.
For destination context see Charter French Polynesia and Best charter yachts Pacific.
What the bracket does not do well in French Polynesia
Single-island Bora Bora weeks. The Bora Bora-only programme at the bracket compresses after three nights because the anchored hold replicates the resort week at higher cost. The destination should book as Society Islands chain, not as a Bora Bora hold.
Wet-season Tuamotus. The December to March wet window runs sustained weather risk through the Tuamotus and the programmes priced into that window are taking real exposure. We would pass on any Tuamotu inclusion in the December to February block.
Seven-night attempts at full chain. The full Society Islands chain plus a Tuamotu visit compresses past usability in seven nights and the trip rhythm breaks. The minimum programme for a Tuamotu inclusion is ten nights with the upper-end bracket spec, and the Marquesas programme requires fourteen nights minimum.
Two we would book
For two couples, ten days in July, Society Islands full chain west-bound with three nights at Bora Bora and disembark Bora Bora one-way: a 43m motor yacht with 5 cabins, dedicated dive tender, at-anchor stabilizers, embarkation Papeete. Budget $275K plus APA, all-in roughly $370K. Booking lead time: 14 to 18 months minimum.
For a family of 12, fourteen days in August, Society Islands and western Tuamotus with two nights at Rangiroa and two nights at Tikehau: a 47m motor yacht with 6 cabins, twin tenders plus dive tender, captain with prior Tuamotu pass experience, embarkation Papeete. Budget $620K plus APA across the two weeks, all-in roughly $830K. Booking lead time: 18 to 22 months.
For a friend group of 10, twenty-one days in May, Marquesas dedicated programme with Tuamotu transit positioning: a 49m motor yacht with 5 cabins, operational range 3,500nm or better, embarkation Papeete. Budget $890K plus APA across the three weeks, all-in roughly $1.2M. Booking lead time: 24 months minimum.
Build year, refit, condition
The French Polynesia 40 to 50m fleet runs almost entirely on tonnage with dedicated Pacific programmes and the inventory turnover is slow. Feadship, Heesen, Sanlorenzo, and Pacific-yard tonnage with operational range dominate the fleet. A 2014 to 2024 build with current AV, full tender complement plus dive tender, at-anchor stabilizers, captain with prior French Polynesia clearance experience, and a refit done within 30 months of the booked week is the value zone for the Society Islands week. The Marquesas programme requires confirmed operational range, Marquesas-experienced captain, and a refit within 18 months. We would pass on any unit without confirmed Papeete clearance slot in writing for embarkation, on any unit whose tender programme does not include the dedicated dive tender for a Tuamotu inclusion, and on any Marquesas booking that has not confirmed the operational range and captain experience 18 months out.