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The Grenadines at 40 to 50m is the bracket's southern Caribbean run, structured around five stops: Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Mayreau, and the Tobago Cays. A 40 to 50m motor yacht the chain in 2026 peak Christmas and February weeks runs $185,000 to $290,000 per week plus 30 percent APA, takes 10 to 12 guests, and embarks either Rodney Bay in St Lucia at the north end or Port Louis Marina in Grenada at the south. The active 40 to 50m fleet running the Grenadines through the December to April Caribbean season is roughly 18 yachts. There is no refit or alongside base inside the Grenadines themselves at the bracket, so every yacht is here on a positioning programme from St Lucia, Antigua, or Grenada.
Why the Grenadines works for the bracket
The Grenadines is the Caribbean's strongest day-anchor density per nautical mile at the bracket. The chain runs roughly 60nm from Bequia south to Petit St Vincent, the islands sit 4 to 12nm apart, and the day-positioning rhythm is the trip's defining feature. Mustique's Britannia Bay mooring field carries the bracket on assigned buoys (Mustique Company control, advance reservation through the central agent), Bequia's Admiralty Bay holds the bracket on anchor at the Princess Margaret roads, Canouan's Charlestown Bay has the Sandy Lane Yacht Club berths at the upper end and the outer roads at anchor, and the Tobago Cays Marine Park holds the bracket on assigned anchor positions inside the Horseshoe Reef.
The base ports are outside the chain. Rodney Bay in St Lucia is the northern embarkation point (80nm north of Bequia), and Port Louis Marina in Grenada is the southern embarkation and refuelling point (45nm south of Petit St Vincent). St Vincent is a customs and clearance point but not an alongside base at the bracket. Union Island handles the southern customs clearance and a small alongside dock at Clifton.
Weekly rate map for 2026 to 2027 season
Rates below are for peak weeks (Christmas through New Year, President's Day week) for the 2026 to 2027 season, before APA at 30 percent and gratuity at 12 to 15 percent. St Vincent and the Grenadines charter VAT runs at a moderate rate against the French Caribbean. The Mustique mooring buoy fee, the Tobago Cays Marine Park fee, and the Canouan harbour fees run through the APA.
| LOA bracket | Motor yacht (low to high) | Sailing yacht and large catamaran (low to high) |
|---|---|---|
| 40 to 43m | $185K to $225K per week | $155K to $190K per week |
| 43 to 47m | $215K to $260K per week | $180K to $225K per week |
| 47 to 50m | $245K to $290K per week | $210K to $260K per week |
Off-peak Caribbean season (mid-January through early February and March outside school break) runs roughly 20 to 28 percent below the headline peak. The Christmas and New Year peak in the Grenadines (specifically the Mustique New Year window) runs the steepest peak in the Caribbean at the bracket because the Mustique villa programme pulls anchored support tonnage. The all-in cost at peak in the chain runs roughly 5 to 10 percent above the equivalent St Lucia week because of the positioning leg from Rodney Bay or Grenada. For corridor context see the Caribbean bracket page, St Lucia bracket page, and the 30 to 40m Grenadines bracket.
What you actually get in this bracket
Cabins. 5 to 6-cabin layouts dominate. The Grenadines pattern at the bracket runs across multi-couple Mustique New Year weeks, family Christmas weeks at Bequia and the Tobago Cays, and friend-group February weeks across the full chain, and the 5-cabin charter spec runs the inventory.
Crew. 9 to 12 on motor yachts. The Grenadines crew bench is among the thinnest in the Caribbean because the chain has no resident charter-crew labour pool at the bracket, and last-minute substitution flies in via Barbados or Grenada. Captains running the bracket here keep a deeper-than-usual reserve of contingency provisions because the Mustique and Canouan supply runs price at premium and run on advance order.
Tenders. A primary 9 to 10m fast tender plus a 6 to 7m beach-landing secondary. The Tobago Cays beach landings and the Mustique L'Ansecoy and Lagoon Bay landings all run on sand approaches and the secondary tender is operational. The Mustique Cotton House dock and the Macaroni Beach landing are tender-direct.
At-anchor stabilizers. Mandatory. The Mustique outer roads at Britannia Bay take residual swell from the Atlantic, the Tobago Cays inside the reef take rotational chop, and the Bequia Admiralty Bay roads sit on the western trade exposure. At-anchor stabilizers are the comfort variable that decides whether the week works.
Helipad. Useful at the upper end of the bracket for the Mustique to Barbados shuttle and the Canouan transfer. The Mustique airstrip handles fixed-wing arrivals from Barbados, and the Canouan airstrip handles direct fixed-wing from St Lucia. Touch-and-go capable yachts price 5 to 8 percent above non-helipad equivalent for Christmas.
Trip shapes that fit the bracket
The classic Mustique New Year ten-night. Embark Rodney Bay, run south to Bequia for two nights, Mustique for four nights across New Year, Canouan for one night, Tobago Cays for two nights, disembark Union Island or return Bequia. Ten nights. The Mustique anchored programme is the trip's structural feature.
The Grenadines full chain seven-night. Embark Rodney Bay, Bequia for two nights, Mustique for one night, Canouan for one night, Tobago Cays for two nights, Petit St Vincent and Carriacou day-stops, disembark Port Louis Marina Grenada one-way. Seven nights. The one-way disembark adds 10 to 14 percent positioning premium on the headline rate.
The Grenadines and Barbados ten-night. Embark Rodney Bay, Grenadines chain over six nights, position east to Barbados for two nights at Bridgetown and the Platinum Coast, disembark Bridgetown one-way. Ten nights. The Barbados leg is an open-water 80nm east of Carriacou and best at the upper end of the bracket.
For destination context see Charter Grenadines, Charter Caribbean, and Best charter yachts Caribbean.
What the bracket does not do well in the Grenadines
Single-island Mustique weeks. The Mustique anchored programme at the bracket compresses into four or five nights before the trip flattens. The destination should always book as a Grenadines chain week and not as a stand-alone Mustique anchored hold.
Hurricane-season weeks. The Grenadines hurricane exposure runs through August and September with reduced amenity capacity across the chain. Weeks priced into June to October carry weather risk that the Mediterranean reposition does not.
Tobago Cays peak-load mornings. The Marine Park anchor positions run to capacity through the New Year and February peaks. We would pass on any day-plan that arrives Tobago Cays after 10am at peak without a confirmed assigned position from the park ranger desk the day before.
Our pick
For two couples, ten days at New Year, Mustique with Bequia and Tobago Cays bookends and four nights stationary at Britannia Bay: a 43m motor yacht with 5 cabins and at-anchor stabilizers, embarkation Rodney Bay, disembark Bequia. Budget $245K plus APA, all-in roughly $320K. Booking lead time: 16 to 20 months minimum for the Mustique New Year window.
For a family of 12, ten days at Christmas, Grenadines full chain with three nights at the Tobago Cays and two nights at Mustique: a 47m motor yacht with 6 cabins, twin tenders, embarkation Rodney Bay, disembark Port Louis Grenada one-way. Budget $285K plus APA, all-in roughly $385K. Booking lead time: 14 to 18 months.
For a friend group of 10, seven days in President's week, Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, and the Tobago Cays: a 45m motor yacht with 5 cabins, embarkation Rodney Bay, return Bequia or disembark Union Island. Budget $255K plus APA, all-in roughly $345K. Booking lead time: 12 to 15 months.
Build year and refit
The Grenadines 40 to 50m fleet runs almost entirely on charter-programme tonnage repositioned south from the Leewards because the chain itself is not a refit base. Benetti, Sanlorenzo, Heesen, Westport, and Feadship dominate the inventory. A 2016 to 2024 build with current AV, full tender complement, at-anchor stabilizers, and a refit done at a recognised yard within 24 months of the booked week is the value zone. We would pass on any unit without confirmed Mustique mooring buoy reservation in writing for the requested nights, on any unit whose tender programme does not include the 6m+ beach-landing secondary, and on any New Year or February peak booking that has not confirmed both the Mustique and Tobago Cays positions 14 months out.