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The Bahamas at 50 to 60m is the Caribbean basin's deepest charter pool by yacht count, driven by the Florida proximity, the US-domestic ease of the booking process, and a long-running base at Albany and Atlantis Marina in Nassau. The 2026 weekly rate runs $240,000 to $380,000 for motor and $195,000 to $305,000 for sailing, plus APA at 25 to 30 percent, the Bahamian charter VAT at 4 percent on the fee, and gratuity at 10 to 15 percent. The bracket carries 10 to 12 guests in 6 cabins (7 at the upper end), with 14 to 17 crew. Roughly 30 to 40 yachts in the bracket position to the Bahamas for the December-to-April 2026 winter, the largest single-country pool in the Caribbean basin at the LOA. The draft constraint south of Nassau is the structural variable to plan around, not the slot count.
Why the Bahamas fits the bracket
The bracket fits the Bahamas because the country's charter geography is built around two base marinas (Albany on New Providence and Atlantis Marina at Spot Island) and an extended cruising ground (the Exumas, the Abacos, the Berry Islands, Eleuthera, and Bimini) that sits at the size for the LOA. Albany handles the bracket on the main superyacht quay with strong shoreside service. Atlantis Marina holds the bracket on the outer berths. Palm Cay handles the bracket on confirmed reservation. The Exumas extension is the bracket's structural payoff: Highbourne Cay, Staniel Cay, and the Exuma Land and Sea Park anchorages take the bracket on swing with the draft caveat managed at the chart-and-tender level.
The draft constraint is the bracket's primary planning variable. Bahamian charter waters south of Nassau run 3 to 6m of depth across most cruising sections, with channels and cuts that require local-pilot knowledge for the bracket above 53m. The 50 to 53m end of the bracket carries draft 3.0 to 3.5m comfortably; the 57 to 60m end carries 3.8 to 4.3m and the chart line tightens. Verify the actual draft against the proposed itinerary in writing at booking.
Weekly rate map for 2026
High season (mid-December 2026 to mid-April 2027) for the bracket, before APA at 25 to 30 percent and gratuity at 10 to 15 percent.
| LOA bracket | Motor yacht (low to high) | Sailing yacht and motor-sailor (low to high) |
|---|---|---|
| 50 to 53m | $240K to $285K per week | $195K to $235K per week |
| 53 to 57m | $275K to $330K per week | $225K to $270K per week |
| 57 to 60m | $315K to $380K per week | $260K to $305K per week |
Christmas week (week 51 to 52) and New Year week run a 35 to 55 percent premium and require a 14-day minimum at the bracket. Easter week runs a 20 to 30 percent premium. Spring break (early March through mid-March) runs roughly 15 percent over the headline rate. For broader context see Caribbean charter weekly rates and the 40 to 50m Bahamas bracket.
What the bracket buys you in this bracket
Cabins. 6 cabins standard, 7 at the upper end of the bracket. The Bahamas 50 to 60m pool is dominated by repositioned Italian, Dutch, and US-based tonnage; the master-on-main deck layout is the bracket norm.
Crew. 14 to 17. The US-and-Caribbean crew bench is the deepest in the world at this LOA in winter, with strong captain, engineering, and deck depth and a US-trained chef pool that suits the predominantly North American charter client base.
Tenders. Primary 9 to 10m, secondary 6 to 7m. The toy garage is the bracket's marketing variable in the Bahamas; the e-foil and seabob counts run high. Confirm the toy spec in writing at inquiry.
At-anchor stabilizers. Required. The Exumas anchorages run shallow and open and the trade-wind swell load from December through March is the at-anchor differential variable. The Albany and Atlantis quay nights take the load off in port.
Helipad. Touch-and-go meaningful at the upper end of the bracket. Nassau Lynden Pindling airport handles long-haul; the Staniel Cay airstrip handles guest pickup at the Exumas midpoint; the helicopter shuttle to a yacht at Highbourne Cay or the Exuma Park is the bracket's practical mid-charter pickup.
Trip shapes that fit the bracket
The Nassau plus Exumas seven-night. Embark Albany or Atlantis, two nights at the Berry Islands, four nights Highbourne, Norman's, Staniel, the Exuma Park and the swimming-pig anchorages, return Nassau. Seven nights. The bracket fits the entire run with the draft caveat managed by the captain.
The Bahamas extended twelve-day. Embark Nassau, work the Exumas for six nights, run north to Eleuthera for three nights (Harbour Island, Spanish Wells), return Nassau or finish Marsh Harbour for an Abacos extension. Twelve nights. The Eleuthera run is workable for the bracket at the outer anchorages, less so for the inner-bay village stops.
The Florida one-way. Embark Nassau, work the Exumas for four nights, run north via the Berry Islands, finish Fort Lauderdale or Palm Beach with the Gulf Stream crossing. Seven to ten nights. The Stream crossing requires weather window planning at the bracket; the one-way premium runs 15 to 25 percent over the headline. For destination context see Charter Bahamas, Charter Exumas, and Charter Abacos.
What the bracket does not do well in the Bahamas
Christmas-and-New-Year inside 9 months. The bracket is fully booked at the December-January peak 11 to 14 months out. Inside-window booking at peak is not realistic.
Single-base seven-night charters at Albany. Albany is a base, not a cruising ground; the seven-night charter that does not run to the Exumas under-uses the LOA. Plan the cruising leg.
Shallow inner-island routes south of Staniel at the upper end of the bracket. 57 to 60m draft closes out the inner-cay swimming-pig and Thunderball Grotto inner approaches; the bracket runs these as tender programs from outer anchorages.
The pick
For two couples, seven days in mid-February, Nassau plus Exumas: a 53m motor yacht with 6 cabins, at-anchor stabilizers, draft under 3.4m, embarkation Albany. Budget $290K plus APA, all-in roughly $380K. Booking lead time: 7 to 10 months.
For a family of 12, fourteen days at New Year week (booked 13 months ahead), Bahamas extended with Eleuthera leg: a 56m motor yacht with 7 cabins, embarkation Albany, return Albany. Budget $810K plus APA at 28 percent, all-in roughly $1.07M. Booking lead time: 13 to 15 months.
For a friend group of 12, ten days in early March, Bahamas to Florida one-way: a 58m motor yacht with 6 cabins, embarkation Albany, disembark Palm Beach. Budget $445K plus APA plus one-way premium, all-in roughly $610K. Booking lead time: 8 to 11 months.
Build, refit, what to ask
The Bahamas 50 to 60m winter pool is younger than the Mediterranean average because the US owner-operator base reinvests on a 7 to 10 year refit cycle. A 2017 to 2024 Italian, Dutch, or US-build with a 2023 or later refit, at-anchor stabilizers, and confirmed toy spec is the value zone. We would pass on tonnage running 2010-era HVAC for Christmas-week bookings because the load through New Year is the worst week of the year to risk a mid-charter failure at the LOA.