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St Martin at 50 to 60m is the eastern Caribbean's principal embarkation port and the bracket runs the island as the structural base for the full winter rotation rather than as a destination in its own right. The 2026 weekly rate runs $270,000 to $410,000 for motor and $215,000 to $325,000 for sailing, plus APA at 28 to 32 percent, French SSN charter tax structured through the charter company's commercial flag, and gratuity at 12 to 15 percent. The bracket carries 10 to 12 guests in 6 cabins (7 at the upper end), with 14 to 18 crew. Simpson Bay Lagoon on the Dutch side handles the bracket on inside-lagoon dockage with a 56m air-draft constraint at the Simpson Bay drawbridge, and Marigot Bay on the French side handles the outer anchorage. The NYE turnaround is the bracket's busiest crew window of the year because Simpson Bay is the eastern Caribbean's main provisioning and crew-rotation hub.
Why the bracket bases at St Martin specifically
Simpson Bay Lagoon is the deepest protected basin in the eastern Caribbean and the bridge windows at Simpson Bay (Dutch side) and Sandy Ground (French side) regulate yacht traffic into and out of the lagoon on a published daily schedule. The bracket fits the lagoon comfortably below 56m air-draft once inside, with the Yacht Club at Isle de Sol and Simpson Bay Yacht Club marinas handling stern-to dockage for the bracket. The 56m air-draft ceiling is a real constraint: yachts running radar masts above 56m clear the bridge only at low tide and zero-wind windows, and the bracket's upper end frequently anchors outside in Simpson Bay rather than the lagoon at all.
The provisioning depth at Simpson Bay is the strongest in the eastern Caribbean. The bracket's mid-charter restock and crew-rotation flights through Princess Juliana airport (SXM) run at the pattern for the full Anguilla, St Barths, Antigua circuit. The customs and immigration regime is split between Dutch and French jurisdictions; charter clients embark and disembark Dutch side at Simpson Bay because the airport is on the Dutch side, and the broker handles the cross-side paperwork at the booking stage.
The booking pattern at the bracket is the eastern Caribbean weekly with Simpson Bay as the embarkation point and St Barths or Anguilla as the first overnight anchorage. St Martin itself rarely holds the charter for more than 24 hours; the pattern is half-day Simpson Bay, half-day Marigot, run east on day one. The Dutch-side lagoon anchorage takes the bracket for an embarkation eve-night but charter clients booking St Martin as the primary geography are misreading the island's role at the LOA.
Weekly rate map for 2026
High season (mid-December 2026 to mid-April 2027), before APA at 28 to 32 percent and gratuity at 12 to 15 percent. The rate references a full eastern-Caribbean charter week embarking St Martin.
| LOA bracket | Motor yacht (low to high) | Sailing yacht and motor-sailor (low to high) |
|---|---|---|
| 50 to 53m | $270K to $310K per week | $215K to $260K per week |
| 53 to 57m | $305K to $360K per week | $250K to $295K per week |
| 57 to 60m | $345K to $410K per week | $280K to $325K per week |
NYE weeks (week 51 to week 1) run a 35 to 60 percent premium and pull the bracket east to the St Barths anchorage cluster; the Simpson Bay embarkation pattern stays the same. Easter runs a 25 to 35 percent premium. Mid-January through mid-March holds the headline rate with materially better availability than the NYE bracket. For broader context see Caribbean charter weekly rates and the 40 to 50m St Martin bracket.
What the bracket buys you in this bracket
Cabins. 6 cabins standard, 7 at the upper end of the bracket. The eastern Caribbean winter pool is dominated by 2018 to 2024 Italian and Dutch tonnage with French or Cayman commercial flag; on-deck master is the bracket norm.
Crew. 14 to 18. The Simpson Bay crew rotation is the deepest in the basin and the bracket's chef bench specifically reflects the French-trained pool that the St Barths NYE booking cycle pulls into the eastern rotation through November.
Tenders. Primary 9 to 10m, secondary 7m. The Marigot, Anguilla, and St Barths beach landings run the dual-tender pattern hard and confirming twin-tender spec at inquiry matters for the week.
At-anchor stabilizers. Required. The Simpson Bay outer anchorage and the Anguilla Channel both run swell from the northeast through December and January.
Helipad. Touch-and-go meaningful at the upper end. SXM is the primary embarkation airport for the eastern Caribbean and the helicopter shuttle to St Barths runs from the SXM heliport in 8 minutes; the yacht's helipad is the practical guest-pickup pattern for the upper end of the bracket.
Trip shapes that fit the bracket
The classic eastern Caribbean seven-night. Embark Simpson Bay, two nights at Anguilla (Road Bay and Prickly Pear), three nights at St Barths (Gustavia and Colombier), one night Simpson Bay lagoon, disembark Simpson Bay. Seven nights. The bracket fits the entire run and this is the eastern Caribbean's signature week at the LOA.
The Simpson Bay to Antigua ten-night. Embark Simpson Bay, work Anguilla and St Barths for four nights, reposition overnight south to Antigua, work English Harbour and Falmouth for three nights, return Simpson Bay. Ten nights. The Antigua leg adds the Nelson's Dockyard anchorage and the historic Pillars of Hercules approach.
The eastern Caribbean fourteen-day cluster (NYE pattern). Embark Simpson Bay 23 December, NYE cluster at St Barths through 6 January, mid-fortnight Anguilla and Prickly Pear, return Simpson Bay. Fourteen nights, mandatory at the NYE bracket. Slot must be confirmed 14 to 18 months out. For destination context see Charter St Martin, Charter Anguilla, and Charter St Barths.
What the bracket does not do well at St Martin
St Martin-only weeks. The island's overnight anchorage variety is exhausted at the bracket in 24 to 36 hours, and the pattern is reposition east on day one. Charter clients who want a single-base island week should consider Mallorca, Mykonos, or the BVI base rotation rather than St Martin at the bracket.
Inside-lagoon dockage at the bracket's upper end. The Simpson Bay bridge air-draft ceiling closes out the upper end of the bracket. Yachts running radar masts above 56m anchor outside in Simpson Bay or run the Marigot anchorage for the lagoon-side experience.
Hurricane-window weeks. The eastern Caribbean fleet repositions north or east for the August through October storm window. On-charter weeks in that range run on transient tonnage with materially lighter slot certainty.
Two we would book
For two couples, seven days in mid-February, eastern Caribbean week embarking Simpson Bay: a 53m motor yacht with 6 cabins, at-anchor stabilizers, twin tenders. Budget $315K plus APA, all-in roughly $420K. Booking lead time: 6 to 9 months.
For a family of 10, ten days in early March, eastern Caribbean to Antigua: a 56m motor yacht with 6 cabins. Budget $355K plus APA, all-in roughly $475K. Booking lead time: 8 to 11 months.
For a friend group of 12, fourteen days NYE (booked 16 months ahead), full eastern Caribbean fortnight: a 58m motor yacht with 6 cabins. Budget $1.05M plus APA at 32 percent plus NYE premium, all-in roughly $1.45M. Booking lead time: 16 to 20 months.
Build, refit, what to ask
The Simpson Bay-based 50 to 60m pool is the Caribbean's youngest at the bracket, with the French commercial flag structuring favouring 2018 to 2024 Italian and Dutch builds. A 2023 or later refit, twin tenders, at-anchor stabilizers, and Simpson Bay-bench captain on the crew sheet is the value zone. We would pass on tonnage running 2010-era AV through the eastern Caribbean rotation specifically; the trade-wind humidity load is structurally hard on the kit and the SXM provisioning chain rewards yachts that already run modern kit.