John BoullinYacht charter broker, DMA Yachting
Crewed motor yachts in the Bahamas start at about $40,000 per week in base rate, and most of our clients book between $60,000 and $200,000 before expenses. Crewed catamarans open lower, and many of them run all-inclusive, which changes the math below.
On a standard motor yacht, the base rate is roughly 60% of the real total. Add the APA of 25 to 40% for food, drinks, fuel, and dockage, the 14% Bahamas charter tax, and a 15 to 20% crew gratuity, and the all-in week lands at about 1.6 to 1.75 times the base rate. A $60,000 yacht is realistically a $100,000 week.
We quote the all-in number from the first email, because comparing base rates across yachts with different APAs and inclusions is how people overspend. Worked examples: How Much Does a Bahamas Yacht Charter Cost?