St Barts Yacht Charters
Why is A Yacht Charter Vacation in St Barts so popular?
A private yacht charter gives you the utmost pampering and privacy while discovering beautiful shorelines and beaches accessible by boat only. Explore the clear, turquoise waters and beaches of St Barts in comfort and style.
Take in the dramatic vistas of this mountainous island, as you cruise. Anchor off one of the many highly rated restaurants and bars that are easily accessible with your dinghy or tender boat.
St Barts is like a little bit of the French Riviera in the Caribbean. Nowhere else will you find as exciting a blend of culture, style, history, natural beauty, and culinary arts as you’ll find in St Barts.
While most yacht charters moor in or just outside of Gustavia harbor, there are many yacht-friendly mooring areas along the island’s northern shores, giving you a chance to stop and take in the island’s beauty throughout your adventure.
Getting started is easy, just send an email to info@wimco.com and ask for a “Yacht Broker Referral” and tell them WIMCO Villas sent you, or use our air and yacht charter form to send us an inquiry.
What are some of the most popular things to do while chartering a yacht in St Barts?
There is so much to do in and around St Barts that a week is not nearly enough time. The day can begin with a snorkel or scuba expedition right off the back of your yacht. There are many colorful coral reef outcroppings around St Barts, and the crystal clear waters in the calm northern side of the island are shallow enough in many places to easily access those corals.
During the day people enough paddleboarding along the shoreline, and zipping around on Jet Skis or Seabobs.
How does picnicking on the beach sound? From your yacht, you can bring your launch into popular beaches like Saline, Gouverneur and Colombier. Or enjoy it on one of the uninhabited islands close to St Barts for ultimate privacy.
Those seeking a bit of food and drink in the sun can ask to be dropped off at Shell Beach to have lunch at Shellona, or at St Jean beach to savor a glass or two of Rose at Nikki Beach, Sand Bar, Lil Rock or Pearl Beach.
At night you’ll want to motor into Gustavia, home to an assortment of extraordinary restaurants including Bagatelle, La Guérite, Black Ginger, Orega, Quarter, Le Quartier, L’Isola and Bonito.
After dinner you can stroll along the Quai which wraps around the harbor, taking in the sights of this historic village, appreciating the Swedish influenced architecture, and checking out the other yachts in the harbor.
When is the most popular time to charter a yacht in St Barts?
The peak yacht charter season In St Barths is during the Festive season which spans Christmas and New Year. During this season some of the world’s wealthiest and most influential people gather on their yachts for a floating version of the Davos Summit.
Each night motor launches zip from yacht to yacht ferrying their illustrious passengers to private cocktail parties, film screenings, project pitches, and of course lots of schmoozing. Some people will venture ashore for fabulous meals at L’Isola, Mayas, or Black Ginger. Then on New Years’ eve the yachts become a platform for watching glorious fireworks show over Gustavia harbor.
Another popular time for yacht charters in St Barts is during regatta season in March and April. Events like the prestigious Bucket Regatta and the Les Voiles de St Barts regatta attract an exceptional group of people, many of whom choose to charter a yacht to serve as a base for watching the races and then partaking in the festivities on land.
The Bucket is a friendly competition of classic sailing boats that are greater than 100’ long at the waterline. The boats are divided up into several classes, and the racing course takes them close to shore at numerous points. The highlights of the Bucket are the evening events including the boat owners dinner and the Bucket Stewards dinner.
The Les Voiles regatta features many more boats, divided up into many more racing classes. It is also a more public event, featuring nightly concerts on the Quai and a good opportunity to see racing boats up close.
What are some other popular times to visit St Barts?
November – St Barth Food & Wine event, and the Caribbean Rum Awards event. These two culinary events attach foodies from around the world. It’s a unique opportunity to sample exquisite dishes from Micheline star chefs, and at the same time, taste some of the world’s most highly rated artisanal rums.
February – Carnival in St Barts including a parade, kids events, and the ritual bonfire on Shell beach to end the event. This memorable event transforms Gustavia into a colorful street party. Visitors can choose to join the parade, or sit in elevated restaurant seating at places like Bar L’Oublie or Le Repair to watch the procession.
July – Bastille Day celebrations including fireworks over Gustavia. St Barts takes on a bit of a Parisian feel on the day of national celebration. The highlight is the fireworks show after sunset. Book a table for dinner at a restaurant with a harbor view, like Bonito, and enjoy the show.
Street Map of Gustavia with restaurant list
The capital of St Barts is the village of Gustavia. It sits in a protected harbor, with a large protected anchorage outside of the inner harbor. Gustavia is also the unofficial Culinary Capital of the Caribbean, with more highly rated restaurants per square foot than any other island in the Caribbean.
The fine-dining scene is one of the things that makes St Barts such a popular yacht charter destination. The map below illustrates the street plan for Gustavia, along with the locations of its top restaurants.
The harbor of Gustavia is ringed by a stone Quai, with many places reserved for motor launches from yachts. This makes accessing the restaurants and shops of Gustavia very convenient for people who have chartered a yacht in St Barts.
What are popular places to visit near St Barts when chartering a yacht?
St Barts is in the Leeward Islands of the Caribbean, and there are scores of islands to cruise to while on your yacht. In addition to well-known neighbors like Anguilla and St Martin, yachts based in St Barts often take day trips to uninhabited islands like Isle Forchue and Isle Fregate.
Popular overnight trips can include stops at Saba, St Kitts, Nevis, Barbuda and Antigua. A sample itinerary is included below as a thought starter.
Can I get supplies and provisions for my yacht in St Barts?
This is a popular question for those who arrive by yacht to St Barts. Yes, the village of Gustavia is ideally set up for the supply and entertainment of people chartering a yacht.
There are several excellent grocery stores in Gustavia that are within easy walking distance of the Quai including AMC, Tom Food, and American Gourmet. There are also repair and marine supply shops, and of course many fine restaurants and bars.
Several companies in St Barts specialize in the provisioning of yachts and providing ground services for its passengers. The most well known of these is St Barths Services.
Chartering a Yacht in St Barts vs Staying in a Hotel?
When you charter a yacht, you’ll have a significant amount of space and privacy for your group. Of course, the per person cost will be more expensive than staying in the finest hotel in St Barts, regardless of what time of year you visit.
That said, the level of service and activities you will have access to, and the personal service you will get surpasses anything you can experience in a hotel in St Barts.
Comparing the cost of chartering a yacht for up to 12 people vs reserving 6 rooms in a luxury hotel in St Barts
The most expensive hotel accommodations in St Barts are at the Eden Rock Hotel, in the Rock Star suite, which has six bedrooms and can accommodate up to 12 people.
During the winter season, the price per night for the Rock Star suite is approximately $28,000. Let’s assume that you will have all of your meals at the hotel, along with some fine wines. If dining on site, your meals and beverage cost per day could range from $3,600 to $10,200 for your party.
Throw in a few activities like a jet ski outing or a sunset cruise, and you might imagine spending $40,000 a day there for a group of 12, or $280,000 a week including taxes and tips.
Let’s look at a comparable cost for chartering a yacht in St Barts. When chartering a yacht there is the basic retail price to rent it for the week, plus the Advance Provisioning Allowance, or APA, which covers all provisions (typically 35% of the base price), plus an end of the trip tip of 10%.
So one way to get an idea of the total cost of spending a week on a yacht in St Barts is to take the retail price for a week and multiply it by 1.45.
So in the example below, $280,000 would be a good estimate for the all-in cost of renting a 50’ to 65’ feet long yacht for a week, with crew, fully provisioned.
Approximate base price for renting a yacht for a week
| Types of Sail Boats to Charter | Average weekly Sail Boat Charter Rate | Avg Cost of Provisioning + Tips | Total Estimated Cost |
| Under 80 ft | $10,000 - $20,000 | $4,500 - $9,000 | $14,500 - $29,000 |
| Between 80ft - 120 ft | $20,000 - $50,000 | $9,000 - $22,500 | $29,000 - $72,500 |
| Between 120ft - 150 ft | $50,000 - $100,000 | $22,500 - $45,000 | $72,500 - $145,000 |
| Over 150 ft | $100,000 - $200,000 | $45,000 - $90,000 | $145,000 - $290,000 |
| Types of Catamarans to Charter | Average weekly Sail Boat Charter Rate | Avg Cost of Provisioning + Tips | Total Estimated Cost |
| Under 50ft | $10,000 - $15,000 | $4,500 - $6,750 | $14,500 - $21,750 |
| Between 50ft - 65 ft | $15,000 - $30,000 | $6,750 - $13,500 | $21,750 - $43,500 |
| Between 65ft - 80 ft | $25,000 - $50,0000 | $11,250 - $22,500 | 436,250 - $72,500 |
| Over 80 ft | $40,000 - $100,000 | $18,000 - $45,000 | $58,000 - $145,000 |
| Types of Motor Yachts to Charter | Average weekly Sail Boat Charter Rate | Avg Cost of Provisioning + Tips | Total Estimated Cost |
| Under 80ft | $15,000 - $35,000 | $6,750 - $15,750 | $21,750 - $50,750 |
| Between 80ft - 120ft | $35,000 - $80,000 | $15,750 - $36,000 | $50,750 - $116,000 |
| Between 120ft - 150ft | $80,000 - $150,000 | $36,000 - $67,500 | $116,000 - $217,500 |
| Over 150ft | $150,000 - $500,000 | $67,500 - $225,000 | $217,500 - $725,000 |
Note: These are yacht charter base prices only, and do not include most operating expenses and tips. The prices are estimates based on historical pricing and are valid only as a point of reference.
Multiply these costs by 1.45 to arrive at a more accurate estimate of the all-in cost per week.
A yacht charter broker can provide up to date, exact pricing based on your needs and preferences.
What does a typical bedroom look like on a yacht?
A standard bedroom in the type of yacht chartered in St Barts has a queen- or king size bed, and an ensuite bathroom. In most yachts, this type of bedroom might be a bit smaller than a luxury hotel room. That said, when you are staying on a yacht you also get to enjoy a private dining room with your own chef, private pool or jacuzzi, several sun decks that you don’t have to share with strangers, and a host of water toys that you don’t have to pay extra to use.
Chartering a Private Yacht in St Barts. Wondering Where to Start?
Chartering a private yacht in St Barts is pretty easy. The concierge services department at WIMCO Villas can guide you to a reputable and experienced Yacht Broker. We have partnered with industry leader Camper & Nicholsons, and through this relationship, we can refer you to a Yacht Broker who you can have confidence in.
Your charter broker will ask about all of your group’s preferences, such as activities, special dietary needs, favorite foods, drinks, what you are interested in seeing and doing, and so on. They can also advise you on the most popular things to do in and around St Barts, and can prepare sample itineraries for you to review and approve.
Getting started is easy, just send an email to info@wimco.com and ask for a “Yacht Broker Referral” and tell them WIMCO Villas sent you, or ask your WIMCO Villa Specialist to make an introduction.
What are some of the more renowned yachts that have visited St Barts?
Did you know that you can charter some of these yachts when their owners are not using them?
- ALFA NERO (269 feet) owned by Russian Andrey Guryev
- ANNA (360 feet) owned by Russian Dmitry Rybolovlev
- AQUARIUS (301 feet) owned by Steve Wynn
- AQUILA (278 feet) owned by Ann Walton
- ATHENA (295 feet) owned by Jim Clark
- AURORA (243 feet) owned by Russian Andrey Molchanov
- AXIOMA (239 feet) owned by Russian Dmitry Pumpyansky
- BATON ROUGE (205 feet) owned by Martin Bouygues
- BLUE MOON (198 feet) owned by Richard Duchossois
- DAR (295 feet) owned by Ziyad al Manaseer
- DREAMBOAT (295 feet) owned by Arthur Blank
- ECLIPSE (533 feet) owned by Russian Roman Abramovich
- ECSTASEA (282 feet) owned by Pakistani Alshair Fiyaz
- ELIXIR (180 feet) owned by Netherland's Rob Thielen
- ELYSIAN (252 feet) owned by John Henry
- EOS (305 feet) owned by Barry Diller and Diane Von Furstenberg
- EXCELLENCE (198 feet) owned by Herb Chambers
- FLAG (205 feet) owned by Tommy Hilfiger
- GALAXY (184 feet) owned by Switzerland's Hans Thomas Gross
- GENE MACHINE (180 feet) owned by Jonathan Rothberg
- GRACE E (240 feet) owned by Robert Stiller
- HERE COMES THE SUN (272 feet) owned by Alexander Dzhaparidze
- INFINITY (290 feet) owned by Eric Smidt
- INTREPID (226 feet) owned by Eric Smidt
- INVICTUS (214 feet) owned by Rick Caruso
- KISSES (175 feet) owned by Norman Braman
- LADY BRITT (207 feet) owned by Swede Sten Warborn
- LADY KATHRYN (203 feet) owned by Leo Vecellio
- LADY S (225 feet) owned by Daniel Snyder
- LE GRAND BLEU (371 feet) owned by Russian Evgeny Shvidler
- LIMITLESS (315 feet) owned by Leslie Wexner
- LIONESS (208 feet) owned by Brit Sir Philip Green
- MADSUMMER (312 feet) owned by Jeffrey Soffer
- MALTESE FALCON (289 feet) owned by Elena Ambrosiadou
- MIA ELISE II (198 feet) owned by Terry Taylor
- MOGAMBO (242 feet) owned by Ukrainian Jan Koum
- NAUTILUS (240 feet) owned by Thierry Stern
- OCEAN VICTORY (459 feet) owned by Russian Victor Rashnikov
- ODESSA II (242 feet) owned by Len Blavatnik
- OKTO (217 feet) owned by Greek Theodore Angelopoulos
- PARTY GIRL (205 feet) owned by Charles West
- PLANET NINE (240 feet) owned by Nathaniel Rothschild
- POWER PLAY (182 feet) owned by Ukrainian Jan Koum
- RISING SUN (454 feet) owned by David Geffen
- ROCK IT (198 feet) owned by Jimmy John Liautaud
- SAMADHI (200 feet) owned by Daniel Loeb
- SATORI (207 feet) owned by Eric Benson
- SEAHAWK (196 feet) owned by Jurgen Friedrich
- SEALYON (202 feet) owned by Anthony Lyons
- SHERAKHAN (229 feet) owned by Netherland's Jan Verkerk
- SIREN (241 feet) owned by the Reuben Brothers
- SIXTH SENSE (242 feet) owned by Micky Arison
- SKAT (232 feet) owned by Charles Simonyi
- SKYFALL (190 feet) owned by Roy Carroll
- SPECTRE (227 feet) owned by Rob Sands
- STARFIRE (177 feet) owned by Carl Icahn
- SYCARA V (223 feet) owned by Ray Catena
- SYMPHONY (333 feet) owned by France's Bernard Arnault
- TITANIA (239 feet) owned by Brit John Caudwell
- TURQUOISE (181) owned by Scotland's Douglas Barrowman
- UTOPIA (235 feet) owned by Bill Miller
- WHEELS (247 feet) owned by Ralf Schmid
- YALLA (240 feet) owned by the Egyptian family Naguib