Bahamas yacht & catamaran charter: prices, season and licence

• Bahamas: €6,591 to €10,799 per week (cheapest month September, most expensive March) (12 Knots, checked 27 Oct 2026)
• Catamarans listed: 108 in the Bahamas on 12 Knots (bareboat or crewed)
• In detail: Catamaran cost by month, all-in and per person
• Compare the region: Caribbean catamaran prices by month

Source: 12 Knots: Catamaran charter in the Bahamas, checked 27 Oct 2026. 12 Knots calculates each monthly figure from all qualifying weekly price records (88 unique boats in the Bahamas) for departures in the current and following calendar year. Asking prices before discounts and extras.

Catamarans are our flagship, and the only type with a monthly public price series. For the others we show what we can verify and say so when we can't.

• Catamaran (bareboat or crewed): see the monthly table above.
• Sailing yacht / monohull: We have not yet found a public, dated monohull average for the Bahamas that we can verify, so we don't show one. Monohulls are generally cheaper than catamarans of similar length; see catamaran vs monohull.
• Motor yacht: we have no verified price average for the Bahamas. What we can source is the cost structure: Helm puts the APA at around 35–40% of the charter fee for motor yachts (Helm, checked 27 Oct 2026). See catamaran vs monohull vs motor yacht.
• Gulet: we have no verified price average for the Bahamas. Ask operators for a fully inclusive quote.
• Skippered: add a skipper at roughly €150–300 per day depending on destination (The Globe Sailor, checked 28 Oct 2026), i.e. about €1,050–€2,100 for 7 days, plus the skipper's meals. See bareboat vs skippered.
• Crewed (skipper + cook/host): usually quoted with an Advance Provisioning Allowance (APA) of around 25–35% of the charter fee for sailing yachts and catamarans (Helm, checked 27 Oct 2026), and a customary crew gratuity of 10–20% (Worth Avenue Yachts, checked 27 Oct 2026).

Prices are highest from February to April and lowest in August–September. Monthly figures are 12 Knots' published "average weekly cost" for catamarans in the Bahamas. They mix bareboat and crewed listings and all boat sizes, and they are asking prices, not final transaction prices. The official Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, with most activity between mid-August and mid-October (NOAA National Hurricane Center, checked 27 Oct 2026). Charter prices dip in the same months (see chart), so a lower price usually means more weather risk. Check your operator's hurricane policy and consider travel insurance.

Cheapest months to go: August, September, October. Compare every destination month by month: where to sail by month.

Sources differ. Anchor says no licence is required by law in the Bahamas, but you must show a sailing résumé proving you have been in charge of a similar-size boat (Anchor (formerly Helm), checked 27 Oct 2026). The Moorings lists the Bahamas among regions that require formal certification (The Moorings, checked 27 Oct 2026). Ask your operator before booking.

Full comparison: sailing licence requirements by country.

Our cost source does not publish destination-specific figures for the Bahamas. As general guidance, The Globe Sailor gives €20–40 per person per day for provisioning (excluding drinks) and €4,000–10,000 as a typical catamaran security deposit (The Globe Sailor, checked 28 Oct 2026). Use the true cost calculator with your own quotes.