Best time to charter a catamaran or yacht in the Bahamas
Best month to sail the Bahamas: cheapest September (€6,591/wk), sweet spot December, January and May, priciest March. Prices, temperature, wind by month.
Sweet spot (our rule)
December, January and May
Warm, not peak-priced; from €9,410/week
Sources: 12 Knots, NASA POWER, checked
Hurricane season
Jun–Nov
Most activity mid-Aug to mid-Oct
Source: NOAA National Hurricane Center, checked
The best-value months to charter a catamaran in the Bahamas are August, September and October: €6,591 per week in September against €10,799 in March, in 12 Knots' average asking prices (updated October 2026) (12 Knots, checked 27 Oct 2026). The best weather months are December to May, outside the hurricane season, at 23–26 °C mean air temperature (our calculation from NASA POWER data at Marsh Harbour, Abaco (NASA POWER, checked 28 Oct 2026)); the sweet spots are December (€9,554, 24 °C), January (€9,410, 23 °C) and May (€9,670, 26 °C); avoid August to October, the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season (1 June–30 November, most activity mid-August to mid-October) (NOAA National Hurricane Center, checked 27 Oct 2026), which is when prices are lowest, and February to April if price matters (from €10,126).
Last checked: 27 Oct 2026 (prices) and 28 Oct 2026 (weather). Prices are average weekly asking prices for catamarans (bareboat and crewed mixed), before extras. "Best value", "best weather", "sweet spot" and "avoid" are our rules on the sourced figures (how we decide). Planning around a month instead? See where to sail by month.
Bahamas month by month: price, temperature and wind
| Month | Avg. weekly price | vs cheapest month | Mean air temp | Mean wind | Our verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | €9,410 | +43% | 23 °C | 12 kn | Sweet spot |
| February | €10,126 | +54% | 23 °C | 12 kn | Peak price · Warm |
| March | €10,799 | +64% | 23 °C | 12 kn | Peak price · Warm |
| April | €10,601 | +61% | 24 °C | 12 kn | Peak price · Warm |
| May | €9,670 | +47% | 26 °C | 10 kn | Sweet spot |
| June | €8,967 | +36% | 28 °C | 9 kn | Hurricane season |
| July | €8,261 | +25% | 29 °C | 9 kn | Hurricane season |
| August | €6,713 | +2% | 29 °C | 9 kn | Best value · Hurricane peak |
| September | €6,591 | cheapest | 29 °C | 9 kn | Best value · Hurricane peak |
| October | €7,377 | +12% | 27 °C | 12 kn | Best value · Hurricane peak |
| November | €9,505 | +44% | 25 °C | 11 kn | Hurricane season |
| December | €9,554 | +45% | 24 °C | 12 kn | Sweet spot |
Bold prices are the three cheapest months. Prices: (12 Knots, checked 27 Oct 2026). Air temp and wind: Air temp = NASA POWER monthly mean 2 m air temperature (T2M); wind = monthly mean 10 m wind speed (WS10M), converted from m/s to knots (kn) with 1 m/s = 3600/1852 kn. For each calendar month we average the 2016–2025 values (10 full years). POWER's meteorological grid is ½° latitude by ⅝° longitude (roughly 55 × 50 km at these latitudes), so one cell cannot show local sea breezes or coast-to-hill temperature differences. They are our calculation of average conditions, not a forecast, not gusts, and not sea conditions. Mean wind is lower than the peak winds you will feel on the water. Reference point: Marsh Harbour, Abaco. Weather data obtained from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center's Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources (POWER) Project, funded through the NASA Earth Science Division (pulled 2026-10-28) (NASA POWER, checked 28 Oct 2026). We changed the data: we averaged the monthly values for 2016–2025 and converted wind from m/s to knots (our calculation).
When is the cheapest time to charter in the Bahamas?
The three cheapest months for a catamaran in the Bahamas are August, September and October (12 Knots, checked 27 Oct 2026):
- August: €6,713 per week, mean air temperature 29 °C, mean wind 9 kn (peak of the hurricane season).
- September: €6,591 per week, mean air temperature 29 °C, mean wind 9 kn (peak of the hurricane season).
- October: €7,377 per week, mean air temperature 27 °C, mean wind 12 kn (peak of the hurricane season).
The cheapest month costs 39% less than the priciest (€6,591 against €10,799; our arithmetic). All-in and per-person costs by month: Bahamas catamaran cost.
When is the best weather for sailing in the Bahamas?
Our best-weather months for the Bahamas are December to May: mean air temperature of 20 °C or more at Marsh Harbour, Abaco, outside the hurricane season (our rule on 2016–2025 NASA POWER data (NASA POWER, checked 28 Oct 2026)). Of these, December, January and May are not among the three priciest months, which makes them our sweet spot: December €9,554 per week at 24 °C; January €9,410 per week at 23 °C; May €9,670 per week at 26 °C.
June to November is the Atlantic hurricane season, with most activity from mid-August to mid-October (NOAA National Hurricane Center, checked 27 Oct 2026). That is also when charter prices are lowest, so the cheapest weeks carry the most weather risk; check your operator's hurricane policy and consider travel insurance.
Which months should you avoid in the Bahamas?
- On price: February, March and April, the three priciest months (February €10,126, March €10,799, April €10,601), unless those are the only weeks you can travel.
- On weather: August to October, the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season (1 June–30 November, most activity mid-August to mid-October) (NOAA National Hurricane Center, checked 27 Oct 2026).
Who should go when
- On a budget: go in August, September and October (from €6,591 per week). The cheapest best-weather month is January at €9,410 (23 °C). The cheapest months are the hurricane peak; if you book them, check the cancellation terms first.
- Families: the calmest best-weather months by mean wind are March (12 kn, 23 °C, €10,799), April (12 kn, 24 °C, €10,601), May (10 kn, 26 °C, €9,670). Our suggestion, not a source's: calmer, warm weeks suit children and first-time crews. A catamaran sails flatter than a monohull (catamaran vs monohull).
- Experienced sailors who want wind: the windiest months at Marsh Harbour, Abaco are December (12 kn, 24 °C), January (12 kn, 23 °C), February (12 kn, 23 °C). These are monthly mean wind speeds over a ~50 km grid cell: real afternoon breezes and gusts are stronger and vary by channel and coast.
See boats in the Bahamas
See catamarans for rent in the Bahamas on SamBoat
We may earn a commission if you book through our links, at no extra cost to you (disclosure). Listings and prices on SamBoat are SamBoat's own; the figures on this page come from the sources below.
How we decide "best"
- Best value: The 3 cheapest months of 12 Knots' monthly average weekly catamaran price (our ranking).
- Warm / cool: Mean air temperature of 20 °C or more at our reference point (our threshold). Cool: below 15 °C.
- Best weather: Warm (≥ 20 °C) and outside the Atlantic hurricane season (1 June–30 November, NOAA) or Tahiti's wet season (November–April, Tahiti Tourisme). Not given where we have no season or rainfall source.
- Sweet spot: Best-weather months that are not among the 3 priciest months (our rule).
- Avoid: The 3 priciest months (if price matters), plus August–October in hurricane areas (NOAA: most activity mid-August to mid-October) or the wet season in French Polynesia.
- Families: The calmest best-weather months by mean wind (our suggestion; mean wind is not gusts or sea state).
- Wind: The windiest months by mean wind speed at our reference point (our ranking).
These are our editorial thresholds applied to sourced figures, not the sources' own labels. Air temperature is not sea temperature, and mean wind is not gusts or sea state (sea temperature, waves, gusts and rainfall: not verified yet).
Sources
- 12 Knots: Catamaran charter in the Bahamas, checked 27 Oct 2026. Page states "Updated October 2026".
- NASA POWER: Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources: Monthly API (T2M, WS10M), checked 28 Oct 2026. Pulled 28 Oct 2026; 2016–2025 monthly means (our calculation).
- NOAA National Hurricane Center: Tropical cyclone climatology, checked 27 Oct 2026.
Price data for every destination: CSV. Method: methodology.
More on the Bahamas
- Bahamas overview: prices, licence and sample route
- Bahamas catamaran cost by month, all-in and per person
- Cheapest month across all destinations: where to sail in September · sweet spot: December, January, May
- Fishing in the Bahamas: licence, rules and best months by species
- Best time to charter, every destination compared
Frequently asked questions
What is the best month to charter a catamaran in the Bahamas?
On our rules, December, January and May (€9,554 per week, 24 °C; €9,410 per week, 23 °C; €9,670 per week, 26 °C): warm, outside the hurricane season and not among the three priciest months. For the lowest price, September (€6,591 per week, 12 Knots, October 2026); for the warmest weather, December to May.
What is the cheapest month to sail in the Bahamas?
September, at €6,591 per week on 12 Knots' average catamaran asking price (updated October 2026). The three cheapest months are August, September and October. They fall in the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season (NOAA: most activity mid-August to mid-October).
When should you avoid chartering in the Bahamas?
On price, February, March and April: the three priciest months, up to €10,799 per week in March. On weather, August to October: the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season (NOAA).
When is it windiest for sailing in the Bahamas?
At our reference point (Marsh Harbour, Abaco), the windiest months by mean wind speed are December (12 kn), January (12 kn), February (12 kn) and the calmest are June (9 kn), July (9 kn), September (9 kn) (our calculation from 2016–2025 NASA POWER data). Gusts and local breezes are stronger than these means.
When is hurricane season in the Bahamas?
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November, with most activity between mid-August and mid-October (NOAA National Hurricane Center).