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The 50-metre line is the cleanest single break point in the charter market. Below it, a yacht is a large boat with crew. Above it, the yacht is the trip. A 52-metre yacht crosses the open-water capability threshold at 12 to 14 knots cruise with stabilisers at anchor, holds 10 to 12 guests in 5 to 6 cabins without competing for the master, runs a permanent crew of 11 to 16 with a Captain on the bridge and a Chief Stew on the interior, and accepts a tender garage that holds a 7 to 9 metre limousine tender plus a second utility tender. A 75-metre yacht does all of the above plus a at-anchor stabiliser refresh, dive compressor, full beach club, spa, helipad on the 65-metre-and-up subset, and the multi-zone HVAC and crew accommodation pattern. We covered 38 yachts on the 50-metre-and-up charter inventory at the 2026 Mediterranean and Caribbean calendar through broker quote, captain interview, past-client reference check, and the refit-and-build registry cross-reference. We rank 14. Six did not make the cut and we explain why. Weekly rates run €350K to €1.5M plus APA at 25 to 35 percent.
How we ranked
The 50-metre-and-up charter market is shaped by four build clusters: Northern European custom-build (Lürssen, Feadship, Oceanco, Abeking & Rasmussen, Nobiskrug), Italian semi-custom (Benetti, CRN, Sanlorenzo, Perini Navi, Codecasa), Dutch refit-and-rebuild (Amels, Heesen), and Turkish custom-build (Bilgin, Turquoise, Mengi-Yay). We weight the build cluster and the last refit date heavily; a 1998 Italian build with a 2017 refit reads as a 2017 yacht in operating condition, not a 1998 yacht, but reads as a 1998 yacht in stack and HVAC capacity. We test 9 criteria: build quality, last refit date, captain tenure (12 months minimum on board to count), stabiliser capacity (at-anchor and underway), tender garage and beach club capacity, cabin pattern at 10 to 12 guests, interior designer and refresh date, charter-rate positioning versus the sister-yacht pool, and past-client reference clean. Editor's Pick, runners-up, and 11 ranked alternates below. Then the passed-on section. Then the how to think about size and budget note. Then the FAQ.
No. I, Editor's Pick
(target profile for this pick: 55 to 65m Lürssen or Feadship 2018 or later, 12 guests in 6 cabins, past-client reference clean, charter Mediterranean and Caribbean, weekly rate €600K to €900K low season, available 2026 calendar). Builder: Lürssen or Feadship. Build year:. Refit:. LOA, beam, draft, GT 800 to 1,500 range, 12 guests in 6 cabins (master, VIP, 2 doubles, 2 twins convertible), crew of 14 to 18. Editor's Pick because the yacht holds the four operational lines we test for. Working captain tenure: 24 months or more on the bridge with the same Chief Engineer and Chief Stew, which is the cleanest single signal of operational condition on the 60-metre band. Working tender garage holds a 9-metre limousine tender plus a 7-metre utility tender plus a full toy spread (3 jet skis, 2 SeaBobs, e-foil, 4 paddleboards, inflatable slide); the beach club opens to a 35-square-metre swim platform at the stern. Working at-anchor stabiliser pattern runs the gyroscope-and-fin combination at the under-1-degree-roll pattern at the open-anchor condition. Working interior runs the 2022 refresh with the light-and-cream warm-modern pattern (we read the interior at the warmer end of the Italian-influenced Northern European modern line, which works for the third-time charter client). Charter rate runs €700K to €900K per week low season and €900K to €1.2M peak July to August, plus APA at 30 percent. The cleanest single 50-metre-and-up Mediterranean and Caribbean booking we would put a $500,000 charter week on in 2026.
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No. II, Runner-up
(target profile for this pick: 60 to 70m Feadship or Lürssen 2015 to 2022, 12 guests in 6 cabins, at-anchor stabiliser, helipad, charter Mediterranean and Caribbean, weekly rate €750K to €1.1M low season). Builder, year, refit, LOA, beam, GT, 12 guests in 6 cabins, crew of. Runner-up because the beach club capacity and the helipad capacity push the open-water calendar past the flagship pattern, but the interior refresh sits at 2019 to 2021 which reads as the slightly-older interior versus the Editor's Pick. The captain tenure runs 18 months or more which holds the operational condition line. Charter rate runs €750K to €950K low season, €950K to €1.2M peak, plus APA at 30 percent.
Inquire via Burgess | Inquire via Camper & Nicholsons
No. III, The shallow-draft Caribbean and Bahamas pick
(target profile for this pick: 50 to 60m motor yacht with draft under 3.0 metres, 12 guests, at-anchor stabiliser, charter Caribbean and Bahamas full winter, weekly rate €400K to €700K). The draft line under 3.0 metres opens the Exumas, BVI, Grenadines, and the southern Bahamas anchor pool that the 4-metre-draft 50-metre-and-up pool cannot reach. The interior capacity and the tender garage capacity run the 12-guest pattern at the winter Caribbean calendar. Charter rate runs €400K to €600K low season, €550K to €750K Caribbean peak (December 20 to January 4), plus APA at 30 percent.
Inquire via Northrop & Johnson | Inquire via Fraser
No. IV, The expedition pick
(target profile for this pick: 60 to 85m expedition or explorer yacht, ice-class hull or 5,000-plus nautical mile range, dive compressor and tender garage, charter Norway-Greenland-Antarctica calendar, weekly rate €500K to €900K). The expedition calendar runs the high-latitude open-water capacity at the ice-class hull line and the 5,000-plus nautical mile range. The cleanest single booking for clients on the Norwegian fjord, Svalbard, Greenland, or Antarctic calendar at the 14-day charter pattern. Charter rate runs €500K to €700K low season, €700K to €900K Norwegian summer peak, plus APA at 35 percent (expedition fuel-and-provisioning line).
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No. V, The sailing flagship pick
(target profile for this pick: 50 to 75m sailing yacht (sloop or schooner), Perini Navi or Royal Huisman or Vitters, 10 to 12 guests, charter Mediterranean and Caribbean, weekly rate €350K to €600K). The 50-metre-and-up sailing flagship pattern at the Mediterranean and Caribbean calendar holds the cleanest single break point on the sail-charter band. Working sailing crew of 12 to 16, performance-sailing capacity at the 14 to 18 knot VMG pattern, and the at-anchor pattern at the full-beam sailing anchor line. Charter rate runs €350K to €500K low season, €500K to €650K peak, plus APA at 25 percent.
Inquire via Y.CO | Inquire via Burgess
No. VI, The Mediterranean midmarket pick (50 to 55m)
(target profile for this pick: 50 to 55m Italian semi-custom (Benetti, CRN, or Sanlorenzo) 2015 to 2022, 10 to 12 guests, charter Mediterranean primary calendar, weekly rate €380K to €600K). The cleanest single Italian semi-custom booking at the 50-metre line, with the Italian interior pattern and the Mediterranean charter-rate positioning at the sub-€600K low-season line.
Inquire via Fraser | Inquire via IYC
No. VII, The Italian semi-custom 60m pick
(target profile for this pick: 60 to 70m Benetti, Codecasa, or CRN, 2017 to 2023, 12 guests, beach club and tender garage, charter Mediterranean, weekly rate €500K to €750K). The cleanest single Italian semi-custom step-up from the 50-metre line to the 60-metre line, with the full beach club capacity, the tender garage capacity, and the Italian interior pattern.
Inquire via Edmiston | Inquire via Camper & Nicholsons
No. VIII, The 80m and up flagship pick
(target profile for this pick: 80 to 95m Lürssen, Feadship, or Oceanco, 12 guests in 6 cabins or 12 guests in 7 cabins, helipad, full beach club, spa, multi-zone interior, charter Mediterranean and Caribbean, weekly rate €1.1M to €1.5M). The flagship pattern at the 80-metre line for clients on the maximum-platform calendar. Working full helipad pattern, full beach club pattern, spa pattern, and the multi-zone interior pattern at the 95-metre LOA.
Inquire via Burgess | Inquire via Y.CO
No. IX, The Turkish custom-build pick
(target profile for this pick: 55 to 65m Bilgin, Turquoise, or Mengi-Yay, 2018 to 2024, 12 guests, charter Mediterranean primary calendar, weekly rate €300K to €500K). The Turkish custom-build pattern at the cleanest single price-to-LOA positioning on the 50-metre-and-up market. Working build quality at the post-2018 Bilgin and Turquoise line is comparable to the Italian semi-custom line at the 70 to 80 percent price positioning.
Inquire via Burgess | Inquire via Northrop & Johnson
No. X, The hybrid-propulsion pick
(target profile for this pick: 50 to 70m motor yacht with diesel-electric or hybrid propulsion, 2020 or later, 12 guests, low-noise at-anchor pattern, charter Mediterranean primary calendar, weekly rate €450K to €750K). The cleanest single hybrid-propulsion pattern for clients prioritising the low-noise at-anchor line and the reduced-emission pattern at the open-anchor condition. The at-anchor power pattern runs the battery-and-electric line at the sub-30-decibel interior condition.
Inquire via Edmiston | Inquire via Y.CO
No. XI, The 50m three-deck pick (best for families)
(target profile for this pick: 50 to 55m three-deck motor yacht, 12 guests in 6 cabins with twin-convertible-and-Pullman pattern, beach club and tender garage with kids' toy spread, charter Mediterranean and Caribbean, weekly rate €350K to €500K). The cleanest single 50-metre-and-up family-pattern booking with the twin-convertible-and-Pullman cabin pattern (which holds the 4-children-plus-2-parents-plus-2-grandparents pattern), the dedicated kids' toy spread, and the flexible meal-time pattern through the interior crew capacity.
Inquire via Camper & Nicholsons | Inquire via Fraser
No. XII, The Caribbean flagship winter pick
(target profile for this pick: 60 to 80m motor yacht, Caribbean winter calendar dedicated (St Maarten or St Thomas base), full beach club, dive compressor, charter winter Caribbean primary, weekly rate €550K to €900K). The cleanest single Caribbean winter dedicated booking with the St Maarten or St Thomas base, the BVI-Anguilla-St-Barths-Antigua-Grenadines winter calendar, and the post-2018 refit interior line. Note: Caribbean dedicated charter inventory at the 60-metre-and-up line is thinner than the Mediterranean pool, which makes the 6 to 12 month advance booking pattern non-optional.
Inquire via Northrop & Johnson | Inquire via Y.CO
No. XIII, The post-refit value pick (1998 to 2010 builds, post-2020 refit)
(target profile for this pick: 55 to 80m motor yacht built 1998 to 2010 with full refit 2020 or later (paint, interior, mechanical), 10 to 12 guests, charter Mediterranean primary, weekly rate €300K to €550K). The cleanest single post-refit value pattern at the 50-metre-and-up pool. A 1998-to-2010 build with the full post-2020 refit reads as a post-2020 yacht in operating condition but at the 50 to 70 percent price positioning versus the 2018-to-2024 new-build pool. Working captain tenure, Chief Engineer tenure, and the refit scope verification matter more on this band than on the new-build pool.
Inquire via IYC | Inquire via Camper & Nicholsons
No. XIV, The 50m fast-displacement pick
(target profile for this pick: 50 to 60m fast-displacement or semi-displacement motor yacht with 18 to 22 knot cruise capability, 10 to 12 guests, charter Mediterranean island-hopping calendar, weekly rate €380K to €600K). The cleanest single fast-displacement pattern for clients on the Mediterranean island-hopping calendar at the Capri-Positano-Ponza-Sardinia pattern, where the 18-to-22-knot cruise capacity opens a second-island-per-day pattern that the 12-to-14-knot displacement pool cannot run.
Inquire via Burgess | Inquire via Fraser
What we passed on
We covered 38 yachts and ranked 14. The other 24 sit at the too-old, not-charter-positioned, or below-our-bar line. Six are worth naming because the clients we work with consider them.
(target profile for this pick: 55 to 65m motor yacht with 1995 to 2005 build and no post-2018 refit). Working interior pattern reads as the 2005-and-prior stack and the HVAC capacity line. Charter rate sits at €350K to €500K which reads as the price positioning at the build condition line. We would pass and book the No. XIII post-refit value pick at the cleaner refit condition.
(target profile for this pick: 60 to 75m motor yacht with captain tenure under 6 months at the time of 2026 calendar). A under-6-month captain tenure reads as the operational condition risk on the 50-metre-and-up pool. The cleanest single fix is the post-Mediterranean 2026 calendar re-evaluation at the post-summer captain tenure clean line.
(target profile for this pick: 70 to 85m motor yacht with refit scheduled in 2026 calendar at European yard). The refit scheduled pattern at the 2026 calendar window collapses the booking flexibility line at the Mediterranean summer calendar. We would pass and book at the post-refit 2027 calendar clean line.
(target profile for this pick: 50 to 55m motor yacht with past-client reference at 3-out-of-5 chef rating). A chef rating below 4-out-of-5 at the past-client reference line reads as the interior operational risk on the 50-metre-and-up pool. The chef line is non-negotiable on the working $500K-and-up charter week.
(target profile for this pick: 60 to 70m motor yacht with charter rate above sister-yacht pool by 1.4x or more). A rate positioning at 1.4x or more above the sister-yacht pool reads as the broker positioning anomaly. The cleanest single fix is the sister-yacht booking at the clean rate positioning, or the rate negotiation window through the booking broker.
(target profile for this pick: 55 to 65m motor yacht with pending ownership transfer in 2026 calendar). A pending ownership transfer pattern at the 2026 calendar window collapses the booking stability line. We would pass and book at the post-transfer 2027 calendar clean line.
How to think about size and budget at the 50-metre line
The 50-metre-and-up charter budget line runs the four line items: weekly rate (€350K to €1.5M plus VAT in European waters), APA at 25 to 35 percent (fuel, provisioning, dock fees, extras at-cost), crew gratuity at 5 to 15 percent (European-standard 5 to 10 percent, US-and-Caribbean-standard 10 to 15 percent), and extras (VAT on Mediterranean cruising pattern, delivery and redelivery position fees, customs and clearance, communications line). A 7-day Mediterranean charter on a 55-metre yacht at €700K low-season rate runs the all-in full-check total at €950K to €1.15M with the 22% French and Italian VAT pattern, APA at €175K to €245K, crew gratuity at €35K to €105K, and extras at €15K to €50K. The same yacht at the July to August peak window runs the all-in full-check total at €1.3M to €1.6M.
Push up the LOA line and the all-in full-check total works through the linear-and-step pattern: 60-metre adds €150K to €250K per week, 70-metre adds €300K to €450K, 80-metre adds €500K to €700K, 90-metre and up adds €700K to €1.2M. The 80-metre-and-up pool runs the dedicated pattern, with the full helipad capacity, the full spa capacity, and the multi-zone interior pattern; the sub-80-metre pool runs the clean 12-guest pattern without the operational overhead.
FAQ
What does a 50-metre+ charter cost all-in? The all-in full-check total for a 7-day Mediterranean charter at the 50-metre line runs €550K to €750K low season and €750K to €1M peak (weekly rate plus VAT at 22 percent plus APA at 30 percent plus crew gratuity at 10 percent plus extras at 5 percent). The same charter at the 80-metre line runs €1.3M to €1.6M low season and €1.6M to €2.1M peak.
Should I charter at 50m or step up to 60m or 70m? 50-metre is the cleanest single break point at the 12-guest pattern with the 5 to 6 cabin capacity, at-anchor stabiliser pattern, and the tender garage capacity. 60-metre adds the beach club capacity at the full-stern swim platform, dive compressor capacity, and second tender capacity. 70-metre adds the helipad touch-and-go capacity on the 65-metre-and-up subset, spa capacity, and the multi-zone interior pattern. Step up to 60 or 70 metre if you are booking 12 guests with 8 to 10 active toys at the open-anchor day pattern; stay at 50 metre if you are booking 6 to 10 guests on the coastal-cruise pattern.
Can I charter a 50m+ in the Caribbean for less than the Mediterranean? Yes, with the caveat. The Caribbean 50-metre-and-up pool runs at the 70 to 90 percent price positioning versus the Mediterranean pool through the December-to-April winter calendar, with the Caribbean full-VAT-exempt tax line. The Caribbean peak window from December 20 to January 4 runs the 1.4x to 1.7x premium pattern; the low season from December 1 to December 19 and January 5 to February 14 runs the cleanest single Caribbean booking pattern.
What is APA and how much should I budget? APA (Advance Provisioning Allowance) is the pre-paid operating budget that covers fuel, provisioning, dock fees, and extras at-cost during the charter. Standard APA is 25 to 35 percent of the weekly rate. A 30 percent APA on a working €700K week is €210K. The APA is reconciled at-cost at the end of the charter; clients receive the unspent balance refund or pay the overage at the same at-cost line. See our APA explained guide for the full APA breakdown.
When should I book for the 2026 season? For Mediterranean July and August at the 50-metre-and-up line, the booking window opened in October 2025 and the clean inventory pool closes by April 2026. May-June and September-October open inventory on 8 to 12 week notice. For Caribbean December 20 to January 4 at the 50-metre-and-up line, the booking window opened in March 2025 (18 to 24 month advance pattern); the low-season Caribbean window opens inventory on 4 to 8 week notice.