Yacht charter and Boat rental in USA

On Boataround, the US charter fleet is heavily concentrated on the Atlantic side: Florida accounts for around two-thirds of all US listings, and Miami alone makes up more than half of the country's entire fleet. California is a distant second. Unlike most of Europe, where bareboat charter is the default, the large majority of US charters come with a hired captain.

Why Charter in the USA

Florida's boating grounds are sheltered and subtropical: Biscayne Bay and the Intracoastal Waterway offer calm, protected water for most of the year, while the Florida Keys sit exposed to the open Atlantic side, softened somewhat by the offshore Florida Reef. California's coast is a different environment - open Pacific swell, colder water, and around the Channel Islands, more wind and fog than Florida's boating grounds see.

When to Go

• November to May: Florida's dry season and the calmest window for boating on Biscayne Bay, the Intracoastal Waterway and the Keys, outside the Atlantic hurricane season that runs June 1 to November 30.
• Late October to early November: the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, the world's largest in-water boat show, held in Florida every year since 1960.
• June to September: the main charter season in California, when conditions are calmest for the crossing from Newport Beach to Catalina Island.

Charter Options: Skippered and Bareboat

Almost all US charters on Boataround come with a hired skipper; only a small share of the fleet is available for bareboat charter. This follows from US Coast Guard rules for vessels carrying passengers "for hire": a charter with paying guests aboard generally requires the operator to hold an OUPV ("six-pack") or Master's licence, so most operators supply their own captain rather than hand the boat over to the charterer.

Bareboat charter is possible under a genuine bareboat or demise charter, where the boat is handed over without crew and the charterer takes on full control and responsibility for the trip. This reclassifies the charter as recreational rather than "for hire" and removes the licence requirement, but it remains the exception on the US fleet rather than the rule.

Types of Boats in the USA

Motor yacht rental USA

The dominant boat type in the US fleet, making up close to two-thirds of all listings, most often chartered with a skipper.

Motorboat rental USA

Smaller powerboats, used mainly for short trips out of Florida marinas rather than multi-day charters.

Sailing yacht rental USA

A smaller part of the fleet, concentrated in California and on Florida's Atlantic coast, and more often available for bareboat charter than the motor yacht fleet.

Where to Sail in the USA

Yacht charter Florida

Florida is the centre of US boating on Boataround, and within Florida, Miami alone accounts for more than half of the country's entire fleet. Boating there is mostly on Biscayne Bay - up to 35 miles long and 8 miles wide - and the Intracoastal Waterway, which runs along Miami's waterfront residential districts. South of Miami, the low-lying Florida Keys are fringed on the ocean side by the Florida Reef, with Hawk Channel providing the protected inshore route down to Key West.

Yacht charter California

A distant second to Florida in fleet size. The classic Southern California route is the 26-nautical-mile crossing from Newport Beach to Catalina Island, taking 2 to 3.5 hours by motor yacht or 5 to 7 hours under sail; Avalon is the island's main town, while Two Harbors is quieter. Further north, boats out of Marina del Rey can reach the Channel Islands, around 55 nautical miles offshore.

What It Costs to charter a yacht in the USA

Prices for most boat types did not change between the two weeks checked (Saturday to Saturday) - one in February, within Florida's stated dry season, and one in August, within the Atlantic hurricane season. A sailing yacht came to about €2,637 in both windows, a motor yacht to about €11,763, and a motorboat to about €3,921 - in each case the same boat was the cheapest listing both times. A catamaran and a power catamaran were the exceptions, and moved in opposite directions: a catamaran fell from about €9,803 in February to about €5,987 in August, while a power catamaran rose from about €19,178 to about €23,014 over the same span. With only a handful of operators per category, spread across Florida, California and other regions, the cheapest available boat in a given week reflects which operator has room on the books more than a single national high and low season.

Yacht charter and Boat rental in USA

Charter a yacht and explore USA! Prices start from 251 € per day. Choose from the largest selection of motor yachts, motor boats, sailboats, catamarans and power catamarans.

Popular regions are Florida, California, Maryland, District of Columbia, New York, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, New Hampshire and New Jersey.