New England Yacht Charter
About New England
Newport, Rhode Island, hosted the America's Cup defence for 53 consecutive years between 1930 and 1983, the longest streak any single venue has had. The New York Yacht Club lost the cup in Newport that year, to the Australian challenger Australia II, after holding it for 132 years. Newport remains the centre of American yacht racing, and a New England charter usually starts there before working north into the more remote and beautiful half of the region.
That northern half is Maine. Penobscot Bay, halfway up the coast, is one of the great cruising grounds in the United States, with around 200 islands packed into a thirty-mile-wide bay. The harbour towns along it (Camden, Rockland, Castine) keep their working-fishing-village identity even as they have become summer homes for the East Coast yachting families, and Acadia National Park, on Mount Desert Island just north of Penobscot, is the only place on the eastern seaboard where the mountains drop directly into the sea. Lobster shacks line the coast, and the typical New England charter dinner is grilled lobster eaten on the beach with corn on the cob.
The season is short and concentrated, late June to early September, before the fog and the chill set in. Most charters pick up in Newport for a week-long Newport-to-Mount-Desert run, or pick up in Boston for the more inclusive ten-day version. New England works as the summer alternative for clients who have done the Mediterranean repeatedly and want something quieter, and it is a particular favourite with North American families looking to charter without crossing an ocean.
Highlights
Destination Info
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Get in touch and we'll help you plan the perfect charter.
Where to sail
Newport, Rhode Island
Where most charters start. The home of American yacht racing, host to the America's Cup defence from 1930 to 1983, with the Gilded Age mansions along Bellevue Avenue and the Cliff Walk. Marinas, provisioning and flights all close by.
Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket
The two islands off Cape Cod, an easy first leg from Newport. Edgartown and its whaling-era houses on the Vineyard, cobbled Nantucket town and its beaches. Both are summer society at its most established.
The Maine coast
North past Portland and Boothbay Harbor to Camden and Rockland, the harbour towns that keep their working-fishing identity even as they have become summer homes for the East Coast yachting families. This is where the region turns quiet and wild.
Penobscot Bay
Halfway up the Maine coast, one of the great cruising grounds in the United States, with around 200 islands packed into a bay thirty miles wide. Sheltered anchorages, spruce islands and the lobster boats working around you.
Acadia National Park
On Mount Desert Island just north of Penobscot, the only place on the eastern seaboard where the mountains drop directly into the sea. Bar Harbor for the town, the park's carriage roads and summits ashore.
What it costs
- From
- From about EUR 40,000 / week for a crewed yacht (low season)
- Included
- MYBA terms: the weekly fee covers the yacht, its crew and the ship's insurance
- Extras
- An Advance Provisioning Allowance of roughly 25 to 35 percent funds fuel, berthing, the guests' food and drink and provisioning, spent by the captain and reconciled at the end. State charter tax is extra where it applies; Newport (Rhode Island) charges no state charter tax. A customary crew gratuity is on top.
Prices rise with the size of the yacht and the time of year.
We explain the money side properly: what a crewed charter fee includes under MYBA, how the APA works, and how much to tip the crew.
Before you go
When to go
The New England season is short and concentrated, late June to early September, with July and August the most reliable. The water is warm enough, the days are long, and the fog and chill hold off until autumn. Come outside that window and the weather turns quickly, which is why most crewed boats work elsewhere the rest of the year.
Getting there
Most guests fly into Boston or Providence and board in Newport, an hour or so south of either. A week runs Newport to Mount Desert; ten days lets you start further south or linger longer in Maine. Tell us where you are flying from and we will pick the embarkation that fits.
Food and the coast
The typical New England charter dinner is grilled lobster eaten ashore with corn on the cob, straight from the harbour towns that land it. Camden, Rockland and Castine keep their working-fishing character, and the crew will set you up with the best of it as you work north.
Choosing the yacht
Sailing yachts suit the Newport heritage and the open runs down to the islands; motor yachts trade sail for the range and speed to cover Maine comfortably in a week. If you are weighing crewed against bareboat, we have written the honest comparison. Browse the full fleet, or tell us your dates and we will shortlist the boats working New England this summer.
Explore New England
Interactive map view of New England • Click and drag to explore • Open in full screen
