Key West & Florida Keys Bareboat & Yacht Charter: Top 3 Websites
by Paul Joseph | Published March 16, 2020
Nestled at Florida’s southeastern tip, Miami’s pristine waters, multi-cultural social scene, all-year-round sunshine and cosmopolitan atmosphere have cemented its status as one of the world’s most enticing yachting destinations. The mix of Northern and Latin American cultures combined with lavish resorts and exceptional restaurants along Miami Beach mean that yachting visitors have plenty of reason to get off their yacht and experience all that this pulsating city has to offer.
Pleasure seekers relax aboard a yacht off the coast of Miami (Photo: Janet Gannon via Flickr)
The cruising grounds of Miami are sheltered by the Intracoastal Waterway and provide the perfect conditions for watersports enthusiasts to hit the waves. The region’s waters are also home to richly diverse marine life, enabling you to spot dolphins playing in the surf and perhaps even manatees from the deck of your yacht.
Our yacht charter search results
With some of the world’s most prestigious yachting events taking place in and around Miami, the city already has a very well-established yachting infrastructure. As a result, those shopping around for a Miami motorboat, catamaran or sailboat charter are often spoilt for choice. To help you dig through the (sea)weeds, we’ve done our own research and picked out three companies that we’d recommend for yacht or bareboat charters in Miami based on our findings.
With one of their four global offices being in neighbouring Fort Lauderdale, expectations for Boatbookings’ Miami-based private yacht charter offerings were pretty high. We were therefore a little surprised to only see just 46 vessels available in the Miami region, which for comparison’s sake is significantly fewer than in the Bahamas. On the plus side, every budget in Miami is catered for, with the available yachts ranging from 11 to 49 metres in length. Among these, four are offered as bareboat (no skipper or crew) while the rest are crewed yachts. However, another category where Boatbookings are not particularly strong is catamaran charter, with only three on offer in Miami, and none for less than $4,000 per day. More positively, Boatbookings provide an extremely useful reviews section, with guest comments and ratings accompanying every yacht listed. Furthermore, the company also claims to personally check out each of the boats they recommend, while you can also search for specific on-board amenities such as sport fishing equipment or scuba gear.
Prime Luxury Rentals have access to a large and diverse fleet of luxury yachts and more basic yachts, ensuring that every taste and budget is catered for. All of their charters embark from Miami, though the website makes it clear that their main target market is those seeking excursions beyond Florida, such as the Bahamas, the Caribbean and Central America. Another specialism seems to be special occasions, such as birthdays, weddings. graduation and bachelor parties, and even corporate away-days, and they also offer an impressive range of fishing boats along with pre-trip logistic support. As for the search function, it usefully allows you to select specific amenities you’d like to have on board, including yacht toys such as jet skis. According to our searches, most of the yachts on offer come with a captain and mate, plus fuel, soda water and ice as part of the overall price.
This company specialises in tailored itineraries for day or half-day motor yacht charters, with a focus on special occasions and celebrations, and has access to a large fleet of vessels ranging from speedy but comfortable 12-metre cruisers all the way through to ultra-lavish 32-metre superyachts. However, term charters for several days or even weeks are also available for those seeking a more extended ocean adventure. Experienced crew including licensed Coast Guard Certified captains and experienced first mates are offered as part of some yacht packages. Optional extras also include high-spec water toys such as luxury jet skis, paddle boards, wakeboards, inflatable islands, seabobs, trampoline slides and snorkel gear.
