New England yacht charter
Newport, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket and the coast of Maine: sailing towns, sandy beaches, lobster and cool water, where many Caribbean yachts spend the summer. The season is late June to mid-September, and July and August are the warmest. It suits families most.
When the Caribbean season ends, many of its yachts head north for the summer. New England is where they go: Newport's harbour, the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, and further north the rocky, pine-covered coast of Maine. It is a different kind of charter from the Mediterranean, with cool water, sandy beaches, lobster, sailing towns, and some of the longest summer evenings on the east coast. It is one of the summer coasts on our North America page.
Why go, and whom it suits
Families
It suits families very well. The island towns are safe and easy to walk or cycle, the beaches are sandy, and there are sailing clubs, lighthouses, whale watching and ice cream. It also suits families who live in the US and want a charter without a long flight.
Couples and honeymoons
Nantucket and the coast of Maine in late summer are quiet and beautiful, with good inns and restaurants ashore. It is a romantic week rather than a hot one.
Friends and celebrations
Newport and the Hamptons are the social end of the coast, and the Fourth of July is the big week. Martha's Vineyard has the summer crowd.
Less suited to anyone who wants warm water. The sea is cool, even in high summer, and mornings can be foggy.
The areas
Rhode Island and Newport
Newport's harbour, the mansions on the cliff walk, and Block Island offshore.
Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket and the Elizabeth Islands
Edgartown and Vineyard Haven, Nantucket's cobbled town, and the small, quiet Elizabeth Islands, such as Cuttyhunk.
Cape Cod and Boston
Provincetown at the tip of the Cape, and Boston harbour for a start or an end.
Maine
(page to follow). Penobscot Bay, Camden, the islands of North Haven and Vinalhaven, and Mount Desert Island with Acadia National Park.
Long Island and New York
The Hamptons and Sag Harbor, technically New York rather than New England, are often part of the same summer.
When to go
July and August are the warmest and the busiest.
The weather is changeable: warm, clear days, a south-westerly sea breeze in the afternoons, and, at times, fog. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 Jun to 30 Nov, and the captain watches the forecasts closely late in the summer.
Newport's summer events fill the harbour: the Newport Folk Festival in late July (24–26 Jul in 2026), the Newport Jazz Festival and the sailing regattas.
What it costs
The charter fee is each yacht's own weekly rate, in its own currency, usually US dollars. Her page shows it "from", which is her lowest season.
- Tax. The US has no VAT. A state tax may apply to a charter, depending on where it starts and which states it visits; we confirm it for the route before anything is signed.
- APA, the Advance Provisioning Allowance, is paid with the balance: money held by the captain for fuel, food, drinks, moorings and dockage and similar costs, spent on your instructions and accounted for at the end, with anything unspent returned. Budget up to 40% of the charter fee; long or remote passages can need more. Dockage in Newport and Nantucket in July and August is expensive.
- The yacht's flag matters in the US. Under US law, a vessel may carry passengers between US ports only if she holds a US coastwise endorsement (46 U.S.C. 55103). Most foreign-flagged charter yachts do not, so they cannot take guests from one New England harbour to another. We propose only yachts that can legally do the route.
Our guide sets out what a crewed charter costs, line by line.
The weekly rate on each yacht’s page. "From" is her lowest season.
An advance for fuel, food, drinks and berths, spent on your instructions and settled at the end.
Set by the country the charter starts in, added to the fee.
Newport and the islands
A round week from Newport to the islands and back. The yacht and the weather (and the fog) decide the real route.
Board in the afternoon. A walk along the harbour and dinner ashore.
A short crossing. Bicycles to the Mohegan Bluffs and the lighthouse.
A longer day east. The white captains' houses and the harbour ferry to Chappaquiddick.
Across Nantucket Sound. The town, the whaling museum and the beaches by bicycle.
A day for the island: Sconset village and the outer beaches.
The quietest of the Elizabeth Islands: a small village, a hill, and a night at anchor.
Back across Buzzards Bay and Rhode Island Sound, and disembarkation.
The yachts that cruise here
New England is a summer destination: many of the yachts that cruise it spend the winter in the Bahamas or the Caribbean. Which yachts may take charter guests in US waters depends on US law and on each yacht's flag (see the questions below). We confirm which yachts are eligible before any are shown here. We also look further for every New England enquiry. The yachts on this site are a selection, not the limit of what we arrange: ask about any yacht, of any size.
Practical questions
Rene GaspersicYour broker
Where do charters start?
Newport, Boston or the islands, and sometimes New York. Flights go to Boston, Providence or New York.
Is the water warm enough to swim?
For most people in July and August, yes, but it is cool by Mediterranean or Caribbean standards.
Will fog spoil the week?
It can cost a morning, sometimes a day, especially in Maine. Captains navigate by radar, and the islands are close enough to wait it out ashore.
Can any yacht charter in New England?
No. Only a yacht with a US coastwise endorsement may carry guests between US ports (see "What it costs" above). We propose only yachts that can legally do your route.
Is New England good for children?
Very. The towns, beaches and bicycles are easy, and it is close to home for American families. Tell us the ages.
Can we combine New England with the Bahamas?
Not in one charter: the distance is too great. Many of the same yachts do the Bahamas in winter and New England in summer, so the same crew can take you on both, in different seasons. See the Bahamas.
When is Maine at its best?
In high summer. It is further north, cooler and less crowded than the islands.
Do we need passports?
Visitors from abroad need the US entry documents for their nationality; check them before you travel. A route that goes into Canada needs passports, and the yacht reports to Canadian customs (CBSA) on arrival.
Is dockage included?
No. Dockage and moorings are paid from the APA, and in July and August they can be a large part of it.
Talk to a broker
Tell us roughly when, how many of you there are, and what the week is for: a family summer, a honeymoon, a birthday with friends. Dates and budget can stay loose. We come back with a short list of yachts that fit, say plainly what each one is like, and stay your contact from the first email to the last day on board.
Rene Gaspersic
charter broker
Email info@soretoyachting.com · Phone +44 7342 933198 · WhatsApp +44 7342 933198
Plan
New England.
Two short steps. Dates and budget can stay loose. We reply personally, by email, phone or WhatsApp.