Yacht Cost in Antigua, Caribbean: Annual Ownership Expenses (2026)

A 100ft motor yacht based in Antigua costs approximately $2,985,595/year to operate — or $248799/month. This is based on local marina rates of $30/ft/month and diesel at $5.6/gallon. The estimate covers crew, maintenance, insurance, fuel, dockage, and operating expenses. Use the calculator below to get a personalised figure for your vessel.

Annual Cost Breakdown: 100ft Motor Yacht in Antigua

The following breakdown is based on a 100ft motor yacht valued at approximately $15 million, operating year-round in Antigua with 200 engine hours annually and a crew of 6–7.

Marina Rates in Antigua

Antigua English Harbour is one of the most celebrated yacht bases in the world, with Nelson's Dockyard as its centrepiece. Falmouth Harbour Marina and Jolly Harbour Marina complete the island's offering. Antigua hosts the prestigious Antigua Sailing Week each April.

At $30/ft/month, a 100ft yacht pays $3,000/month or $36,000/year in dockage alone. Shorter stays (transient rates) are typically 30–50% higher per day than monthly contracts. Most owners negotiate annual agreements for the best rates.

Fuel Costs in Antigua

Marine diesel in Antigua averages $5.6/gallon in 2026. A 100ft motor yacht consuming 65 gallons per hour runs approximately $364 per engine hour. At 200 annual engine hours plus generator and tender fuel, total annual fuel spend is approximately $83,720.

Tax & Registration: Antigua

Operating Season in Antigua

Peak operating season: Nov–Apr peak. The Caribbean is the most cost-effective region globally for yacht basing. Dockage rates are 60–70% lower than the Mediterranean. No sales tax in most jurisdictions. The peak charter season runs November through April, with hurricane season (June–October) typically requiring repositioning to the US East Coast or Mediterranean.

Antigua's Marina Infrastructure: Nelson's Dockyard and English Harbour

Antigua's yachting infrastructure centres on English Harbour and Falmouth Harbour, a natural double-harbour complex on the island's south coast that has sheltered sailing vessels for 300 years. Nelson's Dockyard, the historic Georgian-era Royal Navy base now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the most atmospheric marina berth in the Caribbean — original 18th-century boat houses, pillars, and capstans have been restored around a functioning marina accommodating yachts up to 220ft LOA. Falmouth Harbour Marina, built specifically for superyachts on the adjacent harbour, handles vessels up to 330ft with 20ft draft.

Monthly dockage for a 100ft motor yacht in Antigua runs approximately $28–$40/ft/month at established facilities, with English Harbour rates running $10–$20/ft depending on berth length — some of the most competitive superyacht dockage in the Eastern Caribbean.

Antigua Sailing Week: April's Premier Regatta Event

Antigua Sailing Week, held in late April–early May, is one of the Caribbean's most prestigious offshore racing regattas and a significant calendar event for the superyacht charter market. Approximately 100 racing yachts compete across multiple classes, and the associated social calendar — Race Week parties, beach events at Pigeon Beach, the prize-giving at Falmouth — draws thousands of spectators and charter clients to the island.

For superyacht owners who want to attend, advance marina reservations 6 months ahead are essential — the combined capacity of Falmouth and English Harbour fills completely for Race Week. Charter yachts providing hospitality during Race Week command a 50–80% premium over standard April rates. The Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta (Sailing Week's traditional predecessor, held the week before) draws equally prestigious classic and vintage yachts from around the Atlantic.

Antigua as an Eastern Caribbean Charter Base

Antigua's geographic position at the northern edge of the Lesser Antilles makes it the natural gateway to the Eastern Caribbean charter circuit. From English Harbour, a 100ft motor yacht can reach: Guadeloupe (40nm south), Dominica (70nm south), Martinique (110nm south), St. Lucia (140nm south), and Barbados (175nm southeast) — delivering the full range of French and British Caribbean island experiences within a 1–2 day passage in any direction. Alternatively, heading north: Montserrat (27nm, with its active Soufrière Hills volcano visible), Nevis (55nm northwest), St. Kitts (60nm northwest), St. Barths (110nm northwest), and St. Maarten/Sint Maarten (120nm northwest).

The Antigua Concierge Services organization and multiple yacht agencies in English Harbour facilitate charter operations, provisioning (mooring balls in the outer harbour for tender access, duty-free diesel available at the yacht club), and customs clearance. English Harbour has a customs and immigration office on-site at Nelson's Dockyard — a meaningful convenience for yachts entering from international waters.

Antigua Tax Regime: No Income Tax, Duty-Free Fuel

Antigua and Barbuda imposes no personal income tax. For yacht owners who establish Antigua residency (straightforward for holders of Antigua Citizenship by Investment passports), this eliminates personal tax exposure on charter income, dividends, and capital gains. Antigua's Citizenship by Investment programme offers one of the Caribbean's most established routes to a second passport, with real estate investment starting at $200,000.

Marine diesel is available duty-free to foreign-flagged commercial charter vessels at most Antigua marinas — a meaningful operating cost reduction compared to European operations. Mooring balls in English Harbour are priced at approximately $15–$20/night, one of the most affordable anchorage options in the Eastern Caribbean. Dockage fees of $0.50–$1.00/ft/night at some facilities represent exceptional value relative to the quality of the location and the historic ambiance of English Harbour.

English Harbour: The Caribbean's Most Historic Yacht Destination

English Harbour and the adjacent Falmouth Harbour together form the epicentre of Caribbean sailing culture. Nelson's Dockyard — the only continuously operated Georgian naval dockyard in the world — has served as a working harbour since the 1720s. Today it functions as a marina, museum, and social hub that attracts the Caribbean's most discerning yacht owners and charter guests. The setting is extraordinary: restored 18th-century stone buildings house restaurants, chandleries, and bars directly on the waterfront, with superyachts moored metres from structures that once serviced Lord Nelson's fleet.

Berthing in English Harbour is managed by the National Parks Authority of Antigua and Barbuda. Rates are moderate by Caribbean standards: approximately $1.50–$2.50 per foot per day for stern-to berths in the dockyard, with rafting (two yachts deep) during peak events. The harbour can accommodate yachts up to approximately 100 metres, though draught restrictions (12–14 feet at the entrance) and the narrow entrance channel require careful navigation. Most yachts over 80 feet employ a local pilot for entry — a sensible investment at $200–$400 per transit.

Falmouth Harbour, a five-minute dinghy ride from the dockyard, provides a more modern alternative. The Antigua Yacht Club marina and Catamaran Marina offer alongside berths with full services (water, electricity, pump-out) at competitive rates. The Falmouth Harbour Marina expansion, completed post-hurricane in the early 2020s, added capacity for several superyachts up to 100 metres. Together, the two harbours provide enough infrastructure to support the significant fleet that gathers for Antigua Sailing Week and the Antigua Charter Yacht Show.

For yacht owners who value atmosphere and sailing heritage over gleaming modern marinas, English Harbour has no Caribbean equivalent. The combination of historical setting, competitive berthing costs, excellent provisioning (particularly during event weeks), and a genuine sailing community creates a destination that justifies the passage from wherever the yacht is based.

Antigua's Year-Round Cruising Ground: Beyond the Event Calendar

While Antigua's international profile peaks during Sailing Week (late April) and the Charter Yacht Show (December), the island offers year-round cruising that rewards exploration beyond the event circuit. Antigua has 365 beaches — one for every day of the year, as the tourism board accurately claims — and the island's deeply indented coastline creates dozens of protected anchorages accessible to yachts of all sizes.

The north coast, sheltered from the prevailing easterly trade winds, offers calm anchorages at Deep Bay, Hawksbill Bay, and Dickenson Bay. These are ideal for swimming, snorkelling, and watersports, with easy dinghy access to beach bars and restaurants. The east coast is more exposed and less visited, but Green Island and Nonsuch Bay provide stunningly beautiful anchoring in turquoise water over white sand — conditions that rival anything in the Exumas or the Tobago Cays.

Barbuda, Antigua's sister island 27 nautical miles to the north, is one of the Caribbean's last truly undeveloped destinations. The island has no marinas, no cruise ship port, and a year-round population of approximately 1,500. The western shore offers a 17-mile-long pink sand beach with anchorage in calm conditions, and the Codrington Lagoon hosts the largest frigate bird colony in the Western Hemisphere. The passage from Antigua to Barbuda takes 2–3 hours and is straightforward in settled trade wind conditions, though the open water between the islands can build uncomfortable swells when the trades freshen above 20 knots.

Montserrat, 30 nautical miles southwest, adds volcanic drama to the cruising range. The Soufrière Hills volcano, which erupted catastrophically in 1995 and remains active, has created an eerie exclusion zone covering the southern half of the island. The northern half is accessible and welcoming, with Little Bay serving as the main port. Visiting Montserrat by yacht is an unusual and memorable experience — the combination of Caribbean beauty and geological power is unlike anything else in the island chain.

How Antigua Compares

Compared to other major yacht bases, Antigua sits in the Caribbean region at $30/ft/month dockage and $5.6/gal diesel. Caribbean destinations like Nassau or Tortola are cheaper (dockage from $28/ft/month, diesel ~$5.50/gal), while French Riviera ports like Antibes cost significantly more ($140–$350/ft/month, diesel €6.50–€7.50/litre). See our full Mediterranean vs Caribbean cost comparison.

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