Trying to figure out what a captained boat rental actually costs in West Palm Beach? Good luck finding a straight answer online. Most sites give you a vague range, throw in a bunch of asterisks, and send you off to "request a quote."
Here's the thing: prices are more predictable than most people think. Boat size is the single biggest factor. The style of vessel matters too. But if you know the size range you're after, you can get a very real number before you ever pick up the phone.
This breakdown is based on actual current listings in the West Palm Beach and Palm Beach area, so these aren't guesstimates. They're real starting prices for captained charters, all staffed by USCG licensed captains with captain, staff, and gratuity listed separately from the base rate.
Short answer: $690 to $15,000, depending entirely on what size boat you book and how long you're out.
That's a wide range. But it makes sense once you see it broken down. A 22-foot fun boat for a small group of friends is a very different day on the water than an 88-foot Warren yacht sleeping six with a three-person crew. Both are "captained boat rentals." They just aren't the same thing.
Here's the real pricing picture, organized by boat size:
|
Boat Size |
Example Vessel |
Starting Price |
Capacity |
|
22 ft |
"Barbie" Fun Boat |
$690 |
Up to 10 |
|
27 ft |
Picnic Boat |
$1,299 |
Up to 10 |
|
31 ft |
Axopar Sun Top |
$1,499 |
Up to 12 |
|
34 ft |
Saxdor |
$1,499 |
Up to 12 |
|
36 ft |
De Antonio + Seabob |
$2,899 |
Up to 13 |
|
40 ft |
Bellini Yacht + Seabob |
$2,999 |
Up to 12 |
|
44 ft |
Solaris + Seabob |
$3,499 |
Up to 13 |
|
44 ft |
De Antonio 2024 |
$4,099 |
Up to 10 |
|
54 ft |
Aquila Catamaran |
$5,099 |
Up to 12 |
|
55 ft |
Catamaran (up to 49 guests) |
$3,999 |
Up to 49 |
|
60 ft |
Luxury Motor Yacht |
$4,999 |
Up to 12 |
|
63 ft |
Catamaran (up to 40 guests) |
$2,799 |
Up to 40 |
|
64 ft |
Sunseeker Predator |
$4,099 |
Up to 12 |
|
64 ft |
Galeon Fly |
$5,999 |
Up to 12 |
|
80 ft |
Lazzara |
$5,999 |
Up to 8 |
|
82 ft |
Sunseeker Fly |
$6,832 |
Up to 12 |
|
88 ft |
Warren |
$10,349 |
Up to 12 |
|
108 ft |
Ferretti |
$11,700 |
Up to 10 |
|
154 ft |
Mega Yacht |
$15,000 |
Up to 12 |
All prices are base charter rates + fuel, staff & gratuity. Every vessel in the fleet comes with a USCG-licensed captain. No bareboat options here. You're always getting a professional at the helm.
This is the entry point. Perfect for couples, small families, or tight friend groups who want a real day on the water without the full yacht price.
The 22-foot "Barbie" Fun Boat at $690 is genuinely the most accessible option in the fleet. Up to 10 guests, a captain included, Delray Beach departure. For a birthday or a casual afternoon stop at the sandbar, it works surprisingly well.
Step up to the 27-foot Picnic Boat ($1,299) or the 31-foot Axopar Sun Top ($1,499) for a bit more space and range. The Axopar holds 12 guests with a full bathroom and handles the Intracoastal beautifully. Same price as the 34-foot Saxdor ($1,499), which also starts at $1,499 out of Palm Beach and takes 12 people.
Both are solid choices if your group is mid-sized and the goal is Peanut Island, a sandbar anchor, or a scenic Intracoastal cruise past the Palm Beach estates.
This is the sweet spot for most groups. Enough boat to feel like an event. Not so much that the price becomes the whole conversation.
The 36-foot De Antonio with a Seabob ($2,899) is a standout at this tier. Up to 13 guests, two staterooms, a captain plus crew, and a Seabob underwater scooter included. That kind of package at that price point is hard to beat for a half-day trip.
The 40-foot Bellini Yacht + Seabob comes in at $2,999. Same Seabob inclusion, two staterooms, 12-person capacity, captain and crew. These boats offer a genuinely premium feel without crossing the $4,000 threshold.
Step up to the 44-foot Solaris + Seabob ($3,499), and you're getting overnight capability on top of everything else. Three staterooms, sleeping for four, captain and crew, Seabob, up to 13 guests. The 44-foot De Antonio 2024 ($4,099) bumps to four sleeping spots but trims the guest list to 10 on-water.
One interesting note: the 63-foot Catamaran starts at just $2,799 for up to 40 guests. That's surprisingly affordable for the size, which makes it particularly good for larger group events where cost-per-head matters more than luxury finishes.
Here, the boats start to feel like a proper charter. Multiple staterooms. Overnight options. Full crew.
The 55-foot Catamaran at $3,999 can take up to 49 guests, which makes it one of the better value plays for big group events or corporate outings. The 54-foot Aquila Catamaran ($5,099) is more intimate, capped at 12 guests with three staterooms and overnight capability.
The 60-foot Luxury Motor Yacht ($4,999) runs from Boca Raton and Delray Beach, overnight-capable, up to 12 guests. The 64-foot Sunseeker Predator ($4,099, Palm Beach/Jupiter) and the 64-foot Galeon Fly ($5,999, Palm Beach Gardens) give you the full flybridge experience with three and four staterooms, respectively.
The 52-foot Santasevera Luxury Yacht + Seabob ($6,399) out of Boca Raton is the top of this size range. Two staterooms, 13 guests, a Seabob included, captain and crew.
This is where things shift from "charter" to "full experience."
The 80-foot Lazzara ($5,999) runs out of Palm Beach with three staterooms. The 82-foot Sunseeker Fly ($6,832) operates from Ft Lauderdale, sleeping six with a full crew. Both are day-charter options with a serious presence on the water.
The 88-foot Warren ($10,349) operates across Miami, Palm Beach, and Ft Lauderdale. Overnight-capable, three staterooms, sleeps six, captain plus two crew. It's the kind of boat where guests immediately understand the difference.
The 108-foot Ferretti at $11,700 is a five-stateroom vessel with a captain and five crew. The 154-foot Mega Yacht tops the fleet at $15,000, with nine crew, an overnight configuration, and up to 10 guests aboard.
Every boat in this fleet comes with a USCG-licensed captain. That's not optional, which is actually a good thing. West Palm Beach waters have sandbar shifts, Intracoastal channels, and tidal patterns that trip up people who don't know the area.
Included in the base rate:
Listed separately ("+ Fuel, Staff & Gratuity"):
That "+ Fuel, Staff & Gratuity" line on every listing is worth paying attention to. It's not a hidden fee exactly, but it does mean the final number is higher than what you see in the base price. Budget an additional 25–30% on top of the charter rate as a reasonable estimate for fuel, staff, and a standard crew gratuity.
Look, you can find bareboat rentals in the area. But there's a reason the premium charter operators run fully captained fleets. West Palm Beach has local nuances: Peanut Island anchoring, the Lake Worth Lagoon tidal channels, and the wake zones through the Intracoastal. A licensed local captain knows all of it.
Plus, Florida law requires a Boating Safety Education ID for anyone born after January 1, 1988, operating a motorboat over 10 horsepower. With a captained charter, that's not your concern. The captain handles everything from departure to docking.
Peak season in West Palm Beach runs from November through April. Water temps are ideal. Crowds are up. Prices at the premium end hold firm.
If you're flexible, May and October are the shoulder months. The weather stays good, but demand drops. Some operators have more flexibility on dates and shorter booking windows. Summer bookings (June to September) can occasionally come in slightly softer, though afternoon weather patterns are less predictable.
Bottom line: book in advance for peak season, especially weekends. A 44-foot De Antonio on a Saturday in January books out faster than most people expect.
1. Do West Palm Beach boat rentals with a captain include fuel in the price?
At South Florida Yacht Rental, fuel is listed separately as "+ Fuel, Staff & Gratuity" on top of the base charter rate. It's not buried in fine print. It's clearly noted on every listing. Ask for a full trip estimate when you book so there are no surprises at the dock.
2. How many people can I bring on a captain's charter in West Palm Beach?
Capacity varies a lot by vessel. Smaller boats like the 22-foot Fun Boat and 27-foot Picnic Boat hold up to 10 guests. Most mid-size yachts in the 40–64 foot range take 10–13 people. The 55-foot and 63-foot catamarans are the large group options, with capacity up to 49 and 40 guests, respectively.
3. What is the cheapest captained boat rental near West Palm Beach?
The lowest entry point in the current fleet is the 22-foot "Barbie" Fun Boat at $690, departing from Delray Beach. For a Palm Beach area departure, the 34-foot Saxdor and 31-foot Axopar both start at $1,499. All include a USCG-licensed captain.
4. Is gratuity required for the captain on a West Palm Beach charter?
Gratuity isn't technically mandatory, but it is customary and expected. Industry standard is 15–20% of the base charter rate, paid to the captain and crew. It's listed as part of the "+ Fuel, Staff & Gratuity" total on every booking. Budget for it. A good captain makes the whole day, and the good ones in this area are worth every dollar.