Sailnboat
English
French Polynesia

Polynesia

Yacht charter in French Polynesia

Choose from 39 yachts across French Polynesia. Spread over 1 sailing regions. Prices from €4,580 per week.

Browse 39 yachts See regions
  • 39
    Yachts available
  • 12
    On campaign
  • €4,580
    From / week
  • 1
    Charter regions
  • 3
    Marinas

Why this country

Sailing in French Polynesia

Every one of the thirty-nine boats here is a catamaran, and the lagoon explains why. Raiatea and Tahaa share a single enclosed lagoon inside one barrier reef — flat water, coral heads scattered through it, and anchorages that reward a boat drawing a metre rather than two. Nineteen boats are based there, at Apooiti and Uturoa, and twenty more at Papeete on Tahiti.

The Society Islands sail in a way that few places do: the reef takes the ocean swell out of the equation, so you get full trade wind with almost no sea under it. The south-east trades run May to October at 10 to 20 knots, firming to 20 to 30 in July and August. That is the dry season and the main charter window. Inside the lagoon it is sheltered enough for a crew finding its feet; the passes through the reef and the open legs between islands are where the experience is actually needed.

Operators here treat French Polynesia as a step up rather than a beginner's destination, and ask for a certificate plus real experience to match. The distances are not Mediterranean distances — Bora Bora is a proper passage from Raiatea, not an afternoon hop — and the passes have to be timed against the tide and the swell.

First look

What you can actually charter in French Polynesia

Moorings 4200/3 Exclusive Plus

Moorings 4200/3 Exclusive Plus

Raiatea · 12.67 m

Moorings 4600 - 4 Exclusive Plus

Moorings 4600 - 4 Exclusive Plus

Raiatea

Sunsail 454L Premium

Sunsail 454L Premium

Raiatea

Premium

Premium

Papeete, Tahiti

Sunsail 424/4/4 Classic

Sunsail 424/4/4 Classic

Raiatea

On the water

Sailing conditions in French Polynesia

Prevailing wind
SE trades, 10–20 kn

May to October, the dry season. July and August push 20–30 knots — the strongest and busiest weeks.

Why it sails so well
Reef takes the swell

Full trade wind with almost no sea inside the lagoon. Rare combination and the reason people come back.

Typical boat
Catamaran, all 39

Not a style choice: shallow draught matters among coral heads, and the anchorages suit a wide, light boat.

Two base areas
Raiatea and Papeete

19 boats in the Raiatea–Tahaa lagoon, 20 at Tahiti. Raiatea is the usual start for a Leeward Islands week.

Worth the detour

Where to drop anchor in French Polynesia

  • 1

    The Raiatea–Tahaa lagoon

    One barrier reef around two islands, so you can circumnavigate both without leaving sheltered water. The core of most charters here.

  • 2

    Taha'a — the coral garden

    A shallow drift snorkel between two motu on the north-west side, with current carrying you over the coral. Best on a rising tide.

  • 3

    Bora Bora

    The lagoon everyone pictures, with Mount Otemanu in the middle. A real passage from Raiatea rather than a hop — plan a day for it each way.

  • 4

    Huahine

    Quieter and less developed than its neighbours, with pre-European marae inland and a lagoon that gets far less traffic.

  • 5

    Taputapuātea, Raiatea

    A UNESCO marae complex that was the ceremonial centre of eastern Polynesia. Reachable from an anchorage on the south-east coast.

  • 6

    Motu anchorages

    The sand islets along the inside of the reef. Anchoring off them in three or four metres of clear water is what the week is for.

  • 7

    Vanilla plantations, Tahaa

    Tahaa produces most of the territory's vanilla. Several plantations are a short walk from the water and welcome visitors.

  • 8

    Papeete market

    If you start from Tahiti, the Marché de Papeete is the place to provision — and far better value than the island shops further out.

Suggested routes

Where a week in French Polynesia could take you

The Leeward Islands from Raiatea

7 days

The standard Society Islands week. Mostly inside the reef, with two open passages — to Huahine and to Bora Bora — that need the weather looked at.

  1. 1

    Apooiti, Raiatea

    Handover and provisioning; a short sail inside the lagoon.

  2. 2

    Tahaa — Hurepiti or Haamene Bay

    North inside the shared lagoon.

  3. 3

    Tahaa coral garden and the motu

    Drift snorkel on the rising tide; anchor off a sand islet.

  4. 4

    Bora Bora

    The open passage west — a proper leg, best started early.

  5. 5

    Bora Bora lagoon

    Round the island inside the reef.

  6. 6

    Back to Tahaa or Raiatea

    Return passage; the trades are usually behind you one way.

  7. 7

    Raiatea

    Taputapuātea on the way back to base if time allows.

Find a boat for this route

Before you book

Local rules and paperwork in French Polynesia

Skipper certificate
Required, plus matching experience. An ICC or a recognised national certificate. Operators treat French Polynesia as an advanced destination and check the sailing CV as well as the paper.
Reef passes
Timed against tide and swell. The passes through the barrier reef are the demanding part of sailing here. Outgoing current against an incoming swell is the situation to avoid; the base will brief you on each one.
Coral
Anchor on sand, never on coral. Coral heads are scattered through the lagoons and visible in good light. Mid-morning to mid-afternoon is when you can read the water.
Distances
Longer than they look. Bora Bora is a passage, not an afternoon sail. A seven-day charter comfortably covers Raiatea, Tahaa and Bora Bora — adding Huahine makes it tight.
Season
May – October is the dry window. November to April is the wet season with the risk of tropical depressions. Most charter activity sits in the dry months.

Checked October 2026. Rules change — confirm the detail that matters for your trip when you book.

What is here

The French Polynesia fleet at a glance

The fleet in French Polynesia is made up of 39 catamarans.

Most boats here are catamarans, averaging 13.4 metres.

Weekly prices start in the €3,000 – €6,000 range, where 8 boats are listed.

Boats sleep between 2 and 12 guests, with cabins up to 6.

The most common size band is 13 – 16 m, with 21 boats.

15 boats can be chartered with a skipper; 30 are available bareboat.

The fullest month on the calendar right now is Oct 2026: 72% of the fleet already has at least one booking, while 11 boats are still completely open.

39
Catamarans
from €4.580

Budget

Charter prices in French Polynesia

Weekly rate, set by the operator. No booking fee.

Space on board

Boat sizes

Sleeping 2–12 guests

  • 10 – 13 m 18
  • 13 – 16 m 21

Availability

How full is the calendar in French Polynesia?

Share of the French Polynesia fleet that already holds at least one reservation, for each of the next twelve months. Taken from the operators' own calendars and refreshed daily — a boat with one week booked can still be chartered in the others.

Months further out look emptier simply because they are further away — most charters are booked a few months ahead, not a year.

Most booked month

Oct 2026

72% of the fleet already booked

Most still open

Feb 2027

31 boats with no booking yet

Pick a month to see what is still open that week.

  • Quiet
  • Picking up
  • Busy
  • Peak
72%
Oct
’26
11 open
56%
Nov
’26
17 open
44%
Dec
’26
22 open
36%
Jan
’27
25 open
21%
Feb
’27
31 open
36%
Mar
’27
25 open
36%
Apr
’27
25 open
44%
May
’27
22 open
28%
Jun
’27
28 open
38%
Jul
’27
24 open
44%
Aug
’27
22 open
36%
Sep
’27
25 open

Most common models in French Polynesia

Counted from our live catalogue.

Catamarans Nautitech Nautitech 47
5 available
Leopard Catamarans Leopard 42
5 available · from €6.749
Excess Catamarans Excess 11
4 available
Leopard Catamarans Leopard 45
3 available · from €5.713
Leopard Catamarans Leopard 50
3 available · from €17.549
Lagoon 380 S2
3 available · from €4.690
Lagoon 400 S2
2 available · from €4.580
Lagoon 43
2 available · from €10.040

The fleet

Yachts in French Polynesia

39 yachts available · from €654 / day

6
catamaran

Premium

Papeete, Tahiti

4 cabins 8 guests 13.99 m 2020
From €1.126 / day €7.880 / week
View
6
catamaran

Purpose

Raiatea

6 cabins 8 guests 14.98 m 2014
From €2.912 / day €20.386 / week
View
New
6
catamaran

Be Happy

Papeete, Tahiti

3 cabins 6 guests 11.33 m 2024
Price on request
View
6
catamaran

Mara’amu

Papeete, Tahiti

4 cabins 8 guests 11.33 m 2023
Price on request
View
6
catamaran

GO ZONE

Papeete, Tahiti

4 cabins 8 guests 12.95 m 2010
Price on request
View
6
catamaran

MIGALOO

Papeete, Tahiti

3 cabins 6 guests 13.03 m 2010
Price on request
View
6
catamaran

Alcade

Raiatea

4 cabins 8 guests 14.5 m 2008
Price on request
View
See all 39 yachts Filter by dates, size and budget

Where to sail

The one sailing region in French Polynesia

Every region we have boats in, largest fleet first — with the number of departure bases so you can see where a week actually starts.

Polynesia

Mostly Catamarans — 100% of the local fleet.

Yachts
39
Bases
3
From
From €654 / day €4.580 / week

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

Weekly prices in our catalogue break down as: €3,000 – €6,000 (8), €6,000 – €12,000 (13), over €12,000 (3). The lowest published weekly rate is €4,580. These are the operators' own prices — we add no booking fee.
Our French Polynesia catalogue currently lists 39 catamarans.
Booking pressure is highest in Oct, when 72% of the fleet already holds at least one reservation. Feb is the quietest month in our calendar. Availability shown on this site is synchronised daily from the operators' own reservation systems.
30 of the 39 boats we list in French Polynesia are available bareboat, meaning you sail them yourself. A recognised licence is required; the listing states which. 15 boats can be chartered with a skipper.
Boats in French Polynesia sleep from 2 up to 12 guests, with the largest offering 6 cabins. Most groups book a boat in the 13 – 16 m size band.
Charters in French Polynesia depart from 3 bases in our network, including Papeete, Apooiti Marina, Marina de Uturoa.

Ready to explore French Polynesia by sea?

39 verified yachts across 1 regions.

Browse yachts Talk to concierge