Episodes / Episode 04
The Real Cost of a $600M Superyacht (It's Not the Yacht)
What a ~$600 million superyacht actually costs to keep. We go all the way down, deck by deck: the crew, the toys, the engine room, the fuel, the anchor, and the parking. Plus how many weeks a year owners are actually on board, why renting is cheaper, and the second yacht nobody sees.
40,000 rent-yearsChapters
- The yacht (reported)
- ~$600,000,000
- Running it, per year
- ~$60,000,000
- One tank of fuel
- ~$800,000
- A summer night in Monaco
- ~$4,600
- Roof
- not included
- Per day on board (est.)
- ~$1,400,000
- Rent-years
- 40,000
- Every ten years
- +40,000
Total: Two yachts. You only get to see one.
Sources
Numbers in the episode are estimates built from these. If you spot a mistake, tell Ray: hello@brokeray.com.
- Superyachts of 127–143 m reported at ~$500–600M (build cost or valuation): luxe.digital (Aug 2026)
- A 100 m+ yacht takes ~4 years to build: Yacht Style (Aug 2026)
- Longer than a football field (pitch at most 120 m): IFAB Laws of the Game, Law 1
- 12-passenger limit on commercial (charter) yachts: Red Ensign Group Yacht Code, Part A (July 2024)
- Running costs 10–15% of value a year; insurance 0.5–2%; maintenance 5–10%: Fraser Yachts (Apr 2026)
- Running costs 10–20% a year; 40–50% of value lost in five years: Ocean Independence, 2026 guide
- The other side: the 10% rule overshoots for the biggest yachts: SuperyachtNews (13 Oct 2026)
- 100 m+ yachts carry ~60 crew on average: The Superyacht Agency, via SuperyachtNews (Aug 2025)
- Captain pay on 100 m+ yachts: "Discretionary", YPI CREW Captain Salary Guide 2026
- Deckhand pay on 100 m+ yachts €3,750–4,000 a month: YPI CREW Deck & Bosun Salary Guide 2026
- Captain and deckhand pay: Lighthouse Careers Salary Guide 2026
- Crew live on board, meals included: YPI CREW
- A deckhand's day starts at 4:30: Bluewater (Aug 2024)
- Rotation adds 40–60% to crew costs: The Luxury Playbook (June 2026)
- Limousine tender, 2025 build, listed at €1.15M: Superyacht Tenders & Toys
- Personal submarine from €545,000: U-Boat Worx NEMO (2022)
- Jet ski from $23,699: Sea-Doo RXP-X
- Seabob F5 SR €14,935: Superyacht Tenders & Toys
- ~44,000 m² of plastic wrap to repaint a 100 m yacht: SuperyachtNews (Jan 2026)
- Fuel capacity of a 136 m yacht, 682,500 L: YachtCharterFleet spec sheet
- Marine gas oil, Rotterdam $1,425/t: Ship & Bunker (21 Oct 2026)
- One fill-up ~$800,000 (derived; MGO ~860 kg/m³): Marine Insight
- New US cars average 27.2 mpg: EPA Automotive Trends Report
- Insurance 0.8–1.2% of value a year: The Arsenale (Aug 2026)
- A 100 m yacht's anchor weighs 3,000–4,500 kg: YachtBuyer, "The Art of Anchoring" (Aug 2024)
- No anchoring on seagrass for large yachts, fines up to €150,000: French maritime prefecture (2020–21)
- Monaco, Port Hercule 2026 tariff: €4,099.20 a day for 140–149.99 m in summer (~$4,600, derived): Ports de Monaco
- PortMiami: $53.05 per foot per day for yachts 100 ft and over (~$24,366 for 140 m, derived): Miami-Dade Seaport Terminal Tariff No. 010, Item 314
- Most owners use their yacht 4–8 weeks a year: Ocean Independence (July 2025)
- Mediterranean to Caribbean ~4,000 nm, ~14 days: Y.CO (Dec 2025)
- Most expensive charter yacht, from €3.5M a week: Edmiston listing
- Most expensive superyachts for charter: BOAT International (Oct 2026)
- Advance provisioning allowance (APA) 25–40% of the charter fee: IYC (Sep 2026)
- Charter VAT 20% in France and Monaco: IYC (May 2026)
- Charter tips 10–20%: IYC (Aug 2026)
- Charter that covers half the running costs is "doing well": YachtBuyer, "Charter: the basics"
- 36% of 30 m+ yachts are available for charter: Monaco Yacht Show Market Report 2025
- Depreciation 40–50% after five years: YATCO (June 2025)
- EUR/USD 1.1205: ECB reference rate (22 Oct 2026)
The "10% a year" rule is a rule of thumb, and people in the industry argue about it: some say it runs lower for the biggest yachts. The running-cost figures are our estimates: crew from 2026 salary guides, fuel at the wholesale marine gas oil price, insurance at 0.5–2% of value, official berth tariffs in Monaco and Miami, and maintenance from broker ranges. The "second yacht" is ten years of the rule of thumb; real yachts and owners vary.
Not financial advice. Narration: synthetic voice (ElevenLabs). Script and animation made by hand.