More big-yacht news this week from Edmiston & Company: The 252-foot motoryacht Samar, which will be based this winter in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, is dropping its weekly base rate from €675,000 to €475,000 for all charters of at least one week, including the holidays of Christmas, New Year's, and Easter. The owner is open to further negotiation for charters of 10 days or more.

The €475,000 rate represents  a 30-percent discount during high-season weeks, one of the first big rate drops I've seen publicly advertised for a yacht in this size range during the peak of the Caribbean season. There were countless such offers this past summer in the Mediterranean, but the publicity for those offers has slowed in the past six weeks or so.

The trickle effect might be based on an upturn in the charter market following a long year of recession. Several charter brokers told me this week that inquiries for the Caribbean are now picking up compared with last year, but currently, I'm only hearing that about small- to mid-size charter yachts, particularly those smaller than 125 feet. (See this month's edition of Three Brokers Say for the perspectives of brokers Missy Johnston and Ed Hamilton, and Nicholson Yachts fleet manager Karen Kelly.) I also am hearing from marina-resorts such as the Bitter End Yacht Club in the British Virgin Islands that inquiries and bookings for winter dates have increased dramatically during the past four or five weeks, for rooms and dockage alike.

In that context, the newly announced Samar discount is not only a newsworthy deal, but also an interesting market indicator. Yes, this is just one among the largest of charter yachts, but her owner is already anticipating having to give up 30 percent to secure bookings during the most popular winter weeks. It will be interesting to see how many more yachts in this size range--if any--make similar public offers as the winter season draws nearer.

Any reputable charter broker can help you book Samar at the discounted rate. Here are a few interior photographs, of her main saloon and master stateroom view, to give you an idea of the luxuries onboard:

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