Yacht charter · sales · management since 1949
Newport, Rhode Island (401) 849-0344
Motor yacht under way
Charter · Sales · Management

A yachting legacy since 1949

Crewed charter and brokerage, from Newport to the far side of the world.

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Live inventory · Charter Index
MYBA· CYBA· IYBA· 75+ years on the water· Personally vetted crews
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Charter

The world, privately yours

Crewed charter in the Mediterranean, the Caribbean and further afield. We match the yacht, the crew and the coastline to the way you travel.

Sales

Buy or sell a yacht

Central agency representation, valuation and discreet negotiation — with the same brokers who have handled these boats for decades.

Explorer yacht for sale
Destinations

Find your horizon

Six cruising grounds we know intimately. Start with the water you want under you; we will find the yacht that belongs there.

West Mediterranean anchorage

West Mediterranean

Riviera evenings, Corsican coves, dinner ashore and back aboard by midnight.

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East Mediterranean coastline

East Mediterranean

Greek islands at anchor, ruins at first light, water flat as glass by eight.

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Caribbean anchorage

Caribbean

Trade winds, empty sand, a fortnight with nothing on the calendar.

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New England harbor

New England

Newport to Nantucket. Cool mornings, working harbors, our own front door.

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South East Asia cruising ground

South East Asia

Limestone islands, warm rain, anchorages that few yachts ever reach.

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Oceania cruising ground

Oceania

Whitsunday sand and reef water — distance that makes the arrival count.

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Archival photograph from the Nicholson records

Archival · Nicholson records

Since 1949

Serving discerning clients since 1949

Seventy-five years of the same work: putting the right people on the right boat, and staying with them long after the paperwork is signed.

The house was founded in 1949 and has been broking, chartering and managing yachts ever since — from Newport, Rhode Island, a town that has kept its own place in the sport for just as long.

Founded 1949
On the water 75+ years
Home port Newport, RI
S/Y Aurelius under sail Featured charter
Available this season

Aurelius

A sailing yacht for people who would rather be under canvas — long passages, quiet anchorages, a crew that reads the day before you ask.

Length 33.8 m
Type Sailing yacht
From $64,000 per week
Rates exclude APA and VAT
Featured yacht for sale

Hampshire

A Feadship kept to Feadship standards. Full ownership history and survey material available to qualified buyers on request.

Length 65.9 m
Built 2016 · Feadship
Asking €85,000,000
Feadship Hampshire Central agency
Why Nicholson

Trusted · Experienced · Discreet

Trusted since 1949

Three generations of clients have come back to the same firm. Most of our work still arrives by introduction.

Newport, Rhode Island

We work from a town built on sail, and we charter and sell worldwide from it — season after season.

Personal, discreet service

One broker, start to finish. Nothing about your charter or your yacht leaves this office.

1949 Year founded
75+ Years on the water
18 Cruising regions
3,000+ Charters arranged
Yacht at anchor at golden hour

Heritage on the water. Future in motion.

Est. 1949 · Newport, Rhode Island

Associations & partnerships
MYBA — The Worldwide Yachting Association
CYBA International — Charter Yacht Brokers Association
IYBA — International Yacht Brokers Association
ASTA — American Society of Travel Advisors

Sales-side reach in Florida and the Bahamas is strengthened by our partnership with Luke Brown Yachts.

In their words

What our clients say

Charter guests, captains and owners — most of whom have been with us for decades.

Read all testimonials

“They know the industry from its origin — the brokers, the yachts, and especially the crews. Those are the key ingredients to a successful charter.”

Ken L. Captain · client since 1983

“One hundred percent committed to their customers. I would not use any other company.”

Joanna M. Charter guest

“The relationship we have translates directly into successful charters aboard the yacht I captain.”

Marcelo Captain · S/Y Orion
Journal

Notes from the water

All journal entries
Boarding a yacht
May 17, 2026 · Charter

Accessible yacht charters: mobility-friendly yachts and Med marinas for wheelchair users

Read the article
Yacht at sea
May 7, 2026 · Aboard

Gyro versus fin stabilizers: comfort, maintenance and when each makes sense for charter

Read the article
Charter guests aboard
May 6, 2026 · Guide

All-inclusive versus plus-expenses charters: what is included, and which suits you

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Contact

Speak with a broker

Tell us the season, the coastline and the number aboard. We will come back with two or three yachts worth your time.

Newport office

56 Bridge Street, Suite 2-West
Newport, Rhode Island 02840

(401) 849-0344

Charter inquiry Sales inquiry
Held in confidence