After a debut year that led from Palma to Cannes and onto two award shortlists, the solar-electric SAMAR 50 keeps chartering through winter.

By November, the Bay of Palma belongs to those who stayed. The anchorages have emptied, the light has softened and the water is often at its calmest. Most charter boats are already under their winter covers. One of them is still heading out.

It has been a full first year for SAMAR Yachts. The young Mallorcan brand presented its first model, the SAMAR 50, at the Palma International Boat Show in April. Shortly afterwards, the 15.8-metre solar-electric yacht began working as a day charter boat from Club de Mar. By late summer it had completed dozens of charters and sea trials, and well over 100 guests had been aboard. In September it was shown at the Cannes Yachting Festival.

Recognition followed quickly. The SAMAR 50 is one of three finalists in the Best Electric category of the Best of Boats Award 2026. The winners will be named in Berlin on 26 November. The yacht is also nominated for European Powerboat of the Year 2027, in the electric boats category. That prize is judged by leading boating magazines from seven European countries and presented at boot Düsseldorf.

Many of the jurors, along with other international journalists, came aboard during the year. The Best of Boats jury noted that the yacht was designed around electric propulsion from the start. Its technology, the judges observed, stays almost invisible to those on board.

The bookings of the first season tell their own story. There were classic days out with friends, anchored off a cala with lunch and a swim. There was a seventieth birthday with twelve guests on board. There were sunset cruises and afternoons of coffee and cake. There was even a romantic evening cruise for two, with dinner cooked on board by a private chef on two pull-out induction hobs.

The SAMAR 50 is not a sports cruiser built to get somewhere fast. It is closer to a floating lounge. An open deck sits under a solar roof, with a kitchen island, generous seating and room for up to twelve guests. Two electric balconies fold down on either side and open up a wide space in the centre of the boat. Guests love it. An electric platform lowers into the sea at the stern, and gyro stabilisation keeps the yacht steady at anchor.

That character is also why the yacht does not depend on summer. It typically cruises at around eight knots, so very little wind crosses the deck. Guests sit at a table and talk at normal volume. Under electric power there is no engine noise to talk over and no exhaust drifting aft. At that speed, the electric motors draw roughly 23 kilowatts from a 139 kWh battery and the solar roof overhead.

Mallorca does the rest. Between November and February, average daytime highs in Palma range from 15 to 19 degrees. The sun still shines for around five hours a day.

The sea plays its part as well. In summer, a thermal breeze known as the Embat fills the bay around midday. In winter there is far less of it, and the water is usually much calmer as a result. There are hardly any other boats, so the yacht is almost always alone.

Winter on the water is a different experience. The swim becomes optional and the days are shorter. In exchange, the low sun turns the coastline gold by mid-afternoon. A winter outing is less about dropping anchor and more about the cruise itself. Guests spend more time simply under way at low speed, crossing the Bay of Palma towards Cala Blava. Blankets are on board for the deck, and the heated cabins below are there for anyone who needs to warm up. A half-day charter of four hours suits the season well.

SAMAR has priced the winter months accordingly. From November to the end of February, a full day costs €1,800 and a half day €1,200, VAT included. In high season, the same full day costs €3,500. Energy, soft drinks and towels are part of the price, while captain and stewardess are charged separately.

The winter months suit companies, too. A quiet boat for twelve is an obvious setting for a crew day out, a team lunch or a Christmas gathering. That goes for yacht crews and for any other business on the island. A team event on the water needs no summer weather, only a free afternoon.

The juries will have their say in Berlin and Düsseldorf, and SAMAR Yachts says there is more news to come in 2027. The yacht, meanwhile, is easy to find. It is out in the bay.

◆ samarcharter.com | samaryachts.com