beneteau sailboat cost

How Much Does A Beneteau Yacht Cost? (10 Examples)

Beneteau Yachts offers a range of sailing and motorized yachts available through a network of over 400 dealers worldwide.

Table of Contents

Beneteau offers over 40 different models, which is way too many boats to list in one article. So we have put together a pricing guide for the more popular Beneteau models across the brand from 2022.

Beneteau Sailing Yachts

Beneteau offers their ever-popular First and Oceanis lines, the modern, innovative, fun First SE line, and the more luxurious 54 and 60-foot Oceanis Yachts. Sizes range from as small as the First 14 to the Oceanis Yacht 60, so there is a sailing yacht to suit almost everyone.

1. Beneteau First 14 SE

The Beneteau First 14 is a fun, fast, entry-level sailboat that is easy to handle, either solo or double-handed.

With a sail plan area that can vary between 8.5 m² and 21.5 m², the First 14 SE is a highly adaptable boat.

It is suited to all ability levels and can be used for One-design racing.

Technical Specifications:

• Length: 14.11 feet Beam: 5.58 feet Displacement: 163.14 pounds

Suggested list price 2022 (excl. VAT): $12,080

How much is a small yacht?

2. Beneteau First 27

The sporty but comfortable Beneteau First 27 has won the Cruising World 2022 Boat of the Year Award for the best pocket cruiser/daysailer.

As a racer/cruiser, this boat offers all the comforts necessary for weekend and coastal sailing, which includes a serviceable head, a small galley, and up to 6 berths. So a couple could easily live aboard, rather than camp, for weekends or a few days.

Plus, they could easily be joined by friends to take part in racing or a regatta and be serious contenders for a podium finish!

• Hull Length: 7.99 m
• Hull Beam: 2.54 m
• Light displacement: 1700 kg
• Engine Power (Hp): 15 HP

Suggested list price 2022 (excl. VAT): $95,530

3. Beneteau Oceanis 34.1

The Beneteau Oceanis 34.1 has been voted one of the best family small cruisers in the 2022 annual Yachting World magazine awards.

The 34.1 is the updated version of the Oceanis 35.1 and is a much sleeker, lighter, and faster boat than the old version.

Down below, the modern, light accommodation comes with 2 or 3 double cabins plus 1 head, which provides ample accommodation for family or friends.

• Length overall: 10.77 m
• Hull Beam: 3.57 m
• Light displacement: 5 470 kg
• Fuel tank capacity: 130 L
• Fresh water capacity: 231 – 361 L
• Engine Power (Hp): 21 – 30CV

Suggested list price 2022 (excluding VAT): $110,500

4. Beneteau Oceanis 40.1

The Beneteau Oceanis 40.1 won the Sail Magazine 2021 award for Best Monohull Cruising Yacht Under 50′.

A new boat is available in various layout options, keel configurations, and rigs.

This means the Beneteau Oceanis 40.1 can be adapted to the most discerning sailor’s cruising requirements without sacrificing the boat’s good looks, comfort, fast performance, and versatility.

• Length overall: 12.87 m
• Hull Length: 11.99 m
• Hull Beam: 4.18 m
• Light displacement: 7 985 kg
• Fuel tank capacity: 195 L
• Fresh water capacity: 235 L
• Engine Power (Hp): 45CV

Suggested list price 2022 (excluding VAT): $291,000

5. Benteau Oceanis Yacht 54

One of the newer offerings in the Beneteau stable is the Oceanis Yacht 54.

This design paves the way for Beneteau’s new line of luxury, high-end cruisers, which, in these times, seem to be very much in demand.

While the boat’s design keeps with the Oceanis tradition, it has been developed to offer more semi-custom options for interior layouts, sail plans, deck hardware, and even engine and propulsion options without sacrificing speed, maneuverability, and performance.

How Reliable Are Beneteau Boats? Check out our article here!

• Length overall: 17.12 m
• Hull Length: 15.98 m
• Hull Beam: 5 m
• Light displacement: 16 600 kg
• Fuel tank capacity: 400 L
• Fresh water capacity: 720 L
• Engine Power (Hp): 80 CV/110 CV

Suggested list price 2022 (excluding VAT): $698,200

Beneteau Motor Yachts

The Beneteau motor yacht range includes the Flyer, Antares, Gran Turismo, Swift Trawler, and Grand Trawler lines.

These motor yachts range in size from the Flyer 6 up to the Grand Trawler 62. With a choice of more than 20 models, you can be sure of finding your dream boat.

So let’s take a look at some of the price tags on some of the more popular models:

1. Beneteau Flyer 6 Sundeck

This entry-level small power boat is perfect for quick getaway trips on the water for up to 6 people.

This smallest motor boat in the Beneteau collection is modern and sporty and offers as much, if not more, fun than the bigger models!

• Length overall: 5.96 m
• Hull Length: 5.3 m
• Hull Beam: 2.23 m
• Light displacement: 1251 kg
• Fuel tank capacity: 100 L
• Fresh water capacity: 50 L
• Engine Power (Hp): 140 CV (different engine options available)

Suggested list price 2022 (excluding VAT): $49,700 (base price without engine)

2. Beneteau Antares 11 Fly

The Antares 11 Fly is the flagship of the Beneteau Antares range, which Beneteau introduced in 1977.

This stylish and contemporary powerboat focuses on space, comfort, and safety for the whole family. With a luxury double cabin in the bow, a stern cabin that sleeps 3, and a saloon that converts to 2 more berths, this powerboat can sleep up to 7 guests.

Plus, it has plenty of outside space for family and friends to enjoy.

• Length overall: 11.16 m
• Hull Length: 9.9 m
• Hull Beam: 3.40 m
• Light displacement: 6148 kg
• Fuel tank capacity: 2 x 400 L
• Fresh water capacity: 200 L
• Engine Power (Hp): 2 x 300 CV (different engine options available)

Suggested list price 2022 (excluding VAT): $240,400 (base price without engines)

3. Gran Turismo 41

The Beneteau Gran Turismo 41 has made it to Yachtworld’s ‘Best New Cabin Cruiser Boats for 2022’ list.

This is the latest model in Beneteau’s express cruiser line, and while it is an upgrade to the popular Gran Turismo 40, it has been well received. The boat has been designed around style, speed, comfort, safety, and relaxation.

• Length overall: 12.55 m
• Hull Length: 11.50 m
• Hull Beam: 3.85 m
• Light displacement: 7 959 kg
• Fuel tank capacity: 2 x 325 L
• Engine Power (Hp): 2 x 380 CV/HP

Suggested list price 2022 (excluding VAT): $526,300

4. Beneteau Swift Trawler 35

The Beneteau Swift Trawler 35 won the 2018 BOB (Boat & Fun Berlin) award in the “Best for Travel” category.

The boat has had several upgrades to its 34-foot predecessor, including improved stability and enhanced livability. This boat is perfect for a couple to liveaboard, and due to its seaworthiness, you may even be tempted to go on a long cruise.

• Length overall: 11.29 m
• Hull Length: 10.81 m
• Hull Beam: 3.96 m
• Light displacement: 8 252 kg
• Fuel tank capacity: 800 L
• Fresh water capacity: 2 x 150 L
• Engine Power (Hp) : 1 x Cummings 425hp (comes as standard)

Standard base price 2022 (excluding VAT): $279,300 ex VAT.

5. Grand Trawler 62

The Beneteau Grand Trawler 62 hits the spot all around for the design of this magnificent motor yacht.

It is a comfortable, spacious, and stable yacht to live aboard or for long-distance cruising. It is designed to comfortably sleep 6 to 8 adults on board. Plus, this motor yacht is designed to turn heads and boasts one of the largest flybridges on the market for its hull length.

The crisp, clean lines and the stunning interior design reflect the superior quality and dedicated workmanship that sets the Beneteau brand apart from the rest.

No wonder it took the 2022 prize for European Power Boat of the Year!

• Length overall: 18.95 m
• Hull Length: 16.47 m
• Hull Beam: 5.41 m
• Light displacement: 28 500 kg
• Fuel tank capacity: 2 x 2000 L
• Fresh water capacity: 840 L
• Engine Power (Hp): 2 x 730 CV
• Standard base price 2022 (excluding VAT): $1.43 million

Please note that all prices quoted are for the base models only and that any optional extras or customized options are not included.

Final Thoughts

Over the years, Beneteau has offered many different models, and more than 40 available today.

So if you are in the market for a new Beneteau, you can be sure that you will find the right model for your boating needs. However, if you find the price of new boats a bit daunting, you can always check out the second-hand boat market for a Beneteau boat that fits your needs and your pocket.

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How Much is a New Beneteau 36 Sailboat?

• August 22, 2022

Captain Ryan

In recent years, Beneteau has cemented its reputation as a builder of high quality racing and cruising yachts. Today, they bring together some of the world’s finest yacht designers and builders to create the finest mass produced racer/cruisers on the market today. 

One of my long-time favorite boats built by Beneteau is the Beneteau 36 , which has evolved over the years into an incredibly beautiful and functional racing/cruising machine. The most recent iteration, launched in 2022 as the Beneteau First 36, is my favorite Beneteau production design to date. Let’s take a look at this incredible sailing vessel.

Intro to the New Beneteau 36 Sailboat

Beneteau brought together some of the most respected names in the industry to design the First 36 to be the most innovative midsize racer cruiser possible. This team designed this boat to be highly adaptable so that she would be equally at home racing around the buoys as she would be anchored up in a Mediterranean cove. 

The Beneteau First 36 is a true racer/cruiser with a planing hull and a sloop rig with a large sail area. Under the waterline, she has a deep fin keel and twin rudders. The hull is wide compared to previous models, with a lot of surface area above the waterline for maximum stability and interior space. 

Let’s take a look at the specs:

• Hull Length: 36’1”
• Hull Beam : 12’6”
• Light displacement : 10,580 lbs
• Draft standard keel: 7’5”
• Ballast: 3,420 lbs
• Upwind sail area: 860 sq. ft
• Downwind sail area: 1,930 sq. ft

The Beneteau 36 as a Racing Boat

The new Beneteau 36 should excel on any racecourse and is likely to outperform most other cruisers of her size. She was built to be both light and strong, with exceptional planing ability as well as good upwind performance. Sailors used to the older Beneteau 36s, which were built as displacement boats, will be surprised by her turn of speed, especially while surfing off the wind. 

The designer’s innovation really comes to light when you look at this boat’s racing layout. The wide cockpit features dual helms, and she has cockpit benches that can be removed to open up the cockpit for easier access to the winches and lines and quicker sail trim on the race course. This boat was designed with short handed sailing in mind, and her high sail area/displacement ratio should make her a serious contender on any race. When it comes to a boat that is both fast and comfortable, the new Beneteau 36 is hard to beat.

The Beneteau 36 as a Cruising Boat

As you can tell, no detail was left out in the design of the Beneteau 36 as a racing boat. But she is equally as functional as a daysailer or liveaboard cruising home. With the racing gear removed and the cockpit benches in place, this boat is transformed into a comfortable platform for cruising and living aboard. There is space for six adults at the cockpit table, and there is a lightweight swim platform that folds down from the stern for safe and easy access to the water. 

The large hull makes for a roomy cabin and down below, the 36 has more space than many 40 footers. There are three full sized cabins with heads, as well as a large navigation station that can double as a home office. She features a central fridge, along with a large dinette with a folding table and the largest galley in her class. 

Is the Beneteau 36 a Good Choice for Me?

So, how much does a new Beneteau 36 sailboat cost? This boat can be found on the market for between $220,000 and $300,000, making her competitively priced with other new vessels her size. 

Is she a good choice for you? If you are seeking a solid vessel that is both a competitive racer and a comfortable cruising platform, there are few better options being built today. While she might not be my first choice for a high latitude voyage through the Northwest Passage or around Cape Horn, she should have no problem cruising the Med or completing a westabout circumnavigation through the trade winds. If you want a beautiful new vessel that is seriously competitive on the racing circuit, it would be hard to find a more suitable choice than the Beneteau 36.

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New Boat Review: Beneteau Oceanis 41

Beneteau’s newest cruiser blends innovative design, stylish form, and impressive performance..

Photos courtesy of Beneteau and by Ralph Naranjo

Beneteau has been building sailboats for 120 years, but it’s unlikely that patriarch Benjamin Beneteau ever envisioned his boatyard becoming a vertically integrated company with more than 4,500 employees. Nor could he have imagined that three-dimensional, computer-aided design would drive a five-axis robotic shaper that could turn design ideas into tangible hull shapes sans shipwrights. However, he did see the staying power of sailing and knew it would stand the test of time.

Beneteau’s sheer size affords an opportunity for significant research and development, and designers get to interface directly with the production team throughout the boatbuilding process. There’s also a scale of economy factor that’s best demonstrated by the 300-person crew working at Beneteau’s expansive woodshop in Vendee, France. The facility fabricates and finishes interiors for Beneteaus built all over the world.

Today, the multinational company relies on an in-house design team, plus a stable of top yacht designers who remain on call. The result is that Beneteau has become a trendsetter even in tough economic times, and part of this success lies in its differentiated two-tier (race and cruise) approach to boatbuilding. By offering different boats to racers and cruisers, the world’s largest production boatbuilder more effectively caters to the needs of each market. This has served the company well for decades. For example, the Oceanis line of cruisers was birthed in the 1980s, and the current series offers a whole new array of design attributes.

The Oceanis 41 features a new hull shape and a new cruising perspective—a design that focuses on style, comfort, and ease of operation. It’s clearly an effort to make mid-size cruising boats more user-friendly than ever before, and to achieve that end in distinctly European styling.

Beneteau’s marketing literature for the Oceanis 41 boasts eye-catching, flat-water, point-to-point sailing and a luxury cruising lifestyle. Missing are photos of the guys with wornout sweatshirts and week-old beards slogging into a cold gray sea. Cabin photos brim with countertop knick-knacks and long-stem wine glasses that would scatter like pins in a bowling alley when the first gust hit. However, after sailing the boat ourselves and getting a feel for this brand new, wide-body sloop, Practical Sailor testers walked away far more impressed by the boat than by its marketers’ depiction.

Designer Finot-Conq skillfully distributed the new boat’s volume, placed the rig and foils exactly where they hydro-dynamically belonged, and revised the deck layout. Looking at the waterline footprint, topside flair, and profile of the Oceanis 41 reveals some of the not-so-subtle changes in canoe-body design. For instance, a chine-like edge interrupts the smooth curve of the topsides. Affectionately known as the “kink,” it appears throughout the Oceanis line, and its fore and aft run acts as a water release when the boat is heeled and beating to weather. It’s certainly an aesthetic change to the smooth compound curves and flares seen in the topsides of earlier Beneteaus, and its performance-enhancing potential will be a topic of conversation for some time.

Another notable design change is the sailboat’s wedge-like shape and the distinct trend in carrying near max beam all the way aft to the transom. This feature almost begs for a twin rudder approach to steering. Interestingly, rather than adding a second rudder, Beneteau used a deep, semi-balanced spade rudder. It effectively resists cavitation and the inevitable broach, until you are so overpowered that you deserve the big surprise that comes with a spin out. Even then, the Oceanis is well behaved as it politely rotates into the wind without a neck snapping auto tack.

The Oceanis’ kink and wide beam carried aft are traits that first arose in modern race boats, and it’s a trend that adds form stability, increasing the amount of sail-carrying capacity. It also adds space both below and above deck. The new 41 comes in deep (6 feet, 9 inches) and shallow (5 feet, 1 inch) draft versions, and those planning on longer-range offshore sailing, or those who simply prefer better windward ability in a cruising boat, are much better off with the deep-draft alternative.

Beneteau has a penchant for detailed engineering, and the new Oceanis line has gone through quite a bit of R&D. The company also shows an inclination for retaining what works and evolving good ideas. Like its siblings, the Oceanis 41 shows a lot of this tried and proven lineage, especially in construction scan’tlings, but it also has taken some bold new strides. For example, the recent advent of the pod-type, rotating sail drive links up with the bow thruster to create what Beneteau calls the “Dock and Go” system. This optional, joystick-actuated feature makes maneuvering in tight confines a piece of cake, but it also adds more system complexity and cost to the boat. And although the system makes docking a dream, we’re not sure what future maintenance issues and costs would add up to. A 41-footer with a conventional sail-drive and no bow thruster might save a buyer a few thousand dollars, but it would also put more of the close-quarters handling challenge back in the hands of the crew.

Deck Details

From stem to stern, there’s a lot of innovation, and many of the new trends are found aft of the companionway. The first is a twin-wheel helm, a sensible response to the wide beam carried so far aft. It offers the helmsperson a comfortable windward or leeward perch. The resulting wide centerline alleyway would have been an awkward traverse underway if it weren’t for the convenient cockpit table that doubles as a good handhold, a bracket for a chartplotter multifunction display, and even a convenient fiddled catch-all, complete with drink holders. At anchor, the narrow, well-secured centerline table spreads its gull-wing leaves and turns the cockpit into a great place for dinner or a handy gathering spot for impromptu gams.

Another interesting feature is the transom: A pushbutton transforms the aft deck/helm seat into an open transom with a swim platform. The electric open/close servo causes the hinged transom to rotate from the vertical to a horizontal position, morphing what was a stern enclosure into a swim deck replete with a stainless-steel boarding ladder. The result is a wide spacious aft portion of the cockpit that’s convenient for swimmers, snorkelers, and families who love to play in the water. The transformation is fast, so if a building breeze causes the anchorage to become less bucolic, the stern appendage can be quickly reeled in, turning the transom back into a safe enclosure.

Another feature in the cockpit makeover is the elevated mainsheet traveler that sits on a well-reinforced fiberglass (FRP) arch. With the traveler and sheet out of the way, there’s room for a dodger/bimini and less risk of someone being whacked by the mainsheet tackle during a jibe. The setup does mean that the boom is higher off the deck, and the heeling moment increases a little for the same amount of sail area, but on a cruising boat, these seem to be fair tradeoffs. Sail shaping, trim, and outhaul-inhaul lines, along with reefing lines, are clustered around rope clutches on either side of the companionway.

On deck, there’s a practical form-meets-function theme to many of the styling changes. A lot of attention has been given to providing a very usable set of anchor rollers. The nicely executed custom stainless-steel assembly projects far enough forward to keep anchors from chewing up the gelcoat during deployment and retrieval. The solidly fastened anchor roller projection can also double as the tack point for a light-air, removable furling jib or asymmetric spinnaker. The structure includes a tension/compression strut that spreads loads to a secondary point further down the plumb stem. The roller assembly is another good example of practical and aesthetic utilitarian engineering.

This theme is carried aft with a teak-like PVC toerail that affords a hint of woodwork, hides the hull-to-deck seam, and provides an effective foot stop when the boat heels before a gust. At the stem and stern, as well as amidships, lie breaks in the toerail where well-fastened cleats are mounted. By giving primary billing to cleats that are ready to fair-lead lines in a wide arc, Beneteau shows its roots as a seafaring company. It doesn’t try to hide essential hardware, instead recognizing its importance and blending it into a functional design approach.

Testers also were pleased to see a well thought-out anchor well and a usable—albeit small—windlass. A snubber line can be fair-led from a bow cleat to an all-chain anchor rode and the load transferred from the windlass gypsy. There’s even enough room for a second anchor’s rope rode. Whether it’s a well-placed spring-line cleat or a functional set of anchor rollers, cruisers will come to appreciate their value in tough anchoring conditions or challenging docking situations. The same goes for the value of the rugged forestay chainplate on the Oceanis 41 foredeck. Those heading offshore need more than a roller-furling genoa and a mainsail to cope with the wide range of conditions they will face. An optional removable forestay and hank-on, heavy-weather jib or storm jib are available to add the needed sailplan versatility.

One of the more subtle and most beneficial redesign elements aboard the 41 is the rig. The mast has been moved aft to about 47 percent of the distance from the bow to stern. This adds more J to the fore triangle and allows a barely overlapping jib to be set on a 15/16th headstay. It’s a win-win for the owner and the builder as it enables shrouds to be run to an outboard chainplate, maintaining inboard sheeting for the headsail. This also allows for easy passage when walking the sidedecks. The builder avoids both the extra cost and headache of inboard chainplate reinforcement, and the higher loads resulting from narrow athwartship shroud spacing. The big tradeoff however, is not being able to point as high in light air when using a large overlapping genoa. Beneteau believes this isn’t much of a compromise as most are more likely to use a gennaker.

Accomodations

A built-in, five-step companionway ladder leads to the accommodations below. The wide steps with bolstered sides keep feet from sliding off when the boat is heeled. The entire ladder assembly can be pivoted toward the overhead, affording access to the forward part of the engine.

The Oceanis 41 offers a high-volume interior that’s available in three different layouts. We test-sailed the two cabin, one head version, but there is also a three cabin, one head format and a three cabin, two head option. The more cabins and heads, the less space for cockpit or pantry storage. The two cabin, one head layout had a roomy feel, but it did not have functional port and starboard sea berths. A sliding nav station/end table occupies the port portion of the main saloon and allows the settee and nav table to be reconfigured into two seats with a small table in between. Those making offshore passages will regret not having a usable berth in this part of the boat, and the lack of a traditional chart table/nav station will be a notable con for some sailors.

There’s a functional, L-shaped galley with a two-burner stove, small oven, and a top-loading fridge, but counter space is limited.

The accommodations in all three configurations feature private cabin berthing situated at opposite ends of the boat. Though ideal while moored or when anchored in cooler climates, boat motion and the lack of ventilation underway will make such berthing less appropriate for passagemakers. (There are no full-sized Dorade boxes, only a hatch mushroom vent and a small aft-facing scoop.) However, Beneteau certainly knows it market, and the apparent trend seems to be toward fewer hours of sailing, and increased time spent entertaining and weekend cruising—dynamics that have certainly driven the new boat’s interior design.

Construction

Those with a wooden-boat school awareness of joiner work will be a little disappointed by today’s approach to production-boat interiors, and Beneteau is by no means the only builder that features raw-edge plywood locker lids and cutouts along with non cut-to-contour interiors. The fact that it’s not the same level of craftsmanship as seen aboard custom yachts is not a deal breaker. There’s no need to tab in the joinery, because it’s not part of the structural framework of the boat. Many labor hours are saved with this prefab and nicely finished approach to creating interior woodwork.

Beneteau, like many others, has opted to provide value to customers by not building interiors in situ, and investing the labor savings in better-engineered laminates and other crucial aspects of production building. In essence, to keep the price more competitive, the hours spent on detailed joiner work have been cut and the styling approach favors the factory-built interior. In some ways, this is good for Beneteau and the buyer: It allows for a greater percentage of the building budget to be allocated toward laminating materials, rigging, mechanical, and electrical systems—where many feel it really belongs. And it doesn’t mean that the interior finish quality has been abandoned; it simply means that if you are looking for dovetailed drawers, a solid teak-and-holly sole, and other nostalgic tidbits of yachting’s gilded days, you need to look elsewhere and be ready to double or triple your boat-buying budget.

Performance

We tested a deep-draft Oceanis 41 in 17- to 20-knot conditions (with a few higher gusts) and found the boat to be responsive under sail and willing to tolerate the gusts. Intentionally, we drove the boat hard on the wind, assuming that such a wide stern would turn a deep heel into a rudder-releasing roundup. Not only did the boat refuse to round up, but it maintained a comfortable helm despite a 20-plus degree heel. Only when puffs bore down at a sustained 25 knots did the rudder finally lose its grip. The result was a very demure return to an upright trim as the boat came head-to-wind. This was a far cry from the ricochet roundups we’ve experienced on other cruising and racing boats with wide sterns.

The boat we tested was rigged with the optional mainsail furling system. Reefing the batten-less main with the furler was easy, as was reducing headsail area with the roller furler. With less sail area set, boat handling was smooth and decisive; heel lessened to 15 degrees, and the boatspeed still exceeded 7 knots on a close reach. We were riding with the lee side just about level with the kink, and the water seemed to resist wrapping up around the hull. It was also interesting to see that the transom wasn’t immersed and the quarter wave seemed minimal. All of these attributes are indicative of Beneteau’s design success with the new hull form.

Off the wind, we unwound the reefed working sail area and scooted along at about 7.5 knots. A furling gennaker or asymmetric spinnaker could be tacked to the end of the anchor rollers and would have added even more boat speed, but in the 20 knots of true wind, there was no need for the extra drama.

With the sails dropped, the Yanmar 40 horsepower engine had plenty of power to handle the conditions. Returning to the dock and backing into a tight slip would have been a chore without the Dock and Go joystick steering—a benefit of a rotatable saildrive and bow thruster electronically linked to a thumb and forefinger actuator.

We liked the fact that the new Oceanis 41 carries on Beneteau’s tradition of keeping enough FRP structural material in the boat to maintain its reputation for well-built hulls. This boat is no featherweight, and with an 18,000-pound-plus light-trim displacement, it’s a sizable 41-footer. Light air may need to be handled under power, but the crew also has the option to harness a 1,400-square-foot asymmetric spinnaker.

The Oceanis 41 comes standard with a conventional main and a lazy jack sail pack. Those who want peak light-air performance should opt for this setup, but those seeking operational convenience may want mainsail furling—because the arch raises the boom fairly high, the air draft is 64 feet, quite a halyard haul.

Those headed on a lengthy offshore passage will bemoan the lack of functional seaberths, and they may want to think about the six large portlights and the damage control that would be required should one crack or let go.

All in all though, the Oceanis 41 is a modern hull form with a stylish interior that best fits the needs of part-time cruisers looking for a lot of boat that’s a lot of fun under sail.

• Building a New Beneteau

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Beneteau First 36, Sailing World 2023 Boat of the Year

• By Dave Reed
• December 16, 2022

Sailing World Magazine’s  annual Boat of the Year tests are conducted in Annapolis, Maryland, following the US Sailboat Show. With independent judges exhaustively inspecting the boats on land and putting them through their paces on the water, this year’s fleet of new performance-sailing boats spanned from small dinghies to high-tech bluewater catamarans. Here’s the best of the best from our  2023 Boat of the Year nominees »

The Total Package

• Beneteau First 36 2023 Boat of the Year
• Stated purpose: Shorthanded racing, club racing, coastal cruising
• Crew: Solo to six
• Praise for: Build quality, deck layout, versatility
• Est. price as sailed: $345,000

Like a runaway, the Beneteau First 36 careens across a westerly-whipped Chesapeake Bay. The boat’s big-shouldered spinnaker and mainsail are silhouetted in the early October morning light. It’s making trees on the Eastern Shore as we peg the throttle down to keep chase in a 19-foot RIB. The four crewmembers on board are having a casual conversation—like no big deal—when a cold and meaty gust fills the spinnaker. The leech flickers, and the boat surges forward onto plane. Twin rudders zipper the slick streaming out from the transom as the helmsman, hands at 10 and 2 on the carbon steering wheel, effortlessly weaves the boat across waves tops. The boat is, as the saying goes, on rails.

“Wicked,” is how senior Boat of the Year judge Chuck Allen summarizes his experience when he steps off. “That boat is going to be hard to beat.”

Three days and 10 boats later, nothing comes close to usurping the Beneteau First 36 as the obvious and unanimous Boat of the Year, a boat that has been a long time coming and overdue. It’s a boat that will serve many masters.

Beneteau initiated its First 36 project in 2019 by surveying a broad focus group of First “Point 7” owners and dealers about what they wanted in the marketplace, and the takeaways were: 1) Not another ­displacement boat—it had to plane. 2) They wanted a lounge, not a dining room. 3) They wanted their nav station back, and 4) for that, they were OK with having a smaller head.

Given the boat was to meet all three of its club racing, shorthanded and cruising demands, the brain trust assembled inside and outside of Beneteau focused on No. 1—keeping it light and fast. Naval architect Samuel Manuard, the new hot talent of the IMOCA 60 and Class 40 scenes, did the hull, keel and rig. Pure Structural Engineering took care of the structure, and the weight-obsessed glass slingers at Seascape’s factory in Slovenia ensured the boat came in at not a pound more than 10,580. At that weight, of course it’s going to plane.

The entire boat is ­vacuum-infused with CoreCell (hull) and PVC (bulkheads) from the deck down, inside and out, and everything, except the fridge, is somehow a piece of the structure puzzle.

“We are saving big weight there, as furniture is also part of the structure, and all of it glued together makes the boat extremely stiff and very light,” says Beneteau’s Tit Plevnik. “What is special is how calculated it is. In mass-production building, you can’t rely on precision, but we do. The boat is built to the same standard as a pure ­racing boat.”

“The moment I saw it, I knew it would be good. It’s a great-looking boat at the dock and even better with the sails up.” —Greg Stewart

Built like a race boat, the judges all agree it sure sails like one. “It’s a big 36-footer,” says veteran BOTY judge and naval architect Greg Stewart. “It’s a full-ended boat that has a hint of a scow-type bow with a lot of buoyancy forward. Looking at the numbers, what they achieved with the weight and its placement is impressive—10,000 pounds for a 36-foot waterline length is a very good number. I could tell the minute we put the spinnaker up it was a slippery boat.”

Stewart set the day’s top speed at a tick over 18 knots and says: “I remember feeling the puff hit and load the rig, and the boat just scooted off with really nice steering. It felt like a Laser when you get it in that groove and it just levitates. With the dual rudders, which are pretty long, the boat has more of a power-steering feel upwind, so it lets you do a lot of things. There’s so much control, which is a good thing because you can drive out of situations, but at the same time, it’s easy to oversteer.”

Multiple cockpit mock-ups done at ­different heel angles produced a workspace that the judges could find no flaw with. “It’s all legit, easy and clean in the pit,” Allen says. “With the four of us in the ­cockpit, we had plenty of space to move around and were never into each other.

“I was doing a lot of trimming downwind,” Allen adds. “You can feel the boat take off. It was really stable and easy to handle. The thing is light and fast, and we did push it to try and wipe it out, but it was hard to do.”

All the judges praised the clever location of the primary winches on sloped coamings, which were easier to trim from than a traditional winch-on-the-coaming setup. “They’re at the perfect height,” says judge Dave Powlison, “and with them angled like that, you don’t have to crane your neck to see the sail, and the lead is virtually override-proof.”

Also noteworthy is the generous space between the high carbon wheels and the cockpit walls that allow the helmsman to slide forward without having to step up and around the wheel. The jib trimmer has easy access to the three-dimensional clue adjustment systems, and for the pit, there’s plenty of clutches, redirects and cleats to keep everything sorted and tidy.

The standard spar, and that on the demo boat, is a deck-stepped Z Spars aluminum section with Dyform wire rigging that carries 860 square feet of upwind sail area, which Stewart says is considerable for the displacement of the boat. The mast is well aft, which really stretches out the J dimension and opens the foredeck for a quiver of headsails—for this, you’ll find two tack points on the foredeck. There are four halyards total: one for a masthead gennaker, a 2-to-1 for a code sail, a fractional gennaker, and a 2-to-1 staysail. Allen, a semi-retired sailmaker, put an estimate for a complete race inventory at $60,000, which would put the boat on the racecourse for roughly $400,000. (Base boat is priced at $345,000.)

When the race is done, however, how about that interior?

Step down the wide companionway steps into a space of design simplicity and efficiency, some of which makes you say, “Duh, of course.”

For example, there’s no ­traditional L-shaped galley to port or starboard. There is, however, a tall and slender fridge smack in the middle of the boat (that you connect to the galley with a removable cutting board to complete the L). Walk on either side of it to get forward, past the proper nav station, the fold-down dinette table in the middle with roomy 6-foot berths on both sides, a jetliner-size head with a stowaway sink to starboard, and then a gigantic V-berth that benefits from all that volume in the bow. Back aft, under the cockpit, are large quarter berths as well that easily cruise-convert into storage space for water toys, like kites, wings and foils, all of which takes us back to survey result No. 2. This is where the post-race party begins and ends.

With the usual supply-chain delays, compounded with the build and design team’s obsessive and calculated approach to getting the Beneteau First 36 perfect at Hull No. 1, its debut got off to a later start than hoped. But with early boats landing at eager dealers worldwide, Plevnik says the goal is 32 boats per year for the next two years. The BOTY judges assure us it’ll be worth the wait and give you plenty of time to start planning what you can and will do with it.

• More: 2023 Boat of the Year , Beneteau , Boat of the Year , Print Winter 2023 , Sailboats
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How Much Sailboats Cost On Average (380+ Prices Compared)

Turns out that owning a sailboat is pretty affordable. OK, it isn't cheap, but it can absolutely be done on a budget. In this article, I'll show you exactly what to expect.

Sure, super yachts are expensive, but so is everything super (except for maybe supermarkets). But a modest, used sailboat can be as cheap as $2,500 and an additional $1,400 per year.

It may come as a surprise to you that you can get a decent sailboat for as little as $1,500 on Craigslist.

Average sailboat costs at a glance

We've compared thousands of listings, so you don't have to. If you just want the ballpark figures, here they are:

The average price of new sailboats is $425,000 ($127,000 to $821,000). The average price of used sailboats is $278,000 ($67,000 to $555,000). Maintenance costs are on average $2,000 - $3,000 per year, and the average total annual cost is $3,000 to $7,000.

Of course the price of a sailboat depends on our choices. We decide whether sailing is a rich man's game, or actually a very good holiday investment. (It beats driving to a bungalow park for sure - both cost-wise and the experience itself.)

How Much To Charter a Superyacht? (Less Than You Think)

Why you should trust us These figures are based on our latest research which was last updated September 26th 2023 . We do this research every year, giving us very accurate numbers and clear insight into the trend of sailboat prices. We've literally compared thousands of sailboat listings over the years, and we've done so methodically. The research is done by our researcher Tay, who is an engineer by trade.

This will be a long article because there are so many aspects to cover. I'd like to spend some time exploring the costs of actually buying the boat. Then I want to go into recurring costs , like mooring, maintenance, and insurance.

To really drive home what you're getting into , I'll give four real-life examples. These examples include every expense as a separate line-item. And we'll go over them line-by-line together.

Then I'll share our exact research results with you . This will include all our numbers: new vs. used, average price per foot, and much more. These are extremely detailed numbers (you don't have to read this if you don't want to).

At the end of the article, we'll discuss why a boat doesn't just cost money: she can actually make you some if you wanted.

• A used family week-ender with a small cabin will cost roughly $30,000 (all-in for the first year).
• If you dream of sailing around the world, expect to spend around $100,000.
• New sailboats on average cost twice as much as used boats.
• Maintenance cost are 5-10% of the boat's value per year. Docking costs are roughly $800 - $2,500 per year.
• Sailboat prices have gone up 30% this year.

On this page:

Average sailboat cost: 2023 summary, examples of popular sailboats, and how much they cost, what does it cost to buy a sailboat, what does it cost to own a sailboat, make or save some money, related questions.

Before we really get into it, I first want to give you the quick rundown. So I've summarized our research for you.

Buying a sailboat

Small boats are up to 30 foot long . They'll be very capable and great for solo sailors or small families who want to go on day trips, or short week-end trips on inland waters. Some of them will have cabins and sleeping quarters, although small.

Medium boats are between 30 and 50 foot long . They'll host larger parties and will be more suited for longer trips, coastal sailing, or even bluewater cruising. Sailboat length isn't necessarily the most important feature for that, though.

Large boats are 50 foot and up . This is proper yacht territory, and they'll be a lot more luxurious, and also exponentially more expensive.

If you buy via a broker, you typically get more reliable boats, but also pay more. If you buy off of Craigslist, you get a fat discount, but there are more lemons on there too.

You could hire a boat surveyor who will inspect the boat before you buy it (much like when you buy a house). Those surveys are not very expensive and can be worth your money.

Owning a sailboat

There are a lot of costs involved with simply owning a boat. The biggest expenses will be docking and maintenance.

Those two alone will account for roughly 80% of your yearly expenses.

• Maintenance : 5-10% of the boat's value
• Docking : $800-$2,500 per year on average, depeding on location

If we want to know what we're getting ourselves into, we should know every expense to the dot.

Below, we'll go over four very different case studies. I'm hoping one of these will relate to your specific situation. It'll show you what to expect and how to budget for your purchase.

The four sailboat case studies

• What does it cost if you want to keep your boat in good shape and have a good sailing experience? - aka: most people
• What does it cost if you ONLY spend the absolute minimum amount to keep her floating?
• If I want to sail the world on a budget, what's the absolute minimum?
• If sailing is more of a status thing to you, how much money COULD you spend?

There are a lot of great boats out there for a good price and there are also some boats that are so expensive (or so cheap), it's not even fun to look at them.

But one thing's for sure: there are plenty of boats available, and even if you're on a very tight budget, you could absolutely still make it work. Sailing in and of itself is actually not that expensive: wind is free, water is free, boats can be cheap - if you're willing to look around a bit. It's all the little extras that add up quickly.

Listed below are 4 boats that make great beginner boats. Since more than 80% of all boats that are bought are second-hand, I'll use the prices of used boats I found on Craigslist.

If you want to know exactly where the numbers come from, don't worry, I'll explain them after the 4 examples.

1. Island Packet 26' for stressless weekends on the lake

The one-time costs are $24,860 Your total recurring costs are $5,650 per year, or $471 per month

Let's say you're like me and most other people and just want a nice boat without too much hassle. So you pay people for complex maintenance. You do the required maintenance and save up for future repairs. You do a little yourself, which saves you a couple of hundred of bucks a year. You also join a (cheap) sailing club to learn how to not trash the boat. You get the right trailer, and you save up some money for future repairs. You don't want to buy a bad boat, so you pay a fair purchase price

One-Time Costs:

Recurring costs:, 2. extreme low budget catalina 22'.

Ok, I'm very interested in how cheap you could actually go (in theory). Is it do-able to buy a very cheap sailboat and just keep her afloat, never change sails, and only pay for maintenance that is absolutely necessary to not sink?

In this scenario, I don't care about speed, so I don't change sails. I certainly won't join a sailing club, and I try to save some money on the marina by boondocking. I also happen to live in a cheap state registration and tax-wise.

Docking costs can get out of hand For an average sailboat, depending on your area and wishes, up to $5,000/year . Read everything about docking costs

I try to pay as little as possible for the boat itself (and I've actually found a Catalina 22 for $2,250 on Craigslist today!). I don't save up for rigging and hardware (tomorrows' worries). I try to get an extra 2 years out of my bottom paint and I only do the essential repairs, and I do them myself. But because I saved so much on the purchase, this little boat needs a lot of maintenance.

Luckily, I have time on my hands and know my way around engines and rigging, so I do all of it myself (with the help of YouTube).

I don't bother with winterizing my boat, I'll just sail somewhere warm. Oh, and I'll use the engine as little as possible to save on gas.

Will your boat be happy? Definitely not, but your wallet will be (for now). Can it be done? It's optimistic, but yes, I think it can be done. But you have to be mechanically inclined, and pretty creative.

The one-time costs are $2,428 Your total recurring costs are $1,380 per year, or $115 per month

Recurring Costs

3. low budget 35' ocean cruiser for traveling the world.

If you dream of crossing oceans, you need a comfortable ride. Usually, most sailors pick a boat that's between 32' - 50' for two person ocean cruising. Anything under 32' gets pretty uncomfortable in high waves, although it can be done.

But this is also the range that gets expensive - quickly . So if we're on a tight budget, but also need a good and reliable boat: how much will it cost?

The boat will cost you $35,000. For this price, I've seen a beautiful 1983 wooden cutter (by Robert Tucker), multiple Beneteau Oceanis from '88 - '89, multiple Bavarias ... plenty of solid choices on the second-hand market here.

In this example, you don't join any sailing clubs (I assume you're pretty experienced if you want to cross oceans). You also don't winterize (you're sailing the Caribbean by now). No trailer, as you won't haul it out of the water any time soon.

You do pay a fair price for the boat because you don't want any surprises during your Tour du Monde. In need of a lot of bottom paint , since you're in saltwater most of the time. It's also a good idea to invest in at least SOME navigation equipment, so for $500 I've added a simple but capable GPS chartplotter and compass.

You can get a cheap but reliable chartplotter and compass for less than $500 - in total. If you want to learn more, head over to the recommended gear section .

The one-time costs are $37,590 Your total recurring costs are $5,425 per year, or $452 per month

4. Powerful 40' Yacht (and everything that goes with it)

Let's say you're in the game for the fame. What does it cost me to own a grande yacht with all luxuries (and costs) that go with it?

I join an expensive sailing club, hire pros that maintain the thing beautifully, and I also pay for winterization, the best trailer I can find. I replace my sails and running rigging every 5 years - since speed matters to me. Because she's my pride, I paint her every year. I spend an additional 500 bucks a year on special soaps and waxes.

I want a prime mooring location, so I pay a premium. I also get a small boat to hang from the large boat, to get to shore more quickly.

The one-time costs are $166,400 Your total recurring costs are $15,150 per year, or $1,263 per month

There are a couple of important factors that determine how much money you end up spending.

• Size - length determines mooring costs, insurance, amount of paint on your hull, literally everything gets more expensive with every foot of length
• New vs. used - of course, it makes all the difference whether you buy new or used. Typically, the price of a 25-year old used sailboat vs. a comparable new one is 3-4 times lower ($60,000 vs $200,000).

With used sailboats, I find that the price generally increases rapidly from 30 feet onwards

It's the same with new sailboats - or actually, it keeps increasing with every extra couple of feet. The reason is that as the boat gets bigger, it also gets more luxurious (upholstery, finishing, equipment).

The average price of a new sailboat per foot in USD:

• under 30 ft: $3,217 per ft
• 30 - 50 ft: $7,625 - $11,128 ft
• over 50 ft: $14,927 - $78,033 per ft

On average, second-hand sailboats go at 1/3 - 1/4 of the cost of a new boat:

• under 30 ft: $1,773 per ft
• 30 - 50 ft: $6,473 per ft
• over 50 ft: $10,091 - $36,889 per ft

If this is too much for you, you could always rent a boat instead. I recommend chartering. You can get great sailboats at great prices. Check out my charter recommendation here .

Cost of buying a sailboat

Price of new sailboats.

I've looked at the prices of thousands of yachts (really) on one of the largest yacht marketplaces in the world (- not manually, don't worry: with the help of their search function). This is what I came up with:

Source: Yachtworld.com Q3 2023

The price of new sailboats ranges from roughly $1,765 - $78,033 per foot. I've used these numbers to calculate the following list:

Prices per foot in USD

Here's the detailed price per foot for all lengths from 20 to 100 feet:

Price of used sailboats

We did the same for used sailboats, comparing thousands of listings. Here are the complete data:

Source: Yachtworld Q3 2023

The price of used sailboats ranges from roughly $882-$36,889 per foot . Here's the detailed price per foot for all lengths from 20 to 100 feet:

Prices on Craigslist

The price of used sailboats ranges from roughly $476-$2,098 per foot.

To get an average of the price of a used sailboat, I went over to Craigslist. I took the first 20 relevant search results for sailboats under, and over 30 feet.

Of course, the averages here are very speculative, as prices vary from day to day. But it gives a broad range of what to expect.

Over 50 feet, listings become meagre. I believe people tend to not place their 80-ft sailboats on Craigslist, but sell it through a broker instead.

Median Craigslist price of a used sailboat:

• under 30 ft: $11,065
• over 30 ft: $87,020

I've calculated the median price , not the average. The median is the price that's most common within the price range. This way the highest and lowest prices don't have as much impact.

Average Craigslist price-per-foot of a used sailboat:

• under 30 ft: $476 per ft
• over 30 ft: $2,098 per ft

This is what I found on Craigslist under 30 feet:

Washington dc.

Source: Craigslist Washington DC Q3 2023

Los Angeles

Source: Craigslist Los Angeles Q3 2023

Source: Craigslist Houston Q3 2023

South Florida

Source: Craigslist Miami Q3 2023

Source: Craigslist New York Q3 2023

Here's what I found for 30 feet and up:

Sailboat price development.

Compared to our 2022 research, the median price of new sailboats has gone up 22.5% (from $251,000 to $307,500). The average price has gone up 33.6% (from $248,000 to $331,250).

The average price of used sailboats under 30 ft on Craigslist has gone up 30% (from $8,500 to $11,000).

Sailboat prices research archive

You can check our earlier research data here:

• 2022 average sailboat price data
• 2019 average sailboat price data

Catamarans are 60% more expensive

If you dream of owning a catamaran, you should expect to pay roughly 60% more for the boat, and 60% more on annual cost like upkeep and mooring. There are exceptions, of course, and for some boat lengths, new catamarans may be slightly more affordable than a monohull.

I've researched thousands of catamaran listings as well to come up with those numbers. The exact numbers are summarized in my guide on the average cost of buying and owning a catamaran. It's very similar to this article, so if you like this and are curious about catamaran prices as well, I encourage you to check it out.

Average Cost of Buying & Owning a Catamaran (With 4 Examples)

So let's take a quick look at the costs for owning a sailboat.

One-time costs:

• Registration : costs of registration differ per state, but usually run anywhere from $3 - $10 per foot.
• Taxes : differs per state and country. Most governments want you to pay property tax and sales tax. Sales tax is usually about 5%. Property tax varies and is more complex, so I'll leave that up to you to figure out.
• Trailer : $1,000
• Sailing club initiation fee : $1,500 - $4,000

Recurring costs:

• Mooring : $10-15 per foot per year (can be much higher for prime locations)
• Insurance : typically 1.5% of the total value of the boat. So a $50,000 26' cruiser will cost 750 bucks.
• Maintenance : a good rule of thumb is 10% of the boat value. Expect to spend anywhere between $500 - $2,500 per year for small to mid-sized boats.
• Fuel : depends on how much you use the boat and the engine, but on average something between $100 - $150. - Find out how much fuel a sailboat uses in my article here (opens in new tab).
• International License : if you want to sail on international waters, you have to get your ICC (International Certificate of Competence ). Plan on spending anywhere between 400 to 500 dollars.
• Safety equipment : plan on spending anywhere between 150 to 600 bucks for lifejackets, first aid kit, and distress signals.
• Winterize boat : $2,000
• Sailing club: $800 - $1,500

Cost of owning a boat

Maintenance

Your average maintenance cost will be roughly $144 dollars per month for boats under 30', or just under $2,000 per year.

Maintenance involves a lot of hidden costs We took an in-depth look at everything . The result is a comprehensive article that lays it all out for new boat owners. Read all about maintenance costs

Gas engines run for about 1,500 hours, diesel engines run for 5,000. After that, you'll need to change them out.

Most engines will last you about 20 years.

A standard 15HP or 20HP outboard gas engine will cost you about $5,000 - $6,000 and needs replacing every 20 years or so. If you do the work yourself, it's more something like $1,000 - $1,500.

A smaller engine uses less fuel, reducing your total cost You can actually use a pretty small engine for most sailboats. To learn how small (and efficient) you can go, I've written a guide on how to calculate it yourself. Read all about outboard engine size

Replacing the sails and rigging

Most people that own a sailboat will have to replace the sails and rigging at least once in their lifetime. Replacing the mast is uncommon, but if you're unlucky and get demasted, it will need to be fixed. So I've added it to the "be aware this might happen" list - but won't add it to the monthly recurring costs.

If you need to replace the mast and boom, prepare to spend anywhere between $15,000 - $25,000.

I won't go into detail, but I have written a long article about the cost of new sails (opens in new tab). It's a really helpful post (with a formula) if you want to know what to expect.

Good quality cruising sails will need to be replaced every 10 years or so.

The cost of new sails is on average:

• 26' Bermuda Sloop rig will cost you about $1,000 - $2,500.
• 34' Bermuda Sloop rig will cost you about $3,000 - $5,000.

The cost of the new rigging is on average:

• Standing rigging - every 10 years at $4,000
• Running rigging - every 5-10 years at $5,000

Bottom Paint

Your boat will need bottom paint roughly every 2 years (could be longer, but to be safe, let's keep it at two). It's also called antifouling paint because it helps to protect your hull from weeds, barnacles, and so on. Barnacles can slice through your boat's bellow! So you don't want them on there.

On average, it costs about $15 to $20 per foot to get your sailboat hull painted professionally.

For a 26' sailboat, that's just 500 bucks. Money well spent.

Replacing safety equipment

USCG safety regulations require you to replace safety gear regularly.

• Lifejackets have to be replaced every 10 years.
• Flares have to be replaced every 42 months. You could consider buying a LED electric distress light instead, which will last you a lifetime.
• If you carry a life-raft you'll need to replace that every 12 years as well.

Adhering to the minimum safety requirements shouldn't cost you more than 150 - 250 dollars every 5 years. But if you want the good stuff, need more fire extinguishers, plan on spending more like $600. If you want a life raft, that's another $1,500.

To avoid you have to go cheap on your safety gear, I've put it in the budget for $500.

If you want to know exactly what the USCG safety requirements are, including checklists , definitely check out my article here.

Winterizing your boat

Winterization is an often overlooked cost, but it can be one of the largest expenses each year. If you're like me, and not so lucky to live in Florida, you need to winterize your boat.

Failing to winterize it will increase your maintenance cost over time, as the engine wears out more quickly, and your plumbing and equipment will fall apart. Winter storms and ice can damage the hull and mast as well. Learn all about the dangers of failing to winterize here .

It's the best way to protect your boat in wintertime, period.

It consists of two parts:

• Winterizing - costs $500 to $1000 - This is the preparation for winter storage. You flush the cooling system with anti-freeze, and the boat gets wrapped in a shrink wrap cover.
• Winter storage - costs $50 per ft on average

Some other maintenance costs:

• Batteries: deep cycle batteries need replacing every 4-6 years at $600
• Deck hardware: every 20-30 years (bullseyes, tiller, eye straps) at $1,500

Joining a Sailing Club

If you're new to sailing, you might want to consider joining a sailboat club. This might help you to get tips, make friends, and learn in a safe environment. Most clubs also organize races, which are a great way to quickly improve your sailing skills.

But it comes at a cost. Sailing clubs are very expensive.

Initiation fees range anywhere between $1,000 - $4,000. But that's not all.

Then there's an annual fee of $500 - $1,000 per year. And lot's of additional fees: for dining, lockers, etc.

If you're willing to skip Christmas, go for it.

How about making up for some of those losses? There's just no better feeling than earning back all that cash with the same thing that you've spent it on in the first place.

There are lot's of ways to earn a little extra with your boat - if you're willing to put in the effort. Here are a few ideas:

• hire yourself out as the captain of a personalized cruise (for families, newly-weds, groups of colleagues)
• take people to go fishing
• hire your boat out to yacht charter companies
• teach someone to sail
• take photographers, film crews, and artists on tours
• organize dolphin and whale watching tours
• delivery of cargo - some places just can't be reached by car, for example, the city center of Giethoorn (Dutch Venice). So you have a competitive edge here!

Some ideas to save money:

• install solar panels (no more dock power)
• buy a and cheap small boat (kayak or someting) to get to offshore anchorage (which are cheaper)
• shop around for insurance
• get gas at the gas station, not the marina
• do your own maintenance as much as possible
• find a friend with water access to avoid mooring
• use it a lot (prevents stuff from breaking)
• fix things that are broken immediately
• keep your sails out of the sun
• do your own upgrades

For example, convert your winches to self-tailing yourself. I was really surprised by how cheaply this can be done yourself. Read my article on how to do it here (opens in new tab).

How much does it cost to paint a boat hull? Painting a boat hull with antifouling paint will usually cost between $15 - $20 per feet. For example, a 25-foot sailboat will cost roughly $500. A 35-foot sailboat will cost $800 to repaint. You can get premium paints and services, which can quadruple the cost. Typically, a boat needs to be repainted every two years.

Why are used sailboats so cheap? Sailboats require a lot of skill and patience. They can be quite expensive to maintain and to keep in slip. Some people find they can't afford the marina rent, upkeep, and other costs; sometimes they simply don't want to; others don't want to sail anymore. In some cases, expensive and important parts are missing.

How much does it cost to charter a sailboat? The price of a charter depends on location, size of the vessel, crew or bareboat chartering, and so on. However, on average, a bareboat yacht charter will cost anywhere from $5,000 - $10,000 per week. Crewed charters cost anywhere between $10,000 - $15,000 per week. Superyachts may cost up to $150,000 per week.

Thanks to Jean-Pierre Bazard for letting me use his wrapped boat photo under CC BY-SA 3.0

Excellent write up. This is honestly the type of information that’s hard to find as you’re trying to get into sailing. I’m a car guy. People think of car collecting like Jay Leno, but it can be done cheaply. I get the impression sailing is the same way.

Shawn Buckles

Hi Stephen, thanks a lot for your kind words, really appreciate it! It really is kind of the same, it’s all about how much time and effort you’re willing to put in. As with anything, lots can be achieved with energy and attention.

Thanks again.

Serious question. Why are you buying a trailer for a 40 ft yacht? That doesn’t even make sense.

Hi Christian, thanks for the remark. 40 ft boat trailers do actually exist, although I agree that most people probably won’t trailer a 40 ft yacht.

Thank a lot for the very useful information„ now you caused me to start thinking why don’t I start sailing lessons to do round the world in a sail boat ( instead of an aircraft)

Hello Hatem, you’re very welcome. Smooth sailing, or flying.

Hi, I am not familiar with boats. My boss just asked me to find a nice boat for him. Thank you for this informative post, this helps me so much. By the way, I already found a site selling yachts here in the Philippines, here’s the link https://rayomarine.com Do you have any suggestion with brand and boat type. Thank you! More power!

Very good information, but I am having a hard time matching these number here in Southern California. Cheapest slip I found so for is $375/month, on a very run down and far from the ocean marina. At the harbor that I want, the cheapest I found is $800/month. Even if I was given a boat for free, just keeping it in place would cost me almost 10k/year

Excellent writeup, Shawn! Thank you very much for all your hard work and I look forward to reading your other articles on the subject.

Great info! We are in the market for our first sailboat and this answered many of our questions. Although I do agree with Rafael that slip prices in Southern California our much higher than what you listed. The marina we like will run about $1000 a month.

Thank you for your artical…a LOT of useful information included in it sir. I have been thinking about buying one for two years now, since I moved to a harbor town near where I grew up. We always had motor boats when I was young. But, I always loved sailing MUCH much more! I love the quiet of it, and always something to do, rather than just sit, drive, gas it up, dock, repeat. Laugh!! It’s about a ten min walk to the marina from here..and I have nothing but time. However my health is pretty bad. I just don’t know if I could handle it all alone. I’m thinking maybe a 25-30 foot cruiser. Thanks again sir!! I look forward to reading your other articles. Sincerely, Gary Heaton Olcott, Ny

Thanks a million! First time I come across an article that complete and with so much effort. For people thinking about buying a boat the info you provide is priceless.

John Callahan

Good information, but any article on prices should have a date associated with it. I see no indication of when this article was posted.

Thank you so much for this well done article. We’re looking at getting a boat and you’ve answered questions we didn’t even know we had.

Awesome article good job i am from Slovenia and thinking about buyng sailboat and sail for 6 monhs per year.I hawe bean looking on Holland sites too buy one can i maybe find auctions too buy a sailingboat i bawe wach Troswijk but they do t hawe any up ther?

Many of the costs quoted look very low to me, especially in the first article. Was this written a long time ago?

Excellent article. Am wondering though how do I dispose of a used boat if I get tired of it and can’t sell it or possibly run it aground. Maybe a 40 ft sloop?

Chris Kenny

Thanks for this infor.

Peace sailing.

Benjamin Sklar

Extremely helpful and interesting article! Thank you!

John Wallace

This is the most accurate information I have ever seen about boat ownership costs.

Many thanks!!!!

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What is Beneteau and why should you by one

Dive into our extensive guide on Beneteau sailboats. Discover insightful perspectives, arguments and competitors - everything you need to set sail on a Beneteau

October 20, 2023

Date Posted:

June 28, 2023

Beneteau is a renowned French company that manufactures a wide variety of boats, including sailboats. The company was established in 1884 by Benjamin Beneteau and has grown over the decades to become one of the leading boat manufacturers worldwide.

The Beneteau brand is synonymous with innovation, quality, and seaworthiness. They produce different sailboats designed for various uses, from cruising to racing. The company’s sailboat range includes small boats for casual sailing, larger yachts for extended cruising, and even high-performance boats for competitive sailing.

Beneteau’s most popular sailboat lines included the Oceanis, First, and Sense series.

• The Oceanis line is designed for comfort and ease of use, making it ideal for cruising and liveaboard sailors. These boats are known for their spacious interiors, excellent build quality, and efficient sailing characteristics.
• The First series is targeted towards racing and performance-oriented sailing. These boats have sleek, streamlined designs and are built for speed while still offering some cruising comforts.
• The Sense series offers a unique blend of sailing performance and liveaboard comfort, with features designed for long-distance blue water cruising. They are known for their innovative layouts that provide an easy and seamless transition between indoor and outdoor spaces.

3 reasons to buy a Beneteau sailboat

Versatility and variety.

Beneteau offers a diverse range of boats to suit various needs and preferences. Whether you are looking for a performance-oriented sailboat for racing, a comfortable yacht for leisurely cruising, or a motorboat for fishing and day trips, Beneteau has options that cater to a wide spectrum of boating enthusiasts. The extensive range allows you to find a boat that aligns closely with your intended usage and style preferences.

Innovation and Modern Features

Beneteau is known for staying at the forefront of technological innovations and incorporating modern features in its boats. The company’s boats often come equipped with cutting-edge navigational systems, efficient hull designs, and luxurious amenities that enhance comfort and performance. A Beneteau boat can be an appealing choice for someone who values modernity and state-of-the-art features.

Global Support and Resale Value

Owning a Beneteau comes with the assurance of a broad global support network, thanks to the brand’s international presence. This makes it relatively easy to access service and maintenance, even if you are cruising in different parts of the world. Additionally, Beneteau’s reputation as a reliable and well-regarded brand often translates to strong resale values. For those who may wish to upgrade or sell their boat in the future, this can be an important financial consideration.

Beneteau is one of the largest boat manufacturers in the world and has an extensive history that spans over a century. Beneteau was founded in 1884 by Benjamin Beneteau, a shipbuilder who began by building fishing boats in the Vendée region of France. Over the years, the company expanded its operations to include both sailboats and motorboats, and it is now a multinational company with a presence in multiple countries worldwide.

Innovation and Design : Beneteau is known for its innovative designs and use of modern technology. The company has introduced numerous design features that have influenced the boating industry. For example, they were among the first boat builders to use GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic) to construct their boats, which is now standard in the industry.

Global Presence : The company operates internationally, with dealerships and manufacturing facilities in multiple countries, including the United States and Poland. Beneteau’s boats are sold all over the world.

Environmental Responsibility : Beneteau is committed to environmental responsibility. The company strives to minimize the environmental impact of its manufacturing processes and has implemented numerous sustainability initiatives over the years.

Heritage and Reputation : With over a century of experience, Beneteau has a strong heritage and reputation in the boating industry. The brand is synonymous with reliability, and owning a Beneteau can be seen as an endorsement of quality.

Innovation and Technology : Beneteau is known for incorporating cutting-edge technology and innovative designs in their boats. They have been pioneers in many aspects, including hull design and manufacturing techniques. This means that with a Beneteau, you’re likely getting some of the latest features and innovations.

Wide Range of Options : Beneteau offers a diverse range of sailboats, from small, performance-oriented models to large, luxurious cruising yachts. This diversity makes it easier for buyers to find a boat that fits their specific needs and preferences.

Resale Value : Beneteau sailboats generally have good resale values due to the brand’s reputation and demand in the used boat market. This can be an important consideration for buyers looking at the total cost of ownership over time.

Global Support and Dealership Network : As an international brand, Beneteau has an extensive dealership and service network across the globe. This makes it easier to find service and support for your boat, no matter where you are.

Comfort and Liveability : Many Beneteau models, especially in the Oceanis range, are designed with a focus on comfort and liveability. They often feature spacious interiors, efficient layouts, and amenities that make them suitable for extended cruising and living aboard.

Performance : Particularly in their First series, Beneteau has models that are performance-oriented and well-regarded in the racing community. This is ideal for sailors who are looking to participate in regattas or who simply enjoy a more sporty sailing experience.

Community : Owning a Beneteau can also provide you with access to a community of fellow owners. There are clubs and associations for Beneteau owners, and being part of this community can be both socially rewarding and practical, as experienced owners can be a good source of advice and support.

Motorboats : In addition to sailboats, Beneteau also manufactures a wide range of motorboats. These include small outboard motorboats, larger inboard cruisers, and luxury motor yachts. They also have ranges of powerboats for different uses, from day-boating to cruising and luxury yachting.

Beneteau competitors

Beneteau has several competitors in the sailboat and motorboat markets. The boating industry is quite diverse, and the major competitors can vary depending on the type and size of the boat. Here are some of the notable competitors in the sailboat market:

• Jeanneau : Like Beneteau, Jeanneau is a French brand often considered one of Beneteau’s closest competitors. They offer a similar range of sailboats known for quality and performance. Interestingly, Beneteau and Jeanneau are part of the same parent group, Groupe Beneteau.
• Bavaria Yachtbau : A German brand, Bavaria is known for producing well-built sailboats and motorboats. Their Cruiser and Vision series of sailboats are particularly popular among cruising enthusiasts.
• HanseYachts AG : Another German manufacturer, Hanse produces a range of modern and innovative sailboats. They are known for their easy handling, performance, and customizable designs.
• Dufour Yachts : Also based in France, Dufour manufactures cruising sailboats known for their performance, quality, and comfort. They have a range of models suitable for both coastal and blue-water cruising.
• Catalina Yachts : An American brand, Catalina Yachts produces a range of sailboats known for their durability and value. They have a loyal following, particularly in the United States.
• Hunter Marine : This is another American brand well-known for producing cruising sailboats. They offer boats with a good balance of comfort, ease of use, and performance.
• Elan Yachts : Based in Slovenia, Elan builds performance-oriented cruising sailboats. They are known for incorporating innovative features and designs in their boats.

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Oceanis 30.1

Oceanis 34.1, oceanis 37.1, oceanis 40.1, oceanis 46.1, oceanis 51.1.

• Oceanis Yacht 54
• Oceanis Yacht 60
• FIGARO BENETEAU 3
• Heritage Sailing Yacht
• Flyer 7 SUNdeck
• Flyer 7 SPACEdeck
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• Flyer 8 SPACEdeck
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• Antares 8 Fishing
• ANTARES 11 FLY
• Gran Turismo 32
• Gran Turismo 36
• Gran Turismo 41
• Gran Turismo 45
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• Swift trawler 41 Fly
• Swift Trawler 48
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• Heritage Powerboats
• Future Owners
• Our History
• Our Architects and Designers
• Our philosophy
• Our Innovations
• Your way to ownership
• Event calendar
• Tests and Awards

• Description
• Key Features

Specifications

Following in the wake of her elder sister the Oceanis 46.1, this 40-foot cruiser, with  a new hull design by Marc Lombard , offers unrivaled  deck volume and interior space , with zero concessions to performance. The Oceanis 40.1 is  available in different layouts, drafts and rig options , adapting to the most demanding sailor’s cruising requirements and satisfying their need for comfort and pleasure under sail.

NAVAL ARCHITECT : Marc Lombard

INTERIOR & DECK DESIGN : Nauta Design

Exterior design

How can you enjoy life at anchor as much as while sailing? With the innovative flared hull design of the Oceanis 40.1, BENETEAU has broken new ground but made no concessions. The result is a hull that has true speed potential and is stiff under sail. Above the waterline, her deck plan and ultra-spacious interior by  Nauta Design  is unheard-of on a boat this size. You cannot help feeling that you are aboard a 45 foot cruiser!

Interior Design

With your choice of either a  walnut or white oak , the styling of the interior by Italian designer Nauta is remarkably bright and excels in the skillful arrangement of the living spaces. She is available with two, three, or four cabins, and a  C-shaped galley  to the starboard that offers an abundance of storage and a spacious countertop. On the port side, there is a large salon with a table, complete with a removable bench. A chart table at the foot of the companionway provides ample working space. Everything is modular, so that everyone can live the way they want and enjoy sailing wherever the wind takes them.

40 FEET OF SPACE!

The philosophy of the Oceanis 40.1 is to make sailing and mooring pleasurable. The strengths of this cruiser, studied in detail by the architect Marc Lombard and the BENETEAU design office, are unrivalled interior space, a huge deck plan, and the ability to clock up miles when you are cruising.

LIFE AT ANCHOR

The ergonomics and easy maneuvering in the cockpit make life onboard simple. Nothing interferes with the joy of life at anchor. Feel like splashing around the boat in an idyllic creek? The transom easily converts to an extensive swim platform, similar in size to the ones you find on the largest Oceanis cruising yachts. Having access to the sea is an integral part of life on a sailing yacht, and this model is one of a kind. 

SEEKING EXCITEMENT UNDER SAIL…

As there is no one way to sail, and because everyone takes their cruising at their own pace, the Oceanis 40.1 comes in several versions. Sailors keen on performance can choose the First Line Pack, with a taller mast and a deeper draft. Alternatively, the in-mast furling system and self-tacking jib will make maneuvering easier when shorthanded. A classic mast for a semi-full batten mainsail is also available.

HEAVENS ABOVE, SO MUCH SPACE!

The hatches and the many hull and coachroof portholes, two of which face towards the cockpit, fill the boat with natural light and ventilation, making her exceptionally bright. The Oceanis 40.1 comes in 4 different versions with two, three, and four cabins to accommodate everyone’s idea of a holiday on board. Couples and large families will feel at home. The owner version has a cabin with an ensuite shower and head, and a bed easily accessible from either side. The four-cabin layout has two forward berths with bunk beds.

Equipped With SEANAPPS

The easiest way to keep your boat safe and ready to cruise anytime.

The new Seanapps  app is the ultimate solution to help you indulge your passion for boating. With the touch of your finger, you can easily connect, monitor and order services for your boat – from routine maintenance, to requesting a wash or fuel or having us complete a repair.

Virtual tour

The information below is intended for general informational purposes only and is subject to change without notice and does not constitute a contractual agreement. Any descriptions, representations, or statements made in this document are not to be considered binding unless explicitly stated otherwise in a formal contractual agreement.

Length Overall

Beam overall

Light displacement

Air Draft Max

Fuel Capacity

Water Capacity

Max. engine power

Cabin Number

CE Certification

A10 / B10 / C12

• CE Certification A10/ B10/C12 (12 passengers on board).
• Large benches seating six guests, with a fold away table.
• Two steering wheel stations each with a comfortable seat.
• First Line version: extra-long mast and bigger draft.
• Standard version: in-mast furling system and self-tacking jib.
• Large locker in 2 sections in the cockpit floor.

2 cabins & 1 head

• U-shaped salon seat
• C-shaped fitted galley: fridge, sink, 2-ring hob, oven, storage and worktop.
• Master cabin with double bed positioned on the boat center line.
• Aft cabin with double berths.
• Shower room with shower compartment and marine toilet.
• Several hull portholes and coach roof port lights make the space naturally bright.

3 cabins & 1 head

• U-shaped salon seat.
• Master cabin with double bed positioned on the boat’s centreline.
• Two aft cabins with double berths.
• Shower room with shower compartment, washbasin cabinet and marine toilet.

3 cabins & 2 heads

• Two shower rooms with shower compartment and marine toilet.

HARKEN HARDWARE

Press Reviews

Boat Review - The layout on the  new Beneteau 40.1  is excellent for ease of sailhandling, notes Ewenson.  Read More

Yachting Art

Boat Review - All about the coming BENETEAU Oceanis 40.1. Read More

Cruising World

Virtual Q&A - Cruising World recently sat down with Beneteau to get the inside scoop on the brand new cruiser. Read More

BOAT REVIEW: The boat is the new BENETEAU Oceanis 40.1, and it seems to be having as much fun as the crew. Read More

All Oceanis news

Nautic boat show 2022 : Spotlight on remarkable sustainable innovations at BENETEAU

BENETEAU has decided to follow the path of innovation to reduce the environmental impact of sailing. Practical yet ground-breaking innovations that were visible on the First 44e and the Oceanis 30.1e sailing yachts world premiered at the Nautic Boat Show in Paris.

Activities to Enjoy on Your Next Sailing Yacht or Powerboat Trip

Oceanis 40.1 and Oceanis Yacht 54: The New Wave of Oceanis Cruising Yachts by BENETEAU

Customer care.

Buying a BENETEAU doesn’t have to be a daunting task. We have teams of experts to guide you through the entire process – everything from sea trials, financing, and customization to after-sale commissioning, service, and maintenance. We are proud to have one of the largest, most highly-regarded dealer networks in the world. We’re ready to provide you with the assistance and expertise needed to launch you and your BENETEAU on a lifetime of happy, rewarding, and memorable voyages.

Other models in the range

9.53 m / 31’3’’

2.99 m / 9’10’’

10.77 m / 35’4’’

3.57 m / 11’9’’

11.93 m / 39’2’’

3.92 m / 12’10’’

14.6 m / 47’11’’

4.5 m / 14’9’’

15.94 m / 52’4’’

4.8 m / 15’9’’

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