Yachts are a valuable treasure. If you’ve ever been on one, you’d know.
From cruising and racing to pleasure activities and adventure, yachts make you feel special and royal with their sleek design, comfort, and luxury amenities, and their captivating exterior.
They also come in all sizes and ages to accommodate most. And accordingly, their costs fluctuate too.
So, if you’re looking to buy a yacht and have just started your cost research, you’ve landed the right guide. With multitudes of options out there with varying sizes, ages, and brands, it can be head-spinning to find the best one for yourself.
In this guide, I’ve categorized yachts to make your search easier for you. So read on!
Table of Contents
What Constitutes the Cost of a Yacht?
A yacht owes its cost to a couple of factors. These include:
Size of the Yacht
Size is the most primary factor influencing a yacht’s cost. As you will see further, the larger the vessel, the more it costs. This is not only because it requires more building material, but mainly so because a larger yacht allows you more excellent options for luxury amenities and customization.
Yachts start with a size of at least 33 feet, and there’s no end to how big they can get. As of 2020, the world’s largest yacht is 592 feet and 6 inches, which is truly grand!
Age of the Yacht
As with everything, the latest models are more pricey than their older counterparts. The simple fact can explain this increase in cost: with every passing year, the cost of everything rises, including the raw materials that come together deliciously to give you your yacht.
Nevertheless, it must not be overlooked that older models can sometimes call for more maintenance costs than their newer counterparts.
Brand of the Yacht
This one’s another obvious factor. High-end brands always demand more than low-end ones.
Thus, if you’re concerned with your yacht image along with other factors, then watch out for brand names when selecting. Some top brands are Benetti, Oceanco, and Heesen.
What’s the Average Cost of a Yacht?
As per the sales data we have so far, the average yacht cost is $8.4 million.
But don’t be deceived by the figure thinking there’s none out there for you. The smatter 40-feet models start from around $300,000. It’s the great numbers of the top-notch yachts that have raised the bar of the average costs.
As you will up ahead, there’s great variety in yachts, given their size, type, models, etc. Since the average can’t grant you much of an idea, it’s wise to take a look category-wise to find your best-suited match.
40-Feet Yachts
While there’s no particular standard when a boat becomes a yacht, the 40-feet mark usually does this job with more clarity. Rarely is a vessel over 40 feet considered anything but a yacht.
If you’re a couple looking to go beyond merely day boating, then this yacht might be a good option. It’s simple and affordable, yet comes with sufficient living space and multiple amenities. Simple cruising or speed boating can well be enjoyed with this comfortable yacht.
Given its size, the maintenance costs and efforts are minimal too. However, this applies more if your boat is new. On the other hand, more modern ships also sport the latest technologies and amenities and grant you more generous customization space. This explains their increased rates.
Here are some cool 40-feet yachts:
Hatteras GT45x Flybridge
This one is a 47-feet high-performing express sportfish model from Hatteras. It’s stable and steady, with remarkably low engine noise.
It’s ideal for those who are seeking maximum performance in offshore fishing with a 40-feet yacht.
Cost: $2,150,173. (Base price only. A host of additional equipment and custom features can be added at different prices).
2000 Sea Ray Yachts 45 Express
The 45-feet 450 Express Bridge is a flybridge yacht designed with a walk-through bridge that leads you to the bow. It has private accommodations with three staterooms and comes with a host of other amenities.
Cost: $169,900 (This is the cost of the used Yacht. Original price will be higher)
Some other 40-feet yachts are:
43-foot 2001 Grand Banks 42 Classic
Cost: $283,823
41-foot 2016 Back Cove Downeast
Cost: $61,900
50-Feet Yachts
Are you looking for a different layout that provides more significant space and a more extensive range of luxury amenities, but at the same time, you don’t want to be hiring a crew? If yes, then 50-feet yachts are perfect for you.
These yachts are owner-operated, thus saving you the crew cost. Furthermore, they provide you ample space for your family and guests. What does that imply? These 50-feet yachts are ideal for excursions beyond your average day.
Here are some 50-feet yachts with prices:
Hatteras Yachts GT54
This is a 54-feet yacht made of solid fiberglass. It allows you to cruise at incredible speeds without the fear of anything harming your boat.
If you’re a tournament angler looking for a sportfish yacht, then this is the one for you.
The GT54 has a 1200-gallon fuel capacity with three staterooms, a large salon deck, a spacious galley, and vast seating space both indoors and outdoors.
Cost: $1,998,000 (Base price of 2014 model)
Custom Colin Smith 55
This is a 55-feet yacht with a spacious interior layout. It’s a heavy displacement vessel that is stable and comfortable in the sea.
Cost: $207,368 (Price of the used model)
Some other 50-feet yachts are:
51-foot 2012 Azimut Magellano 50
Price: $685,905
52-foot 2017 Carver C52 Command Bridge
Price: $1,149,000
60-Feet Yacht
These are the yachts that make you start scratching your head for whether or not you can operate a vessel of this size. Are you expert enough? If yes, then the size will still be manageable for you. If not, you might be needing to hire an operator.
This hiring is likely to add to your expense of keeping a yacht, apart from the initial buying price.
The yacht provides greater space for residence, luxury, guest accommodation, and entertainment with extra feet. All of these come with an added price.
Furthermore, now that you’ve got a relatively stabler residence permit, you can cruise around for days on end. The need for staying out at sea for that long requires quality build. Hence, as the yacht size increases, the quality of the built becomes more critical. Naturally so.
This means that when you’re going to be looking at prices when buying a 60-feet yacht, you would need to consider quality, cruising speed, and the vessel’s propulsion. All of these factors influence the cost of the craft you’re looking for.
As you can see, the increase in size compels you to look into several factors when deciding. This only gets better as your average yacht moves towards being a superyacht.
Here are some 60-feet yachts for you:
Hatteras 60 Motor Yacht
Some features include:
- Freshwater maker
- Electric head
- Refrigerator
- Navigation center
- Plotter
- Compass
Cost: $188,606
2017 Princess S65
This is the only S65 currently available in the United States. Features include palm beach, karaoke machine, water maker, and exterior audio speakers on the bridge, bow, and aft deck.
Cost: $2,514,267
Some other 60-feet yachts with prices are:
60 foot 2018 Arcadia Sherpa 2.0
Price: $1,773,893
60-foot 2007 Sunreef 62
Price: $1,103,538
70-Feet Yacht
When you reach the 70-feet category, you find yourself pretty close to the superyachts. That’s quite thrilling, isn’t it?
As stated earlier, the number of factors and complexities you need to consider when purchasing a yacht increases multifold as the yacht size gets bigger.
So, what are the other things you need to be considering this time around?
For one, when going for a 70-feet yacht, be prepared to hire a crew and an operator. You’re going to be hosting way more people this time, and maintenance and management require more people now.
Plus, you will also find some significant changes to the interior layout of these yachts. These modifications include a spacious main deck and additional cabins and crew quarters below the yacht.
The spacious deck is ideal for anyone who wants to treat their guests to dine out in the open sea. Many people also prefer organizing entertainment programs for their guests in this space.
All in all, the 70-feet yacht offers you a greater area and more room for customization. All of this comes with increased prices.
Here are some 70-feet yachts along with their prices:
Hatteras GT70 Convertible Sportfish
Cost: $5,000,000 (Remember this is only baseline cost. Additional prices include crew cost, docking, and maintenance cost, among others).
75-foot 2017 Hatteras Motor Yacht
Price: $4,995,000
70-feet 2014 Monte Carlo Yachts MCY 70
Price: $1,880,326
100-Feet (and up) Yachts
This lands you in the range of superyachts. Although there is no specified cut-off for when you enter the superyacht range, now, nobody can tell you your yacht’s not a superyacht. So, feel the breeze of it.
You’re now going to be accommodating a heap of other expenses along with your base buying prices. These include crew cost, maintenance, and docking costs, as well as the costs of all the amenities you’ll be adding to enhance your yacht.
When choosing your boat, you’ll be faced with tons of options of shape and style. Every yacht offers its unique sell-offs and features in different price ranges.
Furthermore, these-sized yachts allow you the luxury of cruising along coastlines, or watercraft, or speed boating. Whichever recreation you decide upon, you’ll be carrying a lot more than just people with you.
Some 100+ feet yachts are:
143-Feet 2019 Virtus 44
This is a superyacht that will leave you in awe.
It sports a fully integrated beach club, along with a hot tub on the top deck, five staterooms, an eight-person crew, a room for a pool deck, and a room to sleep eight guests.
That quite explains why superyachts are considered luxury yachts. And these aren’t even all the features.
Cost: $20,189,000 (2019 model)
2021 Custom IPI 160
This is a model that’s yet to be released. With gazillion features, it took 48 months to be built! With 22 cabins, this megayacht is 525 feet long.
Cost: $308,516,000
Other 100+ Feet yachts include:
98′ 5″ 2018 AB 100
Price: $8,843,260
161′ 04″ 2012 Acico Nassima
Price: $16,490,000
How Much Does a Superyacht Truly Cost?
Now we all know that superyachts are expensive. The world’s largest private vessel, owned by the United Arab Emirates’ prime minister, is 590 feet long and was built for $600,000,000!
That’s an incredibly whopping cost. But that’s not it.
According to a report by Towergate Insurance, while a superyacht alone costs tens or even a hundred millions of dollars, the annual keep-up costs reach a hundred thousand dollars.
The reports, thus, conclude that, on average, a 100-feet yacht with a top speed of 25 knots and 50 crew members should cost around $275 million! You can draw a reasonable estimation of the cost of other superyachts that go way beyond 100 feet.
Is There a Cheaper Way to Go Yachting?
Getting a superyacht cannot be everyone’s fate. And that’s completely alright.
If you cannot invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in a yacht, there are still ways for you to enjoy the yacht experience. For one, you can opt for the bareboat charter. It’s much like a car lease. You won’t get to own the yacht, but you can rent it and enjoy it.
Whether it’s a short-period lease you have in mind or long-term, a bareboat charter allows you both. You may even group up with friends and split the cost to charter a pricey vessel.
However, remember that as a charter, all other expenses such as port fees, fuel, and insurance costs will fall on you.
A second option you have is shared leasing arrangements. Here, you pay a monthly fee to a boat club and get access to choose any vessel from the fleet. You’ll still be paying for the additional running costs.
Nevertheless, both of these options are great to make the yacht experience comparatively affordable for you.
Conclusion
This brings me to the end of my price guide for yachts. I hope I was able to give you a general idea about how the costs for yachts run.
When choosing your yacht, keep in mind your purpose, affordability, boating experience, as well as the frequency with which you plan to use your yacht. These specifications will make your research much more effortless. That said, I hope you have a great time yachting!
