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Best Yachts – Top 15 Picks for 2024

Carver 52 Command Bridge

Hatteras M75 Panacera

Sabre 58 Salon Express

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a yacht? Probably those huge luxury cruisers reserved for the high society folks, right? Well, that’s true, but those are a special group of ships referred to as luxury yachts.

The questions you need to be asking are – What is a yacht? At what point is a yacht regarded as a ship? And, what exactly makes a yacht a yacht? Here’s a little boating lesson for you.

A yacht is any fast cruising watercraft used for pleasure or sport. Yachts can be classified into cruisers, superyachts, and mega yachts. The difference between them all boils down to their respective sizes.

Luxury vessels that are less than 12 meters long fall in the class of cabin cruiser yachts – or simply, cruisers. Those that measure more than 24 meters are classified as superyachts. Anything that’s 50+ meters long is a mega yacht. Anything larger than a mega yacht is generally referred to as a ship and generally describes a working vessel as opposed to something recreational.

So, as you can see, you don’t necessarily have to be swimming in a ton of money to become a yacht owner. The only difference will be in the size of the craft you get. Clear enough?

Without further ado, here are the 15 best yachts, as well as a few useful tips on how to choose the best one.

Top on our list of best yachts is the Carver 52 Command Bridge. Its unique design, spacious salon, expansive foredeck seating area, and well-thought-out amenities make this one the best yachts bar-none.

It comes with a master head, a spacious stall shower, and a full-beam master stateroom that even has its own private entrance. It doesn’t get any better than that.

 Carver  →

● Designed for long-range cruising ● Ample living space ● Comes with loads of convenience amenities

● Not ideal for use in icy waters

The Hatteras M75 Panacera yacht is the perfect embodiment of superior craftsmanship and timeless elegance. One look at it, and you can tell that it was built with impeccable attention to detail.

Everything from the galley layout and the open-concept deckhouse salon to the 360-degree panoramic windows and state-of-the-art amenities adds a completely new dimension to luxury yachting.

 Hatteras  →

● Ample space ● Exquisite interiors and exteriors ● Fully-customizable

● High maintenance

Yachts don’t exactly come cheap. So, the term “budget” yacht might be a bit of a stretch when referring to the price. Nonetheless, if you’re shopping for a watercraft that delivers excellent value for money, the Sabre 58 Salon Express is a great option to consider.

It has an open yacht design that seamlessly merges the interior with the exterior and has large windows that flood the interior spaces with lots of natural light. The Sabre also has three en-suite cabins, abundant storage, and several other great features that make it stand out from other boats in its class.

 Sabre Yachts  →

● Great value for money ● Spacious interior ● Ample storage

● Not ideal for use in the high seas

Tiara Yachts 53 Coupe

The Tiara Yachts 53 Coupe is the perfect family watercraft. It is designed for indoor and outdoor living. The bridge deck space and salon offer breathtaking 360-degree panoramic views of the ocean. It also has comfortable living quarters below deck that are guaranteed to give the entire family an exceptional cruising experience.

 Tiara  →

● Great for making memories ● Comfortable living quarters ● Offers panoramic views all round

● High maintenance costs

The 60 Cantius from Cruiser was built for long-distance passages. It has spacious living quarters both above and below deck, as well as lots of comfort and convenience amenities that allow you to spend extended periods out on the water.

You’ll particularly enjoy the retractable sunroof that allows you to bask in the sun while enjoying breathtaking panoramic ocean views as you cruise along.

 Cruisers Yachts  →

● Ideal for long-distance passages ● Beautiful, elegant design ● Spacious living areas above and below deck

● Pricier than other boats in its class

93 Motor Yacht

If you’re looking for a watercraft that can go the distance, it doesn’t get any better than the 93 Motor Yacht from Viking Yachts. First impressions: It is gorgeous.

Its beauty isn’t skin-deep either. The 93MY was built to navigate the rough, choppy waters of the high seas, making it the perfect vessel for anyone who wants to go on an ocean-crossing adventure of a lifetime.

 Viking Yachts  →

● Stunning exterior and interior design ● Built to navigate rough water conditions ● It is pretty massive

● Requires a small crew to operate it

Jeanneau NC 37

The Jeanneau NC 37 is an excellent beginner boat. Its fluid layout and ergonomic design make movement in this yacht a breeze. It comes with large panoramic windows with an open sunroof that bathe the living space in lots of natural light.

There’s an owner’s cabin, as well as a guest cabin that both offer ample standing headroom. Its well-proportioned interior alongside the multitude of comfort and convenience amenities it comes with makes it one of the best beginner yachts in the market today.

 Jeanneau  →

● Ample living space and storage ● Great value for money ● Open ergonomic layout

● Not ideal for ocean crossing

Regal 36 XO

If you’re looking for a yacht that combines both comfort and functionality, the Regal 36 XO delivers on both fronts. This beauty is powered by two outboard engines and offers multi-bow seating that also doubles up as casting decks.

It has a spacious cabin, open-air salon, seamless galley that integrates the aft seating area with the roomy saloon, and a windshield walk-through that provides easy access to the bow.

 Regal  →

● Versatile ● Spacious interiors and exteriors ● Fully-customizable

Back Cove 390

If you thought yachts were reserved for ocean-use only, that couldn’t be further from the truth. There are several models specially designed for lakes. The Back Cove 390 yacht is the perfect example.

Its smaller size makes it ideal for lake cruising. It has a fully-enclosed helm, as well as an owner and guest cabin below-deck, making it perfect for overnight stay.

 Back Cove Yachts  →

● Perfect size for lakes ● Ideal for entertaining ● Delivers optimal handling and maneuverability

● May not be ideal for a long extended stay

Formula 45 Yacht

The Formula 45 Yacht is the perfect liveaboard watercraft. It has all the comfort and convenience amenities you would expect to find in any standard land-based home. It is spacious with a well-thought-out practical layout that makes movement on the yacht easy. It has enough room to comfortably accommodate a small family of four.

 Formula  →

● Best yacht for the money ● Spacious interior ● Comes with lots of convenience amenities

Ocean Alexander 36L

If you’re thinking of venturing out into the rough seas, you’re going to need a yacht that can hold its own in the sloppiest of weather conditions. The Ocean Alexander 36L is built to do just that.

Beyond its stunning exterior and interiors, this yacht’s overall rugged construction is focused on giving passengers the smoothest ride possible regardless of the water conditions outside. Its deep V-hull design and its 324,500 lbs. displacement capacity are largely responsible for the exceptional stability it displays when cruising through the high seas.

 Ocean Alexander  →

● Exceptionally stable ● Packed with loads of comfort and convenience amenities ● Expansive interior and exterior

● Needs a crew to run it

Westport 112 Motor Yacht

As far as luxury yachts go, the Westport 112 Motor Yacht is in a class of its own. This 111 ft. 8 in. long watercraft is built to deliver extraordinary performance inside and out.

It has four en-suite staterooms that sleep eight individuals and can accommodate up to five crew members, including the captain. The interior oozes luxury, sophistication, and a timeless elegance that’s hard to come by these days.

 Westport Yachts  →

● Spacious indoor and outdoor living areas ● Exquisite interiors ● Suitable for cruising the high seas

● Expensive

Beneteau Oceanis 60

The Beneteau Oceanis 60 is by far the best sailing yacht we’ve come across. It is built on a hull that guarantees safety and unmatched performance at every turn.

This luxury sailing yacht has a unique deck plan that allows for single-handed maneuvering across the water. The glossy woodwork, cozy upholstery, and the spacious living quarters below-deck make it the perfect sailing yacht for your ocean getaway.

 Beneteau  →

● Exceptional fuel economy ● Spacious living areas ● Ideal for single-handed sailing

● May not be as fast as other non-sailboat yachts

Having a crew is great and all, but it’s also nice to have a yacht that you can operate on your own for that measure of added privacy when you need it. The Antares 9 is the perfect owner operator yacht.

It is modern, stylish, and compact, allowing you to run it on your own and discreetly slip away from the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life anytime you need to.

● Elegant design ● Can be operated solo ● Comfortable and safe navigation

● Not ideal for the rough, choppy waters of the high seas

Prestige 690

Let’s get to what yachts are best known for – hosting memorable parties. The Prestige 690 has everything you need to keep the party going all day and all night.

Its open design layout and its expansive deck make it the perfect yacht for entertaining. The elegant, timeless design of its exterior, alongside the breathtaking finishing, are just a few of the 690’s attributes that add to its appeal.

 Prestige  →

● Massive open deck ● Comes with lots of comfort and convenience features ● Sleeps up to 10 people

How to Choose the Best Yachts – Buyer’s Guide

A yacht is a pretty big purchase. So, you need to know what to look for when choosing the right one for your needs. Here are a couple of pointers that might come in handy.

Type of Yacht

The type of yacht you buy depends in large part on your intended use for it. Most yachts tend to fall into one of three categories – For water sports like wakeboarding , fishing motor yachts, or the overnight cruising variety. Once you know what kind of recreational activities you plan on engaging in, that should help narrow down your choices.

Next, you need to consider what size of yacht you should get. Do you have a young family that you intend to expand in the coming years? Do you plan to use the vessel for day cruising, or do you intend to spend a couple of nights on board from time to time?

Will the yacht be just for you and your significant other, or do you plan to frequently entertain several guests on board? This will advise whether you should buy a cabin cruiser yacht, a superyacht, or a mega yacht.

In a perfect world, you would have all the money you need to buy any kind of watercraft you want. Sadly, that’s not the reality we live in. Keep in mind that yachts don’t exactly come cheap. So, even if you’re planning to purchase a small yacht, you’ll still need to spend quite a bit of cash to get it.

The best thing to do would be to set a budget and compare the different models on offer from different manufacturers . Aside from the boat’s purchase price, you also need to think about the costs associated with owning a yacht. These include insurance, repairs, maintenance, cleaning, and the vessel’s general servicing.

Figure out what kind of comfort and convenience features are a must-have for you. How many cabins should it have? Do you need it to have a summer grill up top? Or will the one in the mini kitchen below-deck suffice? Ensure that the yacht you get has all the amenities you need.

Last but not least, before you sign any purchase contract, ensure that you schedule a sea trial with the dealer. That way, you get a true feel for the boat before you buy it.

Look Before You Leap

If you’re in the market for a shiny new yacht, any of the 15 vessels we’ve detailed in this guide will make an excellent choice. Do your homework beforehand, and make sure your desired craft has all the features and amenities you seek.

Use the tips we’ve outlined in this guide to help you choose the best yachts from all the different options that are hot on the market right now. Happy yachting!

In the meantime, if you’re looking for the best aluminum fishing boat , we’ve got you covered. Check out our review for our top picks.

About Chris

Outdoors, I’m in my element, especially in the water. I know the importance of being geared up for anything. I do the deep digital dive, researching gear, boats and knowhow and love keeping my readership at the helm of their passions.

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The Best Boats For Your Money

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There's a big difference between cost and value. We spotlight the boats that give you the biggest bang for your buck.

Photo: Thinkstock.com/Thomas Northcut

If you've been boat shopping lately, then you know it's hard to sort through the huge range of runabouts, the copious crop of center-consoles, and the plentiful packs of pontoons. It's even harder to determine the ones that are merely cheap and the gems that represent real value. Never fear, dear boater. We're here to help. In this issue, we'll break down trailer boats into four basic classes: bowriders/runabouts, watersports boats, pontoon boats, and fishing boats. Then we'll identify top values in four different price categories: those costing less than $15,000, those less than $25,000, those less than $50,000, and those less than $100,000. We'll be sure to provide some boat-shopping insights along the way as well as tease you with you some additional options to dream about, too. Ready? Let's look at some of the best buys for boaters.

Bowriders/Runabouts

These are a popular choice among family boaters, and it's no wonder. They can be used for everything from waterskiing to fishing to pulling up on a quiet sandy beach for a picnic. They're the do-everything boat for people with diverse needs and desires. Think of them as the SUVs of the modern trailer-boating family.

Less Than $15,000

It's quite difficult to find a bowrider for less than $15,000, but one that comes in under the wire and deserves recognition for its exceptional stability and interior spaciousness is the Bayliner Element. This is one of the most unusual bowriders to hit the market in recent years, because instead of riding on a common-V or semi-V hull, it rides on Bayliner's M hull, which is essentially a cross between a V and a tri-hull and helps explain the boat's extraordinary stability. It easily handles small chop, although the downside to this hull design is a bit of a bumpy ride in waves larger than a foot. Such a hull isn't very responsive to trim, either. But because this design carries the beam well forward, it also makes for a surprisingly large bow cockpit.

Bayliner Element

LOA: 16'2" | Beam: 7'5" | Weight: 1,570 lb. | Fuel Capacity: 12 gal. | Price: $14,742

When we ran the Element (with the stock 60-hp outboard, two people aboard, and half a tank of fuel), we broke 30 mph and found that a cruising speed in the mid-20s netted more than 7 miles per gallon. The Element, with seating for four in the stern and two more in the bow, comes well-equipped right out of the box. The Mercury four-stroke outboard, swim platforms on either side of the outboard (one with a telescopic ladder), multicolor hullside graphics, two-tone vinyl cushions, and a single-axle trailer are all included in the standard package. Beverages can be chilled in a 25-quart Igloo cooler that slides neatly under the aft sunpad, and you'll find stowage compartments under the bow and aft seating. What won't you find? Another competitor in this price category that's this well-equipped, much less one with comparable stability and interior volume.

Less Than $25,000

Coming in just $549 under the wire, the Four Winns H180 OB provides a relatively low-cost option with exceptional attention to detail and finish work — plus a bit of customization. While many boats in this price range have unfinished stowage compartments, in the H180 OB they're carpeted. Other competitors leave the swim ladder exposed, but Four Winns covers it with a hatch. The average inexpensive bowrider has a plain gelcoat dash, but on this model, you'll discover top-stitched vinyl accents. And if you order the boat instead of buying off the showroom floor, you even get to choose the gelcoat and interior color schemes. Few competitors give you any sort of opportunity to semi-customize a boat at this price point, yet Four Winns will go so far as to color-match the trailer to go with your boat.

Four Winns H180 OB

LOA: 17'11" | Beam: 7'7" | Weight: 2,150 lb. | Fuel Capacity: 24 gal. | Price: $24,451

Four Winns doesn't strip the H180 OB to keep the price low, either. Big-ticket standards include the swing-away tongue, welded-tube trailer, an Evinrude 90-hp E-TEC outboard, a full-sized walk-across swim platform, courtesy lights, a tilting steering wheel, and a Bluetooth-capable stereo with iPod/MP3 port and two speakers. The H180 OB also gets a full complement of engine gauges, which is an area in which some builders skimp to save a buck or two.

Tahoe 450 TS

LOA: 18'5" | Beam: 7'10" | Weight: 3,025 lb. | Fuel Capacity: 24 gal. | Price: $23,595

Close competitors include the Tahoe 450 TS Outboard, which shaves about $1,000 off the price but also cuts off your ability to choose the hull and cushion colors. The Rinker Captiva 170 OB is another price-conscious bowrider that shoppers in this category may want to consider.

Less Than $50,000

A unique construction technique that improves the boat's strength and rigidity — and thus its ride — is what propels the Larson LX 225S IO into the leading position for bowriders under $50,000. Yes, you can get more LOA at this price. Sure, you could get a boat with more power than the stock 200-hp MerCruiser 4.5 liter (although you can upgrade the LX 225S to a MerCruiser 6.2 liter with 300 horses and still squeeze in at just under $50,000). What you can't get anywhere else is Larson's VEC construction. VEC is a closed-molding system that vacuum-infuses the hull and stringers into one single piece. The net result is felt when you smash into waves; VEC-built boats simply do less smashing than the others.

Larson LX 225S IO

LOA: 23'1" | Beam: 8'4" | Weight: 3,100 lb. | Fuel Capacity: 36 gal. | Price: $43,267

The 225S can't top the charts based on one feature alone, of course. But its comprehensive standard features list goes well beyond the norm, including items like a Shorelander trailer with disc brakes, canvas bow and cockpit covers, an iPod/MP3-compatible stereo, and multiple gelcoat color and stripe options.

At this pricing level, we wish the stock powerplant came with a Bravo III drive, and we'd recommend upgrading to it (remember, the price tag does leave some wiggle room), because the dual counter-rotating props of the Bravo III vastly improve handling and provide a better hole shot, which make for a better boating experience.

Chaparral 223 Vortex VR

LOA: 22'3" | Beam: 8'6" | Weight: 3,500 lb. | Fuel Capacity: 52 gal. | Price: $46,895

Those considering the 225S may also want to look closely at such other stout models as the Chaparral 223 Vortex VR and the Monterey 224FSX.

Around $100,000

For $100K, you expect a lot — and the Cobalt R5 delivers. It may be a bit surprising to see a Cobalt included in a roundup of boats that are big on value because for many years, Cobalt has had a reputation as a top-shelf boat, but one that cost a lot of money for the LOA. Yet the R5, which is 25'8" long, starts off right at the $100,000 mark. Several similarly sized competitors cost notably more. The bigger surprise?

LOA: 25'8" | Beam: 8'6" | Weight: 4,880 lb. | Fuel Capacity: 50 gal. | Price: $100,318

The R5 lives up to Cobalt's reputation, and if the company cut any corners to make this price point, we sure can't figure out where. Take a look at the some of the yacht-like details, and you'll understand why this boat delivers a bang as big as 100,000 bucks. How many bowriders include a thru-hull anchoring system with a stainless-steel scuff plate? A custom-stitched helm brow and dash perimeter detailed with Makassar grain accents? A black leather and stainless-steel steering wheel? Plus, Cobalt doesn't lowball you with a wimpy powerplant, but instead starts with a potent 6.2-liter MerCruiser.

The ski pylon, removable bow- and aft-cockpit carpets, portable MSD, and stereo are all included as base equipment. And that stock stereo provides another great example of Cobalt's quality level. It has a remote at the dash and iPod/USB/MP3 compatibility, like most, but while your average standard stereo comes with a pair of speakers, this one includes a six-speaker system. The bottom line? The Cobalt R5 delivers top-shelf quality while barely exceeding the $100,000 mark.

Formula 240 Bowrider

LOA: 25'4" | Beam: 8'6" | Weight: 5,000 lb. | Fuel Capacity: 55 gal. | Price: $105,030

If you find this model interesting, also take a good look at the Sea Ray 250 SLX, the Chaparral 257 SSX, and the Formula 240 Bowrider.

Power Curve

While the basic bowrider design has remained more or less the same for decades, the systems that power these boats have gone through many changes. Sterndrives continue to rule the roost in this type of boat, but outboards have been making inroads. Due to the latest EPA regulations, sterndrive manufacturers have had to add catalytic converters to their engines. That raised costs substantially, sometimes by as much as 5 percent of an average bowrider's sticker price, instantly making outboards a less expensive — and thus more attractive — alternative. As a result, in the past few years we've seen a population explosion of outboard-powered bowriders.

There are both plusses and minuses to having an outboard on a bowrider. They commonly post a higher top end, have improved slow-speed handling (single-propeller sterndrives tend to wander and require lots of course corrections), and are exceedingly reliable. On the flip side, mounting an outboard on the transom means you lose the full-beam swim platform, and fuel efficiency often drops in comparison with an identical model with a sterndrive.

Towing Trends

The current news in watersports boats has to do with a new propulsion system, Volvo Penta's Forward Drive. By putting a pod-like forward-facing drive unit on a sterndrive, the prop gets moved several feet forward and under the boat, tucked away from surfers and boarders. And because the drive unit can be trimmed, it can also be used to help shape the wake. This development has allowed a number of builders who produce sterndrive runabouts, like Bryant, Chaparral, Cobalt, Four Winns, Regal, and Monterey, to adapt existing platforms into watersports-specific models.

If these Forward Drive boats are so good, why didn't any win as our top picks? Hey, that's the way the cookie crumbled — we had a huge number of great boats from which to choose. And as it turns out, many of these Forward Drive boats fall into the $60,000 to $80,000 range. We noted several Forward Drive boats that, had we established a $75,000 category, might not have been overshadowed by pricier competitors.

If you like sterndrive propulsion and you want a watersports boat, you'll definitely want to further investigate Forward Drive.

Watersports Boats

If you're young, or young at heart, it's tough to beat the thrill of being towed through the water at high speeds. But whether it's waterskiing, wakeboarding, or the newly popular wakesurfing that appeal to you, you'll be needing a new watersports-specific boat. Hang on tight — this is going to be a wet-and-wild ride.

At this price point, you're certainly not going to be able to afford a fancy watersports boat with ballast tanks and tow towers. You can, however, get yourself an excellent tow-sports platform in the form of the Sea-Doo Wake Pro 230. This is one of the industry's few PWCs designed specifically for towing. It has must-have features like a three-position tow pylon, an aft-facing observer's seat with grab handles, and a board rack. But it also takes things a step further by incorporating modern performance perks that enhance watersports, such as multiple preprogrammed acceleration profiles for skiers and preset variable trim for fine-tuning the ride and acceleration.

Sea-Doo Wake Pro 230

LOA: 11'7" | Beam: 4'0" | Weight: 894 lb. | Fuel Capacity: 15.9 gal. | Price: $14,499

True, using a PWC for watersports does create some limitations. Your crew is maxed out at three, you can't create those big ripping boat wakes for surfing, and you're probably going to be wet whether you're the tower or the towee. There are, however, some additional advantages to consider. Given its dry weight of less than 1,000 pounds, you can trailer your vessel with just about anything larger than a Smart Car. Launching and retrieving will always be a piece of cake, and the small fuel tank and low operating costs make for some seriously cheap thrills.

Waverunner VX

LOA: 11'0" | Beam: 4'0" | Weight: 707 lb. | Fuel Capacity: 18.5 gal. | Price: $9,599

A strong option to consider is Yamaha's Waverunner VX, which doesn't have a pylon or the acceleration profiles but does have a towing eye on the stern.

The Scarab 165 is a jet-driven towing machine powered by a 150-hp Rotax 4-TEC engine. That means it has plenty of pulling oomph, and unlike most boats of this size, it also has a full-beam integrated swim platform. Most boats this inexpensive have an outboard slung on a transom and a miniscule swim platform off to one side.

LOA: 15'9" | Beam: 7'1" | Draft: 1'0" | Weight: 1,600 lb. | Fuel Capacity: 20 gal. | Price: $21,238

Another advantage of the jet drive: the propeller, or rather, the lack thereof. Obviously, climbing in and out of small boats with exposed props can lead to problems, but it's a nonissue in this case. We also like the aft-facing seats built into the transom. While we wouldn't condone riding in them while underway at high speed, they do provide an excellent lounging spot for coving and relaxing after a long day of shredding water.

But no boat is perfect, and while the Scarab 165 is our top pick in this range, we do see room for improvement. An option to trade in the ski-tow eye for a pylon would be nice, and adding a windshield would make captaining the boat more comfortable. To make the 165 a dedicated watersports boat, you'll want to order the $2,900 tower with board racks. Luckily, there's still some room in the budget after paying this boat's MSRP of $21,238.

What about some other choices? Truth be told, there aren't many watersports-dedicated boats in this price range; you could make do by stepping back down to a large PWC or opting for a small bowrider or center-console that's designed for other waterborne activities.

Around $50,000

The 212X is Yamaha's "high-performance wakeboard edition" runabout, and although it isn't particularly large for the price point, it does represent big value. It has the features found on high-end watersports boats, many of which cost literally twice as much as the 212X, including a folding tower with wakeboard racks, a cruise-control system that maintains preset towing speeds, and, most impressively, twin ballast tanks that can be flooded to weight down the boat and kick up an enhanced wave.

Yamaha 212X

LOA: 21'3" | Beam: 8'6" | Weight: 3,605 lb. | Fuel Capacity: 50 gal. | Price: $57,999

Another big advantage the 212X holds over the competition is its power package. This is a twin-engine boat, with a pair of high-output 1.8-liter four-stroke jet engines. Can you think of another boat of this size, type, and price with twin engines? We didn't think so. Yet another big surprise is the stock trailer, which is a tandem-axle model. Virtually all competitors come with a single-axle trailer. Meanwhile, the Yamaha 212X enjoys those same jet-drive advantages found on our prior pick: the elimination of prop worries and the full-beam swim platform.

Other solid choices include the Scarab's 165's bigger brother, the 215, or, perhaps, the Four Winns H200RS equipped with a tower.

Pay attention to your wake when circling back to retrieve a skier. Arriving at your skier as your wake comes crashing back on you could put your skier at risk of having the boat come down on top of him or her.

Less Than $100,000

We're really glad the MasterCraft X20 doesn't break the $100,000 mark because this boat deserves to make our list. For starters, it's a MasterCraft. MasterCrafts enjoy excellent resale value, and when you consider how much more you can recoup when reselling it as compared to most other boats, in the long run, it isn't as expensive as it seems. Then note that it has the inboard V-drive power system preferred by hardcore watersports jocks. At 20 feet it's not large for a watersports boat, but it does have wrap-around seating in the cockpit and bow plus a pair of aft-facing seats built into the transom with stowage underneath.

MasterCraft X20

LOA: 20'0" | Beam: 8'2" | Weight: 4,800 lb. | Fuel Capacity: 49 gal. | Price: $91,270

And the X20 also gives you the ability to customize. We're not just talking about the boat — sure you get to pick from a huge variety of interior and exterior color patterns and yes, you get to choose the graphics, but you also get to customize the watersports experience. Thanks to the wake-generating Gen 2 Surf System (which integrates hull design, surf tabs, the 2,000-lb. ballast system, and touch-screen controls to create four different wake "zones") you can make those waves rip, curl, and build as you like.

When towing anyone behind your boat, have at least one spotter on board to keep track of the skier and relay instructions to the driver.

We should caution that many features you may want on the X20 are considered optional. Although you can take the boat home for under $100,000 it would be easy to add a lot of goodies and break the bank. Beyond that, you won't find much to complain about on this boat. MasterCraft has a well-deserved reputation for building top-shelf watersports boats and the X20 is no exception.

Super Air Nautique 230

LOA: 23'1.5" | Beam: 8'4.5" | Weight: 4,650 lb. | Fuel Capacity: 47 gal. | Price: $101,454

Those interested in the X20 will probably also take a peek at the Super Air Nautique 230 and the Supra SR.

Speedy Developments

The recent growing popularity of pontoon boats has led to some very interesting developments in the genre, and a slew of monstrous pontoons in the 28- to 32-foot size range have hit the market in the past couple of years. A 31-foot Premier Encounter with a full cabin was introduced at last year's Miami International Boat Show, and the 31-foot Dodici on display sported triple 300-hp Evinrude G2 ETEC outboards. You can find double-decker pontoons with waterslides aiming at the lake from atop 12-foot-high top decks as well as party platforms with the capacity to carry up to 24 people (yes, there are enough seats for everyone).

With size comes power, and as pontoons have grown larger, their builders have worked to beef up the structures to accommodate massive amounts of horsepower. At the same time, they've been experimenting with strakes, steps, and foils that can be welded onto the pontoon's running surfaces. The net result is increased speed, and though they're quite pricy (commonly eclipsing our self-imposed cost restrictions of this article) you can find trailerable pontoons like the Aqua Patio AP 250 XP, which can break 60 mph with a Yamaha F350 on the transom. Or the Harris Grand Mariner 250, which can blast past 63 mph thanks to a pair of 350-hp Mercury Verados.

In one documented case, a PlayCraft PowerToon Xtreme even broke the 100-mph mark, hitting 104 at the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout. True, the owner had added performance-enhancers like an 8.8-liter Dart block and twin Whipple superchargers. And no, we don't think the average pontooner should have any need or desire to go that fast. But if you do feel the need for speed, today's pontoons offer just as much capability as virtually any other type of boat.

Pontoon Boats

Pontoon boats have been one of the strongest segments of the marine market in recent years, and it's no wonder — these boats are amazingly comfortable, versatile, and easy to operate. They're equally at home on lakes, rivers, and coastal bays (with relatively small waves; many pontoon boats don't handle large waves particularly well). And though their boxy shape may look rather untraditional to the nautical eye, that same shape makes for a huge amount of deck space in comparison with V-bottom boats of the same LOA.

The Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 16 DLX is our top pick in this category. Don't let the name fool you: This pontoon is only minimally fishy, and the only fishing feature other than rod holders is a 9-gallon livewell that will work just fine as a stowage compartment. But this model does come with a bimini top, a forward console seat, two folding chairs, an aft L-lounger, interior courtesy lighting, a 20-hp Mercury outboard, and a single-axle trailer, for the eye-opening low price of $14,390. All the other small, inexpensive pontoons we looked at that came in under the $15K mark excluded the trailer or the engine — and trailer-boating without either of these two features is extremely boring. Added bonus: The 16 DLX comes with an impressive 10-year warranty, which is far better than the warranty on many boats that cost twice as much.

Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 16 DLX

LOA: 16'0" | Beam: 7'1" | Weight: 1,090 lb. | Fuel Capacity: 6.6 gal. | Price: $14,390

There aren't many other pontoons on the market that come in below this price cutoff, but the Qwest Edge 7514 CR does make the mark. The Lowe Ultra 160 Cruise does as well, but it has a short list of standard features that excludes the trailer, stereo system, and courtesy lighting and, realistically outfitted, will cost a bit more.

We're betting you didn't think you could get a 25-footer for under $25,000. We didn't either, until we came across the Lowe SS250 RFL. For providing a shocking size without one iota of sticker shock, the SS250 RFL is the clear winner in this category.

Pontoon boats are known as party barges, and this boat has everything needed for a waterborne shindig: 15 person capacity, two bow loungers, a chaise lounge, an L-couch (it really is a couch, not a seat), a Jensen MS30 Bluetooth stereo with two speakers, a bimini top, a pedestal table, and drink holders. Lots and lots of drink holders.

Lowe SS250 RFL

LOA: 25'7" | Beam: 8'6" | Weight: 1,940 lb. | Fuel Capacity: 28 gal. | Price: $21,497

Note that the trailer isn't included in the MSRP, and getting one pushes its price tag close to the $25,000 cutoff, but otherwise, the SS250 RFL is fairly well equipped. One more caveat: The stock engine is a mere 25-hp. For many pontooners who do their boating on inland lakes and rivers, jogging speed is plenty fast, and this will be enough power. If you want to get up on plane and travel more than a few miles, however, you'll want to upgrade.

What other choices are out there? Boaters who can't take the slowpoke speeds of 25 horses on a 25-footer will want to trade in the LOA for more power; they should look at a boat like the Princecraft Vectra 21, which posts a similar MSRP with 150 horses on the transom. Another option would be the Cypress Cay Seabreeze 210, with a 115-hp outboard.

In the pontoon-boat world, $50K gets you some serious juice, and we found the Bennington 22GL the juiciest. With a 140-hp Suzuki four-stroke and Bennington's Sport Performance System — which includes an under-deck wave shield, lifting strakes, full-length keels, and a third center tube — you'll see speeds in the low 40s. Yes, that engine and performance package does put us slightly over the mark, but why argue over a few bucks when spending $50,000? Besides, this model goes the distance when it comes to luxury, with such touches as pillow-top upholstery, a pop-up privacy enclosure for use with a portable MSD or as a changing room, a four-step boarding ladder, and a bimini top with a boot.

Bennington 22GL

LOA: 24'0" | Beam: 8'6" | Weight: 2,384/3,120 lb. (without/with Sport Performance System) | Fuel Capacity: 24.5/54 gal. (without/with Sport Performance System) | Price: $40,107/$52,097 (without/with Sport Performance System and 140-hp Suzuki outboard)

We also need to call attention to some of Bennington's construction techniques. Cross-members are on 16-inch centers, while those of many competitors are on 24-inch centers. Cleats and corner casings are stainless steel, while many other builders use aluminum or even nylon. And electrical connectors are of the waterproof, sealed Deutsch variety. You can feel the quality difference as this boat runs through the water: Many pontoons feel loose underfoot, as though one tube is trying to go to port while the other is trying to go to starboard. And quite often you hear endless rattles and vibrations from the aluminum fence, gate latches, and bimini supports. But these aren't problems on the Bennington.

Other pontoons that run in similar waters are the Harris Solstice 220 and the Manitou 23 SES.

Spending $100,000 on a pontoon boat sounds like a lot — and it is — but there are plenty of premium pontoons that offer large sizes, rather extreme performance, and total luxury. The boat that sets itself apart from the crowd, however, is the Marker One M25. Virtually every pontoon boat has marine-plywood decks; the decks on the M25 are entirely fiberglass. Virtually every other pontoon boat has aluminum fences ringing the boat; this one has all fiberglass. Virtually every other pontoon boat has rotomolded furniture bases; this one has all fiberglass. And virtually every other pontoon boat has frame-and-fabric pop-up changing room/head compartments; this one has a rigid fiberglass swing-up head compartment with folding doors.

Marker One M25

LOA: 25'9" | Beam: 9'3" | Weight: 5,520 lb. | Fuel Capacity: 55 gal. | Price: $96,345

Marker One is the only builder to combine a molded fiberglass topsides with the pontoon hulls, and out on the water it makes a huge difference. There are no creaks, groans, or rattles, which are commonplace on most pontoon boats. Seat bases, the entertainment centers, and the helm console all feel more firmly fixed to the boat's structure. And though it may be mere looks, the boat's gelcoated sides are slicker and glossier than any aluminum finish. The boat's detail work lives up to the promise of its exterior visual appeal, too, with touches like a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a stainless-steel framed windshield, and illuminated switch panels.

Two downsides to the fiberglass topsides: First, the interior seating arrangement is what it is, and you can't choose the placement of different loungers, chairs, and settees as you can with most pontoon boats. Second, the fiberglass is quite weighty and thus requires more power to attain the speeds of some other pontoons. With the standard F200, you'll see speeds in the 30s, which many pontoons of the same LOA can attain with 50 fewer horses. If you're willing to break our price cap by a few thousand dollars, upgrading to a 300-hp Verado will take top-end speeds into the 40s and add a lot of zing to your day on the lake.

While there aren't other fiberglass-topsides pontoons to comparison-shop against the Marker One, the Harris Crowne DL 250 is another high- end luxury pontoon with slick, unbroken sides. And some major parts on the Aqua Patio 250 WB (such as the console and furniture bases) are constructed from fiberglass.

Fishing Frenzy

While the range of fishing boats is so vast that it's hard to nail down specific trends or developments that affect all of the available genres, it's possible to point to one development that's had some impact on how all anglers use their fishing boats: the advancements in fishfinder technology. While fishfinders used to look only down, they now look out to the sides. While they used to make blips and blobs, they can now paint shockingly detailed pictures of the structure below; wrecks, roadbeds, submerged trees, and the like are now completely distinguishable. And most recently, 3D fishfinding has become a reality.

The real surprise, however, may be just how affordable all this fishfinding technology really is. Whether you're looking at boats in the $15K, $25K, $50K, or $100K range, it's a sure bet that the fishfinder you can afford to put on it will be surprisingly advanced. The Humminbird Helix 5 included as a standard feature on our least expensive fishing boat pick, for example, has a 5-inch color 800- by 400-pixel LCD screen and puts out 400 watts of power. Add a mere $100 to the cost, and you get a GPS/chartplotter built in. Just $50 more expands the screen from 5 inches to 7.

Even making the leap to 3D modeling is relatively inexpensive, with the Lowrance HDS-7 Gen3, a 3D module, and transducer going for about $2,250. Five short years ago, anglers paid a whole lot more to get a whole lot less.

Fishing Boats

The world of trailerable fishing boats is massive, with literally thousands of choices ranging from species-specific boats to general-purpose boats in all kinds of shapes, sizes, and construction materials. Yet for many anglers, the choice is actually made easier by the type of fishing they do. A bass aficionado, for example, doesn't need to look beyond bass boats. A dedicated redfish angler living along the Gulf Coast will almost certainly be most interested in bay boats. And offshore anglers will gravitate toward large center-consoles.

To focus on highly specified models would greatly reduce the number of trailer-boaters who would find our top picks useful, and for this reason, we're going to stick with generalists: the boats you or I could use for chasing largemouth bass on one day, then striped bass the next. Or maybe it would be trout today and sea trout tomorrow. You get the picture.

Thanks to the popularity of simple utilitarian aluminum fishing boats, anglers have a huge number of options even at this low price point. And the field is amazingly competitive; five models within a few hundred dollars of each other vied for the pole position. But we narrowed the field down to just one: the Lund 1600 Rebel, because this boat delivers everything you need to pull away from the dealership and go directly to your favorite hotspot, all at a very low cost.

Lund 1600 Rebel

LOA: 16'5" | Beam: 6'5" | Weight: 710 lb. | Fuel Capacity: 6 gal. | Price: $13,225

Beyond the boat, motor, and trailer, prerequisites for most anglers are going to be rod stowage, a livewell, a bow-mounted electric trolling motor prewiring, and a fishfinder. The Lund comes outfitted with all of these must-haves, as well as features like vinyl flooring, carpeted raised decks, three fishing-seat bases, and a side console with a relatively tall windshield — all for $1,000 below our budget cap. That console is a big deal, too. Many boats in this price range are steered with tillers, which means the captain doesn't get any protection whatsoever. And many that do have consoles offer tiny wind deflectors that are almost irrelevant.

This deal also includes a 40-horse Mercury outboard, which is notably more potent than the 20-hp and 30-hp powerplants included with most packages in this price class. While 20 horses may sound like enough for a 16-foot aluminum boat weighing a mere 710 pounds, when you get a couple of husky buddies and gear aboard, it'll struggle to get on plane. No such worries with the 40 on the transom.

We note that the Lund's hatches have simple pulls and don't dog down. And we're not thrilled with the reboarding ladder, which is a two-step model of nylon strap; it should be more robust. These complaints aside, this is a turnkey fishing machine at a price virtually any trailer-boater can afford. Closely competitive is the AlumaCraft Escape 165 CS, the Tracker Pro Guide V-16 SC, and the Princecraft Resorter DLX SC.

In this category, the Mako Pro Skiff 19 CC is a clear winner because it's small enough to fish shallows and protected lakes and bays, seaworthy enough to head out into open water, and performs well beyond its means. Mako's Inverted V hull (think of a powercat hull with a narrow tunnel and a third, smaller V running down the middle) eats up chop and also enhances stability. Like a cat, it compresses an air/water slurry to cushion the blows and help produce lift.

Mako Pro Skiff 19 CC

LOA: 19'4" | Beam: 7'9" | Weight: 1,900 lb. | Fuel Capacity: 27 gal. | Price: $21,995

Although it may be difficult to quantify, when we first ran this hull we felt it reduced wave impacts by around 20 percent to 25 percent in comparison with an average monohull of a similar size and weight. Meanwhile, unlike many price-conscious packages, the Mako gives you a stock 90-hp Mercury that has more than enough juice. It'll provide top-end speeds in the neighborhood of 40 mph and will cruise in the mid- to upper 20s.

Though the Inverted V's ride and stability both exceed expectations, there are, of course, some downsides to this design. The boat turns flat instead of banking, and trim range is reduced.

But these are small prices to pay. Along with the unusual hull design and that potent 90-hp outboard, you also get a welded, tube-framed, hot-dipped galvanized trailer. The list of standard fishing features is well above par, too, including a 25-gallon livewell with a high-speed pickup, an 85-quart helm cooler seat, raised fore and aft casting decks, and six vertical flush-mounted rodholders. The one item not included that we feel is a must is the bow-mounted electric trolling motor. But you can add that for $1,625 without busting the budget. Comparison shoppers definitely will want to investigate boats like the Key Largo 180 CC and the Bayliner Element F18.

At this price point, is it possible to get a boat that's incredibly rugged, capable of handling both inshore and offshore runs, and comes fully equipped for targeting just about any species? Robalo says yes with the R222, our top pick in this price range. Robalos are built with Kevlar reinforcement, composite cores, poured ceramic transoms, encapsulated closed-cell foam, vinylester resins, tinned-copper wiring with Deutch-style waterproof connectors, chrome-plated stainless-steel fasteners, and 36-ounce vinyl (not the standard 28-ounce vinyl). In short, these boats are built like tanks but priced like Jeeps. You can spend a lot of time looking for another 22-foot center-console that's this well built, but you'll fail to find one.

Robalo R222

LOA: 21'6" | Beam: 8'6" | Weight: 3,700 lb. | Fuel Capacity: 90 gal. | Price: $41,395

On this type of fishing machine, a T-top is a feature most of us will want, so add $3,622 to the MSRP. Beyond that, the boat's well equipped in stock form, including a 15-gallon livewell, hydraulic tilt steering, a four-speaker Bluetooth stereo system, six vertical rodholders, four gunwale-mounted rodholders, under-gunwale rod racks, a portable MSD for the console compartment, cockpit­coaming bolsters, a raw-water washdown, and a three-step telescopic boarding ladder.

Wait a sec. What doesn't the R222 come with? Not much; the options list is shockingly brief. You could upgrade the standard F150 Yamaha outboard to a 200-hp model, but we'd say it's not necessary. The 150 gets you a top-end speed right around 40 mph and a cruising speed of 30 mph, and the 200 only bumps these numbers up by 3 or 4 mph.

Note: The R222 doesn't come packaged with a trailer. Fortunately, even after adding a T-top, there's plenty of wiggle room left in the budget to pay for one. Close competitors include the Cobia 220CC, the Sportsman Open 212, and the Sea Born LX22-CC; check them out.

If you spend the big bucks, you want the big capabilities, and the Pathfinder 2600 HPS delivers. Yes, it's officially marketed as a bay boat, but we spent an entire day fishing offshore on the 2600 HPS in 4-foot swells and found it eminently capable of handling open waters and large waves. Sure, it's a whopping 26 feet long, but it can still float in a mere 16 inches of water and creep into the backcountry creeks and cuts where the redfish thrive. Yes, it's a big boat to power with a single engine, but (in no small part thanks to a twin-step hull design) the stock 300-hp Yamaha F300 nets a top end of almost 60 mph and a cruising speed beyond 40 mph. Run to the canyons, run to the mangroves, or run to anything in between and the Pathfinder 2600 HPS will prove itself capable.

Pathfinder 2600 HPS

LOA: 26'2" | Beam: 8'10" | Weight: 3,350 lb. | Fuel Capacity: 78 gal. | Price: $88,965

Most anglers will love the fact that this boat is geared 100-percent toward fishing, with a 48-gallon aft livewell and a 15-gallon well in the bow, integrated tackle-stowage trays, a cast-net locker, a raw-water washdown, and the like. But this single-minded focus does lead to one potential knock: Despite its expansive size, the 2600 HPS doesn't make room for a head inside the console. To get that — and a number of other family-friendly features — you'll have to opt for the TRS version, which costs around $10K more than the HPS. And like many other boats of this size and nature, the trailer isn't part of the package. Plan on adding several thousand dollars to the MSRP to get a road-ready rig.

Examining Price vs. Cost

Hang out long enough at a boat show, and you'll hear a tire-kicker exclaim to his or her spouse or just a random passerby, "Who pays this much for a boat?" Usually he or she is standing in the vicinity of a flashy center-console or a luxury-filled motoryacht. And the answer is, well, no one does.

When shopping for boats, some consumers fall into the trap of equating the price of a boat with its cost. But the true cost of a boat is the difference between what you pay for it, and the money you get when you sell it, plus the operational and finance costs of ownership — not what it says on the sticker.

Most of us won't ever keep a boat for anything close to its lifetime, on average trading up or in within five to seven years. And to be fair, when you're trying to buy a boat, the last thing on your mind is the day you'll sell it. But sell it you will. So it pays (literally) to think about resale value before you buy.

Price is just one factor in the cost equation, and in fact, it's easy to envision a scenario in which a boat with a lower price ends up costing you more. We'll assume for the moment you're comparing two boats of roughly equal size, so most of those operational costs are so similar as to be a wash, and you can write them off as sunk and ignore them for comparison purposes.

Imagine a $90,000 model from a well-respected builder that holds its value very well. In a few years, you might be able to get $70,000 for selling such a boat. But also consider a $74,000 model from a less-desirable builder. In a few years, you might get $50,000 for selling that boat. So if you're comparison shopping between the two, you might think you're "saving" $16,000 when, in fact, you've cost yourself $4,000 in resale value.

Of course, it's not this straightforward. Most of us finance our boats, and the monthly payment on a cheaper boat is likely to be lower. But there are also price breaks at which the interest rate available on a loan is lower for a higher dollar amount than it is for the lesser amount. In fact, one online loan calculator showed that the monthly payment on a $74,000 loan would be $566. But on a $90,000 loan, it would be $563. Confused yet? Loans on larger dollar amounts can also often be stretched over a longer time span. The second loan is a 20-year note versus a 15-year note on the first.

I hope by now you're convinced you can't tell a boat's cost by the price on the sticker. But what can you do to compare costs effectively when boat shopping? Arm yourself with these three things before you head to a show or dealership:

1. Get an idea of the depreciation rate for common models from the brands you're interested in. The easy way to do this is to use BUCValu or NADA Guides online tools and compare across several years for the same boat model. Prices that are closer together are good. A larger spread is bad.

2. Research the terms and conditions for a boat loan online, paying special attention to interest-rate breaks and the length of available terms for your price range. Once you've done that, plug some specific scenarios into an online loan-calculator tool like the one available at BoatUS.com/BoatLoans .

3. Plan to walk away. Passion often trumps reason in boat sales. Walking away allows you time to factor in costs for insurance, maintenance, and storage, and such finance quirks as whether the model you're considering can be written off as a second home on taxes; then you'll have a realistic picture of the ownership costs of each boat you're considering. Once you know the numbers, you can let passion guide your decision, but at least you'll walk in with your eyes open.

— Michael Vatalaro

A Word About Warranties

For most people, the biggest advantage of buying a new boat is the warranty that comes with it. Simply put, the warranty is the manufacturer's promise to stand behind its products by providing service and repairs after purchase.

Because marine warranties vary widely in their coverage, compare them before you buy. Look for multiyear warranties for hull and engines, as well as coverage for osmotic blistering — a common problem on fiberglass boats that's expensive to fix. Find out whether the warranties transfer to subsequent owners — a crucial determinant of resale value.

Written warranties must be made available to you before you buy. New boats usually come with separate warranty coverage from the engine and boat manufacturers as well as the makers of other major components. Buying from a dealer who services both the boat and the engine can save a lot of frustration down the road. Make sure you fill out warranty registrations to ensure you'll get service when you need it.

— Charles Fort

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Lenny Rudow

New Boats, Fishing & Electronics Editor, BoatUS Magazine

Top tech writer and accomplished sports fisherman, BoatUS Magazine Contributing Editor Lenny Rudow has written seven practical boating books, won 30 awards from Boating Writers International — many for his marine electronics articles – and two for excellence from the Outdoor Writers Association of America. He judges the NMMA Innovation Awards, and is Angler in Chief at FishTalk, his own Chesapeake-based publication. A great teacher and inspirational writer, Lenny hosts many of BoatUS Magazine’s very-popular how-to videos, which can be found on the BoatUS YouTube channel, or at BoatUS.com

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23 Most Affordable Entry-Level Boat Models

Our Boat Loan Calculator makes it easy to figure out just how much boat you can afford, and our Boat Finder will help you narrow the field to a particular type of boat. But it can be much more difficult to identify the specific models that fit both your budget and your desires.

The price range for boats is huge, of course, but average middle-class Americans looking to find their new dream-boat will each have their own budget, and their own definition of just what “affordable” means. That may mean looking for a boat that costs about as much as a new car, taking the family on a series of vacations, or putting in an in-ground pool.

Fortunately, there is indeed a boat for every budget. Here are some of the most affordable starter boats to keep in mind when you begin dreaming, listed in order of boat type from A to Z.

1. All-Purpose Fishing Boats: Lund 1650 Angler SS

In this category there are countless options, and luckily, many all-purpose fishing boats are relatively low cost because their focus on fishing means they aren’t loaded up with excessive amenities. While that simplicity may limit the boat’s appeal to only anglers, it also helps manufacturers keep pricing down—way down. In fact, in the smaller size ranges it’s possible to find an all-purpose fishing boat that can easily hold a family of four and fits in the garage, yet is priced in the $10,000 to $20,000 range.

Take the Lund 1650 Angler SS , for example. It’s rated for up to five people, has a 40 HP outboard, a trailer, a livewell, and a driver’s side console, and is an ideal platform for all kinds of freshwater fishing and trips on relatively protected saltwater bays. Yet listing at just $15,547, this package can be financed with payments under $150 a month.  Visit  Lund Boats  to learn more.

Explore All-Purpose Fishing Boat Brands

2. Aluminum Fishing Boats: Tracker Topper 1542

Aluminum boats are like the ATVs of the boating world. They’re rugged, versatile, compact, easy to transport, and easy to afford. They’re also an excellent choice for people who have light-duty tow vehicles, thanks to their relatively light weight. True, they don’t usually have many luxury features nor integrated entertainment devices, but you’ll be so busy reeling in fish you’ll never notice in the first place. One sub-category of aluminum fishing boat with particularly wide appeal is the Jon boat , since it’s among the most affordable options on the water.

In fact, some smaller utilitarian models intended for protected waterways, like the Tracker Topper 1542 , can be powered with a small outboard or an electric motor and at $1,595 costs less than some high-priced cell phones. For many forms of fishing in protected waterways, a boat like this will more than do the trick. Visit  Tracker Boats  to learn more.

Explore Aluminum Fishing Boat Brands

3. Bass Boats: Ranger RT188P 

While we’ll stipulate that there are some extremely expensive bass boats on the market, there are also plenty of lower-cost bass boats out there that are very competent fishing machines. They may not have the bling of models that are triple the cost, but boats like the Ranger RT188P have it where it counts: in the bass fishing department. This boat-motor-trailer package offers 115 horses, a fishfinder, a bow-mount trolling motor, multiple rodboxes and livewells, onboard tackle stowage, and an onboard battery charger. Even with all these big-ticket goodies included, base price is just $27,095. Oh, and did we mention that it looks great, too? Visit  Ranger Boats  to learn more.

Explore Bass Boat Brands

4. Bay Boats/Flats Boats: Mako 18 LTS

Saltwater fishing is popular just about anywhere there’s a coastline, and anglers who ply bays, inshore waters, and back-country flats love their bay boats and flats boats . If you’ve been looking at offerings in this genre you’ve probably noticed there’s a very wide range of pricing, which is often related to the size of the boat. But an 18-footer like the Mako 18 LTS can still be had for well under the $30,000 mark. And note that although it’s relatively small and inexpensive, this boat can carry five passengers and has plenty of features ranging from flush-mount vertical rodholders, to an 18-gallon livewell, to cockpit courtesy lighting. Visit MAKO to learn more.

Explore Bay/Flats Boats Brands

5. Bowriders: Regal 1900 ES

As one of the most versatile, do-everything designs around, bowriders attract a lot of first-time boat-buyers. That means there’s a long list of boatbuilders who make bowriders, and they’re available in a huge range of shapes and sizes. You’ll want to do lots of comparison shopping before deciding which specific make or model is ideal for your needs, but if your budget comes in at $30,000 or under, one you’ll surely want to look at is the Regal 1900 ES . It can hold the entire family plus some friends (maximum capacity is nine people) and can be used for everything from watersports to day cruising . Visit  Regal Boats  to learn more.

Explore Bowrider Brands

6. Cabin Cruisers: Jeanneau NC 795

Cabin cruisers naturally tend to be larger and more expensive than many other types of boats, but that doesn’t mean they’re out of reach for people who considers overnight cruising the ultimate family adventure. In fact, consider all the expenses you’d incur if you paid for all the gear, vehicles, lodging, and supplies to go on a trip to some exciting new place every weekend, all summer long. Then visit our Boat Loan Calculator and plug in the cost of a relatively affordable cabin cruiser, like the $80,750 Jeanneau NC 795 . You might be surprised to learn that you could actually do more for the dollar, by buying the boat. Visit  Jeanneau  to learn more.

Explore Cabin Cruiser Brands

7. Center Consoles: Robalo R160

Traditionally most people have thought of center consoles purely as fishing boats, but in recent years more and more people have discovered that the center console design is also great for any number of boating activities.

Consider a boat like the Robalo R160 , for example, which starts at an uber-affordable $23,295 and comes ready to fish hard, trailers easily, and can pull the kids around on water-toys when the fish stop biting. You want a serious but affordable fishing machine? Then there’s a good chance a center console will fit the bill—but don’t think for a second that you won’t find countless other ways to enjoy family boating, as well. Visit  Robalo Boats  to learn more.

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8. Cuddy Cabins: Rinker 22MTX

If you like the idea of having a boat with a cabin and spending nights or weekends aboard is an option you desire—but spending big bucks on a yacht is not—a cuddy cabin will likely prove ideal. Cuddies have all the basics you need like a berth to sleep on, basic restroom facilities, and sometimes even a compact galley (kitchen), but they’re still small and simple enough to keep pricing down at reasonable levels. Just what’s “reasonable”?

While cabin boats do tend to cost a bit more than open models, some like the Rinker 22MTX will cost less than many nice cars (sticker price is $47,380). Yet boats like this come fully-equipped with everything you need for memory-making mini-vacations. Visit Rinker Boats  to learn more.

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9. Deck Boats: Bayliner Element Series

If you could figure out the cost-per-smile factor of any recreational vehicle in the world it would be seriously tough to beat a deck boat . These open, spacious boats are great for just about any waterborne activity and thanks to their simplicity they’re shockingly affordable. The Bayliner Element series is a perfect example. A beefy 21-footer with a 115 HP outboard, a trailer, and room for a crowd of 10 people lists for under $28,000. The 18-foot version barely breaks the $20,000 mark, and the 16-footer starts as low as $15,299—less than the cost of many new motorcycles, which aren’t exactly the ideal vehicles for family entertainment. Visit Bayliner to learn more.

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10. Dinghies: Walker Bay 10

Many people get dinghies to go with a larger boat, but they can provide lots of fun all on their own. In fact, for a couple of people who want to go out exploring or fishing in protected waters, a dinghy is one of the most cost-effective ways to get out there.

True, little boats like the Walker Bay 10 don’t have much in the way of amenities; but with the ability to hold three people, add a sail or outboard (up to three HP), and a list price of just $1,279, how can you beat the bang for the buck? Visit  Walker Bay Boats  to learn more.

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11. Fish-and-Ski Boats: Lowe FS 1700

Families who enjoy both fishing and watersports naturally gravitate to this design. Fish-and-ski boats are exactly what they sound like: fishing boats that are designed and equipped to do double duty when they kids enjoy watersports as much as they enjoy hooking walleye.

The Lowe FS 1700 is sure to draw plenty of attention, thanks to its aptitude as both a fishing boat and a watertoy-towing fun-machine. And its price tag is quite low, starting at a mere $20,495 with a 60 HP outboard and a trailer. Visit  Lowe Boats  to learn more.

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12. High Performance Boats: Donzi 16 Classic

When it comes to budget-conscious boat-buying, high performance boats probably don’t top most people’s lists. However, that doesn’t mean you have to spend a million dollars to get a boat that provides adrenaline-inducing thrill rides. Start small with a boat like the Donzi 16 Classic (MSRP: $61,900), which can be equipped with 200- or 250-horsepower, and you’ll soon be zipping across the water at speeds most boats only reach when they’re being trailered down the highway. Visit  Donzi Marine  to learn more.

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13. Inflatables: Sea Eagle 10.6sr

Inflatables are a rather unique class of boats, particularly in that many can be deflated, rolled up, and stored under a couch or in the closet of a studio apartment. So not only are they ideal as tenders and towboats, inflatables can also get urban dwellers into the boating game. And they can do so quite inexpensively.

Match up a boat like the Sea Eagle 14sr ($2,499) with a portable outboard, and you young urban dwellers have a boat capable of carrying seven people that takes just 25 minutes to inflate—and you could even add on things like swivel seats, a Bimini top, and fishing rod holders. Visit  Sea Eagle Boats  to learn more.

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14. Jet Boats: Scarab 165 G

Jet boats are quite popular among first-time boat-buyers, and other than the jet drive and some rather sporty and spectacular handling characteristics, most are more or less like other runabouts. They tend to share pricing characteristics, too, and one that’s eminently affordable is the Scarab 165 G . Even with its small $24,433 MSRP it delivers big on sporty fun, and has a surprisingly wide range of features like aft swim platform loungers, a ski-tow eye, and USB charging ports. Visit  Scarab Boats  to learn more.

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15. Motor Yachts/Power Cruisers: Sea Ray Sundancer 350 Coupe

No one’s going to argue that motor yachts and power cruisers are low-cost; but consider how much you have would to pay for a chic two-bedroom waterfront home with a full kitchen, living room, and bathroom, plus a deck with a grill, outdoor stereo, and retracting sunshade. Oh, and BTW, you can park this bungalow in any waterfront village you’d like, whenever you’d like. What do you think, a half a million dollars sounds about right?

For significantly less you can get boats like the Sea Ray Sundancer 350 Coupe , which not only have all of the above but can also hit speeds in the 40-mph range and feature perks like outdoor cockpit air-conditioning, a bow lounger, and a sunroof over the helm. Visit  Sea Ray Boats  to learn more.

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16. Multi-Hull Power Boats: World Cat 230CC

Ask a crowd of experienced boaters about multi-hull power boats , or "power cats" as they’re often called, and you may hear that they generally cost more than regular monohull powerboats . But when you compare different boats by their capabilities and useable space, that’s not always the case.

Consider a World Cat 230CC , for example. Yes, it has a sticker price pushing close to $100,000, which sounds like a lot for a 23-foot boat. But powercats like this have more interior volume because they’re wider in the bow—in fact, the 230CC has seating for a huge crew of 10. Plus, the smooth twin-hull ride can take on bigger seas than most monohulls in this class, and the boat has twin engines. So when you add capability and space into the equation this boat should really be compared to much larger monohulls. And for the value you get it’s actually far more affordable than it seems upon first glance. Visit  World Cat  to learn more.

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17. Personal Watercraft (PWC): Yamaha WaveRunner EX Series

Looking for a cheap thrill? You just found it. Few boats are as affordable as personal watercraft , and few can claim to be more fun. Grin-inducing wave-hops, G-force turns, and a face full of spray are just a few of the experiences that await you, and we dare you to try to go two minutes on a personal watercraft without smiling. Good luck, because it isn’t going to happen.

And, talk about affordable: the Yamaha Waverunner EX series lists at a mere $6,899 to start—less than a couple might lay out for a week-long trip to Europe. Yet it can carry up to three people and blasts off with a 1049-cc Yamaha TR-1 jet engine. Can you say “WOOHOO”? Visit  Yamaha WaterCraft  to learn more.

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18. Pontoon Boats: Godfrey Sweetwater 1886 C

One of the great things about pontoon boats is that most models are highly customizable, and you can get them just as simple and inexpensive or as gussied-up as you please. While that may mean foregoing the snazzy wine-chiller or the huge outboard engine to get a more affordable price, it certainly doesn’t mean foregoing the family fun a pontoon boat will provide.

Consider the Godfrey Sweetwater 1886 C , which seats 10 comfortable and comes with features like a 40 HP outboard, gobs of seating, a cocktail table, and a swim ladder. MSRP is just over $26,000, and you can add in a slew of features like a Bimini top, a stereo system, a pop-up changing room, and even a chilled cupholder at the helm, without breaking through the $30,000 barrier. Visit  Godfrey Pontoons  to learn more.

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19. Sailboats: Beneteau First 14

When it comes to economics, sailboats hold an advantage over powerboats since they don’t need the power provided by those big motors. You may be attracted to a small, simple boat that can be taken out single-handed or by a handful of people, like the $10,800 Beneteau First 14 . Or you may be more interested in a model that has a cabin and a berth, like the First 18 ($28,800). In any case, not only are boats like these eminently affordable, they also enjoy lower operational expenses than powerboats. You’ll love that new boat even more as you sail right past the fuel dock. Visit  Beneteau  to learn more.

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20. Ski Boats/Wake Boats: Four Winns HD 200 Surf

Towed watersports have exploded with popularity in the past decade, and it’s no wonder why. Whether you’re surfing the wakes or practicing slalom skiing, watersports make for fast-paced and exciting athletic action. If you’ve shopped for dedicated watersports boats , however, you may have noticed that they can be on the expensive side. That doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. New tech in drive units and boat designs has made it possible for many manufacturers to offer lower cost boats that work great for sports like surfing and water skiing.

The Four Winns HD 200 Surf is a great example, since it has everything needed in a serious watersports boat (like tow points, wake tabs, and ballast tanks), but it doesn’t edge too much above the $50,000 mark. Visit  Four Winns  to learn more.

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21. Sportfishing Yachts: Boston Whaler 345 Conquest

No, we’re not going to try to convince anyone that a sportfishing yacht is “inexpensive.” And affordability is entirely in the eye of the beholder. But consider this: if you chartered an offshore sportfishing yacht for a day of fishing, in most parts of the nation you’d pay somewhere between $1,500 and $2,500 per day. Once you spend that money it’s gone. But if you purchased a sportfishing yacht that retains a good deal of its value over time, like the Boston Whaler 345 Conquest (which goes for a little over a half-million dollars), you’ll have the asset of the boat itself for years to come. And on top of that you’ll have the unrestricted ability to go fishing or cruising in luxury whenever the mood strikes. Visit  Boston Whaler  to learn more.

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22. Trawlers: Ranger Tugs R-23

Since most people think of trawlers as large and luxurious, you may find it a bit surprising to discover that there plenty of smaller, more affordable trawlers to consider, too. True, you won’t be crossing the Atlantic on a 23-footer like the Ranger Tugs R-23 . This little $115,000 pocket-yacht does, however, have sleeping space for a family of four, complete food-prep facilities, a private head compartment (that’s nautical-speak for bathroom), and an open cockpit you can use for everything from tanning to fishing. Visit  Ranger Tugs  to learn more .

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23. Walkarounds: Striper 200 Walkaround OB

Many people, especially parents with small kids, feel a cabin is a must-have whether they plan to go fishing, day cruising or spend a night or two camping aboard. And even the smallest of the walkarounds out there provide you with a place to sleep, protection from the weather, and somewhere to relieve yourself. Boats like the Striper 200 Walkaround OB check all those boxes. And listing an MSRP of $66,893, it’s certainly easier to afford than a cabin at the lake. Visit  Striper Boats  to learn more.

Explore Walkaround Boat Brands

And don’t forget people, while you could dedicate that boat budget to a car, vacations, or a pool, we think a boat has got all of those things beat—hands-down. Who would rather travel down the road, when open waterways beckon? Why restrict your recreation to short-lived vacations, when going boating is like taking a vacation each and every time you pull off the dock? Doesn’t choosing a pool seem rather limiting, when your boat will provide you with countless places to take the plunge? Find the perfect boat for you, your family, and your budget, and you’ll never regret it.

Read Next: Best Boats for Families

Editor's Note: Pricing is accurate as last date of publish, May 12, 2020. Please contact each boat manufacturers or your local boat dealer directly for the most updated pricing.

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SAIL Top 10 Best Boats for 2023

• Author: the SAIL Boat Review Team

Every year, sailboat manufacturers around the world launch their latest models, and every year, SAIL magazine’s experienced boat reviewers spend days and weeks learning what’s new, talking with boatbuilders, examining the boats top to bottom dockside, and finally taking them sailing . This culminates at the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, where our review team gets together and makes its final assessments on which boats earn top honors. Results are announced in our January/February issue, and full reviews of the winning boats will be published throughout the year.

For almost 20 years, we’ve called this awards program SAIL Best Boats, but this year, we’re refining and renaming this program to better and more fairly represent the boats we’ve selected. Restricting boats to categories and labels—such as Best Cruising Monohull 30-40 feet and Best Performance Monohull 40-50 feet—doesn’t bring our readers the full picture. Too often, defining these boats by categories results in unfairly comparing apples to oranges, sorting boats with very different purposes and design briefs into the same bracket just because of their LOA, and inevitably kicking out some really terrific boats. So, starting this year, we’re honoring the Top 10 boats, period. By eliminating the artificial straitjacket of size categories and focusing on what are simply the Top 10, SAIL will present readers a more complete and equitable assessment.

So, without further ado, here’s the SAIL Top 10 Best Boats for 2023. After exploring a mix of bluewater boats, racer/cruisers, speedsters, dinghies, and multihulls, we’ve settled on the very best the industry has to offer. We were excited to see that designers and builders are steadily pushing the envelope in propulsion, electrical generation, and more sustainable options for getting out on the water. And as always, we admire the ever-evolving innovations and tenacity of the sailboat industry that makes what we do possible.

Beneteau First 36

Photo courtesy of Beneteau

The first step in Beneteau’s plan to revitalize its legacy performance brand saw the giant French builder partnering with Seascape, a successful upstart Slovenian yard, to rebrand Seascape’s existing models as Beneteau Firsts. Now, with the introduction of the new Beneteau First 36, phase two is revealed: a wholly novel racer/cruiser, developed by top French racing designer Sam Manuard and the Seascape team with input from Beneteau. The result is a surprisingly versatile, lively craft that will appeal strongly to dedicated racing sailors as well as performance-oriented cruisers.

Construction is no-holds-barred for a mass-produced boat. The hull and deck are fully cored resin-infused structures, with all supporting bulkheads and interior furniture modules likewise cored and vacuum-infused. The only solid piece in the hull is the keel grid, which is all-encompassing, stretching up out of the bilge all the way to deck level to provide maximum security in this disconcerting age of breakaway keels. Either a carbon fiber or aluminum rig can be specified, and a thicket of standard halyards—for masthead and fractional A-sails, a Code 0, a staysail, plus twin jib halyards—make it easy to keep maximum canvas flying forward of the mast. The round-bilge hull carries lots of beam aft on its waterline and begs to jump up on a plane when driving hard downwind.

We were particularly impressed with the First 36’s cockpit layout. A removable cockpit table and a pair of removable storage/bench seat extensions make it possible to convert the boat’s nerve center from a straight racing layout designed to keep full and shorthanded crews happy to a much more cruiser-friendly space. Likewise, below you’ll find good-sized aft staterooms that can be easily shifted from double- or single-berth configurations to simple storage spaces. A proper galley with a separate centerline “refrigeration island,” a full nav station, and a full-size double V-berth forward complete a quite cozy, well thought out interior.

And yes, of course, the boat sails like a bandit. An all-around winner in our book.

X-Yachts X4.3

Photo courtesy of X-Yachts;

Many boatbuilders looking to capitalize on a successful design will create a “new” model of a boat by changing a few particulars on an old hull and then change the name as well. Leave it to the circumspect Danes at X-Yachts to soft-sell an entirely new design, built with all new tooling for hull and deck, by giving it the same name as its immediate predecessor. The previous X4.3 was a bestseller in the X-Yachts “Pure X” range, with over 100 hulls launched worldwide, and the new X4.3 takes what was already an outstanding boat and makes it even better.

The new hull sees maximum beam carried a bit further aft, with a subtle soft or “radius” chine, rather than a simple hard chine, pushing out volume to increase initial stability and boost interior space in the aft cabins. The larger cockpit also has a slightly raised sole, thus increasing clearance over the aft berths. The new deck design incorporates a dodger with improved forward visibility and accommodates overlapping and self-tacking headsails. Forward, a longer integral bowsprit allows for larger off-wind sails to be set, and this combined with a taller mast (or an even taller optional carbon mast) improves light-air performance.

The quality of construction, as on all X-Yachts, is impeccable, with epoxy-infused post-cured structures throughout and a bulletproof galvanized steel keel grid. The boat’s interior is elegant and traditional, exquisitely finished, with more opening portlights and improved ventilation. Under sail the X4.3 is fast and nimble, with a newly designed rudder that grips the water tenaciously even when over-pressed. Best of all, given its build quality, the boat is competitively priced.

J/Boats J/45

Photo by Onne Van Der Wal

It has been a long time since the hallowed Johnstone family has seen fit to throw a larger performance cruising boat into the market. They’ve done very well in recent years titillating us with compact, competitive one-design sport boats, but let’s face it—J/Boat aficionados have been holding their breath, waiting to see if there would ever be a larger J to sail (and maybe even cruise) about in. The new J/45, designed by Alan Johnstone and built by J/Composites in France, does not disappoint. It does a very fine job of splitting the difference between contemporary design idioms and the J/Boats of yore.

Yes, this J is a bit wider than larger Js in the past, but max beam is not carried aft, and there’s a fine sensuous taper in the transom that will warm the hearts of traditionalists. Twin wheels control one rudder—deep, grippy, and highly efficient. There is also a fine integral bowsprit for flying the big sails. The result is a boat that is not optimized for just driving hard off the wind, in the modern style, but is more reliably a traditional all-rounder—more slippery in light conditions, heeling a bit more in heavy conditions, but always quick, easy to drive, and sure-footed.

Construction, of course, is rock solid, with a fully resin-infused foam-cored hull and deck, courtesy of the longest-standing SCRIMP infusion system. The interior treatment, composed by the revered French designer Isabelle Racoupeau, is a breakthrough for J/Boats. It is decidedly contemporary, understated, very elegant, but wrapped around a purely functional layout. We were all greatly relieved to see a boat like this on the water again.

Photo courtesy of Hanse Yachts

The new Hanse 460 is a step up in performance and accommodations among production boats in its class. The hull features a sharp, reverse bow followed by a short chine, and then it flares out into a broad, flat contour aft. This—coupled with a large, easily handled sailplan, excellent placement of  winches and line stoppers at the twin wheels, a self-tacking jib, furling mainsail, and huge cockpit and cabin space—produces a comfortable, fast cruiser that can be sailed by a middle-aged couple.

On a brisk autumn day, we motored out on the Chesapeake at an easy 8 knots, performed a few sharp, responsive maneuvers under power and unfurled the sails to a 12-knot breeze. The Hanse 460 accelerated nicely to almost 7 knots, then tacked reliably through 90 degrees. With the in-mast furling mainsail and the self-tacking jib, tacking was a matter of simply turning the wheel. It’s actually fun.

Unlike many European cruisers, the Hanse 460 is laid out so the helmsman has everything within easy reach. For shorthanded sailing, this boat is hard to match. Sight lines were excellent, and seating was comfortable. The cockpit tables drop to seat level so you can sleep outside under the stars on a spacious berth.

The interior is quite pleasant, with the galley along the starboard side and a large table and seat to port. Everything is finished attractively (Hanse offers a huge selection of colors and fabrics), and there’s lots of light from the hull windows and plentiful opening hatches. The standard layout has a big double berth in the forward cabin and two more double cabins aft, with two head compartments. Other layouts are available.

The Hanse 460 will please a lot of sailors, especially with the price made possible by today’s strong dollar/Euro exchange rates.

Hallberg-Rassy 400

Photo courtesy of Hallberg-Rassy

Hallberg-Rassy’s newest addition, the 400, quickly follows the Germán Frers-designed center-cockpit 40C, incorporating the good looks and proven elements of plumb bow for maximum waterline, integral bowsprit, and twin rudders in an aft-cockpit version that seamlessly marries traditional bluewater cruising experience with contemporary design and interior trends. Combined with this Swedish builder’s reputation for bulletproof construction, the result is a powerful, elegant, fun, go-anywhere machine.

Hallberg-Rassy’s ethos has long been that comfort and sailability add up to safe, happy sailors, and the 400 manifests this inside and out. Though it follows its contemporaries with twin helms, this boat’s cockpit feels ergonomically sensible and safe while still providing all the entertaining room one needs. Everything is practical and uncluttered, geared to making sailhandling straightforward for one or two people.

This carries through the sailplan as well; the headsail can be either slightly overlapping or self-tacking (a Code 0 is optional), and the mainsail traditional slab reefing or in-mast furling; on our test boat in Annapolis, the vertically battened Elvstrøm main reefed easily with the Seldén in-mast system. A split Dyneema backstay with simple but forceful block adjustment, coupled with the mainsheet traveler forward of the companionway, allow for maximum sail trim and control (and tweakable fun).

Below, offshore features such as beautifully crafted fiddles that double as beefy handholds and comfy settees that quickly transform into secure sea berths are coupled with a flexible layout. Owners can opt for one or two heads and two or three sleeping cabins; the forward cabin comes in three different layouts, including an owner’s version with centerline double bed and en-suite head with shower. Serious cruisers can convert an aft cabin into an enormous work and storage space.

For many sailors, Hallberg-Rassy means proven offshore experience and pure sailing chops delivered in a solid, thoughtful, handsome whole. The 400 continues that legacy with this flexible layout and competitively priced package.

Photo courtesy of Dufour Yachts

If you look at the specs of the new Dufour 37, you may scratch your head. How is a 34-foot LOA boat called a 37? No worries though, this little yacht is mighty, feeling and sailing like a bigger model.

The first surprise is how the boat feels on deck and below. The cockpit is spacious with long settees and twin wheels that open up the traffic flow. The folding table between the settees is massive—perfect for entertaining at anchor . And let’s not forget the drop transom where the chef can stand out of the way while working on the plancha grill , a big boat feature to be sure.

The interior is deceptively large as well. The owner’s suite in the bow has bifurcated doors for easy entry. With these open, you experience the full length of the boat when you descend the companionway as the eye is drawn forward. There’s another enormous dining table, and the compact galley to port has made room for double sinks and bottle storage—a nice touch. Three cabins are offered, but two plus a storage room would work better for couples.

The Z-Spar rig holds a powerful higher-aspect mainsail and self-tacking jib that make shorthanded sailing a snap. In just 9 knots of true breeze, we slipped along at 6.5 knots on a beam reach and flat water. The gennaker on a top-down furler can be used up to 60 degrees AWA and kept us moving along smartly at nearly 7 knots. She was comfortable and dry throughout the sail.

Small is the new big, and the Dufour 37 delivers with some impressive features you’d not expect on an entry model. The only thing that isn’t big about the Dufour 37 is the price. Expect a well-optioned version to come in just around $200,000, and that means you can have a lot of fun for not a lot of money.

Nautitech 44 Open

Photo courtesy of Nautitech

The latest addition to the Nautitech line of cruising cats is the 44 Open created by naval architect Marc Lombard. The model leans heavily on elements that have been previous crowd pleasers like the “Open” concept launched nearly a decade ago. It has proven immensely popular because it shifts and reprioritizes the use of space by making the saloon smaller and the cockpit bigger. It’s a Nautitech trademark and makes sense for how and where cats are used.

The 44 Open is a good-looking boat with a sleek profile, and it’s right in the sweet spot for cruising couples. It’s also designed for performance, with a higher bridgedeck to avoid pounding, deeper keels for better tracking, and twin helms out on the hulls from where it’s easy to drive, especially when docking.

The sailplan includes a fully battened mainsail, a self-tacking jib on a cabintop track, and a Code 0 on a furler. Expect to point to within 50 degrees AWA and see 9-knot speeds in 15-18 knots of true breeze. The optional Code 0 drives the boat up to about 70 degrees AWA. Under power, the 60-hp engines (upgraded) push the boat at 11 knots at 3,000 rpm so there’s plenty of power to get home quickly.

The helm stations meet you as soon as you come up from the swim steps. They’re well placed with small biminis for cover, but the seats could use a bit of redesign. They create a pinch point when passing up to the cockpit, and they’re too small for two and too big for one. Another place for improvement is the access to the windlass on the foredeck. It’s tucked well under a fiberglass lip that doesn’t open, and let’s face it, windlasses require TLC from time to time.

Otherwise, the 44 Open is packed with unique features. Favorites include the generous owner’s suite, the well-laid-out galley, and the optional “smart room” that will store all sorts of cruising gear and spares and is worth the price of admission. Overall, a serious cruising couple has a lot to love in this design, and it should be on the shortlist for anyone planning on doing distance voyaging.

NEEL 43 Trimaran

Photo by Olivier Blanchet/Neel Trimarans

Trimarans are known for having a good turn of speed but also for not having much livable space, which may be why so few of them are out distance cruising. French builder NEEL has been working to change that mindset. With the new baby of the family, the NEEL 43, they’ve dialed in a good combination of comfort and easy, fun, fast sailing.

Step into the cockpit and you’ll be surprised that it has nearly the same dimensions as a cat. There’s plenty of room for 10 people to mingle, and six can gather for a meal. The helm station is offset onto the starboard bulkhead, so the driver remains part of the social activity in the cockpit but still has good visibility when sailing.

Three cabins, one head, a compact galley, and a fair-sized saloon make up the interior, most of which is on the same level. Below the cabin sole, the immense “basement” houses the engine room and utility spaces. Everything is labeled and very accessible, so it won’t be a punishment to do maintenance. As an upgrade, the NEEL 43 offers a 48-volt system, lithium batteries, multiple solar panels, and an Integrel supersized alternator that eliminates the need for a separate genset. This innovative system reduces carbon emissions and extends time at anchor without constant combustion-engine charging.

Fully commissioned and FOB East Coast, the NEEL 43 is $575,000; if you add the whizbang lithium powerpack and Integrel, you can expect to pay another $100,000. That’s not an extreme price for what is a unique cruising experience—one that can keep your carbon footprint small and your hair flying back as the three hulls eat up the miles.

Balance 442

Photo courtesy of Balance Catamarans

Balance Catamarans launched their 482 last year and heard two things: 1) YES! And 2) Can you make a smaller one? So, this year, they introduced the new mini-me, the Balance 442, and it’s all that was hoped for.

There’s a long list of smart stuff built into the 442—a Karver hook that makes it easier to raise and the lower the mainsail, twin daggerboards that help pointing ability, and rigid solar panels raised off the deck and therefore ventilated from below. There are also options for one or two Integrel supercharged alternators that eliminate the need for a generator, and an optional 48-volt system with a DC-to-DC converter for 12V appliances. The incredible Versa-Helm is a Balance trademark that lets you drive from the top of the helm station or from down in the cockpit where it’s warm and dry.

Perhaps the best part of the 442 is the sailing. Not too many cats will do 11 knots in 16 knots of true wind at 80 degrees AWA. Fewer still will hold onto 6.5 knots of speed at 35 degrees AWA in the same breeze and without making much leeway. When you don’t have to tack through 120 degrees, you stand a chance of actually making upwind progress, and that’s refreshing on a multihull.

Under power, the Balance 442 makes good use of her twin 40-hp Yanmar diesels, but if you upgrade to the Integrel power management system, you’ll also need to opt for the 45-hp engines. The 48-volt system is worth investigating, as is adding the solar panels and the twin Integrels, because with all this, you can expect to stay at anchor for three days without needing to charge (not using air conditioning), and when you do charge, you can do so in 90 minutes.

Like her bigger siblings, the Balance 442 is all about smart systems, livable layouts, and sassy sailing. The sail away price is $1.2 million, which still puts her below many of her performance cat competitors. If you’re looking for smart living and fast sailing, you may have found it.

Photos courtesy of Tiwal Sailboats

It will certainly raise some eyebrows to see an inflatable dinghy on this list alongside cruising cats and production racer/cruisers, but the Tiwal 3R has earned its accolades. Building on the foundation of the Tiwal 3, the 3R is a racing version engineered especially for competitive sailors who want to fine-tune their sailing. And with 2,500 Tiwals already on the water, many of whom participated in last summer’s Tiwal Cup championships, there’s no shortage of demand.

The boat has a new sail that requires more structure and support in the hull, so designer Marion Escoffier also drafted an all-new aluminum exoskeleton. The new cage led to new sail controls (including a sporty vang traveler). All of this means this inflatable boat can reach up to 14 knots. To top it off, they’ve also designed an app to help Tiwal owners meet up and share information. For a boat this size, the innovation is a cut above.

But don’t let the performance features lead you to believe this is a no-nonsense racing machine. It’s as playful as it is sporty. Plus, with rugged inflatable hulls, tipping, crashing, and beaching are all consequence-free. It’s light enough to be righted by a child, and two sail size options ensure that no matter who is sailing the boat, they won’t be overpowered.

So, not only is this boat a genuine performance dinghy, it’s also a great learner’s boat. Not to mention that it can be packed into two large suitcases and assembled in minutes (cruisers looking for the ultimate beach toy, take note). Sure, it doesn’t have the option for a four-cabin layout, but we’d say that pound-for-pound this is the best conceived, sportiest, and most fun boat on the market. 

Systems: Looking Forward With 48 Volts

Pulling up seat cushions and floorboards on more than 25 new sailing yachts at the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, I was happy to find a few manufacturers who have modernized their boats to follow the broad trend of electrification seen in other motive industry markets. For instance, the Slovenian builder Elan has partnered with Oceanvolt to offer an electric propulsion option for any of their new boats straight from the factory. A 48V lithium battery pack supplies the power and is often installed as a hybrid configuration with a diesel generator.

These hybrid systems make sense. The energy required for propulsion is only a fraction of the total power consumed on a cruising boat. It’s the other house loads that put a drain on our electrical systems. Refrigeration, lights, pumps, and electronics are essentials. Yet, air conditioning and electric cooking have become more of an expectation among new boat buyers. These onboard comfort systems require lots of power, and it all needs to come from somewhere.

Most of the new cruising boats are fit with diesel generators. Still, I found two other manufacturers who offer a 48V lithium battery bank to power everything. Balance Catamarans takes the cake for a clean and robust energy system with a battery pack that gets its charge from two main-engine mounted 48VDC, 9kW-producing Integrel generators. This configuration eliminates the need for a separate genset and provides rapid charging to a battery bank that keeps all the systems powered on, including the air conditioning and electric range. Neel Trimarans offer a similar system as an upgrade on the build sheet of their new boats.

These fast-charging hybrid power systems are the future aboard cruising yachts, and we are already committing to a cleaner and quieter boating future thanks to these intrepid manufacturers. —Phil Gutowski

Meet the Review Team

• Logging some 30,000 blue-water cruising miles with her family, SAIL Editor-in-Chief Wendy Mitman Clarke has raced and cruised all kinds of boats over a lifetime of sailing.

• SAIL Cruising Editor Charlie Doane has been testing boats for the magazine for over 20 years. An avid coastal and bluewater cruiser, he has crossed the Atlantic seven times and has crewed in several distance races.

• Tom Dove became hooked on sailing by a Penguin class dinghy in 1954. He has been reviewing boats of all sizes for SAIL magazine since 1988.

• A USCG 100 Ton Master, SAIL Charter Editor Zuzana Prochazka logs miles on all kinds of boats around the world and never misses an opportunity to raise a sail or crawl into the engine room of a new design.

• Managing Editor Lydia Mullan has been involved with SAIL ’s Best Boats competition for five years, sea trialing all manner of boats. However, her first loves will always be dinghies and performance boats.

• Phil Gutowski is founder of BoatRx, a high-tech marine systems company dedicated to increasing the efficiency of onboard power systems.

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Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

Best yachts of 2022: launches and announcements

• Sam Fortescue
• May 13, 2022

While COVID-19 might have cancelled boat shows, there are plenty of new launches to desire. Sam Fortescue rounds up the best yachts of 2022 so far

The Contest 49CS is billed as an aft cockpit boat. Credit: Contest Yachts

The best yachts of 2022 so far.

The COVID-19 pandemic has meant that for two years, new boat launches have been few and far between.

But now boat builders are back in force and have recently announced a range of new launches from 30ft yachts for coastal and offshore sailing to fast cruisers and catamarans which are being billed as sustainable.

Sam Fortescue picks his favourites.

Garcia Exploration 60

True to brand, the 60 is a real expedition yacht

Nearing the end of a long build in Normandy, the flagship of Garcia’s Exploration range should be in the water late in the spring.

Built in gleaming aluminium, this is a profoundly capable centreboard explorer, with a price tag to match.

Jimmy Cornell provided input and profile for the first in this range, a 45-footer.

The go-anywhere yacht is luxurious below

A raised saloon with 270º views, well protected doghouse cockpit, aft gantry and cutter rig were integral features of this go-anywhere yacht.

The Exploration 60 takes the concept to a more luxurious conclusion. Isabelle Racoupeau’s interior makes the most of the vast full-beam cabin aft, with elegant cabinetry and neutral upholstery.

There’s also an option for a forward owner cabin with walk-in dressing room. Either way, there is room for a dedicated technical space – a workshop or office, perhaps.

Specifications

Price: TBC LOA: 18.27m (59ft 11in) LWL: 16.77m (55ft) Cabins: 2-3 Beam: 5.40m (17ft 9in) Draught: 1.50-3.65m (4ft 11in-12ft) Displacement: 35,000kg (77,161Lb) Contact: Garcia Yachts Tel: +33 2 33 43 22 20 Website: www.garciaychts.com

X-Yachts X56

A reaching sail can be set from the integral bowsprit

Though first launched in 2021, we haven’t had a chance to see much of the latest design from X-Yachts.

The X56 is the brand’s flagship, designed for serious cruising.

Layup is with glass and epoxy resin, vacuum-infused and cured for 24 hours at high temperatures for optimum stiffness and minimum weight.

A light and powerful hull and rig

Rod rigging is standard, and there’s the option of a carbon mast as well as a roller-furling boom.

A fixed bowsprit provides room for a reaching sail on a second headstay and a gennaker.

The interior is all delightfully clean Scandi lines in a choice of oak or teak, as you’d hope, although there are lots of other options here for the finish.

Choose from an open or closed galley and enjoy the large chart table and flexible aft cabins.

Price: £1,063,900 ex-VAT LOA: 16.58m (54ft 5in) LWL: 14.94m (49ft) Cabins: 4 Beam: 4.89m (16 ft1in) Draught: 2.50-3.30m (8ft 2in-10ft 10in) Displacement: 18,800kg (41,446Lbs) Contact: X-Yachts GB Tel: +44 (0)23 8045 3377 Website: www.x-yachts.com

Contest 49CS

The high-quality build uses one-shot vacuum infusion. Credit: Contest Yachts

The new 49CS is only the second in the range to depart from Contest’s tried-and-tested centre cockpit design – following its entry-level 42-footer.

Billed as an aft cockpit boat, the 49CS is really more of a hybrid design, with a long aft deck but sheltered helm stations well in board and amazing height in the aft cabins below.

Contest yachts are known for their high-quality build, and the 49CS is no exception, using one-shot vacuum infusion.

At more than 20 tonnes it is not a light boat, but it would make an excellent base for a round-the-world trip, with its forward cockpit and tender garage in the transom.

There is exception headroom below deck. Credit: Contest Yachts

Being a Dutch-built yacht, headroom is generous, and the interior styling by Wetzel Brown has a sophisticated feel to it, with lots of textures, light coloured woods and neutral upholstery.

The saloon is semi-raised under the deckhouse, giving exterior views from the dining table.

A master cabin fills the forward third of the boat, and there are two double or twin cabins aft.

The galley lies down some steps on the port side.

Contest is unique in that its boats are certified by Lloyd’s Register.

Price: €1,198,000 ex-VAT LOA: 15.20m (49ft 10in) Cabins: 3 Beam: 4.90m (16 ft1in) Draught: 2.35m (7ft 9in) Displacement: 21,500kg (47,399Lbs) Contact: Contest Yachts Tel: +31 227 543 644 Website: www.contestyachts.com

Best new yachts under £500,000

The Pointer 30 has a large sailplan totalling 46m2. Credit: Pointer Yachts

Niche Dutch shipyard Jachtwerf Heeg is expanding its successful Pointer range with the launch of a new 30-footer.

It is the largest Pointer to date, and the largest for the yard, which has specialised for more than 60 years in building small open boats and race boats for local conditions in GRP . The Pointer brand launched in 2014.

The boat has modern hull lines with a plumb bow, a bowsprit and decent interior space.

It has been designed for coastal and offshore sailing, with a large sailplan totalling 46m2 upwind and a shallow draught.

The options list includes all the usual cruising kit. Credit: Pointer Yachts

There is room for eight in the cockpit, but the boat is also designed for singlehanded sailing . Choose between a tiller or a wheel on a tilting pedestal.

There is a bathing platform aft, a comfy saloon, a long bench and a ‘coffee bar’.

It has a fresh-water system, a fridge and a gas hob.

There is a separate heads and a V-berth in the focsle, plus two quarter berths off the saloon.

Price: from €150,000 inc VAT and sails LOA: 9.20m (30ft 2in) Cabins: 1 (4 berths) Beam: 2.90m (9ft 6in) Draught: 1.25m/1.75m (4ft 1in/5ft 9in) Displacement: 2,400kg (5,291Lb) Contact: Jachtwerf Heeg Tel: +31 (0) 515 44 22 37 Website: www.jachtwerf-heeg.nl

With a low displacement for her size, the E6 will be very interactive when sailing. Credit: Elan

Hull one of this new 50ft model has just been launched in the yard’s home waters of the Slovenian Adriatic.

She is the largest of the performance cruising E-line, with a new hull designed by Rob Humphreys.

His design includes an aft chine for extra volume and stability.

‘She will have a real turn of speed in comparison to the GT6, even though they share some similar initial characteristics,’ says UK dealer Tim Norris at Boatpoint.

‘The E6 will have a low displacement for her size, so will be interactive when sailing. She has been set up like all Elans for relatively easy shorthanded sailing .’

Twin rudders aft contribute to her excellent directional stability. Credit: Elan

The lay-up uses e-Glass and vinylester, vacuum-infused for strength and light weight.

There is a fixed bowsprit for launching big sails and twin rudders aft for optimum efficiency on the heel.

It all combines to reduce the tendency to broach and pitch while giving excellent directional stability.

Below deck, Pininfarina has tried to create an enticing but practical interior, which Norris describes as ‘a little more minimalist compared the GT6, with a fairly traditional layout’.

The styling is in natural oak veneer with neutral grey upholstery.

There is the choice of three or four cabins – two doubles aft and a master cabin with a semi-island bed in the focsle, or a V-berth forward and bunks instead of storage space.

There is a decent L-shaped galley amidships.

Price: £460,000 inc VAT LOA: 15.30m (50 ft 2in) LWL: 13.68m (44ft 11in) Cabins: 3-4 Beam: 4.49m (14ft 9in) Draught: 2.80m (9ft 2in) Displacement: 11,250kg (24,802Lb) Contact: Boatpoint Hamble Tel: +44 2382 120 000 Website: www.boatpoint.co.uk

The 1380 will be RM’s largest cruiser. Credit: RM

France’s RM famously builds its yachts in plywood and epoxy, and claims that the new 1380 will be the largest such cruiser ever built.

The hull is designed by Marc Lombard, with racy lines and blue-water capabilities.

She should be a fast yacht when she hits the water, with a rig that allows a downwind sail and a second headstay, thanks to the long bowsprit.

The boat has twin rudders and underwater choices including bilge keels and a high-performance lifting keel.

The transom conceals a bathing platform. Credit: RM

Below, the interior is a matter of choice, but typically minimal.

Various configurations are possible, but the Owner’s version puts a large cabin in the forepeak.

There are two heads/shower rooms and a semi-horseshoe galley to port.

The first hull is due to be built in April 2022.

Price: €357,000 ex-VAT LOA: 13.30m (43ft 8in) LWL: 12.44m (40ft 10in) Cabins: 2-4 Beam: 4.53m (14ft 10in) Draught: 1.45m-3.35m (4ft 9in/11ft) Displacement: 9,800kg (21,605Lb) Contact: Parkstone Bay Yachts Tel: +44 (0)1202 724917 Website: www.parkstonebayyachts.co.uk

Stiff, light and fast, but built for offshore rather than round the cans

J/Boats are renowned as the staple of many club racing circuits, but the latest launch is a different beast altogether – a 45ft blue-water cruiser with all the trimmings.

Built in e-Glass and vinylester sandwich construction, it is a staggeringly light hull with a high ballast ratio that promises stiff handling in heavy seas.

With a decent spread of canvas, the J/45 is reported to sail well in as little as 6 knots of breeze.

J Boats is keen to underline how the rig is set up for easy tuning and reefing , so that the same sail combination is also perfectly manageable in 20 knots, with no sail change required.

More comfort than other J-Boats

I suspect this is something most blue-water sailors would expect.

However, there is no doubt this is a capable boat, with lots of handy options, including a bathing platform.

The elegant interior is designed by Isabelle Racoupeau with three choices of joinery: white oak, teak or walnut.

You can choose to convert the third cabin aft into a technical storage space accessed through the heads and from on deck.

Price: £414,888 ex-VAT LOA: 13.85m (45ft 5in) LWL: 12.56m (41ft 2in) Cabins: 2-3 Beam: 4.25m (13ft 11in) Draught: 2.30m (7ft 7in) Displacement: 9,900kg (21,825Lb) Contact: Key Yachting Tel: +44 (0)23 8045 5669 Website: www.keyyachting.com

Continues below…

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Dufour 32 – impressive new smaller yacht

Dufour is one of the few yards that has maintained a constant presence at the smaller end of the new…

The most boat for your money? Bavaria C38 yacht test

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Best new catamarans in 2022

The XCS 14 displays the brand’s key features such as a low boom and a forward-stepped mast. Credit: Excess Catamarans

Groupe Beneteau continues to expand its Excess catamaran venture, aimed at younger owners who want a fun connection to the water, without a sky-high price tag.

VPLP has drawn on its ocean racing experience, designing asymmetric hulls, foam-sandwich hull layup and higher bridgedeck clearance to reduce slamming.

A towering square-topped main and an overlapping genoa round out a fairly generous 118m2 of upwind sail area, although bear in mind this is a heavy boat.

Helm stations are pushed out to the quarters at deck level. Credit: Excess Catamarans

Semi-island double berths at the aft end of each hull give a touch of luxury, and the whole starboard hull can be devoted to the owner, with a walk-in dressing room in the bow.

Simple but attractive interior styling has been well executed by Nauta.

Price: TBC LOA: 13.34m (43ft 9in) Cabins: 3-4 Beam: 7.87m (25ft 10in) Draught: 1.48m (4ft 10in) Displacement: Max 18,300kg (40,344Lb) Contact: Ancasta Tel: +44 (0)2380 450 000 Website: www.ancasta.com

Lagoon’s sustainable technology uses hemp fibre instead of glass and biosourced polyester resins. Credit: Lagoon

Due to be unveiled at the Grande Motte Multihull show from 20-24 April 2022, the Lagoon 51 is still partly shrouded in secrecy.

The shipyard has billed it as a more sustainable yacht, with better on-board circulation and ‘great fluidity’, which sounds like a byword for more open spaces.

Like all recent Lagoons, it has been designed by the multihull experts at VPLP, who had this to say about the boat: ‘We designed the Lagoon 51 as a perfect synthesis of the modernity of the shapes and the sail plan, with living space on deck and inside that is unequalled on a boat this size.’

What we can already tell from early renderings is that the flybridge uses much more space on the coachroof than the previous Lagoon 50.

This includes a C-shaped lounge with a drop-down table as well as twin sunpads.

The helm station is positioned centrally behind the mast. Credit: Lagoon

A dedicated forward cockpit gives great lounging up front, with deep sofas, a table and the option of teak underfoot.

Renderings appear to show an opening saloon window for passing supplies out to those using this space.

A new-generation interior dispenses with the mast beam down the middle of the saloon, by positioning it further forward.

Acres of glass makes this a luminous space, with an L-shaped galley to port and a raised dining area forward which benefits from the views.

Lagoon is driving for sustainability, using hemp fibre, Alpi wood and offering 3.4kW of solar panels.

She is even delivered with biodegradable cleaning products!

Price: TBC LOA: 15.35m (50ft 4in) Cabins: 3-6 Beam: 8.1m (26ft 7in) Draught: 1.38m (4ft 6in) Contact: Ancasta Tel: +44 2380 450 000 Website: www.ancasta.com

60% of the aluminium for the hull comes from recycled material. Credit: Vaan

One of a crop of new catamaran brands coming through at the moment, Vaan is distinguished by its obsessive focus on combining performance with sustainability.

Its first model, the R4, was launched before Christmas and will be on show at La Grande Motte in April 2022.

The hull is made from aluminium, up to 60% of which is sourced from recycled metal obtained from old window frames and road signs.

Vaan founder Igor Kluin is absolutely clear that this is a more sustainable option than building in non-recyclable GRP.

Decking is crafted from cork, while the modern, uncluttered interior makes use of plant-based Lyocell fabric and a leather alternative made from pineapple leaves.

Plant-based materials are used in the interior. Credit: Vaan

The exterior design is different to other cats, too. Kluin calls it a ‘cabriolet’ because there is only a narrow band of solid coachroof over the cockpit, leaving the rest open.

A fabric bimini can be quickly installed if further protection is needed, but the principle is to make this space as open as possible.

Helm stations are moved to the two well-protected quarters.

Propulsion comes from two 10kW Torqeedo electric pod drives, hooked up to either 20kWh or 40kWh of lithium-ion batteries .

Vaan claims that this is equivalent to 40hp combustion engines.

Under sail, the drives regenerate power to recharge the batteries.

Price: €429,000 ex-VAT LOA: 12.80m (42ft) LWL: 12.80m (42ft) Cabins: 2-4 Beam: 7.06m (23ft 2in) Draught: 1.35m (4ft 5in) Displacement: 10,900kg (26,235Lb) Contact: Vaan Yachts Tel: +31 (0)85 071 9999 Website: www.vaanyachts.nlv

Fountaine-Pajot 51

A larger-than-average flybridge houses the helmstation. Credit: Fountaine-Pajot

A capable, well-designed catamaran from the La Rochelle-based builder, the new 51 features a deck design that makes the interior saloon and exterior cockpit work together.

The glass panels of the rear wall of the saloon slide completely to either side, while the deck is flush, connecting the galley directly with the eight-person saloon table.

The helmstation is bulkhead-mounted, with a larger-than-ever flybridge set around it.

All the control lines return to the three winches here, for easy handling.

And the coachroof is inlaid with a generous 2kW of solar panels.

The interior saloon and exterior cockpit are designed to join seamlessly. Credit: Fountaine-Pajot

There’s also a foredeck lounge, private cabin exits and a lowering aft platform.

Configuration below is flexible, with the possibility of four to six double cabins with ensuite heads.

In the Maestro version, the entire port hull can be dedicated to the owner’s accommodation, while the double Maestro puts twin VIP cabins aft in each hull.

The navigation area lies right by the aft doors of the saloon, where it’s within easy reach of the helm.

Price: €865,311 ex-VAT LOA: 15.54m (51ft) Cabins: 4-6 Beam: 8.08m (26ft 7in) Draught: 1.3m (4ft 3in) Displacement: 18,100kg (39,903Lb) Contact: MiCats Tel: +44 (0)1489 573 059 Website: www.multihull.co.uk

Privilege Signature 650

Serious multihull luxury, for serious money

Replacing the old Series 640 catamaran, Privilege’s new Signature 650 features an all-new deck moulding and interior on a tried and tested hull shape from Marc Lombard.

The boat offers greater interior volumes, with two or three guest cabins as well as a skipper’s berth and a cavernous owner’s suite filling the space in the rostrum and the port bow.

Headroom is excellent, thanks to a higher deck moulding, which also now offers forward-facing windows in the owner’s cabin.

On the outside, this also creates a teak-decked lounge area forward of the enlarged saloon windows that is sheltered and private from the outside world.

There’s a gigantic flybridge with an enlarged C-lounge and an optional second helm station to port.

A hydraulic platform can lift a large tender

The cockpit beneath offers dining, sun beds and the option of a barbecue and fridge.

A redesigned hydraulic platform aft can raise an 800kg tender.

Affording the boat with a few extra centimetres on the rig has added 6m2 to the sail area, which now accounts for 232m2.

All the control lines are led back to the helm.

Price: €2.49m ex-VAT LOA: 21.25m (69ft 9in) Cabins: 4-5 Beam: 9.20m (30ft 2in) Draught: 1.85m (6ft 1in) Displacement: 37,000kg (81,157Lb) Contact: Inspiration Marine Tel: +44 (0)2380 457 008 Website: www.inspirationmarine.co.uk

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10 Great Used Motoryachts You Can Buy For $150K

January 16, 2017 1:45 pm

Consider this scenario: you’re in the market for a used motoryacht — probably nothing smaller than 40 feet — with a budget of $150,000, more or less. You want a boat from a good builder (preferably one of their more popular models), and you’re open to the layout as long as it’s comfortable. Everything else is on the table.

If that describes your boating future, you’ll be happy and perhaps a little surprised at the choices available to you in a used motoryacht or cruiser yacht .

To find out for ourselves, we spent two weeks researching this market on YachtWorld, boats.com, etc., and came away with a list of ten models that represent a cross section of what’s available for about $150,000. There’s a lot to choose from here — traditional aft cabin motor yachts, cockpit motor yachts, classic pilothouse yachts, and sporty sedan cruisers.

All of the ten boats profiled below were popular models during their production years which means (a) that a clean used model should be relatively easy to find, and (b) selling or trading up one day should be no problem.

At the end of the day it’s good to know $150,000 still buys a lot of boat. Assuming 20 percent down and a 15-year note, the monthly payment for one of these yachts can be less than $1,000. For many, that’s an affordable number, especially with strengthening home values and historically low interest rates. Food for thought as we approach the spring boat show season.

1. Carver 500/504 Cockpit MY Production Years: 1996–2000

At a Glance: A super-popular model for Carver, basically a condo on the water. This is a cockpit version of the Carver 455/456 Aft Cabin model produced during the same years.

Spacious two stateroom maple interior has a folding bulkhead in the forward VIP stateroom that conceals a small guest cabin/den to port with convertible bunks. (This feature was eliminated in 1999 when the interior was redesigned and the name changed to Carver 504.)

The large U-shaped galley is aft in the salon rather than forward as it is in most motoryacht floorplans. In the master stateroom, the walkaround queen bed faces aft to permit the installation of cockpit access door. Washer/dryer is in forward stateroom. Twin 450hp Cummins diesels cruise at 18 knots.

Best Feature: Huge interior, the result of moving the superstructure well forward in the hull (note the relatively short foredeck).

Pr ice Spread: From a low of about $150K up to the mid-to-high $200s for a newer model.

2. Carver 444 Cockpit MY Production Years: 2001 – 2006

At a Glance: The top-selling cockpit yacht in this class for several years. Basically a Carver 396 Aft Cabin with a good-sized cockpit. The 444’s huge full-beam interior — made possible by raising the side decks to eye level — comes as a surprise. With its panoramic views and nearly seven feet of headroom, the salon’s dimensions are those of a much larger boat.

To save space, the forward head is split with the shower stall to port and toilet compartment to starboard. A sliding glass door in the (smallish) master stateroom opens directly into the cockpit.

In 2004, an optional “Extended Salon” floorplan with a full-size dinette, enlarged galley and redesigned VIP stateroom became available. Twin Volvo 370hp engines cruise at 18–19 knots. Carver sold a ton of these stylish boats.

Best Feature: Enormous salon/dinette/galley area with panoramic outside views.

Price Spread: A random YachtWorld check will find several priced in the mid $100K range.

3. Meridian 411 Sedan Production Years: 2003 – 2008

At a Glance: Very popular (and very affordable) sedan cruiser — a winning blend of sharp styling and spacious accommodations — made the Meridian 411 one of the best-selling midrange boats in her class. Huge interior layout with galley and booth-style dinette forward, a step up from the aft salon area with entertainment center and facing settees.

Large salon windows bring the outdoors in. Modern decor with cherry cabinets, Ultraleather seating, and Corian counters. Master stateroom includes private en-suite head; guest stateroom has a double berth (tucked under the dinette) and access to the second day head. Extended swim platform leads to a large cockpit (with molded bridge steps) suitable for fishing and entertaining.

Lower helm was optional. Wide side decks make it easy to get to the foredeck sun pad.

Best Feature: A super-social flybridge with sun lounge, wet bar, settee, and aft sun pad.

Price Spread:  Low-to-mid $100s to over $300K.

4. Silverton 39 Motor Yacht Production Years: 2002 – 2008

At a Glance: This maxi-beam aft cabin cruiser — and her lookalike predecessor, the best-selling Silverton 372/392 Motor Yacht — is proof that a roomy interior trumps graceful styling almost every time. Elevated side decks on both sides of the house provide a huge full-beam salon as well as direct flybridge access to the foredeck.

The 39’s galley rivals many larger boats in storage and counter space. Both staterooms have queen beds, generous storage, and en-suite heads with stall shower. High-gloss cherry trim, Corian counters, and Ultraleather upholstery compliment the interior. Molded steps lead from the swim platform up to a roomy aft deck with wet bar, bench seating and hard top.

Note the triple helm seat on the flybridge. The 39’s high freeboard will test your docking skills on a windy day. Standard 380hp gas engines cruise at 16–18 knots.

Best Feature: Enormous two-stateroom interior dwarfs anything in her class. Excellent galley.

Price Spread: $150K to the mid $200s.

5. Bayliner 4788 Pilothouse Production Years: 1994 – 2002

At a Glance: Arguably the best big-boat value ever. Spacious, well appointed, and surprisingly fuel efficient. This is basically a restyled (and lengthened) version of the very popular Bayliner 4550/4588 Pilothouse.

Her three stateroom, two head interior features a full-beam salon with large U-shaped galley forward to port, wet bar, L-lounge seating, and large side windows. In the pilothouse, there is a settee aft of the helm and a companion seat to port.

Visibility from the pilothouse is excellent. Second guest stateroom with upper/lower bunks doubles as a den and opens directly to the master stateroom — very clever. An inflatable dinghy can be carried on the extended flybridge deck. The engine room is a tight fit. Forget all that talk about Bayliner quality — the 4788 is simply a lot of boat for the money.

Best Feature: Comfortable salon that opens to the large cockpit — perfect for entertaining. 

Price Spread:  Low-to-mid $100s for a 1994–95 model to $230 to $250K for a 2001–02 model.

6.  Sea Ray 550 Sedan Bridge Production Years: 1992 – 1998

At a Glance: Stylish 1990’s cruising yacht with three-stateroom interior and extra-large cockpit. The salon is impressive, a wide-open (carpeted) living area with cut-down galley, long leather sofa, entertainment center, and big wraparound cabin windows.

The forward master stateroom is huge with an island queen bed, two hanging lockers, vanity, and private en-suite head. Roomy guest stateroom has a full-size berth, and the second guest cabin has over/under bunks. Both heads have stall showers, but guest head is tight. Lower helm was optional. Center transom door is flanked by built-in bench seats in the cockpit.

In 1996, the flybridge ladder was replaced with molded steps and the helm was relocated aft. The 550’s straight sheer and drooping bow are distinctive. Detroit 625hp 6V-92 diesels cruise at 22–23 knots.

Best Feature: The large cockpit and party-time flybridge — great attributes for entertaining.

Price Spread: $150K to the mid $200s

7. Maxum 4600 SCB Production Years: 1997 –2001

At a Glance: Modern styling, an inviting two stateroom interior, and a very competitive price made the Maxum 4600 SCB one of the best motoryacht buys of her day. Maxum engineers packed a lot of value into this boat. The salon is exceptionally inviting with wraparound windows, a long leather sofa, cherry cabinets, and full entertainment center.

A raised dinette is forward to starboard, opposite the home-size galley with overhead glass storage and Corian counters. A lower helm was optional in place of the dinette. Note the tub in the master head. In the cockpit, a center transom door opens to an extended swim platform able to support a PWC.

The 4600 SCB is surprisingly fuel-efficient boat, a feature that stems in part from her relatively light weight. Cummins 370hp diesels cruise at 16–18 knots.

Best Feature: An affordable price — this is what brokers call a lot of boat for the money.

Price Spread:  From about $100K for an older model up to $200K-plus for 2001–02 model.

8. Sea Ray 450 Express Bridge Production Years: 1998 – 2004

At a Glance:   An innovative yacht when she was introduced in 1998. Not many 45-footers have three staterooms. The aft stateroom — accessed via a private entryway next to the salon door — includes a full-length berth with hanging locker and built-in washer/dryer.

Forward of that, the amidships stateroom features a double berth with partial standing headroom and an opening port. An island queen is in the forward stateroom. Both heads include separate stall showers. Aft of the galley is a breakfast bar with two swing-out stools. Small salon windows limit natural lighting below. Topside, the huge party-time flybridge has seating fore and aft of the center helm console. Note the unique staircase descending from the flybridge to the foredeck.

An extended swim platform was a popular option. Cummins 450hp V-drive diesels cruise at 20–22 knots.

Best Feature: Huge party-time bridge area.

Price Spread:  An early model might be found for $150K. Newer can easily exceed $200K.

9. Carver 440 Aft Cabin Production Years: 1993 – 1999

At a Glance: The largest model in the Carver fleet when she was introduced in 1993. A big 44-footer with an usually spacious salon, two double staterooms, two full heads, and a convertible dinette — sleeping accommodations for as many as eight adults.

The maple wood accents and carpeted salon are showing their age, but large cabin windows make the interior open and airy. Note salon entertainment center. Full-service galley includes double sink, upright refrigerator, washer/dryer, Corian counter and hardwood floor.

The aft deck is large enough for a table and chairs, and the flybridge has dual captain’s chairs with bench seating forward of the helm. Bow pulpit, fiberglass swim platform, and radar arch were standard. Carver sold a lot of these boats and used models are plentiful.

Best Feature: Very spacious layout with room to entertain a small neighborhood.

Price Spread:  From about $100K for an older model up to $200K-plus for 2001–02 model

10. Sea Ray 420 Aft Cabin Production Years: 1996 – 2002

At a Glance:   Sleek aft cabin cruising yacht incorporated European styling influences in an era when too many American-built motor yachts looked like floating condos. Well-appointed two stateroom galley-down interior sleeps up to eight — includes L-shaped sofa and raised dinette in the salon, walkaround queen berths fore and aft, two full heads, and stand-up utility room under the salon sole.

Full-size galley comes complete with separate Sub Zero refrigerator and freezer, convection oven, and lots of counter and storage space — a big plus. The aft deck is big for a boat this size. Molded steps make boarding from the extended swim platform easy and safe.

Built on a fully cored hull with prop pockets to level the engines. A good performer with 450hp Cummins diesels— cruise in the mid 20s (27–28 knots top.

Best Feature: Utility room with washer/dryer and pantry — a very unique feature in a boat this size

Price Spread:  From the low $100K range for a 1996–97 model up to about $200K for newer.

Ed McKnew  PowerBoat Guide Founder

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6 Popular Boats For Full-Time Living (Affordable Options)

It’s a big investment to get a boat you can live in full time.

Here are some of the more affordable boats out there that we can fully recommend.

Hang with us as we guide you through some of the most popular and affordable boats for full-time living.

Table of Contents

Don’t Get “Sticker Shock”:

If you are choosing to live aboard a boat in you will need to brace yourself for the expense.

While this article is showing you “cheap” or “inexpensive” boats to live on, you should not be comparing them to other boats.

We are not talking about small boats here, but boats you can live on, remember.

Daily use boats do not afford the luxuries that a live-aboard boat can. This makes them more expensive. When looking at live-aboard boat prices, you will want to compare it to traditional living expenses. All choices for live-aboard boats are expensive and you will most likely be looking for a used, possibly even a “project” boat.

If you are looking for a new boat, or even a luxurious used boat you will need to be prepared to spend $100,000 or more depending on the size and type of boat you want.

An Affordable TRAWLER You Can Live On

A trawler is an inexpensive option that allows for generous space. Trawlers are also durable and can take large amounts of use. 

The wider hull of a trawler allows for roomy interiors that include bigger kitchens, more spacious sleeping areas and more room. This boat is also stable and accessible. This makes getting on and off the boat much easier.

They also have less draft than boats with deep hulls like sailboats and lower clearance on top for bridges.

Some cons of a trawler include noisy engines that are slower moving. They also consume large amounts of fuel.

Trawlers also will need maintenance just like any other vessel and can often be older, so they might require more maintenance up front.

1. Albin North Sea Cutter

North Sea Cutters made by Albin are large, spacious and elegant. These boats offer multiple comforts and sleeping areas.

Depending on the year you select, you could have multiple cabins and many places that convert into sleeping areas. You can purchase a used Albin boat that costs anywhere from $20,000 to over $200,000. These prices vary depending on space, age and amenities offered.

Models older than 2000 will often range between $20,000 to $80,000 and they can get more expensive from there.

An Affordable YACHT You Can Live On

2. beneteau swift trawler.

These boats can be swift, fuel efficient, and stable. They offer a spacious deck as well as spacious living quarters.

They often come with more than one cabin and enough room to move around and house more than one person.

The Beneteau Swift Trawlers are more expensive than the Albin models and will likely cost you more than $100,000.

If you are looking for a brand new Beneteau, you could be looking at a base price close to or even over $500,000.

So you definitely want to get a used model if you are looking for a cheaper alternative here!

2 Affordable SAILBOATS You Can Live On

Sailboats can be a relaxing option for your live-aboard vessel. Sailboats come with an open deck and oftentimes have plush cabins situated in their hull.

Some of the appeals of a live-aboard sailboat are that you will spend less money on gas. They are also quieter than their motorboat counterparts.

If you choose to live-aboard a sailboat, you will want to make sure that you have a motor available in case you do not have a cooperating wind.

3. Island Packet 35

These boats are smaller than the trawler options and are better suited to housing smaller families.  They have one main living and sleeping quarters so there is not a lot of privacy offered. These will be ideal for a couple. 

These are very popular choices among sailing cruisers and they were designed with sailing in mind. They are very user-friendly sailboats.

The prices on an Island Packet range close to $100,000.

You will be looking for a used vessel, though, as these were not manufactured after the mid-1990s.

4. Cabo Rico 38

Cabo Rico boats were designed with luxury in mind and it is reflected in their prices.

Older models from the 1980’s and 1990’s range between $80,000 and $100,000 while newer models that were made in the early 2000s can easily reach over $300,000.

The main goal of these boats was to increase the appeal of their aesthetic.

Like the Island Packet, these boats are more ideal for smaller couples. This boat also has an abundance of clever storage spaces that will help you maximize the space that you have. 

Affordable MULTI-HULL Boats You Can Live On

Multi-hull catamarans can be either double or triple hulled.

The benefit of a multi-hulled vessel is the stability offered as well as the possibility for separate living spaces.

A catamaran offers a wide and spacious deck, however, the living spaces in the hulls are generally smaller than they would be on other vessel types.

The major disadvantage of a multi-hull option will be price. Because the construction of these boats is similar to building two separate boats, you should expect to pay more. If you want to live on a multi-hull vessel you could be looking at spending $100,000 or more.

Like a sailboat, you might consider a used catamaran.

In addition to a higher purchase price, these boats also might require two slips in a marina which can make them more expensive.

5. Lagoon 380

The Lagoon 380 is a smaller catamaran which is not the most common. The Lagoon 380 is the smallest catamaran in the Lagoon fleet.

Unlike some other inexpensive options, these are still being produced which offers you the chance to buy new, which means that you will be more likely to customize your boat.

This boat comes with a full bath and a large queen-sized berth or the chance to instead get four cabins. Stowage on this boat is impressive and it comes with many lockers and storage space.

The boat truly is impressive for its small size and will be comfortable for living in. The price of this vessel can range from $170,000 to over $200,000 depending on the year and the options available.

Other Lagoon options can be more expensive but are also great live-aboard vessels.

6. Leopard 44

If you are looking for a more luxurious catamaran, then you will want to look at the Leopard 44. 

The most inspiring part of the design of the Leopard 44 is the inclusion of two cockpits. This allows sailors to change where they steer based on the position of the sun and adds additional comfort.

This boat also provides edging on the surfaces so that you can feel where the boat ends. Attention to detail was key when crafting the Leopard 44. 

Like most catamarans, this vessel is also spacious and provides comforts and amenities that will be useful when living on board.  These include multiple berths and cabins that are well suited to housing more people.

The average price for this vessel is higher than the Lagoon 38 can range between $280,000 and $400,000.

Affordable HOUSEBOATS You Can Live On

If you plan on living aboard a boat without doing a lot of traveling, a houseboat might be ideal for you.

These allow for plenty of space, but are bulky and are not very efficient so they are generally used for living while moored and never actually venturing out on the water.

The most common form of houseboats is built onto pontoon boats. These boats can even offer full enclosures on the deck with plenty of windows and light.

Another downside to a houseboat is their price. Because these boats offer the most space and comfort they are pricey.

Houseboats can offer anything from multiple rooms to decks. They are essentially a house that floats.

Houseboats are often custom designed and are not generally offered as a part of a fleet or boating line. Prices also range wildly and could be anywhere from $30,000 used to over one million dollars.

When looking at houseboats you also have to consider location as a decision that needs to be made.

Houseboats are not designed to move so in addition to the expense of the boat, you are also often looking for a permanent place to put it, and that can be more costly than a marina or other available options.

What About The Bigger Yachts?

Even more expensive than the multi-hull vessel is the luxury yacht.

This is not an inexpensive option. These are the most expensive choice as they are essentially floating hotels.

For this reason, we have opted out of listing options for the luxury yacht, but they are an option that is available for consideration.

So How Do I Choose The Right Boat?

It is most important to choose your boat based on desired lifestyle, budget, and skill level.

If you do not want to worry about learning to sail, then you should look into the power boat options. 

You also want to make sure you pick the appropriate size.

If you plan to go down rivers often, you might not want a boat that is too wide or too tall. This can make river navigation tricky and stressful.

You also want to make sure that while you are conscious about how the size of your boat is external, you allow for enough space internally.

No matter what type of boat you choose you will be giving up some luxuries and living a more minimalist lifestyle. You need to look at what your minimum size requirements will be and start there.

Another thing that is extremely important when choosing is the condition of the boat. Because these types of boats are so expensive, you will most likely be looking at used options.

This means that you will want to get your boat fully inspected before you buy it.

Much like you would get an inspector for your home, you are able to hire marine inspectors who can see things on your vessel that you can’t.

The most important places of consideration are the hull and the engine.

Even a tiny hairline crack in the hull can expand and get worse over time. These are also the most dangerous because you are less likely to see them and get them taken care of.

A marine inspector will also be able to give you a rundown on the vessel and this might help you plan for future expenses and even to negotiate a better price.

In addition to this, when buying a used boat you want to make sure you do not buy a boat that is exactly your budget. You will want to save at least %10 of your budget for possible issues and immediate maintenance needed.

Maintenance will be an ongoing expense that you will have to plan for in order to maintain the integrity of your boat.

Is It Possible To Live On A Boat Full Time?

Living on a boat full time is completely possible if you know what you are doing.

Where to Moor Your Boat:

One of your most major considerations will be where to keep your boat. Many places require marinas to have a liveaboard license and many of the places that do have long waiting lists that could last years.

If you know you want to live aboard a boat full time you will want to start checking into places right away. It would also be wise to not close a deal on a boat until you know you have somewhere to put it.

You will also want to consider the location of where you are mooring your vessel.

If you choose to dock your boat in a marina you will be more likely to have 24/7 access to both electricity and water. This is not true if you choose to live at anchor or on a mooring bay.

This can make a big difference in the comforts afforded while you are living on your boat.

Another consideration to make is the ease of getting on and off your vessel. If you do not moor in a marina you could be relying on a dinghy to get on and off your boat and this can quickly become a hassle, especially if you are transporting things with you as well.

Live-aboard marinas often provide more comfort to you, such as cable, Wi-Fi, or even laundry.

Marina’s do come with a higher cost, so you will have to decide if this is worth it to you.

Comfort Issues To Consider

One major challenge of living on a boat is space. Even with a spacious boat, you will always be living in close quarters to your boat-mates.

Depending on the size of boat you get, you could be asking your partner to move every time you want to move to a different room or area of the boat.

This can quickly get annoying and you will want to make sure that you and your partner both understand the reality of the situation.

Even if you plan to live alone you can be looking as small and confined spaces.

One good way to know if you can handle the day to day challenges of a liveaboard lifestyle is to try it out first. There are plenty of ways to rent a boat to test the waters before you take the plunge.

Another challenge is living without the comforts that most people have every day. Most liveaboards that are affordable do not have hot showers or laundry. 

They also usually have small kitchens and bathrooms with small amounts of storage space. If you are a person who likes to have everything and minimal living is not something that sounds appealing, living on a boat is likely not for you.

To keep your space comfortable, you might want to also consider a dehumidifier to keep your humidity in check.

Important Safety Considerations

One major thing to make sure you plan for is safety. Like all boats, you will need to have the proper life preservers and flotation devices. This is a legal requirement on all water vessels.

In addition to the proper flotation devices, you will want to make sure you have all other required safety equipment.

This includes a fire extinguisher, a carbon monoxide detector in all enclosed areas, a flare, an emergency kit, and a first aid kit.

You should also have anything needed to repair unexpected maintenance issues. Depending on where you are, you will want to make sure you can deal with any issues that might arise until you can get to help.

In addition to the standard safety precautions, living on your boat comes with a few more.

If you are planning to live on your boat, and travel, you will want to make sure you are confident in your abilities and your boat itself before you get too far away from shore. It is wise to spend a few months cruising near land and shores before you attempt any long trips.

You also need to ensure you have the proper communication equipment on board.

Depending on how far from shore you get, you might not be able to communicate using traditional methods such as a cell phone.

A cell phone will be less effective the farther away from shore and any cell phone towers you get.

You should be sure to have satellite communications, a marine radio, and a Ham radio on board.

You will also want to make sure you regularly get your boat inspected and perform any routine maintenance. A boat that is fully functioning and well maintained will be the safest.

How Much Will Living On A Boat Cost Me?

Despite the large upfront cost, living on a boat can be cheaper than living in a traditional manner.

Costs that come with a live-aboard boat can include, but are not limited to:

• Insurance: Just like with a home, car, or daily use boat you will need to pay for insurance. The live-aboard insurance rate will be higher than just recreational boating insurance. This insurance can sometimes compare to home insurance.
• Moorage: Like insurance, live-aboard moorage is more expensive than traditional insurance. You will also need to go to a marina that holds a live-aboard license.
• Mortgage Payments: If you cannot pay for your boat out of pocket, which is likely, you might have to make loan payments on it. Depending on what you spent on your vessel this could be costly.
• Maintenance Costs: After your initial purchase you will still need to spend money on boat maintenance. This expense will vary based on the age of the boat, how often you perform regular maintenance, and how you use the boat itself.
• Utilities: Based on how you have decided to live on your boat, you might have utilities or additional costs with the marina. This will likely still be less than you would pay in a traditional living situation.
• Provisions and Entertainment: Just because you don’t live in a traditional manner, you will still need to buy traditional items such as food, toiletries, and entertainment. If you live completely without the comforts you are used to, your experience will not be very pleasurable.

Most importantly while looking at expenses, you need to make sure you are budgeting and stick to it.

If you are not able to afford your lifestyle, you will not have a lot of immediate options.

If you choose to travel while you sail, budgeting will be even more important. Traveling often does not allow for a traditional job and you do not want to overspend if you do not have any money coming in.

If you know this is the lifestyle you want to live, you might consider going all in. Many people sell their homes in order to live this lifestyle.

What Boat Should I Get For Full-Time Living?

Before you buy a boat to live aboard, you need to be clear about your needs.

There are a lot of options to choose from and this is not a decision to rush through. One of the first things that you need to decide when picking a boat is whether you want a motorboat or a sailboat.

A Sailboat Or A Motorboat?

Sailboats are not just appropriate for ocean living, they are also good for lake, river, or bay living. Sailboats are quieter than motorboats and are generally more economical because they use less gas.

One issue with sailboats is that they require more skill to handle and they might not be ideal for a singular person.

Like any boat, you will want to ensure that you are choosing the right size. If you plan on using your sailboat in a river, you will want to think about the required clearance when it comes to bridges.

Motorboats with ample cabin space can also be ideal for full-time living on a lake, river or bay.

These boats are often very spacious and easy to handle. Unlike sailboats, you do not have to take classes or training to be able to maneuver or handle the vessel. Motorboats that you can live aboard can range from trawlers to yachts to certain types of catamarans .

Motorboats do not rely on the wind and this can make them ideal for a boat you want to do both living and traveling on.

The issues with motorboats is that you will need to consider gas and other expenses that come with running an engine.  They are also louder than sailboats and often their engines are placed close to living quarters. This can make sleep difficult if you are moving.

Below are some inexpensive boat options that would be perfect for full-time living .

What Are The Benefits?

Even though this all might seem very expensive, there is a large list of benefits as well. 

Living on a boat can be cheaper than living in a traditional home, especially in high priced areas.

The main reason that you should live on a boat is the freedom and adventure that comes with it.

You would be able to take your home on vacation with you or just pick up and go to a new location.

You are also more likely to meet adventurous and like-minded individuals who will most likely have interesting stories to tell. 

One of the best parts about living out on the water is the views that you will see. There is nothing quite as beautiful as waking up to a sunrise over the water.

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Eight Great Boats Under $30,000

• By Boating Tech Team
• Updated: May 24, 2024

It’s a refrain we hear all the time in our travels: New boats have gotten so expensive that they’re no longer accessible to most people. To that, we offer the following rejoinder: There are plenty of great boats out there that will get you on the water at a reasonable cost if you know where to look. The following eight boats provide solid evidence that there’s a new boat out there for you, no matter your budget.

Bayliner Element M15

Bayliner was on the forefront of building affordable boats for first-time buyers a few years back when it introduced the first Element E16. These boats are designed to bring families onto the water for an entertaining day of boating with little to no hassle and expense. The M15 continues that concept with another solid winner in the affordable new-boat market.

The fiberglass M15 has a deep cockpit and a bow lounge with high freeboard to keep the crew secure underway. Bayliner placed the helm aft along the starboard side, so the driver sits on the transom bench. Doing this allowed for a larger bow lounge for the crew to socialize. All told, the M15 can handle a crew of five. While it’s not going to set any speed records (we hit 31.3 mph with the 50 hp Mercury outboard), the M hull is designed to be a stable and predictable platform that doesn’t lean to one side or the other depending on weight distribution.

Bayliner Boats – Knoxville, Tennessee; 865-971-6311 ; bayliner.com

– CARRY A BEACON – Satellite beacons such as EPIRBs or PLBs allow boaters to transmit distress signals and their exact coordinates from anywhere on the planet, no cell service required. It may be the best $400 you ever spend. Safety Tip Provided by the U.S. Coast Guard

Veer is a roto-molded craft -specifically targeted at first-time boat buyers, with the aim of being affordable and easy to maintain and operate. It’s ideally suited to pair with Mercury’s Avator 7.5e electric outboard , or you can order it with a tiller-steered 9.9 hp Mercury gasoline FourStroke. The gas outboard comes with a 3-gallon fuel tank, and the electric outboard is powered by a 1 kW battery. Both choices are economical and lightweight, giving the boat a shallow 6.3-inch draft, so you can sneak into the skinniest water. The roto-molded plastic body is easy to maintain and can survive rookie mistakes around the docks or boat ramp without needing a fiberglass repair kit.

The X13 features an aft two-seat bench and a shallow cockpit with a SportTrak mounting system to add accessories to your liking. The bow serves as a forward casting deck or observation platform when you’re not under power. A removable standing bar provides a handhold while standing or transiting from stern to bow.

The X13 comes standard with a galvanized trailer. The combined boat, trailer and engine weight measures 835 pounds, so you don’t need a big rig to tow it. It’s a great choice to get started on the water.

Veer Boats – New York Mills, Minnesota; veerboats.com

Starcraft Renegade 168 SC

Here you can buy a fully functional aluminum-hulled multi-species boat to chase after bass, walleye or whatever floats your boat. The boat has twin bucket seats—one at the starboard helm station protected by a windshield on the console, and one for the co-angler on the port side. A third seat mounts just aft of the portside seat, so you can bring along another friend.

The boat features fore and aft casting decks with pedestal seat mounts, a bow mount for an electric trolling motor , a rod storage locker, and a livewell in the transom casting deck. The gunwale topsides have a tracking groove system so you can mount accessories and customize your rig with extra rod holders, downriggers or other amenities. Set it up how you like to create your own lean, mean fishing machine.

Starcraft Marine  – New Paris, Indiana; 574-831-2950 ;  starcraftmarine.com

– NEVER MIX ALCOHOL AND BOATING – Alcohol is the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents, and in many states a citation for boating under the influence goes on your driving record. Safety Tip Provided by the U.S. Coast Guard

There’s no haggling when you buy this 16-foot-5-inch runabout from Tahoe Marine. Its nationally advertised price includes a custom trailer, a 60 hp outboard motor, a Bimini top, and a TurboSwing on the transom. The TurboSwing is an expensive option on most boats but standard on this one. It balances the load as the skier cuts back and forth, giving the passengers a much better ride and a more fun one for the rider. The seating inside is spacious, with seats that convert forward to aft-facing at the bow, and a swim platform for getting on your skis or reboarding with the ladder. The dashboard includes a sporty three-spoke wheel and a 7-inch digital display for reporting engine functions like temperature, water pressure and voltage, and operating the Kicker KMC1 stereo. It also reports water depth and boatspeed. An optional 75 hp outboard motor is available for $24,595, and we think you might appreciate that extra oomph for watersports. The T16 is sporty-looking and available in six different color schemes, with stainless-steel hardware and durable hinges on the deck hatch.

Tahoe Boats – Springfield, Missouri; 417-873-4555 ;  tahoeboats.com

Sea-Doo Switch 13 Sport

The smallest version of our 2022 Boat of the Year , the 13 Sport offers the same handle-bar-style controls. Punch the trigger throttle as you crank into a turn, and it displays much of a PWC’s excitement and quick-reflex maneuverability. Approach a dock or launch ramp, and Sea-Doo’s Intelligent Brake and -Reverse (iBR) system provides intuitive, low-speed maneuverability and control not found on pontoons. You can load this boat on a trailer or place it into its slip with precision and ease. 

The trademark feature of the Sea-Doo Switch is the reconfigurable floor plan. Nearly all seating and components can release from the deck in Lego-like fashion and reposition elsewhere around the boat in seconds. This approach allows the owner to change the boat’s focus, going for social-cruise seating one day or a cleared-out fishing floor plan the next. A variety of accessories, like coolers and storage caddies, can attach with ease. With the 170 hp Rotax engine, the boat is capable of hitting 38.7 mph.

Sea-Doo  – Valcourt, Quebec; 888-272–9222 ;  sea-doo.com

– INVEST IN SUCCESS – A boating course is a great way to gain confidence and boat-handling skills. A little practice now will make it look easy when everyone is watching. Safety Tip Provided by the U.S. Coast Guard

Tracker Classic XL

When Tracker Marine introduced the first Tracker Classic bass boat in the late ’70s, it was a revolutionary concept. Before Tracker, boaters had to buy a boat, buy a matching motor, buy a matching trailer, buy a matching trolling motor, and get all of that assembled by a dealer. They even had to mount and install their own sonar. But Johnny Morris, who co-founded Tracker Marine, believed this should all be done before the boat owner ever walks into the showroom. That’s why the Tracker Classic was the first ready-to-fish bass boat on the marketplace. And Morris did it at a bargain price. Today he’s introduced the new Tracker Classic XL, a 16-foot-8-inch bass boat with a 50 hp Mercury ELT outboard, an electric trolling motor, and a custom matching trailer all rigged up and ready to hitch to your truck or car and go to the water and fish. The 50 hp Mercury ELT outboard motor maxes out the horsepower and, in our opinion, is the optimal amount for this fun little boat. The Tracker Classic XL comes with a lifetime hull warranty. It features bucket folding seats, swivel pedestal seats, livewells, tackle storage, a rod locker, and easy access to all the plumbing and pumps on board through hatches. There’s also an aft casting deck and a sonar chart plotter at the helm. It’s as big a bargain today as it was 50 years ago.

Tracker Boats – Springfield, Missouri; 417-873-4555 ;  trackerboats.com

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Also Check Out

Old Town Sportsman Autopilot 120

Although technically a kayak , we’re going to grant this Old Town powerboat status since it’s propelled by a 12-volt Minn Kota trolling motor with 45 pounds of thrust. The motor is mounted through the bow, where it won’t interfere with your fishing spread.

Price: $4,349.99 (with 12-volt Minn Kota)

Old Town Genuine Watercraft – Old Town, Maine; 800-343-1555 ; oldtowncanoe.com

Carolina Skiff 162 JLS

With the Carolina Skiff 162 JLS, you get a certifiable saltwater center-console at a reasonable price. It comes with an aft livewell, fore and aft casting platforms, vertical rod holders along both sides of the console, and gunwale rod racks. It comes in over $30,000 when you add the engine, but still represents an affordable boat in today’s market.

Price: $26,000 (base boat)

Carolina Skiff – Waycross, Georgia; 800-422-7282 ; carolinaskiff.com

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• Digital Edition

Best chartplotter: 6 great options from marine MFDs to tablets

• Toby Heppell
• December 9, 2022

There are many options when choosing the best chartplotter or MFD (Multi Function Display) for your boat, with a seemingly endless number of functions and a significant amount of jargon – we cut through the information overload to help you find the right unit.

Not sure where to start looking for a chartplotter or MFD? The terms ‘chartplotter’ and ‘MFD’ are broadly used interchangeably, but typically an MFD works as a chartplotter but also functions as a whole system hub too, connecting a variety of information sources.

For the most part, MFDs are what you would look to put on most modern cruising yachts and racing yachts. A chartplotter by itself might be something you install if you are very limited in terms of space and/or budget, or have (and intend to remain with) very few other electronics onboard.

Happily in the last decade or so improvements have worked to both make units more user friendly and have seen something of a levelling process across the market, which means you would be hard pushed to pick the wrong unit, though some will inevitably work better for your needs than others.

This is, however, the hub of your yacht, so choose a system that feels intuitive to you and invest as much time as you can familiarising yourself with its menus and customisation options.

Best chartplotters available right now

Raymarine axiom mfd.

Best chartplotter with augmented reality

Raymarine’s Axiom MFDs come in three sizes, 7, 9 or 12in screens and feature a touchscreen surrounded by a border and a few basic buttons on the bottom edge of the screen. Beyond the screen size there is practically no difference between the models, so it will simply be a case of selecting the right size for your boat and your budget.

The Axiom series comes with Raymarine’s proprietary Lighthouse 3 operating system . Lighthouse 3 was launched in 2019 and is an impressive bit of kit, and certainly upgrades a great many of the company’s sailing features. Currently Raymarine are in the process of building a library of yachts into Lighthouse 3. This will mean that if your boat is one of those already in the library you will automatically get a set of performance polars (which can take significant time to develop from scratch) which will make auto routing and layline functions even more accurate and boat specific.

In 2019, alongside the launch of Lighthouse 3, Raymarine also unveiled an augmented reality system , which will work on Axiom MFDs – though it will require the purchase and mounting of a FLIR camera. Once mounted and connected, this camera sends its imagery to the MFD and overlays useful information such as AIS targets’ speed, heading and collision warning data, course to steer visuals and lay lines to name a few. A smartphone or tablet can also be connected as a second screen. 

Raymarine’s Axiom MFDs are compatible with their own proprietary Lighthouse charts and Navionics, C-MAP Essentials, and C-MAP 4D MAX+.

Reasons to buy: Variable sizes for varying budgets, features Lighthouse 3

Reasons to avoid: AR requires an extra camera

RRP: £650 / $799

Buy it now on Amazon

Read MBY’s Raymarine Axiom review

With each product is a ‘Buy it now’ link. If you click on this then we may receive a small amount of money from the retailer when you purchase the item. This doesn’t affect the amount you pay.

B&g vulcan mfd.

Best chartplotter for club racing

B&G were, for many years, the go-to brand for serious racing sailing and have long led the field in terms of the best chartplotters and MFDs for sailing. However, the high end nature of their products has meant they were once also considered something of an expensive option.

B&G’s Vulcan range offers a great deal of impressive functionality at great value. This sailing chartplotter was designed primarily for coastal cruising and club/inshore racing, so it does lack some of the very top-end racing features you might find in B&G’s other products.

The multi-touch screen comes in three sizes (7, 9, or 12in) and is still packed with plenty of B&G’s unique sailing features including their impressive SailSteer and RacePanel – particularly well loved for providing an easy to follow, simple racing display on an MFD.

B&G’s Vulcan MFD supports the following charts: Insight, Navionics (Gold, NAV+ Platinum+), C-MAP (MAX N, MAX N+) NV Digital (Raster US Charts).

Reasons to buy: Multi-touch screen, unique SailSteer and sailing features, easy to follow display

Reasons to avoid: Can’t display Radar due to lack of ethernet, missing radar features

Buy it now from West Marine

Read PBO’s B&G Vulcan chartplotter review

B&G Zeus3S chartplotter

Best chartplotter for professional sailors

The Zeus is B&Gs higher-end model and features several of the racing and more professional features that the Vulcan skips. The key differences here over the Vulcan are improved processing power – an iMX8 integrated six-core processor – which improves response of the unit. It also includes compatibility with FLIR video cameras too.

The screen for the Zeus3S is a market leader in terms of visibility in light and dark conditions – with or without polarised sunglasses – and control of the touch screen in wet conditions.

The MFD can also be connected and screen shared with other devices, such as a smartphone of tablet, providing you a secondary way of accessing your charting information and/or sailing feedback. Finally, although there is the excellent touchscreen the Zeus3S also features a keyboard in case of severe conditions, which is not included with the Vulcan. 

The Zeus3S comes with world baseman charting installed and also supports: Insight, Navionics (Gold, NAV+ Platinum+) , C-MAP (MAX N, MAX N+,Reveal) NV Digital (Raster US Charts).

Reasons to buy: Market leader in terms of visibility, keyboard and touchscreen functionality, world baseman charting pre-installed

Reasons to avoid: premium price

RRP: £4,529.99/ $2,999

Buy it now at B&G

Garmin GPSMap 8400 MFD

Best chartplotter for sailing and fishing

Garmin are a well-known and trusted marque, their products are generally very impressive and cover a wide range of options. However, they have been quite focussed on the fishing market in the past, somewhat to the detriment of their sailing customers and features.

In recent years, though, there has been a clear push to better develop their sailing specific software and this, coupled with the connectivity to the many other available Garmin items on the market, has made them a force to be reckoned with. The GPSMap 8400 range is very much their top-of-the-line marine tech. The units come on a variety of sizes from 10in all the way up to a massive 24in display.

Garmin SailAssist provides critical data displays and pre-race guidance to help you gain a competitive edge. Other sailing features include laylines, enhanced wind rose, heading and course-over-ground lines, true wind data fields and tide/current/time slider.

Gauge displays provide information at a glance, including true and apparent wind angle, set and drift, true or apparent wind speed, horizontal or vertical graphs and a data bar with customisable fields. Connectivity with other devices is excellent with the activeCaptain app allowing connection with smartphones and tables as well as connection to Garmin Quatix sailing watches and FLIR cameras.

The GPSMap8400 can be supplied with Garmin’s exclusive optional BlueChart g3 and BlueChart g3 Vision charts with integrated Navionics data.

Reasons to buy: Connectivity to many other Garmin devices, top-of-the-line GPS, SailAssist

Reasons to avoid: Premium price, optional extras at cost

RRP: £2,529.99 / $2,599.99

Buy it now via Garmin (UK)

Buy it now via Garmin (US)

Simrad Go7 XSR chartplotter

Best compact chartplotter

The Simrad XSR range is a, full-featured standalone marine chartplotter packed into a compact, unit. Both the GO5 and GO7 XSR feature a bright touch display, StructureScan HD and CHIRP Sonar, autopilot integration/control, integrated wireless connectivity and the new Simrad TripIntelT trip computer.

The XSE display has multi-touch controls that are modelled to be similar to smartphone and tablet control systems and so will be easy to use for most. Boaters are able to tap the screen to create or select waypoints, pinch-to-zoom, or tap-and-drag to pan smoothly across charts, while simple home screen and menu layouts allow quick access to all functions.

Adjustable split-screen views and customisable panel layouts with large, clearly captioned icons that are easy to recognise, make the XSR a simple-to-use, full-featured chartplotter.

Simrad’s Go7 XSR comes with preloaded Basemap and supports the use of C-Map Pro.

Reasons to buy: Compact, bright display. features sonar integration

Reasons to avoid: Lacks the extensive feature list of competitors

RRP: £829.99 / $749

Buy it now on West Marine

Tablet with Navionics

A great value chartplotter alternative

If you are not looking to permanently fit an MFD to your boat, either due to size or lack of places to fit one, a decent option is simply to run Navionics on either a ruggedised tablet, or on a standard tablet with a waterproof casing.

As this involves using hardware not designed for that purpose, there are some things to consider and some obvious drawbacks. You either have to buy a ‘WiFi and Cellular’ version which has an onboard GPS chip (you do not have to insert a SIM card nor do you need a data plan for the GPS functionality). If you go for the WiFi only you will need an external GPS device to plug in to an iPad.

Additionally, the screens are not designed to be used in   wet environments and often have not been created to deal with the same sort of glare levels as are the screens on a full-on MFD.

However, the cost of a year’s subscription to Navionics – the charts which many MFDs use anyway – a new tablet, case and mount can be pretty close to that of one of the best chartplotters, and would also mean you have a shiny new tablet which has plenty of other uses.

If you have a smaller boat and merely want a chartplotter to supplement your standard paper-chart navigation, this is a pretty good option. 

Reasons to buy: Great alternative if have existing equipment

Reasons to avoid: Tablet not included (extra cost), would requite cellular or external GPS. not designed for wet enibronments

RRP: £225 (exc. tablet)

Get Navionics charts on Amazon

What features do the best chartplotters offer?

Screen technology is one area that has seen significant development in recent years. Screens are now screens brighter, easer to see at angles, less troubled by glare and touchscreens are much more responsive when wet too. This has all made touchscreen MFDs much more reliably responsive.

The bonus here is that a pure touchscreen will offer increased screen real estate for its mounting size. Simply put, a 7in touchscreen will always offer more screen space than a 7in unit which includes buttons round the outside. But buttons may be something you want as a backup if you are considering going far offshore.

Most of the chartplotters we cover here will be available in a variety of screen sizes. Typically you’d want to pick up the biggest screen you have space for, so which size option you choose will likely be governed almost entirely by the size of your boat, as well as cost – bigger is pricier.

Most of the best chartplotters will connect via NMEA to other onboard electronics such as wind speed and direction, boat speed, autopilot, AIS and much more. This will enable sailing features such as laylines, accurate routing and auto routing to be available.

Charts are one of the biggest questions for those looking to buy a new MFD. Though these are pretty standardised across a small number of suppliers, there is still variance from unit to unit. If you know what charts you prefer already then you will want to make sure that your chosen MFD is compatible.  

Didn’t find what you’re looking for? Head to Amazon’s dedicated boating page for more marine products.

• Articles and Guides

Best Trawler Yacht Brands for Bluewater Adventures

16th nov 2023 by samantha wilson.

The rise of the trawler yacht is one of the most exciting developments in the boating industry in decades. It has opened the world of long-range travel to those who don’t care to sail and whose budget doesn’t run to a superyacht or explorer yacht. It has actually filled a gap that we didn’t even realize we desperately needed. Imagine being able to cruise the world in comfort on a yacht under 60 feet, or even under 40 feet. Or being able to cruise across blue water, with several guests staying aboard, to far-flung destinations on a yacht the size of a cabin cruiser. 

Trawler yachts are almost an oxymoron—the idea of a sturdy and functional fishing trawler being a luxury yacht would once have been laughable. But today that’s exactly what these robust, spacious, and elegant long-range cruisers are. Here we take a look at our pick of some of the best trawler yacht brands on the market;

Written By: Samantha Wilson

Samantha Wilson has spent her entire life on and around boats, from tiny sailing dinghies all the way up to superyachts. She writes for many boating and yachting publications, top charter agencies, and some of the largest travel businesses in the industry, combining her knowledge and passion of boating, travel and writing to create topical, useful and engaging content.

More from: Samantha Wilson

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• Digital Editions

Best pilothouse boats: 12 of the best boats for year-round adventures

• Top stories

In the last few years, we’ve noticed an explosion of interest in adventure boats that you can use all year round. Here’s our pick of the best pilothouse boats on the market right now…

From Axopar to Viggo, the new boat market seems to be overflowing with pilothouse boats right now and the appeal isn’t hard to fathom.

With enclosed wheelhouses that offer great all-round visibility as well as protection from the elements, the best pilothouse boats have outgrown their Scandinavian roots.

Yards from Italy and Turkey are getting in on the action too, and we’ve recently experienced the joys of boating around the Seychelles in a pilothouse boat .

If you’re looking to try this style of boating, read on for our essential guide to the most exciting pilothouse boats on the market right now…

12 of the best pilothouse boats

Twin-stepped hull gives the Axopar 37 XC first rate performance, efficiency and sea-keeping

Axopar 37 XC

The Axopar 37 XC is a great-looking multi-purpose adventure platform with a range of flexible indoor and outdoor spaces plus the option of authentic four-berth accommodation.

With its second-generation twin-stepped hull, it handles like a proper sportsboat too, while still returning cruising efficiency of around 2.3l/nm at 28 knots with a pair of Mercury 300s on the transom.

It also offers the option of gullwing doors for uprated access and ventilation in the forward cabin, and the options elsewhere are just as rewarding. You can upgrade to twin 350s for 48-knot performance, or spec the aft deck with a stern bench, a wet bar module, a storage compartment or a brilliant aft cabin .

You can also augment the styling with the Brabus Line package or you can add extra functionality with a forward heads compartment and a pilothouse kitchen module. For full-on adventure, it’s very tough to beat.

Axopar 37 XC specifications

LOA: 37ft 9in (11.50m) Beam: 9ft 8in (3.35m) Engine: Twin 225-350hp outboards Top speed: 48 knots Starting price: £278,000 (inc. VAT)

Read more about the Axopar 37 XC

The Dale 40 makes light work of big seas

Introduced in 2019, the award-winning Dale 40 is a pilothouse boat unlike any other. As you would expect of a Dale , it gives you a steady trim angle throughout the rev range and a perfectly judged balance between forward buoyancy and softness of entry, but it supplements that with extra bow flare and deeper freeboards for an even drier ride at sea.

It’s also a great boat for adding flexibility to your nav plans. The fore-and-aft ensuite cabins enable two couples to cruise for weeks on end and the wheelhouse is easily converted for a third couple.

In terms of range, a combined fuel capacity of 2,300 litres delivers 350nm at 20 knots – and if you want to leave the open sea behind and explore Europe’s inland waterways, the Dale 40’s wide side decks, open aft helm and arrow-straight tracking make it perfect for that too.

Dale 40 specifications

LOA: 44ft 2in (13.48m) Beam: 13ft 10in (4.23m) Engine: Twin Volvo Penta D6 340-480s on shafts Top speed: 28 knots Starting price: £987,777 (inc. VAT)

Read more about the Dale 40

The Dromeas D33 SUV is a stylish 50-knot weekender

Dromeas D33 SUV

As the larger of Dromeas’s two pilothouse boats, the very latest D33 SUV takes the same thoroughbred underpinnings as the D33 WA but adds an enclosed cockpit with twin side doors for uprated year-round practicality.

Available with inboards or outboards , this 50-knot offshore platform also uses aggressive spray rails, thickset rubbing strakes and elevated forward gunwales for a safe, dry ride.

There’s a range of options to help configure the aft deck to your needs, and down below, an open-plan layout provides bright, comfortable sleeping for four. Easily customised and inherently versatile, the new Dromeas D33 SUV is a seriously impressive piece of work.

Dromeas D33 SUV specifications

LOA: 27ft 1in (10.50m) Beam: 8ft 10in (3.15m) Engine: Single or twin outboards up to 800hp Top speed: 50 knots Starting price: £211,200 (inc. VAT)

This is the Daddy of the Nimbus pilothouse boat range, complete with fully enclosed wheelhouse and a pair of Volvo’s 4-cylinder 320hp sterndrive diesels for good measure.

It is, being a Nimbus , incredibly practical and well thought out. There are guardrails all the way along the side decks and wherever there isn’t a guardrail you can guarantee there is going to be a hand hold.

The side decks are deep and safe and there is bespoke storage for the boat’s fenders on the transom and a dedicated slot for the wooden boat hook outside the cockpit doors. These are the sort of practical details that Nimbus’s designers chalk off in their sleep but they make life on board so much easier.

Nimbus C11 specifications

LOA: 40ft 7in (12.4m) Beam: 11ft 4in (3.46m) Engines: Twin 320hp Volvo Penta D4 Top speed: 40 knots Starting price: £361,549 (inc. VAT)

Read more about the Nimbus C11

The Nordkapp Gran Coupé 905 is available with twin 225hp outboards or a single 600hp V12

Nordkapp Gran Coupé 905

The Gran Coupé 905 is a practical, versatile (and rather beautiful) four-berth adventure companion but the V12 model ramps things up in a serious way.

For a start, there are no optional extras here because everything is included. That extends from the Webasto heating, hot and cold water, stern anchor and electric soft top to the bow and stern thrusters, forward sundeck, convertible cockpit and fully featured heads.

And then there’s the engine. While the base 905 is available with a 300hp outboard or twin 225s, this top-of-the-line variant comes with Mercury’s 7.6-litre V12 Verado 600hp outboard motor for ferocious pick-up and speeds in the region of 55 knots.

With sociable outdoor zones fore and aft, plus convertible pilothouse shelter and class-leading performance, this unashamedly high-spec four-season family cruiser is a boat you simply can’t ignore.

Nordkapp Gran Coupé 905 specifications

LOA: 29ft 11in (9.12m) Beam: 9ft 9in (2.98m) Engine: Mercury Verado 7.6-litre 600hp V12 Top speed: 55 knots Starting price: £240,450 (inc VAT and 300hp engine) / £319,950 (inc. VAT and 600hp engine)

Modified chines make the Nord Star 33+ an even smoother ride than its predecessor

Nord Star 33+

The Nord Star 33+ uses the existing 32 hull with modified chines to make it even softer and more forgiving at sea. It also comes with bonded windows and smaller mullions for uprated visibility, plus revised bulwark boarding gates and twin side doors for extra practicality.

The optional Cruiser package looks particularly well judged. In addition to French doors that bring the cockpit and saloon into easy union, it offers some useful flexibility in relation to the way the galley and lower atrium interact.

You can spec each side of the atrium with a heads and separate shower; you can swap the port space for a lower galley; or you can leave the galley up top and use the port compartment as a massive walk-in wardrobe.

Either way, with a pair of D4 270s, this practical four-berth Nordic pilothouse boat offers a really satisfying combination of fuel efficiency, performance and living comfort.

Nord Star 33+ specifications

LOA: 36ft 5in (11.40m) Beam: 11ft 1in (3.40m) Engine: Twin inboard diesels up to 872hp Top speed: 45 knots Starting price: £365,000 (inc. VAT)

Read more about the Nord Star 33+

Pardo has eased back the power to give the Endurance 60 extra efficiency and range

Pardo Endurance 60

The Pardo Endurance 60 might look more like a mini superyacht than an all-action pilothouse boat, but its credentials are very strong. At 59ft in length with a fully enclosed wheelhouse and deep walkaround side decks, it uses a compact, low-slung flybridge to keep the centre of gravity as low as possible.

The decking ahead of the flybridge wind deflector is a great place to sit with a view or ideal for stowing a couple of bikes or stand-up paddle boards . Back aft, in addition to a hydraulic swim platform big enough for a proper jet tender, twin fold-down bulwarks create an extra 180ft² of cockpit space with great access to the water.

Available with a pair of IPS 700s or 800s and capable of sleeping up to eight people, the Pardo Endurance 60 is by no means a fast boat, but if you want long-distance adventure with extra style, refinement and luxury, this is a fantastic way to achieve it.

Pardo Endurance 60 specifications

LOA: 59ft 3in (18.08m) Beam: 16ft 8in (5.13m) Engines: Twin Volvo Penta IPS 700-800s Top speed: 25 knots UK starting price: €2.83 million (inc VAT)

Read more about the Pardo Endurance 60

Despite the extra weight created by the pilothouse, the Quarken 27 Cabin still tops out at 43 knots

Quarken 27 Cabin

The Quarken 27 Cabin takes all the user-friendly day boating intelligence of the award-winning Quarken 27 T-Top and adds a pilothouse for extra multi-purpose flexibility.

Like the open models, it uses an asymmetric design with a full-width port walkway to keep fore-and-aft movement free and easy. It also factors in a full-size sliding door for simple single-handed berthing, plus a seating design that enables you to face out from a sheltered position.

Capable of sleeping two people and seating up to eight, the Quarken 27 Cabin employs the same twin-stepped hull and Yamaha F300 outboard with finger-light digital steering as the rest of the 27 models.

And while the pilothouse structure does incur a little extra weight, this model still manages to achieve a top end of 43 knots, alongside claimed running efficiency of 1.6l per nm for a cruising range of 150nm.

Quarken 27 Cabin specifications

LOA: 27ft 5in (8.35m) Beam: 8ft 6in (2.59m) Engine: Single Yamaha F300 outboard Top speed : 43 knots Starting price: £144,442 (inc. VAT)

Read more about the Quarken 27 Cabin

Rhea is known for its 1970s-style flared bow and classic frigate stern

Rhea Trawler 34

The Rhea Trawler 34 is a seriously flexible boat. It’s available as a flybridge or a sedan and with single or twin shaft drives hooked up to Nanni, Volvo or Yanmar engines.

Like the Timonier line, it’s easy to helm, easy to beach and very kind in a North Atlantic swell. With flat decks, raised bulwarks and a closed transom, it’s also ideal for exposed passages.

And it also comes with a spacious forward owner’s cabin , plus a bathroom with separate shower, a starboard guest cabin and an optional crew cabin for those who need a third double berth.

Rhea Trawler 34 specifications

LOA: 34ft 1in (10.40m) Beam: 13ft 1in (3.98m) Engine: Single 380hp – twin 270hp inboard diesels Top speed: 21 knots Starting price: €585,000 (inc. VAT)

Impeccable seafaring and fit-out make the Sargo 45 our pick of their pilothouse boats range

The Sargo 45 is a very easy boat to enjoy. From the quick-access fender stowage to the massive single-level side decks, the wide-gauge fuel fillers and the side-entry engine bay, the simple things are superbly executed.

With its adjustability, all-round views, skipper’s side door and whisper-quiet double-glazed refinement, the helm also feels like an object lesson in seafaring ergonomics.

And then there’s the accommodation. The fit-out is impeccable, headroom throughout is great and with a convertible dinette, an ingenious ensuite mid cabin and a pair of forward cabins with large day heads, you could easily sleep six to eight people in the utmost comfort.

Even the cruising efficiency looks good. Twin 480hp Volvo Penta D6-IPS650s will deliver 36-knot performance alongside four litres per nautical mile at 30 knots and a range in excess of 300 miles – and you also get the option of sterndrives and a flybridge.

Sargo 45 specifications

LOA: 47ft 11in (14.60m) Beam: 14ft 0in (4.25m) Engine: Twin Volvo D6 440 / IPS-650 Top speed: 36 knots Starting price: €995,000 (inc. VAT)

Read more about the Sargo 45

The Targa 32 Coupe can reach speeds of up to 48 knots

Targa 32 Coupe

The Targa 32 is a fantastic all-rounder. It comes with a flybridge and second helm as standard but, as elsewhere in the range, you can also spec it with a flat roof, an aft door and a large roof rack for your kayaks and paddleboards.

Down below, two comfortable cabins make it popular for families, but you can also choose between a sociable foredeck cockpit or an optional raised bow for extra space in the forward double. It’s also the most versatile Targa in terms of engines.

Diesel options range from twin Volvo D4s right up to the biggest D6s for performance of up to 48 knots alongside a fast cruise of 38 to 40 knots. A pair of Mercury Verado V8 300 or V10 400 outboards are also an option.

But even twin D4 320s will deliver a top speed of 40 knots, while creating some handy extra space in the engine room for bulky baggage or folding bikes .

Targa 32 Coupe specifications

LOA: 35ft 4in (10.78m) Beam: 11ft 1in (3.37m) Engine: 640-880hp inboard diesels Top speed: 48 knots Starting price: £399,840 (inc. VAT)

Viggos are known for their tough aluminium construction and shallow draft

Viggo C10 Offshore

Viggo’s C10 Offshore employs the same deep-vee (24-degree) hull form as the 8m boats but uprates it for Category B use. It also benefits from a more acute bow shape, single or twin engines, separate fuel tanks, and a backup system for the power supply.

As on the Viggo C8 , the layout has been designed so you can pass freely from bow to stern through fore and aft doors and remarkably, up to ten passengers can sit underway in the shelter of the pilothouse.

It’s a seriously quick boat too, thanks to a twin 450hp outboard option that brings a rip-snorting 65 knots into play. And to harness all that power, it also uses a pair of central K-Plane hydraulic trim tabs, which do much the same job as a 200-litre bow tank – pinning that nose in a rough head sea and avoiding any unnecessary air time.

Viggo C10 Offshore specifications

LOA: 35ft 11in (10.95m) Beam: 9ft 8in (2.95m) Engine: Single 450hp / Twin 300-450hp outboards Top speed: 48-65 knots Starting price: £359,400 (inc. VAT)

If you enjoyed this…

Be first to all the latest boats, gadgets, cruising ideas, buying advice and readers’ adventures with a subscription to Motor Boat & Yachting . Available in both print and digital formats, our monthly magazine will be sent directly to your home or device at a substantial discount to the usual cover price. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

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Absolute navetta gets a snazzy new makeover, fjord 39 tour: maximised space and amenities, latest videos, bluegame bgm75 sea trial: the €6.8m powercat that thinks its a monohull, cormate chase 32 tour: fast, stylish and practical weekender, axopar 29 sea trial: sun top vs cross cabin – which is best, sunseeker ocean 182 – see how this compact superyacht copes in a wet and windy sea trial.

FinanceBuzz

16 Yacht Charters That Make for a Strangely Affordable Family Vacation

Posted: December 11, 2023 | Last updated: December 12, 2023

While a yacht may be the first thing that pops to mind when you think of the ultra-wealthy, chartering one might not be as expensive as you think. When you're splitting the costs between several family members or friends you are paying for transportation and stay and it can make sense financially.

You can also  keep money in your wallet  by selecting an older vessel or taking charge of sailing yourself (hiring a crew always costs extra).

So let’s take a look at options that may be within reach for people who aren’t living paycheck to paycheck but aren’t brunching with the Kardashians either.

Editor's note: prices are subject to change and may vary depending on the time of the year.

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San Antonio motor yacht

The San Antonio is a luxury motor yacht measuring 146 feet in length that was built in 2018. This huge vessel is capable of accommodating 36 guests in 18 cabins.

The cost to charter it starts at $21,000 per week plus expenses, not including a crew of eight (which we recommend).

Divide the cost by capacity, and that’s only $583 per person per week to start. That’s practically unbeatable for a boat of this size, allowing you to make other savvy moves with your money .

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Virginia Mia motor yacht

Constructed in 2001 (with several subsequent refits), the Virginia Mia is another luxury motor yacht that’s 95 feet in length.

Custom-designed by Nuvolari Lenard, this vessel can sleep eight guests in four cabins as well as an additional crew of four.

Still, thanks to the age of the yacht, the cost of chartering starts at $15,000 plus expenses per week, or just under $2,000 per guest sans crew.

Nautilus sailing yacht

White motor yachts are convenient and luxe, sailing yachts promise a more traditional experience.

At nearly 125 feet, the Nautilus is a large option styled by Robert Delus. Built in 2008, it sleeps 10 guests in five cabins. At this size, you'll likely need a crew of six.

The cost to charter this beauty starts at $17,500 per week sans expenses, again just under $2,000 per person — which really isn't bad for all you're getting.

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Aegean Clipper sailing yacht

The Aegean Clipper is another sailing vessel, this one built all the way back in 1999 — which translates into cost savings for you.

The yacht is another biggie at nearly 135 feet. With 11 cabins, the boat can accommodate up to 24 guests plus five crew members as needed.

In total, your group will have to shell out a minimum of $13,000 plus expenses per week — just over $379 per person. That's a great deal, comparatively speaking.

Silver Fox expedition yacht

If you're looking for something a little smaller that can go the distance, the Silver Fox expedition yacht might be for you.

Built in 2009, the 72-foot yacht accommodates six guests in three cabins for a more intimate experience. There's room for a crew of two if you need their expertise.

With a starting cost of $16,500 per week, the Silver Fox will run each person over $2,700 per week, but the small group may be worth it.

Tivoli expedition yacht

Traveling with a group of the same size but want more length and a bigger crew?

The Tivoli expedition yacht, constructed in 2001 and remodeled in 2010, can fit four crew members. This stunner is just over 90 feet long and can take you on those long hauls.

Yes, it will cost more at $25,000 per week, or over $4,100 per person. But if you can afford it, it’s a dream come true out on the open water.

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Shangri-La classic yacht

Classics are classics for a reason, as they stand the test of time. Such is the case with the Shangri-La, a vintage yacht sure to take you to that magical place.

This vessel sleeps six in three cabins and promises to be child-friendly. The Shangri-La was constructed way back in 1965, and it is 82 feet long with space for three crew members.

A week on this rig will cost you $16,500, or just over $2,700 a pop.

Sai Kung classic yacht

Another vintage beauty, the Sai Kung classic yacht was born in 1975 and got a makeover in 2015. That updated this 79-foot vessel that can sleep nine people in four cabins.

Be sure you’re a nautical whiz, as there’s no room for additional crew here, but that will only save you money.

All told, the Sai Kung will set your group back $17,500 per week, just under $2,000 per person.

Glorious open yacht

Outdoor yachts are designed for those who truly want to live outside, which you can do easily on the Glorious.

This sporty 72-footer is ready to help you dive, scuba, and more, with room for six guests in three cabins. You can bring a crew of two for extra help, of course.

Built in 2007 and remodeled nine years later, chartering the Glorious will run you $16,500 per week, again $2,700 per person.

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Speedy T open yacht

Looking for a bigger open yacht that’s perfect for swim buffs? Charter the Speedy T, a vessel that’s 80 feet long and primed for dips in refreshing ocean waters.

Like many of the yachts on this list, it accommodates six guests in three cabins and has room for three crew members.

All told, one week on this sleek ship — built in 1994 and renovated in 2011 — is $19,500 before expenses, translating to $3,250 per head. But the adventure promises to be unforgettable.

Etoile Magique catamaran yacht

With extra stability even at higher speeds, catamaran yachts like the Etoile Magique are great options for adventure.

This 80-foot vessel is roomy for its size, with room for 16 guests in eight cabins. There’s space for a three-person crew, too.

Constructed in 2004 and remodeled a decade later, this is a budget-friendly adventure in the making. At $18,710 per week before expenses, that shakes out to a bit over $1,100 apiece.

Fuerte 3 catamaran yacht

Meaning “strong” in Spanish, the Fuerte 3 catamaran yacht — built in 2004 and renovated in 2010 — offers a more intimate experience than the Etoile Magique, with space for nine guests in four cabins.

On the smaller side, at 67 feet, you can bring two crew members along if you need them. The price tag for one week is around $22,000, or just over $2,400 a pop. This vessel is best in shallower waters.

Astrape sport fishing yacht

If your idea of the perfect vacation is sport fishing, this boat is for you. The Astrape sport fishing yacht comes with top-of-the-line fishing equipment so you can catch your dream fish.

Built in 2008 and remodeled in 2016, the 76-foot vessel sleeps eight in four cabins. It also has room for three crew members.

On the pricier side at $29,000, a week will cost each person nearly $3,700 — worth it if you can show off that once-in-a-lifetime catch, though!

Barefoot sport fishing yacht

Giving us some real Orca energy, the Barefoot sport fishing yacht was built in 2006 — much later than that famed vessel from "Jaws."

The 64-foot boat is designed for fishing in shallower waters, perfect for you and five friends who will share three cabins. Two crew members can fit, too.

This yacht is cheaper than the Astrape at $17,500, so six folks will pay just under $3,000 a head per week.

Prenses Lila gulet yacht

Gulet yachts are known for their tall masts, ample deck space, and Turkish origins — perfect for a Mediterranean voyage.

To that end, the Prenses Lila is an excellent option for groups of 18. At 114 feet with eight cabins and space for five crew members, this boat beckons.

You can charter Prenses Lila — built in 2009 and remodeled in 2009 — for $17,500 per week in September.

Dreamland gulet yacht

The second gulet yacht and the final boat we’re covering is Dreamland, which will surely take you there. 

Constructed in 2006, 12 guests can sleep in six suites on this 105-foot vessel as well as five crew members.

You can book Dreamland for around $26,000 in high season. Divide that by 12, and you land on about $2,200 per person. That might require some financial fitness , but yachts like this don’t come around every day.

Bottom line

Spending your days sunning and swimming aboard a luxurious yacht may seem like an out-of-reach proposition, but we’re here to tell you it’s possible.

In fact, with planning and savvy budgeting, you can score your dream seafaring adventure. You can even use your favorite credit card to book and earn travel rewards .

Traveling by charter yacht is also more environmentally friendly than flying, which means you can feel good about your sailing vacation.

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Best Boats For The Money

February 12, 2024

‍ Key Takeaways

• Affordable boats offer a variety of nautical experiences without compromising quality.
• Boats like the Tracker Pro Team 175 TF cater to specialized interests such as fishing.
• When purchasing a boat, consider overall costs and how well it aligns with your needs.

‍ Looking for the best bang for your buck in boats? Discover top affordable picks for maximizing your money on the water.

The best value boats include the Bayliner Element E16, Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 16 DLX, and Tracker Pro Team 175 TF. Additionally, the Yamaha AR190 and Sea-Doo Spark 2up offer impressive features at affordable prices.

As a seasoned boating enthusiast with years of hands-on experience, I've navigated through countless models, testing their performance and durability firsthand. My expertise in the field, coupled with insights from fellow enthusiasts and industry professionals, allows me to offer valuable recommendations tailored to your needs.

Table of contents

‍ best value boats.

Boating as a hobby or a lifestyle doesn't necessarily mean having to spend a fortune. With the right knowledge, it's possible to find vessels that not only fit your nautical aspirations but also your budget. Whether it's for fishing, cruising, or just casual weekends on the water, there is an array of boats that offer great value for money.

Balancing cost and functionality, manufacturers have designed boats such as the Bayliner Element E16 and the Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 16 DLX which have become popular among boating enthusiasts for their affordability and quality.

These models, alongside others like the Yamaha AR190 and Sea-Doo Spark 2up, prove that you can enjoy the water without a hefty price tag. Moreover, more economical options like the Sun Dolphin American 12 and Pelican Bass Raider 10E cater to those with a more modest budget.

Prospective boat owners should consider various factors, such as the size, type, and purpose of the boat, balancing them with the total costs of ownership, including maintenance, storage, and fuel, to make an informed decision. By focusing on what's truly important to you, and asking the right questions, you'll be better equipped to navigate the market.

Here's the table comparing the best-value boat models:

1. Bayliner Element E16

The Bayliner Element E16 stands out for its affordability and design aimed at maximizing on-water enjoyment for families and new boaters. This section covers key aspects such as its specifications, performance, and unique features that make it a top choice for buyers seeking value in small bay boats.

Specifications

• Length: 16'2"
• Beam: 7'5"
• Weight: 1,570 lbs
• Capacity: 6 people
• Engine: 60 to 80 HP
• Fuel Capacity: 12 gallons

Performance

This boat, built for reliability, ensures a smooth ride with sufficient power options ranging from 60 to 80 HP. Ideal for calm waters, the Bayliner Element E16 delivers consistent performance for casual boating activities.

What Sets It Apart

The M-Hull™ design of the Bayliner Element series provides remarkable stability and safety, distinguishing it from other bay boats. Its unique hull design also facilitates smooth handling which is especially beneficial for novice boaters.

Recent Updates

Bayliner's commitment to innovation is reflected in Element E16's recent updates, which include modern finishing options and enhanced comfort amenities to elevate the boating experience without exorbitant cost increases.

• Great entry-level value
• Superior safety and stability
• Ease of use for beginners
• Limited speed capabilities
• Cramped for more than four adults
• Minimal compared to larger models

Who Should Buy It

The Element E16 is ideal for small families and new boaters seeking a stable, affordable, and easy-to-navigate option for their first venture into boating.

Where To Buy It

Prospective buyers can find the Element E16 at authorized Bayliner dealers or explore used boat listings for competitive pricing options.

2. Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 16 DLX

The Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 16 DLX stands as a pinnacle of affordability and reliability for both avid fishermen and family outings. Representing a blend of comfort and functionality, this pontoon boat adapts seamlessly to various aquatic activities.

• Length: 16 ft
• Deck Width: 7 ft 1 in
• Beam: 85 in
• Weight (approx.): 1,175 lbs
• Max. Person Capacity : 7 Individuals
• Max. Carrying Load: 1,600 lbs

This model provides admirable performance for its class, characterized by smooth handling and consistent stability on the water, making it suitable for fishing and recreation. The 16 DLX achieves commendable efficiency with a variety of outboard motor options.

The Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 16 DLX excels in delivering essential features at a price point that is approachable for new boaters and families. Its spacious deck and comfortable seating lay the groundwork for a memorable time on the water, without compromising the vessel's maneuverability.

The latest models include upgraded amenities such as a Bluetooth® stereo system and a wraparound tinted windscreen, enhancing the overall boating experience.

• Spacious deck for relaxation and fishing
• High weight capacity allows for numerous passengers and gear
• Limited by its size for larger bodies of water and groups

The Bass Buggy 16 DLX is ideal for families and individuals seeking a compact, versatile, and cost-effective pontoon boat that is reliable for fishing and leisure use.

Prospective buyers can locate these pontoons at local boat dealers or check the manufacturer’s website for new boat listings.

3. Tracker Pro Team 175 TF

The Tracker Pro Team 175 TF combines affordability with robust features for anglers. This aluminum fishing boat is known for its solid build and provides ample amenities to ensure a great fishing experience without breaking the bank.

• Hull Material: Aluminum
• Length: 17' 7"
• Beam: 89"
• Max. Recommended HP: 75 HP
• Fuel Capacity: 21.5 gallons
• Max. Person Capacity: 4 persons
• Max. Person Weight: 555 lbs.
• Max. Weight Capacity : 1,050 lbs.

The Tracker Pro Team 175 TF is designed for optimal performance with features like a factory-installed trolling motor and a power-trimmed motor. But how does it actually fare on the water?

• Speed: The boat gets on a plane quickly and can reach competitive speeds for its class.
• Handling: It handles well in various conditions, making it a versatile choice for anglers.

What differentiates the Tracker Pro Team 175 TF from other affordable aluminum fishing boats ?

• Storage : This model is designed with abundant storage compartments.
• Deck Space: Offers ample deck space which is a plus for anglers.

The latest models of the Tracker Pro Team 175 TF come with newer amenities and updates:

• 2024 Model: Announcements include potential price savings on select packages, reflecting the brand's commitment to value.
• Enhanced stability on the water
• Built-in trolling motor for precise fishing
• Comprehensive warranty for buyer assurance
• Limited to 75 HP, which might be less than some competitors
• Some may find entry prices still high for the budget segment

The Tracker Pro Team 175 TF is ideal for:

• Anglers seeking a high-quality, affordable aluminum fishing boat.
• Those who prioritize boat stability and ample storage.

For purchasing the Tracker Pro Team 175 TF:

• Contact a local authorized boat dealer for new models and deals.

4. Yamaha AR190

Yamaha's AR190 is a competitively priced jet boat offering an appealing combination of performance and features for water sports enthusiasts and families looking for fun on the water.

Yamaha's AR190 is engineered for agility on the water, ensuring a thrilling experience in various conditions including bays and rivers. Its jet propulsion system offers a different handling characteristic compared to traditional stern-drive boats, which is favored for its responsiveness.

This jet boat sets itself apart with Yamaha's reliable marine engine which is known for its durability. The integration of leading technologies enhances the overall stability of the boat, offering peace of mind during various water activities.

For its 2024 model, the AR190 saw enhancements in both design and functionality, aiming to amplify the boating experience with a focus on family fun and value.

• Provides excellent value for a new boat
• Ideal for watersports and cruising
• Known for superior handling and stability on the water
• Limited storage capacity compared to some competitors
• Not optimized for wake-specific sports without additional gear

The AR190 is best suited for families and individuals seeking an affordable, versatile jet boat that excels in watersports and day cruising.

To purchase or view the Yamaha AR190, interested buyers should contact official Yamaha boat dealers or check listings at Boat Trader for availability.

5. Sea-Doo Spark 2up

The Sea-Doo Spark 2up offers an accessible entry into personal watercraft fun, with a blend of performance and affordability that stands out in the budget-friendly market segment of new boats.

• Length : 110 inches
• Width: 46.4 inches
• Weight: 410 lbs
• Seating Capacity: 2
• Engine: Rotax 900 ACE
• Fuel Capacity: 7.9 gallons
• Storage Capacity: 0.42 gal (glove box) and 7 gal (front bin, optional)

Equipped with the responsive Rotax 900 ACE engine, the Sea-Doo Spark 2up can reach speeds of approximately 50 MPH. Its lightweight build facilitates swift acceleration, hitting 30 MPH in just 2.4 seconds.

The Sea-Doo Spark 2up is unique for its closed-loop cooling system, which is not commonly found in the personal watercraft industry. This system is more efficient in maintaining the engine's temperature and adds to the machine's durability.

For 2024, the Sea-Doo Spark 2up's starting price has seen an increase, reflecting updates in design and technology which contribute to its ongoing appeal.

• Affordable entry price
• Agile and easy to handle
• Ideal for smaller water settings like creeks
• Limited storage space
• Not designed for rough water conditions

The Sea-Doo Spark 2up is perfect for individuals or couples looking for an accessible and cost-effective route into personal watercraft without compromising on the thrill of the ride.

Prospective buyers can find the Sea-Doo Spark 2up at local boat dealers, as well as on Sea-Doo's official website . Ensure to check for the most competitive prices and deals.

6. Sun Dolphin American 12

The Sun Dolphin American 12 is a reliable and accessible Jon boat that offers simplicity in design coupled with sturdy construction. Ideal for fishing and leisurely days on the water, this model provides practical features at a cost-effective price point.

• Length: 144 inches (366 cm)
• Width: 52 inches (132 cm)
• Capacity: 532 lbs (241 kg)
• Weight: 110 lbs (50 kg)

The Sun Dolphin American 12 performs well in calm waters, ideal for fishing and hunting. Its stability and maneuverability make it a solid choice for both beginners and experienced boaters.

What distinguishes the Sun Dolphin American 12 from other jon boats is its durable hull material which offers longevity and a dependable boating experience.

Recent updates to the Sun Dolphin American 12 include improved seating for added comfort during extended use and reinforced support for greater durability on the water.

• Easy to maneuver
• Low maintenance
• Durable material
• Limited to small bodies of water
• Not suitable for rough conditions

The Sun Dolphin American 12 is suitable for fishing enthusiasts, casual boaters, and those seeking a compact vessel for tranquil water exploration.

For prospective buyers, the Sun Dolphin American 12 is available at Tractor Supply Co. and Academy - Outdoors . It's a good idea to also check with local dealers and compare prices for the best deals.

7. Pelican Bass Raider 10E

The Pelican Bass Raider 10E stands as a prime example of affordability meeting functionality. This compact pontoon-styled boat is tailored for anglers seeking a stable and comfortable fishing experience without the hefty price tag.

• Length: 10'2"
• Width: 50"
• Weight: 145 lbs
• Capacity: 2 persons
• Max. HP: 3.5 HP

The Pelican Bass Raider 10E thrives in calm waters, delivering a smooth ride due to its well-thought-out design. It's not built for speed, but rather for stability and ease of maneuverability, particularly in tighter spots where larger boats might struggle.

This vessel is a mini pontoon boat, delivering exceptional stability. Its compactness is a significant advantage, enabling anglers to access and fish in areas that largely remain untouched by those with larger vessels.

In recent models, the Pelican Bass Raider 10E has seen enhancements in comfort and utility, including better seating and increased storage for fishing gear.

• Sturdy construction ensures durability
• Lightweight design allows for easy handling and transport
• Limited by size, not suitable for large water bodies
• Speed capabilities are not a primary focus

The Pelican Bass Raider 10E is ideal for anglers who favor quiet, small to medium-sized lakes and ponds. Its ease of transport and stability make it perfect for those who want to spend a relaxing day fishing without complications.

Purchase your Pelican Bass Raider 10E directly through reputable outlets such as Academy or find it available on Amazon .

Factors to Consider When Buying a Boat

When investing in a vessel, there are several key considerations to ensure you find a boat that fits your needs and budget. Determining the right type can be complex, but focusing on specific factors can guide your decision.

• Type of Boating Activities: Your intended use for the boat dictates the type you should consider. For instance, aluminum fishing boats are ideal for calm waters like lakes and rivers. For family outings or watersports, deck boats with a ski tow pylon might be more appropriate.
• Size and Capacity: The size will affect where you can use the boat, as well as storage and maintenance costs. Smaller boats like bass boats and runabouts are easier to handle but may offer limited space.
• New vs. Used: New boats offer the latest features but come at a higher price. If on a budget, used boats can provide great value, though you may need to consider additional maintenance costs.
• Budget and Expenses: Assess the total cost of ownership, including purchase price, storage, insurance, and maintenance. Utilize resources like a boat loan calculator to estimate monthly payments if considering financing.
• Boat Features: Essential features to look for include marine electronics, a hardtop for protection, or a comfortable cuddy cabin. More luxurious features like a cabin cruiser can elevate the experience but also the price.
• Inspection and Trial: Before finalizing your purchase, a thorough inspection and sea trial is crucial to ensure the boat meets your expectations.

Considering these aspects will steer you toward a boat that not only fits your lifestyle but is also a wise financial investment.

Frequently Asked Questions

In the world of boating, affordability often takes precedence, especially for new enthusiasts. This section is dedicated to answering some of the most common inquiries potential boat owners have about finding value-packed vessels that fit a modest budget.

Which boat brands offer the best value for a limited budget?

Certain boat brands stand out when it comes to offering great value on a limited budget. Lund boats are widely recognized for their durability and affordability, especially in the fishing category. Other notable brands making waves in the value sector include Tracker and Bayliner, praised for their blend of quality and reasonable pricing.

What are some reliable used boats that won't break the bank?

For individuals seeking reliable used boats that are also affordable, certain models come highly recommended. Buyers should consider older-model Boston Whalers or used Sea Ray boats, as these are known for their lasting build quality.

What are the most recommended affordable boats with motors?

When it comes to affordable boating options that include motors, certain products lead the pack. All-purpose fishing boats like the Lund 1650 Angler SS are often highlighted for their cost-effectiveness and motor inclusion. Pontoon boats are also an excellent option for those wanting an all-in-one package that won't deplete their finances.

Which center console boat offers the best value for the price?

Center console boats are a versatile choice for boaters, and finding one that offers good value for the price is key. Models such as the Mako 184 CC come highly recommended. They are celebrated for robust construction, ample fishing amenities, and overall affordability for a boat of their class.

How can one find boats priced under $1,000 without compromising quality?

Discovering boats under $1,000 without compromising on quality can be challenging but not impossible. Prospective buyers should focus on used boats, participate in community sales, or check out listings on platforms like Craigslist where deals can frequently pop up. Maintaining a sense of flexibility regarding the boat's age and needed repairs can extend the range of options within this price bracket.

During which season can buyers typically find the lowest prices on boats?

Boat pricing often fluctuates throughout the year, with the lowest prices generally available during the offseason. Winter typically sees a downturn in boat sales, prompting dealers to offer more competitive pricing. This can be an opportune time for buyers to negotiate and secure a better deal.

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This article may contain affiliate links where we earn a commission from qualifying purchases. The images and content on this page may be created by, or with the assistance of, artificial intelligence, and should be used for entertainment and informational purposes only.

About THE AUTHOR

Brian Samson

I have a deep love of houseboating and the life-changing experiences houseboating has brought into my life. I’ve been going to Lake Powell on our family’s houseboat for over 30 years and have made many great memories, first as a child and now as a parent. My family has a passion for helping others have similar fun, safe experiences on their houseboat.

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The most fabulous yachts to charter this summer

There are an estimated 6,000 superyachts — vessels that are more than 100 feet long — at sea in 2024

As summer reaches its peak across the Northern Hemisphere, it’s hard to imagine a better way of spending a vacation than channeling your inner ship captain and sailing across the ocean.

In recent years, yacht companies have reported a boom in sales — far from the decline that many in the industry feared, due to both the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic realities of the Russia-Ukraine War.

“I spent my days [in 2020] doing worst-case scenarios and drawing up the budgets to go with them,” Giovanna Vitelli, chairwoman of Azimut|Benetti, the world’s largest yacht manufacturer, told the Economist in 2023.

Instead, her company reported a 23% growth in production value in 2023 —a reality that is not unique to just one yacht manufacturer. The luxury yacht market is expected to grow in value from $7.67 billion in 2023 to $17.33 billion by 2032, according to a recent report from Fortune Business Insights .

Analysts attribute the ships’ rise in popularity to the increasing number of extremely wealthy individuals . Yachts have long been considered a status symbol — a reality that has only increased as wealth becomes concentrated in the hands of a small group of high status individuals .

There are an estimated 6,000 superyachts —vessels that are more than 100 feet long — at sea as of this year. This is nearly quadruple the number of yachts seen in the ocean just three decades ago, according to Bloomberg .

Aside from an increase in popularity, the yacht industry has seen other changes in recent years. Increasingly, those in the market for a luxury ship are turning to alternate means of powering their vessels, as critics point to the excess emissions traditional yachts produce simply for recreational use.

In their 2024 report, Fortune Business Insights highlighted the growing trend of electrification as a significant area of growth in the coming years.

“A tough regulatory environment for traditional yachts and rising fuel prices will pave the way for the solid growth of electric yachts in the future,” the report reads. “Huge investments from various manufacturers and government support measures will accelerate the demand for electric yachts.”

Read on to learn more about the most luxurious yachts available for chartering in 2024.

Carinthia VII

Originally constructed in 2002, the award-winning Carinthia VII was recently remodeled and reimagined specifically for private charters. The 319-foot ship spans six decks and can accommodate up to 12 guests in eight staterooms. Among the ship’s amenities are two bars, a fully equipped gym and an outdoor projection screen that allows for an “immersive cinematic experience like no other.” The cost of chartering the Carinthia VII is $1,525,700 during both the winter and summer seasons.

The Lady S yacht boasts a number of exciting water toys, including jet skis, water skis, wakeboards and kayaks for athletic guests on the 305-foot ship. For those who prefer more indoor-oriented activities, however, you can also catch a film on the ship’s IMAX Dolby cinema — the first of its kind on any yacht in the world. Accommodating 12 guests, in seven cabins, the cost of chartering the Lady S begins at $1,743,328 a week.

The interior of the Ahpo yacht seems more reminiscent of a luxury hotel than a simple ship. Accommodating 16 guests and 36 crew members, the vessel features a full-size gym, a winter garden and a spa complete with a Himalayan salt sauna. The 378-foot long yacht was first manufactured in 2021 by the German shipyard Lürssen. Excited sailors can charter the Ahpo from superyacht broker Edmiston, beginning at $2,833,376 a week.

500EXP Para Bellum

This 154-foot-long yacht can accommodate up to 12 travelers in its six cabins, along with up to 10 crew members. The ship was specially designed to enable “guests a 360-degree experience and relationship with the sea” through its unique stern and sundeck that allow travelers to safely stand “almost at sea level,” according to its Italian manufacturer San Lorenzo . Interested travelers can rent the ship for $359,609 a week.

The Renaissance

The Renaissance lives up to its grandiose name by going beyond traditional private yachts and bridging the gap between a personal vehicle and a full-on cruise ship. The 367-foot long ship features five decks and can accommodate 36 guests in 19 cabins. The Renaissance’s amenities include a 19-seat movie theater, a sushi-bar, and a full spa deck featuring a wellness area, plunge pools and a hair salon. The cost of chartering the ship from Burgess Yachts ranges from $3,269,280 to $3,814,160 a week.

Boat Fire Kills at Least 40 Haitian Migrants, IOM Reports

PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - At least 40 Haitian migrants were killed at sea after the boat they were traveling on caught fire on Wednesday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Haiti said on Friday.

The boat, which was carrying over 80 people, departed from Fort Saint-Michel in Haiti's north and was headed for the Turks and Caicos islands, the IOM said in a statement, citing the Caribbean nation's migration authority..

Forty-one migrants survived the fire and were rescued by the Haitian coast guard. They are currently receiving care and support provided by the IOM, and 11 of them were taken to the nearest hospital, the statement said.

People on the boat used matches to light candles in a ritual to ask for safe passage, leading gasoline-filled drums to catch fire and explode, Jean-Henry Petit, who heads the civil protection office in northern Haiti, told the Miami Herald.

"This devastating event highlights the risks faced by children, women, and men migrating through irregular routes," IOM's chief of mission in Haiti Gregoire Goodstein said in a statement.

Goodstein also stressed that the extreme gang-fueled violence in Haiti over the past many months has pushed Haitians "to resort to desperate measures" to flee the country.

Several hundreds Kenyan police have arrived in Haiti over the course of July as part of the long-delayed mission mandated to help Haitian police fight armed gangs that have taken over most of capital Port-au-Prince. The violence has fueled a humanitarian crisis that has driven nearly 600,000 from their homes and 5 million into severe food insecurity.

(Reporting by Harold Isaac and Stéphanie Hamel, Writing by Kylie Madry; Editing by Anthony Esposito)

Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters .

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Will Smith and Johnny Depp Spotted Vacationing Together in Italy

• Author: Yasmine Coleman

Will Smith and Johnny Depp are enjoying some time away!

From the looks of it, the two actors linked up in Italy, as evidenced by photos of the duo together on a yacht ride alongside friends.

In the new captures, the Oscar winner and Pirates of the Caribbean star can be seen posing in pictures alongside Egyptian singer Ahmed Saad and other international music stars.

For the outing, both longtime Hollywood notables rocked casual ensembles, with Smith donning a textured white top under a blue patterned button-up with shorts.

Depp, for his part, chose a more eclectic get-up, opting for a grey tee covered by a collared shirt with paint-splattered denim jeans. He accessorized with an additional shirt wrapped around his waist and a bandana and hat combo for headwear.

On Tuesday, Saad uploaded the snaps via social media, captioning the gallery, which was originally written in his native language, "Great feeling to gather with friends. Thanks my friends for the lovely visit."

According to intel  People received, Smith and Depp are "together en route to the Andrea Bocelli concert they’re both performing at."

The three-day musical lineup,  Andrea Bocelli 30: The Celebration,  is slated to be a star-studded event, and will take place at the Teatro del Silenzio in his hometown of Lajatico, Italy, on July 15, 17, and 19, 2024.

The celebratory event is being held in honor of 30 years in music for Bocelli.

Other famous faces expected to attend and/or perform include Ed Sheeran ,  Shania Twain , Jon Batiste , Russell Crowe , Sofia Vergara , David Foster , and more.

Next:  Johnny Depp, 61, Reportedly Dating 29-Year-Old Model

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The Paris Olympic Torch Arrived in a Custom Louis Vuitton Trunk

The flame was first carried by torchbearer and french soccer legend thierry henry. , abby montanez, abby montanez's most recent stories.

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The 2024 Olympic torch made a stylish arrival in Paris this weekend. 

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The trunk itself was made by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur and sports Louis Vuitton ’s signature checkboard canvas. The wardrobe-like suitcase is kitted out with chrome-plated steel and lined with matte black leather. Louis Vuitton has previously created trunks for major sporting events including the World Cup, NBA Championship, and the F1 Grand Prix de Monaco. The brand is also in charge of designing the custom-made medal trays that this year’s gold, silver, and bronze medal winners will be presented with.

“Protecting the symbol of Paris 2024—the torches—and the dreams of the greatest athletes—the medals—required the expertise of exceptional craftsmen,” Antoine Arnault, head of image and environment at LVMH and the eldest son of CEO Bernard Arnault , said in a statement. “It is a great source of pride today to unveil these original creations, which I’m sure will remain engraved in the history of the Group.” 

RELATED: Ralph Lauren Unveils Team USA’s Uniforms for the Olympic Ceremonies in Paris 

With 12 days to go until the Games, the capital is in the final stage of preparations, including cracking down on illegal street vendors before spectators descend upon the city. If you want to add a trip to this year’s Olympics to your summer vacation festivities, there are still rentals available at the very last minute.  

Abigail Montanez is a staff writer at Robb Report. She has worked in both print and digital publishing for over half a decade, covering everything from real estate, entertainment, dining, travel to…

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Donald Glover 'Will Give You Your Money Back' If Childish Gambino Tour Isn’t 'Best Live Show You’ve Ever Seen'

The Gambino name is getting a proper sendoff on this year's New World Tour run.

Donald Glover is confident in what he’s put together for the upcoming Childish Gambino tour.

In a Hot Ones episode shared mere hours before the rollout of the final Gambino album, Bando Stone & the New World , Glover looked back on some insight into the character’s journey he previously received from none other than RZA . This is particularly noteworthy, of course, due to the Gambino moniker having initially come about thanks to a Wu-Tang name generator .

View this photo on Instagram

"It’s a story of a child turning into a boss," Glover told Sean Evans when reflecting on the end of Gambino's journey about 19 minutes into the video below. The Bando Stone -supporting New World Tour , kicking off next month, is entirely "for the fans" and is thus being teased as an experience guaranteed to meet expectations.

"This last sunset walk is really about, this is for the fans," Glover said. "This is for you. If this isn’t the best live show you've ever seen, after the song if you’re like 'Yeah, I gotta go,' you can leave and I will give you your money back. That’s how much I care about all of this. That’s not a joke. My lawyers will be like, 'It’s a joke.' But it’s not a joke."

View this video on YouTube

As previously reported , Bando Stone is billed as the soundtrack to a soon-to-be-released film of the same name. In a recent conversation with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, Glover said the earliest version of the film idea dates back to his time as Troy Barnes on Community .

"I just didn’t have the time," he said of the story's years-long path to fruition.

A trailer for the film, released in June, introduced fans to the title character, a singer who’s seemingly caught up in some deeply dire end-of-the-world situation or something damn near it . Also featured in the two-minute clip is Jessica Allain, whose character pulls a gun on Glover's Bando Stone at one point.

Glover is no stranger to ensuring his Gambino album releases each serve as large-scale happenings, not mere drops. Because the Internet , which pairs nicely with the newly released Bando Stone in more ways than one, saw the Atlanta and Mr. & Mrs. Smith alum releasing an accompanying screenplay focused on that concept album's main character, The Boy. A short film, "Clapping for the Wrong Reasons," was also released around the same time and is intended as a prelude to the larger story.

Step into Glover's New World here .

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• Best Personal Loans of 2024
• Best for Excellent Credit
• Best for Customer Support
• Best for Small Loan Amounts
• Best for Fair Credit
• Best for Low Credit
• Best for Limited Credit History
• Best for Flexible Terms
• Find the Best Personal Loans for Your Unique Needs
• Why You Should Trust Us
• What Determines the 'Best' Personal Loan?

Best Personal Loan Companies of July 2024

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate personal loans to write unbiased product reviews.

Personal loans are excellent options for people in need of cash to cover a wide range expenses like medical bills, home improvement projects, weddings, startup costs for a business, moving costs, and more.

One of the most common reasons people take out personal loans is for debt consolidation. There are personal loans for borrowers who want a sizeable chunk of money and for those who just need a small amount to tide them over.

Best Personal Loans of 2024 Summary

• Best for excellent credit:  LightStream Personal Loan
• Best for customer support:  Service Credit Union Personal Loan
• Best for fair credit:  SoFi Personal Loan
• Best for small loan amounts:  PenFed Credit Union Personal Loan
• Best for low credit:  Avant Personal Loan
• Best for borrowers with limited credit history:  Upstart Personal Loan
• Best for flexible terms:  Wells Fargo Personal Loan

Compare Personal Loan Rates

Top Personal Loans Comparison

The best personal loans will offer fast money when you need it, without astronomical fees and interest rates. We looked at loan providers that cater to a variety of credit scores and offer a range of loan term lengths. The best personal loans aren't necessarily from big-name banks; credit unions generally offer lower interest rates, and you can find strong options through online banks, too.

Here are the best personal loans as picked by Business Insider editors in 2024.

Best Personal Loan for Excellent Credit

LightStream Personal Loan

LightStream stands out with some of the lowest personal loan rates available for borrowers with excellent credit scores. Truist created LightStream for online loans, and the bank offers personal loans for things like home remodels, medical debt, and debt consolidation. 

Look out for: High credit score requirements. LightStream's minimum credit requirement for a personal loan is 660, so this lender might not be right for all credit types.  

LightStream Personal Loan Review

Best Personal Loan for Customer Support

Service credit union personal loan.

Service Credit Union has some of the best customer support among personal loan lenders and can get you your money fast. Customer support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The approval process takes about 24 hours, and after your loan application is accepted, you may be able to have the funds in your account the same day. 

Look out for: Membership requirements. Much like with most credit unions, you'll need to meet certain requirements to be eligible. If you've served in the military or Department of Defense or work at qualifying associations or organizations, you'll qualify. If that doesn't apply to you, you can join the American Consumer Council for free with a promo code. 

Service Credit Union Personal Loan Review

Best Personal Loan for Small Loan Amounts

Penfed credit union personal loan.

PenFed Credit Union offers personal loans for smaller amounts than many other lenders, making it a good choice for those who just need to borrow a little bit of money for a short time. PenFed will lend you as little as $600. This could make the credit union an attractive alternative to a payday loan. 

Look out for: Membership requirements. You don't need to be a member of the credit union to apply for a personal loan, but you'll have to be a member to get your loan. If you've served in the military or work at qualifying associations or organizations, you'll qualify.

However, you have a pretty easy workaround if that doesn't apply. You can join by opening a savings account  with a $5 minimum deposit.

PenFed Personal Loan Review

Best Personal Loan for Fair Credit

Sofi personal loan.

SoFi personal loans have a minimum credit score requirement of 680, at the lower end of what's considered a good credit score. People with a good credit score will likely be able to get a good rate with SoFi, but borrowers with an excellent credit score may be able to get a lower rate with LightStream. 

Interest rates on these loans range by about 13 percentage points, making for a smaller range than offered by other companies. This means interest rates for borrowers with relatively lower credit scores can only go so high.

Look out for:  A relatively high minimum income for approval. According to loan comparison site Credible, less than 1% of borrowers approved for personal loans through SoFi have an income of less than $50,000 per year, and a majority make more than $100,000. 

SoFi Personal Loan Review

Best Personal Loan for Bad Credit

Avant personal loan.

Avant stands out as a lender that applicants with low credit scores can turn to for personal loans. Personal loans are generally offered to those with better credit scores. Avant offers personal loan options for borrowers with credit scores as low as 600. It has a lower limit than other lenders, with $35,000 as the maximum loan amount.

Look out for:  Administrative fees. Avant's personal loans carry up to 4.75% in administration fees with an undisclosed late fee and returned payment fee. Considering that many of the other loans on this list don't carry administrative fees, prepayment fees, or origination fees , Avant's fee is high. 

It's also worth noting that interest rates are high from this lender. While this is a good option for anyone with credit scores in the lower 600s, those with better credit could find better rates elsewhere. 

Avant Personal Loans Review

Best Personal Loan for Borrowers with Limited Credit History

Upstart personal loan.

Upstart differentiates itself from other personal loan lenders with its underwriting process, which is how it decides who gets a loan and how much to charge in interest. Like any lender, Upstart considers credit scores as part of the process. But it also considers employment history and education history, such as where you went to school and your area of study.

Look out for: Potentially high origination fees. Upstart's personal loans can have late fee of 5% or $15, whichever is greater. This can take a significant portion out of your overall loan proceeds. 

Upstart Personal Loan Review  

Best Personal Loan for Flexible Terms

Wells fargo personal loan.

Wells Fargo personal loans offer low interest rates, smaller minimum borrowing amounts, and shorter terms than many others. Wells Fargo offers loans between $3,000 to $100,000, for payoff terms as short as 12 months. Borrowers who want to get their debt under control quickly might find that Wells Fargo's personal loans are flexible enough to tackle debt consolidation. 

Look out for: It's worth noting Wells Fargo's history with data security and compliance. The bank has faced several federal penalties for improper customer referrals to lending and insurance products, and security issues associated with creating fake accounts several years ago. 

Wells Fargo Personal Loans Review

How to Find the Best Personal Loans for Your Needs

What is a personal loan.

A personal loans is an installment loan . That means you borrow money and pay it back through monthly payments over a set period of time. Most personal loans are unsecured, meaning they don't require you to put down collateral.

Personal loans also usually come with fixed interest rates. Interest rates for unsecured personal loans are determined largely by your credit score. The higher your credit score, the better your chances of getting the lowest available personal loan interest rates .

Where to Secure the Best Personal Loan Offers

You can get a personal loan through three types of lenders:

Online Lenders 

Online lenders can provide convenience and offer competitive rates. They typically offer a streamlined qualification and application process, allowing borrowers to apply and receive funds entirely online. Online lenders frequently cater to borrowers with a wide range of credit scores.

Banks are the traditional sources of personal loans with established reputations and familiarity. You can visit a local branch to discuss loan options and receive personalized assistance. Some banks offer perks including discounts for existing customers.

Credit Unions

Credit unions are member-owned financial institutions. They often offer better rates and fees compared to banks, for members in good standing. Credit unions can also be more flexible in their lending criteria for borrowers with lower credit scores. Interest rates for credit union personal loans are capped at 18% by the National Credit Union Administration. 

Personal Loan Lender Trustworthiness

Whether you're interested in taking out a  $5,000 loan  or a  $40,000 loan , finding the right provider can help with your loan approval experience. The Better Business Bureau, a non-profit organization focused on consumer protection and trust, evaluates businesses using factors like their responsiveness to consumer complaints, honesty in advertising, and clarity about business practices. Here is each company's score:

All of our top picks, minus Wells Fargo, are rated A or higher by the BBB. Keep in mind that a high BBB score does not ensure a positive relationship with a lender, and that you should keep doing research and talking to others who have used the company to get the most comprehensive information possible. 

The BBB gives Wells Fargo an F rating because of the business' failure to respond to 24 complaints and government actions against the business. Most recently, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in December 2022 ordered Wells Fargo to return $2 billion to customers and pay a $1.7 billion penalty for legal violations involving auto loans, mortgages, and deposit accounts. The bank illegally charged fees and interest penalties on auto and mortgage loans. Additionally, it misapplied payments to those loans for many customers. 

If this history makes you uncomfortable, you may consider using one of the other personal loan lenders on our list.

How to Choose the Best Personal Loan

To pick the best lender for you, take stock of the factors that are most important to you. Many borrowers zero in the lowest interest rate. But be sure to also look at any fees, the minimum credit score needed, and the accessibility of the lender's customer service before you apply for personal loans.

Also look at the different types of lenders you may borrow with. Some people may feel comfortable with an online lender, while others may prefer a credit union or bank. You'll also want to make sure you're able to select a term length that works for you and that your loan's purpose is allowed by the lender you choose.

Guides like this one will help you compare multiple lenders in the same place to weigh their pros and cons. Keep in mind that you should also read individual reviews of any lenders you're considering. 

Best Personal Loan FAQs

Can i have more than one personal loan.

In theory, you can have an unlimited number of personal loans. But the total number you'll actually be able to get will depend on how many you can qualify for. Your chances of qualifying for a loan will decrease with each loan you take out as your debt-to-income ratio increases.

You can usually get access to personal loan funds relatively quickly. Online lenders may offer same-day or next-day funding. Some banks might take a few days.

You generally do not need collateral for a personal loan. Most personal loans are unsecured, meaning you don't risk losing an asset if you default.

Most lenders have a broad range of allowable usages for the money but might have exclusions, such as not using it for investing or paying tuition.

Smaller lenders like local credit unions can often offer much lower interest rates than bigger banks and tend to be more flexible about credit requirements. It might be worth checking on their rates and terms as part of your research when you're looking for personal loans near you.

The average personal loan rate is about 12%, so a good rate would be anything below that. You'll have the best chance of getting a lower rate if you have a high credit score.

Why You Should Trust Us: Our Experts for the Best Personal Loans

We consulted personal loan and financial experts to give their insights into finding the best loan companies for your needs.

• Markia Brown, certified financial education instructor and registered financial associate at Money Plug, LLC
• Ryan Wangman, former loans reporter at Personal Finance Insider

Our Experts' Advice for Choosing the Best Personal Loan

How does the interest rate on a personal loan affect how much i pay.

Markia Brown:

"The interest rate on a personal loan is the price you pay for borrowing the loan. This rate can make a massive difference in the total amount paid over time, so ensuring you have the lowest interest rate available saves you money!"

Ryan Wangman:

"Depending on the interest rate you're charged, you could end up paying hundreds or thousands of dollars more than a borrower with better credit who takes out a similar amount of money."

If someone wants to get a lower interest rate but doesn't currently qualify for one, what should they do?

Markia Brown: 

"The first step is to pull a copy of your credit report from TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. All you have to do is go to www.annualcreditreport.com .

After you pull your credit reports, go through them to identify what could be holding you back from qualifying for a better rate. Some of the information on your credit report is used to generate your credit score, which is used when determining if you qualify for a loan and what your interest rate should be. The five sections used to calculate your credit score are your payment history, credit utilization, length of payment history, mix of accounts, and new accounts or inquiries."

"The best way to get a lower rate is to improve your credit history. You can do so by making on time, reliable payments and managing the amount of debt you take out compared to your overall limit."

What Determines the 'Best' Personal Loan?

There's no one-size-fits all best personal loan for all borrowers. However, there are key features to focus on when making a decision. The most important are:

Competitive Interest Rates

APRs on personal loans can vary widely from one lender to another. The interest rate on your determines how much you'll ultimately repay. Even a relatively small difference in the interest rate can add thousands of dollars over the life of your loan.

Flexible Terms

The term of a personal loan, or the period of time you have to repay it, determines how high or low your monthly payment will be. A longer the term will mean a lower the payment, but you'll pay in total interest. A shorter the term will come with a higher payment and ultimately less overall interest. The best personal loan lenders offer a wide range of terms to choose from.

How We Rate Personal Loans

We rate all personal loan products in our reviews and guides on a 1-5 scale. The overall rating is a weighted average that takes into account seven different categories, some of which are judged more heavily than others. They are:

• Interest rate (20% of rating)
• Fees (20% of rating)
• Term lengths and loan amounts (15% of rating)
• Funding speed (15% of rating)
• Borrower accessibility (15% of rating)
• Customer support (7.5% of rating)
• Ethics (7.5% of rating)

Each category's weighting is based on its importance to your borrowing experience. Rates and fees have the most direct impact on the overall cost of your loan, so we weigh those the most heavily. Customer support and ethics are still very important parts of the borrowing experience, but do not directly tie to a personal loan's terms, so they have less of an impact on the overall rating. 

See our full ratings methodology for personal loans »

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