In the past year the Burgess brokerage team has seen around 50 percent of all yacht sales in the 30-50m bracket, proving that it’s stronger than ever. We have seen both sailing and motor yacht sales increase, as former charterers take their first steps into yacht ownership and the privacy, yachting lifestyle and pride of possession that comes with owning a superyacht.
Many first-time owners will have chartered a yacht in the Med, Caribbean, Pacific or Indian Ocean, building a list of features they’ll look for in their first yacht. This size of yacht also gives charterers a chance to experience the multi-faceted aquatic lifestyle. Whether your interest is in motor yachts or sailing yachts, a charter on the other type of yacht can give you a taster of what ownership would be like before you invest.
If you’re looking to buy a sailing yacht over 50m, the choice is rather narrow with shipyards like Baltic, Royal Huisman and Vitters being the obvious ones. Below 50m, however, your options increase both in terms of the styles and the number of sailing yachts available.
Recent circumstances have driven an increased interest in yacht ownership, and if you’re considering the joys of owning a superyacht, we are here to help.
What are the benefits of a sub-50m yacht?
There are many benefits to owning a sub-50m yacht, smaller bills being the most obvious. But it’s not just cost. Sub-50 metre yachts tend to have a more personal feel to them and they are easier to operate with fewer crew members. Their size is ideal for romantic getaways and also for island hopping – you get to explore anchorages and harbours that larger yachts simply cannot visit.
Sub-50m yachts have shallower draft so can explore more widely in places with shallow waters like The Bahamas
Many yachts in the 30-50m size bracket are semi-custom models, or built on a standard platform. They usually have a GRP hull and superstructure which makes them lighter and more economical to buy, run and service. There’s less inherent risk involved in buying from a selection of well-known models rather than choosing from a shortlist of full custom builds. Benetti, Custom Line, Overmarine, Sunseeker and Westport are just a few of the shipyards that build a series of yachts with the same hull under 50m.
The latest designs have clever ways of expanding available space. This 40m yacht has a swim platform comparable to that of a 60m yacht
The cost of refitting, restyling or renovating a 30-50m yacht also tends to be much lower than it is for a larger vessel. This can offer a new owner a unique opportunity to buy a yacht and make it their own from the start, at the fraction of the cost of a new custom build.
Lower cost of operation
Yachts between 30-50m are more cost-efficient to run than larger yachts – their running costs per metre are proportionally lower. A 30m (98.4ft) yacht can have annual running costs of around GBP 800,000 whereas a yacht twice the length can cost three times as much to run. Generally speaking, as it depends on the type of yacht, her age and condition and so on, for every 10m increase in length, the annual costs tend to increase by around GBP 500,000 until it reaches 60m. Upwards from there it increases by around GBP 750,000 per 10m.
A sub-50m yacht delivers all the benefits of the yachting lifestyle but on a more manageable budget
Larger yachts burn more fuel, not only for propulsion but for power generation too. More space, cabins and guests all require larger air conditioning units and higher hotel system loads which must all be accounted for. A 30m (98.4ft) yacht and a 45m (147.6ft) yacht may have similar fuel costs with perhaps GBP 10,000-GBP 20,000 difference but increase the size of yacht to between 45-60m (147.6-196.8ft) and the increase could be GBP 60,000-GBP 90,000.
A smaller yacht needs a smaller crew, reducing costs further
Crew numbers and their costs also increase disproportionately with the size of yacht. A typical 30m yacht might have a crew of five with the total cost of salaries under GBP 200,000. A 40m yacht might have a crew of eight which more than doubles the salary costs to around GBP 500,000, while on a 50m yacht, one could expect 11 crew costing GBP 600,000 a year. But increase the yacht’s length overall by 10m more, to a 60m yacht, and a crew of 14 could bring the crew salaries to around GBP 900,000.
More environmentally friendly
For the environmentally-minded owner, a 30-50m yacht is better. Fewer raw materials are used in the yacht’s production, and fuel consumption for propulsion and power generation is lower too. Hotel loads can be managed by larger battery banks, rather than constant power generation. A sailing yacht is the ultimate eco-friendly yacht, offering a way to cruise far and wide with a reduced environmental footprint, retaining a luxury lifestyle without burning hundreds of gallons of diesel.
Sailing yachts use a fraction of the fuel motor yachts do
Yachts of any type in the 30-50m range also lend themselves well to shorter, eco-friendlier trips, using less fuel. Harbour berths too are easier to come by; rather than launching the tender and running it back and forth, you can simply step ashore of an evening. You can also cruise and holiday with fewer guests, without the guilt of transporting empty cabins and the staff needed to serve non-existent visitors. Fewer people on board reduces the carbon footprint of guests travelling to the yacht as well as fuel consumption while on board. All this is good for the planet.
Get the best of both worlds when cruising and docking
Larger motor yachts have a cruising speed of around 10-15 knots. Many 30m yachts will happily cruise at between 20-30 knots with maximum speed at 30 knots or above. Being faster, many sub-50m yachts can travel twice as far in a day, giving a greater variety of destinations and options for you and your guests.
Performance yachts are great for island hopping because you can visit more of them in the time available, but fuel costs will be higher than a displacement yacht
Whether you spend the night in a harbour or an anchorage, a 30-50m yacht can offer an excellent lifestyle and on board experience. Larger yachts lend themselves better to out-of-port life; touch-and-go helipads make transfers easier, but not being able to fit a large yacht into a harbour makes shopping or sightseeing visits dependent on transfer by tender. Sub-50m yachts, on the other hand, can usually find a berth in port. Entering and leaving ports is less problematic in smaller yachts and port operations procedures can often be achieved in half the time, maximising your time at sea.
Perfect for island hopping
The versatility of 30-50m yachts makes them the best choice if you like to keep on the move and explore different islands and anchorages. A beach picnic ashore on one secluded sandy bay for lunch, a different west-facing beach for an evening barbecue to watch the sun sink below the horizon.
Faster yachts let you get to the best anchorages first - and closer to the shore
A faster cruising speed enables your captain to get to remote bays before larger yachts, enabling your crew to choose the best location for the day’s activities – before the larger yachts arrive. As we mentioned, port operations in a smaller yacht are easier and quicker so more time is available to do what you enjoy on board.
More intimate than larger yachts
There is much to be said for larger yachts, but rarely do they have the same friendly feel as a 30m yacht, which is perfect for a romantic getaway with your partner or an intimate cruise with family or friends. More space is not always a good thing. Whether you want to relax in the saloon as a family or have a romantic meal for two on the sun deck it’s wonderful to have the secluded feel of your yacht without feeling overwhelmed by space.
You're better connected to friends and family on a sub-50m yacht, you're not going to lose each other
Sub-50m yachts are far more inclusive. You’ll hear a giggle from your children or the laughter from your guests in the beach club – you don’t miss out on what’s happening on board. You do, however, still have plenty of private space on a 30-50m yacht to be alone if you want to or need to. You have the choice.
A larger market should you choose to charter or sell
The sub-50m sector is also an evergreen market, it’s popular with owners as a way of experiencing the yachting lifestyle without the financial commitment of commissioning a large, full custom superyacht. As such, when the time comes to sell your 30-50m yacht, you know there will be people in the position you are in now, those looking to buy the most popular size of yacht for the first time.
There will always be a bigger market for 30-50m yachts than those of 50m-plus
It’s also a buoyant sector for charter. If you wish to offset some of the cost of ownership, more charterers are looking for this size of motor yacht or sailing yacht than for yachts above 50m.
Best sub-50m motor yachts
While yachts around the 30m mark are faster, the 40-50m market offer many of the benefits of the smaller yachts but with much more interior volume. Volume is measured in Gross Tonnage, one gross ton being 100 cubic feet or 2.8 cubic metres. A typical 30m yacht may have a volume of around 150GT, but 40m yacht may have a volume of 350GT. Increase the length to 45m and you could have closer to 500GT. For a small increase in overall length the owner gets a lot more usable space inside.
The 45m SUNONE has an internal volume of 491GT
It's also worth noting that yachts of 500GT and above must comply with the SOLAS Convention, which places stricter requirements on safety systems, machinery, build materials and navigational equipment. They are also subject to the International Safety Management code (ISM), which requires a management company to oversee maintenance schedules, and the International Ship and Port Facility Security code (ISPS) for audits of security readiness.
Here we look at three motor yachts with an overall length of 45m or less: