How Much Do Big Sailboats Cost? 15 Examples (With Pictures)

Buying a small sailboat is already a large investment. Buying a big one can take all your life’s savings.

How much do big sailboats really cost?

Here’s How Much Big Luxury Sailboats Cost:

60-feet is a good point at which to consider sailboats as being “big.” Luxury 60-footers, like the Bordeaux 60, will usually start at a price of a little less than $1 million and go up rapidly from there. A used boat in that range might be had for as low as $.5 million.

Sailboats Starting at 60 Feet Long & Their Prices:

This is an exclusive and competitive market; only about 120 60+ ft boats are sold new each year:

Bordeaux 60

This boat, built by CNB Yacht Builders, was first launched in 2008.

It quickly gained fame for being one of the first boats to bring the luxurious characteristics to the production market in a 60-foot package.

Though a production boat, each one is built to be semi-custom with owner input. According to their website, it is the smallest of the CNB boats, and fifty have been built so far.

The price of a new one is not advertised, and they are sold exclusively through the boat builders, but over a dozen can be found for sale online, at prices ranging from a low of $550,000 for a 2009 model to $880,000 for a 2013 model.

Most of these are in Europe, so these prices have been converted from Euros.

The options on the boat will affect the price as much as the year will (some models for sale had an inner headstay, for example, and there are other options on the rigging and the interior).

Beneteau Oceanis Yacht 62

This was the first wave of new Beneteau luxury yachts, with interiors designed in collaboration with a motorboat designer. It debuted in 2016.

Ease of sailing was balanced with performance, and several video reviews speak to the elegance and innovation of the yacht.

Indicative of how competitive the large, luxury sailing yacht market was in that year, the base price started at €650,000, or about $770,500.

Most cost more with options, and the price has increased markedly since then. Currently, on their webpage for the yacht, Beneteau advertises a starting price of $1,190,400.

Used prices vary, but an online search found prices from a low of $977,000 up to $1,275,000.

Jeanneau 64

Designed by Philippe Briand (who designed the Bordeaux 60) and Andrew Winch, the Jeanneau 64 made her debut in 2014.

This was one of the first designs to marry the uniqueness of the luxury yacht with the functionality and competitive pricing of a production boat.

The massive cockpit and walk-in engine room are two prominent design features of the boat. Beautiful wood interiors and leather fittings highlight the luxurious interior. As indicated by an early test crew being caught for two days in gale-force winds, the performance is strong.

The early models started at under €900,000; currently, the base price for a new Jeanneau 64 is $1,279,800, but options usually take it a bit higher.

A search of used prices shows a low of $890,000 and a high of $1,305,000.

X-Yachts X6.5

The Danish-designed X6.5 is a 66-foot luxury racer/cruiser, with the hull built in Poland and the boat completed in Denmark.

Everything is built from high-tech materials for maximum strength and lowest weight. It is an upgrade of their X6 model.

There is a high degree of customization on the interiors, such as the owner’s berth, galley design, and forward berths. They have been broken down into modules and are available in several combinations.

Weight saved in rigging and hull construction has been utilized by larger water and fuel tanks for longer-range cruising, larger battery banks, and space for options such as dive compressors.

All sail controls are push-button from the cockpit, and lines are led through spars and under the deck to limit exposure. The main sheets to an arch and is furled into the boom.

The X6.5 was first introduced in 2017, and the base cost then was €2.5 million, though options took some of the early models (including Hull Number 1) to over 3 million. A few used models can be found online, but the price is not advertised.

Contest 67CS

The contest is an established Dutch builder, having been in business for over 60 years.

They have made a variety of sailboats, from dinghies to trawlers. The 67CS is their initial entry to the luxury racer/cruiser market, designed in collaboration with a German firm.

It is designed for ease of handling with a smaller crew. The exterior features clean lines and an open design, with rig options such as in-mast or in-boom furling. The interior has several layouts offered for customization, as well.

Several designers were brought in to make it as elegant as possible, including a vibration expert to reduce the noise from the engine. The interior is mostly a beautifully-finished wood.

In 2019 the base price for a new 67CS was €2.6 million, and it is likely higher now. No models were available used in an online search.

Oyster 745

The Oyster 745 is a long-range cruising yacht.

The Oyster 745 is designed to travel to the most remote corners of the Earth in mind. At this size, however, unlike the models we have looked at, the Oyster 745 is intended to have a dedicated crew.

She has twin rudders, two protected helm stations, an ample but easy-to-handle sail plan, and a clean layout above deck with flush hatches and concealed lines.

The interior is spacious, with four cabins for the owner and guests (beyond crew quarters) and a large saloon. The boat is air-conditioned, and there are large storage tanks for water and gas.

There are numerous windows in the hull to give a complete view of the seascape around the boat.

The Oyster 745 was introduced in 2016, and the price tag then was over $4,000,000. A handful of the boats are listed for sale online, but none of the ads disclose the asking price. One was listed as having sold for €3,5000,000.

Swan 78

Swan is a Finnish boat manufacturer, originally partnered with famed designer Sparkman & Stephens.

They have had various designers in the last half-century, but they have always been known for sleek, durable performance sailing vessels. Currently, they have 13 production models ranging from 36 to 125 feet.

The Swan 78 is the largest production model before they get into their MaxiSwan line, and German Frers design it. There are options in the rigging (such as the square-topped main), and the deck has distinctive Swan lines and abundant teak planking.

The interior is designed by Heini Gustafsson and comes in two designs, either owner-forward or owner-aft. Three guest cabins and a salon, and the standard Swan wood interiors round it out.

The cost for a Swan 78 is €5 million; a half-dozen have been built so far.

Swan 115

While we are talking about Swans, let’s look at the 115.

The Swan 115 is a performance yacht with a displacement of 94 tons, with an adjustable keel that makes the draft 6 to 11 feet.

There are three staterooms and crew quarters (the crew consists of the Captain, the chef, and three sailors).

The exact price was not disclosed, but it is in the neighborhood of $20,000,000 – and this is in addition to the estimated $6,000 annual operating costs.

The Maltese Falcon

This is one of the most iconic superyachts globally, with her three distinctively designed, rotating masts.

She is a steel boat 88 meters in length, or 288 feet, and was launched in 2006.

She cruises at 16 knots and is capable of speeds over 24 knots. Beyond the luxury of the boat itself, with extensive carbon, aluminum, walnut, and ebony, she has an outdoor cinema that projects onto the lowest sail of the foremast.

Her 19 crew live in 8 cabins, while she can take up to 12 guests in four massive staterooms.

The original owner, Tom Perkins, did not disclose the cost of the yacht but said that it was between $150 million and $300 million when launched in 2006.

The boat is currently available for charters, starting at $480,000.

Sailing Yacht A

In truth, this boat may not qualify for this list, as it is technically classified as a sail-assisted motor yacht.

Its massive engine with twin propellers drives it, and the sails assist in its drive rather than being the primary source of power.

It was built by the German builder Nobiskrug in Kiel and completed in 2017. Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko owns it.

The boat’s design is simply unique and unlike anything ever put on the water before, with her distinctive stepped-level stern and sloping forward decks. She has a gross tonnage of 12,600 and has three massive masts. She is 142 meters long.

Most of the characteristics of the yacht, such as the interior, as shrouded in secrecy – a fact the builder plays up on their website.

The estimated cost of building this superyacht is $800 million.

Older, Used Sailboats are Cheaper:

We have started with 60-foot luxury sailboats at a hefty price tag and gone up from there fairly rapidly!

So, are there any big, 60-foot sailboats that are a bit more affordable?

Yes! We have focused on newer boats, but older, solidly-built sailboats in that size range are cheaper. However, keep in mind that the 60-foot pleasure boat as a semi-standard production is a more modern concept; most older boats in that range were made for individuals and in very low numbers.

Here’s just a few of them:

Southern Ocean 60

This schooner-rigged boat, sometimes just referred to as the Ocean 60, was made by legendary British manufacturer Southern Ocean Shipyards between 1980 and 1982.

There were at least three different interior layouts, but the boat was made for durability rather than comfort.

The boat was well-known in the 1980s for its serious passage-making ability and dependability. Many made the Atlantic crossing multiple times.

Several used Ocean 60s can be found online, starting with an asking price of $220,000 and going up to around $400,000.

Hinckley Sou’Wester 59

Hinckleys are some of the nicest sailboats ever built. Hinckleys are famous for their classic lines and woodwork, as well as their sailing characteristics.

They were one of the original American luxury lines.

The Sou’Wester 59 was first built in 1982, was designed by the naval architect firm McCurdy & Rhoades. They were masthead sloop rigs and among the largest of the boats that they built. Interestingly, there were two ketch-rigged 59s built.

Most of them are kept in outstanding condition by their owners, as the quality of the boat demands it. You can find some used for a low of about $350,000, but most will be $450,000 and above.

Why Are Hinckley Yachts So Expensive? find out here!

C&C 61

C&C was a classic Canadian manufacturer. The 61s were all made for particular individuals; 7 or 9 were made in total between 1970 and 1975, and 1 to 3 was ketch-rigged, with the rest being sloops.

Given their scarcity, all models are fairly well-known, including the first, which was named Sorcery.

We’re listing it here as representing many of the 60-footers made in the 1960s-1980s, many models numbering in single digits.

Despite their scarcity, they occasionally come to the market. One is currently for sale in Turkey for $115,000; this may be the original Sorcery.

North Wind 68

This is a Sparkman and Stephens design, built by Spanish manufacturer North Wind. These are not so old; the first ones were built in 2005.

They show characteristics of more modern luxury and the classic lines and sailing characteristics of traditional Sparkman and Stevens work. It is a fast but manageable cutter-rigged boat.

It lacks the push-button ease of the most modern boats, but it is still designed to be handled by a short-handed crew.

Most used models are in Europe and can be had for around €420,000.

Little Harbor 75

The Little Harbor 75 is an older model designed by Ted Hood. Hood was an inventive sailor and started his own sailmaking business in the 1950s. By the 1970s, he was building his own boats.

He started his Little Harbor line of sailboats in Taiwan, and by the 1980s, they were known as some of the highest quality boats in the world. When boat sales dropped in the late 1980s, he moved and consolidated all of his businesses and boatyards at Portsmouth, Rhode Island. Hood sold Little Harbor Boats in 1989.

The Little Harbor 75 was the largest sailboat that his company built as a production model (though a handful of 78-footers built) and set the standard for luxury that was unequaled for decades. They were made from 1980 to 1989.

It was among the first boats to employ push-button furling for the genoa. The interior was massive with multiple staterooms and a large galley, and a walk-around engine room. They were unique boats, and even today, there is little data online.

There are a few Little Harbor 75’s available used. In Europe, they go for as little as €400,000. In the USA, the cheapest one is advertised at $750,000, and the upper range is about $1,700,00.

Final Thoughts

Big sailboats are expensive. Beyond their initial price, the cost of upkeep can be extraordinary, as well.

There are many more models that we did not get to here, like the Hylas 60, the Hallberg Rassy 64, and the Euphoria 68, but these are a strong representation of the cost you are looking at.

If you are looking at getting a new sailboat in that range, you’ll need about a million dollars to start looking.

A used boat in that range might start at a quarter of that. But be prepared for more maintenance costs!

Sources

Top 10 Sailing Yachts in the World

Yachting World – Surge in 60-Foot Designs

Nautor’s Swan