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A new 50m motor yacht from a top-tier builder costs $35M to $80M depending on yard, hull material, and specification. A 10-year-old equivalent in survey-clean condition runs $14M to $32M. Annual operating cost on either, properly run with a permanent crew of 12 to 14, lands at $2.5M to $4.5M, or 9 to 12 percent of value. The 50m band is the most active superyacht segment by absolute dollars deployed, the entry to true tier-one Northern European yard ownership, and the size where the gap between a Feadship and a same-LOA Italian production hull is widest at resale. This guide is the worked version of the math, by yard tier, by year, and by line item.
The 50m band covers yachts from roughly 47m to 55m LOA, the size at which commercial-style crew, classification, and management overhead become non-optional, and the size at which the tier-one yards (Feadship, Lürssen, Amels, Oceanco, Heesen, Abeking & Rasmussen) sit above the rest of the market with a meaningful resale premium. Roughly 1,200 yachts in active service worldwide sit in this band, with about 60 new deliveries per year and a slower secondary turnover than 30m.
New build cost, current 2026 to 2028 slot pricing
Builder-by-builder, current asking on full-custom and semi-custom 50m motor yachts. Prices ex-yard, before owner specification upgrades that typically add 10 to 18 percent.
| Builder tier | Builder | Asking price ($M) | Build time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 (Northern European custom) | Feadship | 65 to 90 | 42 to 48 months | Full custom, the resale benchmark |
| Tier 1 | Lürssen | 60 to 85 | 42 to 48 months | Full custom, large-yacht heritage |
| Tier 1 | Amels (Damen) | 45 to 70 | 36 to 42 months | Limited Editions semi-custom |
| Tier 1 | Oceanco | 60 to 90 | 42 to 48 months | Full custom, the largest hulls per yard |
| Tier 1 | Heesen | 45 to 65 | 36 to 42 months | Semi-custom steel and aluminium |
| Tier 1 | Abeking & Rasmussen | 65 to 95 | 42 to 48 months | Full custom, German precision benchmark |
| Tier 2 (Italian custom) | Benetti Custom | 40 to 60 | 30 to 36 months | Italian semi-custom and custom |
| Tier 2 | CRN | 45 to 65 | 36 to 42 months | Italian custom, Ferretti group |
| Tier 2 | Sanlorenzo SX / SL | 35 to 55 | 30 to 36 months | Italian semi-custom |
| Tier 2 | Codecasa | 38 to 55 | 36 to 42 months | Italian semi-custom |
| Tier 3 (Turkish and Asian) | Bilgin | 30 to 50 | 30 to 36 months | Turkish custom, value tier |
The middle of this market for serious buyers is a Heesen 50m semi-custom at roughly $52M with typical owner spec, or an Amels Limited Edition 60 at roughly $55M. The Feadship and Lürssen tier sits above this and books slots four to five years out. The Italian custom yards (Benetti, CRN) sit below on initial price but track 15 to 25 percent lower at resale.
Pre-owned cost, by age
Survey-clean asking on 50m motor yachts in current brokerage inventory, weighted by builder tier:
| Year band | Tier 1 asking ($M) | Tier 2 asking ($M) | Discount to new |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 to 2026 (1 to 2 years old) | 55 to 80 | 35 to 55 | 12 to 20 percent |
| 2020 to 2023 (3 to 6 years old) | 40 to 65 | 22 to 42 | 30 to 45 percent |
| 2014 to 2019 (7 to 12 years old) | 25 to 45 | 14 to 28 | 50 to 65 percent |
| 2008 to 2013 (13 to 18 years old) | 16 to 30 | 9 to 18 | 65 to 78 percent |
| Pre-2008 | 10 to 22 | 5 to 13 | 75 to 88 percent |
The tier-one-versus-tier-two gap widens with age. A 15-year-old Feadship in clean condition trades within 50 to 60 percent of its new-build inflation-adjusted price. A 15-year-old Italian production hull of similar LOA can trade at 30 to 40 percent of its new-build price. This is the single most important purchase-side observation at the 50m band: the yard you buy from determines the residual value, and the gap dwarfs the headline price difference at delivery.
Closing wire math
For a 50m purchase, transaction costs run higher in absolute terms than at 30m but lower as a percentage of price:
| Line | Typical share or amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Negotiated sale price | 5 to 12 percent below initial asking | Tighter on tier 1, wider on tier 2 |
| Brokerage commission | Paid by seller (typically 8 to 10 percent of sale) | Buyer's broker fee is split from seller's commission |
| Survey | $80,000 to $150,000 | Hull, machinery, paint, interior, sea trial, mechanical strip on critical systems |
| Sea trial costs | $50,000 to $100,000 | Three-day trial with full yard team |
| Flag, registration, and import | 0 to 22 percent of price | EU VAT exposure is the largest single variable |
| Legal and structure | $80,000 to $250,000 | Ownership entity, financing, charter-VAT planning |
| Crew handover and delivery | $150,000 to $400,000 | First crew month wages, repositioning |
A buyer landing on a $28M survey-clean 10-year-old Feadship should plan a closing wire of $28M plus another $0.8M to $1.6M in transaction costs, before any post-purchase refit.
Annual operating cost, line by line
For a 50m motor yacht running 12 to 16 weeks of use per year (private use or limited charter) with a permanent crew of 12 to 14:
| Line | Annual ($M) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Crew wages and benefits | 1.2 to 1.8 | Captain at $200K to $280K, chief stew and chef at $100K to $140K each, deck and interior crew |
| Fuel | 0.25 to 0.45 | Depends on cruising hours and cruising area |
| Dockage (home berth plus cruising) | 0.25 to 0.40 | Home berth in Monaco, Barcelona, Antibes, or Palma drives the line |
| Insurance (hull, machinery, P&I) | 0.20 to 0.35 | Cruising-area surcharges and political risk meaningful |
| Refit reserve | 0.40 to 0.70 | Five-year docking, ten-year deep refit |
| Classification and survey | 0.05 to 0.10 | Annual class, every 5-year docking |
| Management and accounting | 0.15 to 0.30 | 0.4 to 0.7 percent of value |
| Provisions and consumables | 0.05 to 0.10 | Crew food, cleaning, spares |
| Total annual | 2.55 to 4.20 | 9 to 12 percent of value |
Charter income can offset 30 to 60 percent of this annual cost on a yacht that works 12 to 18 charter weeks a year on a credible commercial program. The math of "yacht as cost center versus charter as offset" is covered separately in yacht ownership annual costs.
Worked example: tier 1 versus tier 2 at 10-year hold
Two illustrative cases, both for a buyer with a 10-year hold and 14 weeks of annual use.
Case A: 6-year-old Feadship 50m at $42M, $1.0M paint and electronics refit at purchase.
| Line | Total ($M) |
|---|---|
| Purchase | 42.0 |
| Year-0 refit | 1.0 |
| Annual operating cost x 10 years | 35.0 |
| 5-year and 10-year refit (hull-life 11 and 16) | 6.5 |
| 10-year resale value (16-year-old Feadship, market-tested) | (22.0) |
| Net 10-year cost | 62.5 |
Case B: 6-year-old Italian tier-2 50m at $32M, $1.5M refit at purchase.
| Line | Total ($M) |
|---|---|
| Purchase | 32.0 |
| Year-0 refit | 1.5 |
| Annual operating cost x 10 years | 33.0 |
| 5-year and 10-year refit | 7.5 |
| 10-year resale value (16-year-old tier 2) | (11.0) |
| Net 10-year cost | 63.0 |
The two cases land within $500K of each other on a 10-year basis. The lower entry price on tier 2 is almost entirely consumed by the steeper depreciation. The cleaner sleep, the easier resale, and the lower refit risk sit with the tier-one hull.
Where the math breaks for new build at 50m
The new-build case at 50m works for buyers who want something the secondary market cannot provide: a specific hybrid propulsion system, a specific layout (typically a single-level master suite with full beam, or an unusual tender configuration), or a specific yard relationship that supports a long ownership horizon. New build also works for buyers who can absorb the depreciation and want a yacht commissioned to spec rather than retrofitted from someone else's spec. For everyone else at 50m, a tier-one yard pre-owned at 6 to 10 years is the right answer.
What we mark up and what we pass on
We mark up Feadship, Lürssen, Amels, and Oceanco secondary inventory in the 6-to-10-year band as the best risk-adjusted entry to the 50m band. We mark up brokers who present the closing wire including transaction costs and post-purchase refit reserve on the first email rather than waiting for the LOI stage. We pass on tier-2 Italian inventory above 12 years old without a documented €1M-plus recent refit. We pass on new-build orders at tier-3 yards for first-time superyacht owners, because the resale floor at 12 to 15 years is too low to recover the initial premium.
For purchase-side reading, see new vs pre-owned, the Feadship review, and the Buy hub. For comparable bands, see 30m purchase cost and 80m purchase cost. For annual line items, see yacht ownership annual costs.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 50m yacht cost to buy? A new 50m motor yacht runs $35M to $80M from a top-tier Northern European yard, $30M to $55M from an Italian semi-custom yard. A 6-year-old tier-1 50m runs $40M to $65M. A 10-year-old tier-2 50m runs $14M to $28M.
What does a 50m yacht cost to run annually? $2.5M to $4.5M, or 9 to 12 percent of value. Crew is the largest line.
Is new or pre-owned the better buy at 50m? Tier-1 pre-owned at 6 to 10 years is the best risk-adjusted entry. New build at 50m makes sense for full-custom layouts or specific propulsion choices that are not available secondary.
How long does a 50m new build take to deliver? 36 to 48 months for tier-one custom, 30 to 36 months for Italian semi-custom. Feadship and Lürssen slots are 4 to 5 years out.
What is the typical 50m depreciation curve? Tier 1 holds 70 to 80 percent of value at year 5, 50 to 60 percent at year 10. Tier 2 holds 55 to 65 percent at year 5, 30 to 45 percent at year 10. Refit cycle matters more than chronological age past year 12.