Kraken Yachts, Dick Beaumont's No-Compromise World Cruisers

A builder with exactly one purpose

Kraken Yachts says it was founded with one objective, to build the best bluewater yachts ever launched, and its literature tells buyers that if they want to cruise around the world they are in the right place, because Kraken builds nothing else. The ideas come from founder and chairman Dick Beaumont, who had logged more than 200,000 miles, the last 27,000 aboard his own Kraken 66, White Dragon. That boat became the test bed for features now used across the production range.

The current line is the Kraken 44, Kraken 50 and Kraken 58, all center cockpit cruisers. The first hulls were built in China, and in 2019 Kraken announced that European production would move to a yard in Turkey.

Zero Keel, Alpha Rudder and the Kraken 50

Beaumont's argument is that the weak points of a modern cruiser are the bolted fin keel and the unsupported spade rudder. Kraken's answer is the Zero Keel, molded as part of the hull, with the lead ballast bulb encapsulated at its base, and the Alpha Rudder, hung on a full-length skeg with three independent bearings. Below the waterline the laminate is solid, with no core, and the collision zones carry at least 20 layers of fabric, including aramids.

The Kraken 50 is the model we cover. Drawn by New Zealander Kevin Dibley, it was showcased in Cruising World and SAIL in 2017, and hull number one launched in China in 2019, when Yachting Monthly sailed it off Hong Kong. It carries a 14,330 lb encapsulated lead bulb, a Solent rig and an 80 hp Yanmar on a shaft. New boats run roughly $950,000 to $1.3 million depending on specification, and its natural rivals are the Hallberg-Rassy 44, Amel 50 and Oyster 495.

Owning a Kraken from the US

Kraken is a small builder with a short history, and few of its boats are in US waters, so most American buyers commission a new boat abroad or find a used one in Europe or the Caribbean. That makes resale harder to predict than for Hallberg-Rassy or Oyster, though the long standard equipment list and ocean-ready build attract a dedicated audience. There is no US service network, so plan on independent yards and direct contact with the builder.

Survey priorities:

• Which yard built the boat, China or Turkey, and its warranty status
• The keel-to-hull area and bulb encapsulation after any grounding
• Skeg and rudder bearings, including the one serviceable afloat
• Solent rig furlers, headstay setup and running backstays if fitted
• Shaft seal, cutless bearing and Yanmar service history
• European-standard electrics and shore power on boats brought to the US