Aquila 36 Sport Power Catamaran, Test Numbers and Used Buying Guide

Aquila 36 for sale: what you are actually shopping for

Anyone searching for an Aquila 36 for sale will find boats called the Aquila 36, the 36 Sport and the 36 Molokai. They are related but different. The Aquila 36, renamed the 36 Sport, is the original outboard express catamaran launched at the Miami International Boat Show in February 2017, with a two-cabin layout and a hardtop. The 36 Molokai is a later offshore and fishing derivative with a center console layout and a narrower beam. This page covers the 36 Sport, the boat most listings refer to.

Aquila is the power catamaran brand created by MarineMax, the world's largest boat dealer, with the Sino Eagle Group, a Chinese builder that uses vacuum infusion extensively. The original goal was boats for MarineMax's bareboat charter fleet in the British Virgin Islands that private owners would also want. The Aquila 48 and 44 came first; the 36 broke with them by using outboards and an open, single-level deck. Aquila's brand manager says the 36's 2017 unveiling ushered in the brand's performance era.

Aquila still lists the 36 Sport in 2026, alongside a new 35 Sport with a double-stepped hull and a single queen cabin that debuted at Cannes, which may eventually replace it.

A bowrider on steroids with a cabin in each hull

Boating's tester called the ride a magic carpet, and Yachting described the 36 as a bowrider on steroids. A 14 ft 7 in beam gives a single main deck from transom to bow with seating for up to 20 adults by Boating's count; Aquila's current spec sheet allows 22 passengers. Under the hardtop are a dinette to port and a two-person helm to starboard, a summer galley with a Corian counter, sink, fridge and a smokeless grill, and convertible aft seating that faces forward or aft. A three-panel walk-through windshield leads to bow seating for eight that converts to two sun beds.

Below, each hull has a private cabin with a V double berth just under queen size, an en suite head with shower, and 6 ft 6 in of headroom. Because the heads sit amidships between berth and engines, they act as a sound barrier. Separate cabins with no shared bulkhead are the 36's quiet advantage over monohull express cruisers with a single cabin.

Options shape the boat: an enclosed cruiser package with a lockable three-panel glass door aft, air conditioning and wood accents; a fishing and diving version with a livewell, tackle station, rod holders and tank storage; and an Island charter version with improved stowage and a big cooler. Side boarding doors on both sides make docking and diving easy.

Verado choices and what they deliver

At launch the 36 offered twin Mercury Verados of 250, 300 or 350 hp. Boating's 2017 test boat with 350s went over 40 mph and returned about 1 mpg at almost 21 mph, and still better than 0.6 mpg above 40 mph. Yachting reported nearly 35 knots with the 350s. Because a catamaran of this type does not climb a planing hump the way a monohull does, the efficiency curve is unusually flat.

Current boats come standard with twin Verado V8 300s with Joystick Piloting, with Verado V10 400s optional. In Boating's later comparison, a non-foiled 36 Sport with twin 400s reached 46.1 mph (40.1 knots) and a best cruise of 29.4 mph, with a range of about 304 statute miles including a 10 percent reserve. Fuel capacity was 356 gallons on the test boats; Aquila's 2025 spec sheet lists 330 gallons.

The Hydro Glide foil: 200 horsepower for free

Morrelli & Melvin, better known for America's Cup and big performance sailing cats, designed the optional Hydro Glide foil for the 36 Sport. A main foil sits between the hulls just forward of the center of gravity and lifts roughly 40 percent of the boat's weight at cruise, with twin stabilizer fins aft to prevent porpoising. It raises the hulls only about six inches and is not a fully foiling system, so there is no risk of crashing off the foil.

Boating ran a foiled boat with twin 300s against a non-foiled boat with twin 400s. The foiled boat planed 1.4 seconds faster, reached 30 mph in 12.4 seconds, topped out at 44.7 mph and still got nearly 1 mpg at that speed. At its best cruise of 30.6 mph it had a range of about 381 statute miles with reserve, against about 304 for the 400 hp boat. It also leaned into turns rather than out and left a flatter wake.

The foil cost $32,452 at the time, can be retrofitted for an estimated $10,000 in labor, and limits power to twin 300s because higher speeds cause cavitation. Boating called it the biggest no-brainer on the options list.

Infused construction built for charter abuse

Boating praised the construction: resin-infused hull, deck and bulkheads with PVC coring, vinylester resin, solid laminate at the hull centerlines where through-hulls pass, no wood below the waterline or in structural parts, and impeccable mold work. The electrical panel sits at eye level in the starboard cabin with neatly loomed and labeled wiring, the kind of detail that matters on a boat designed for charter crews.

Testers had small complaints: deck fuel fillers that can spill into the cockpit and, on early boats, no wiper on the port windshield (the current spec includes a variable speed wiper). Light displacement is listed at 14,568 lb, with 880 lb more for the enclosed version, and draft is just 2 ft with the outboards tilted, enough to beach the boat on a sandbar.

Running costs and the used Aquila 36 market

Plan on about $28,000 to $55,000 a year to keep a 36 Sport in the US, excluding depreciation. Fuel is the largest variable: twin Verados at 30 knots burn far more than diesel cruisers, though the cat's efficiency softens the bill. Outboard service, a wide slip or a dry rack able to handle a 14 ft 7 in beam, insurance and bottom paint make up the rest. Outboards are easy to service and replace, which is a long-term advantage over inboard diesels.

Used prices depend on engine size, options and charter history. Yachting counted 11 boats from $439,000 to $725,000 in 2023. Boats from MarineMax's charter programs offer value but have more hours. Look for the 350s or 400s, the hardtop and air conditioning; boats with the Hydro Glide foil are worth a premium if you cruise long distances.