Aquila 44 Power Catamaran, Used Buyer's Guide and Test Data

An Aquila 44 for sale usually started life in a charter fleet

If you are looking at an Aquila 44 for sale, the first question to ask is where it has been. Aquila was born from MarineMax's charter business. The dealer group launched a power catamaran charter operation in the British Virgin Islands in 2011, and in 2012 Sino Eagle Group began building the Aquila 38 for it. The partnership, credited to Lex Raas, MarineMax CEO Bill McGill and the Xiong family behind Sino Eagle, gave Aquila a dedicated factory in China and a ready-made customer in MarineMax's own fleet.

The 44 was the breakthrough. It arrived in 2014, and Power and Motoryacht credits it with more than 200 hulls sold over a roughly ten-year life before the Aquila 46 replaced it in 2025. Many went straight into charter in the BVI and elsewhere before being sold to private owners, while others were bought directly by private buyers through MarineMax dealers.

That history shapes the used market. Ex-charter boats are cheaper and plentiful, privately owned boats are fewer and better equipped, and the difference in condition between the two can be large.

J&J's hull and the bulbous bow fix

Slovenian studio J&J Design drew the hull, with input from MarineMax on what charter guests and owners actually use. The hulls are fairly narrow at the waterline for a power catamaran, and early boats proved less efficient than hoped. MarineMax responded by adding bulbous bows, together with hull extensions aft that stretched the waterline by 42 inches, the bulbs separately molded and bonded to each hull, which lift the bow, extend the effective waterline and improve speed and fuel economy. Power and Motoryacht reported on the comparison testing in 2015, and later spec sheets list the bulbs as standard.

If you are shopping 2014 and early 2015 boats, check whether a bulb retrofit was done. Reviewers noted that early production boats underperformed on speed and fuel burn before the modification.

Construction is resin-infused vinyl ester fiberglass with a scored balsa core in the hull, deck and bulkheads, solid laminate along the hull centerlines where all through-hulls are fitted, crash boxes in each bow and kiln-cured parts built in a humidity-controlled plant.

• Light displacement 15,900 kg (35,053 lb), fully loaded 22,000 kg (48,500 lb)
• Beam 21 ft 6 in, fits more marinas than most 44-foot cats
• Draft 3 ft 10 in with sacrificial skegs protecting the running gear
• CE Category A for 12 people

Speed and fuel burn with twin Volvo D4s

BoatTEST measured a 2018 Aquila 44 with twin 300 hp Volvo Penta D4 diesels on V-drives. At 3,000 rpm it ran 17.2 knots burning 20 gallons per hour in total, and at 3,550 rpm it reached 21.3 knots at 30 gph. At idle speed of 3.3 knots, consumption fell to 0.7 gph, which on paper gives more than 1,200 nautical miles of range.

Other tests line up. TradeABoat recorded 7.4 knots at 1,500 rpm, 17.3 knots at 3,000 rpm and 21.2 knots at 3,600 rpm with the same 300 hp engines. Boating New Zealand saw 17 to 18 knots cruising at 2,800 rpm and 23 knots at 3,200 rpm, and quoted a 25-knot top speed for boats with the 375 hp Yanmar option.

For a cruising couple the most useful number is the trawler speed. BoatTEST measured about 3 gallons per hour in total at 7.1 knots and 5 gph at 8 knots, so a run from Fort Lauderdale to the Exumas is a fuel stop decision rather than a range problem. Run at 17 knots and the range drops to around 220 nautical miles, which is still enough for most Bahamas crossings with a reserve.

Which engine package to buy

Standard power changed from twin 225 hp to twin 230 hp Volvo Penta D4s over the years, with 300 hp and later 320 hp D4s as the common upgrade and twin 370 hp Yanmar 8LV diesels at the top. In our view the 300 or 320 hp Volvos are the sweet spot. The base engines are adequate for charter use at displacement speeds but have little in reserve with a full load, while the Yanmars add speed and cost without changing the boat's character.

Each engine sits in its own engine room aft, reached through hatches in the cockpit, with V-drive transmissions, shafts with rope cutters, four-blade bronze propellers in tunnels, and sacrificial skegs ahead of the running gear. The tunnels keep draft under 4 feet, and the skegs protect the props in a grounding.

Flybridge, cockpit bar and the bow lounge

The flybridge is the social center. It has the helm with a three-person seat, a wet bar with sink, a table for six and a fiberglass hardtop, and on later boats a set of steps leads forward from the flybridge straight down to the bow. That shortcut is one of the smartest features on the boat, because it lets crew reach the foredeck lines without walking the side decks.

The aft cockpit has a U-shaped settee, a bar with stools and a hinged window and door to the galley, and the foredeck is a large sunning area. A lower helm was offered for some markets, which matters for owners cruising in cooler or wetter climates.

Full-beam master and en-suite guest cabins

The standard three cabin layout puts a full-beam master forward with a king-size island bed, a desk on the starboard side and its own head and shower, and two guest doubles in the hulls aft, each with an en-suite head with a separate shower stall. Every cabin gets a private head, which is why the boat works so well in charter. A four cabin version adds a fourth double and head for charter fleets.

Finish quality is acceptable rather than refined. TradeABoat noted excess sealant on cabinetry, and our experience matches: joinery is functional, materials are hard-wearing and the fit is uneven in places. On the other hand, surfaces like Corian counters and synthetic wood floors stand up to charter abuse.

What an Aquila 44 costs to keep

Plan on roughly $45,000 to $90,000 a year excluding depreciation, depending on how far you run and where you keep the boat. A 21-foot 6-inch beam is narrow for a power cat and fits more slips than a 26-foot sailing cat, which saves real money in Florida. Fuel is the variable: cruise at 17 knots for 200 hours a year and you will burn around 4,000 gallons, while a trawler-speed owner may use a fifth of that.

Volvo D4 parts and service are easy to find in the US and the Caribbean, which is a meaningful advantage over boats with less common engines. Budget for generator service, bottom paint and running gear zincs, and expect to replace canvas and cushions on ex-charter boats.

Aquila 44 versus the later 44 Yacht

Later boats were marketed as the Aquila 44 Yacht, with updated styling, revised interior finishes, updated engine options and features like the forward flybridge steps and a hardtop with radar arch. The hull and basic layout stayed the same. The 44 Yacht spec sheet quotes 295 gallons of fuel, 206 gallons of water and three 21-gallon holding tanks.

Aquila's current range no longer includes the 44. In this size the line now runs through the 42 and 46 Yacht models. If you are searching for a 2015 Aquila 44 power catamaran, expect an older interior and confirm the bulbous bows are fitted. A later 44 Yacht costs more but is closer to new-boat comfort.