Aquila 50 Yacht Power Catamaran Review and Buyer's Notes

Why Aquila retired the 48 and drew the 50

The Aquila 50 Yacht is the boat Aquila built to stop people calling its power cats floating condos. It steps into the space left by the retired Aquila 48 and slots between the Aquila 44 Yacht and the Aquila 54 Yacht in the inboard Yacht range, which now runs 42 to 54 feet beneath the 70 Luxury flagship. Anyone searching for an Aquila 50 for sale is looking at a very young model: hull No. 1 was shown at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in late 2024, and Yachting and Power and Motoryacht published their reviews in early 2025.

Global Brand Director Alain Raas, son of Aquila founder Lex Raas, told Power and Motoryacht that the brand wanted two things from this model: a sportier, more yacht-like profile for buyers in Europe and the Middle East, and fewer interior stairs for an owner base that is, in his words, between 50 and 70 years old in this size range. The answer was more freeboard. Raising the topsides let Aquila fit a single-level, full-beam master forward and restyle the hull and window lines so the boat no longer reads as a box on two pontoons.

The result is aimed at private owners first and charter second, a shift from earlier Aquilas that spent much of their lives in charter fleets. A 50 that has never carried paying guests should hold its value better than a typical ex-charter 44 or 48.

Bulbous bows, prop pockets and a 4 ft 2 in draft

On paper the Aquila 50 power catamaran measures 52 ft 6 in overall with a 25 ft 6 in beam, close to a 2 to 1 length to beam ratio, and it weighs 50,735 lb light or 71,167 lb fully loaded according to Aquila's spec sheet. The hulls are resin-infused vinylester with PVC foam cores of varying density, and Aquila says there is no plywood in structural components or below the waterline. There are watertight bulkheads fore and aft in each hull.

Two hull details define the ride. First, each sponson carries a foam-cored bulbous bow that is molded separately and bonded on, designed to lengthen the waterline, add lift and break away without breaching the hull in a collision. Second, the propellers sit in pockets, which keeps draft to 4 ft 2 in with the sacrificial keels installed. For Bahamas cruising, the Great Loop or skinny Gulf Coast channels, that number is a genuine selling point over most 50 ft monohull motor yachts.

Raymarine electronics, C-Zone digital switching and a four-zone Fusion audio system are standard, and the asymmetric flybridge keeps a dedicated set of steps down to the bow, which BoatTEST's captain liked for solo docking and anchoring.

What the D6 480s actually burn

Three independent tests exist, all on boats with the optional Volvo Penta D6 480s. Yachting ran hull No. 1 off Clearwater, Florida, and recorded an easy 18 knot cruise at 35 gph, good for about 240 nautical miles with a 10 percent reserve, and a top speed of 21 knots at 3,370 rpm. At 5 knots the same boat showed a theoretical range of 1,970 nautical miles. The tester measured 70 decibels at cruise.

BoatTEST loaded its test boat to about 54,817 lb with 72 percent fuel and four people aboard, in 1 to 2 ft seas. It reached 20.3 knots at 3,680 rpm and found its best planing cruise at 19 knots and 3,500 rpm, about 0.5 nautical miles per gallon and 210 nm of range. Power and Motoryacht saw 20 knots at 48 gph and 8.6 knots at 9.7 gph, quoting about 460 miles of range at that slower pace.

The pattern is clear: frugal at trawler speeds, thirsty on plane, with an awkward band between roughly 10 and 16 knots while the hull climbs over its hump. Most owners will cruise at 8 to 9 knots or run at 17 to 19 knots and accept 35 gph or more.

D6 380, D6 480 or Yanmar 550 with the foil

Standard power is a pair of Volvo Penta D6 380 direct-drive inboards. Most US boats we have seen specified are on the D6 480 upgrade, which is what every published test used. The third choice is a pair of 550 hp Yanmars, and it is the only package that can be combined with the Aquila Hydro Glide Foil System, a fixed foil developed with French naval architects VPLP Design to add lift and cut drag at cruising speed.

Aquila also says the engine rooms can accept a hybrid package and the hardtop is designed for solar panels. No independent test of the foil or the hybrid on the 50 had been published when we wrote this, so treat the claimed gains as unproven.

Our advice: the D6 480s are the sensible resale choice, because they match the test data and what brokers will compare against. The 380s are fine if you live at 8 to 10 knots. The Yanmar and foil combination makes sense only if you want the fastest possible cruise and accept a smaller pool of buyers later.

Full-beam master forward and the laundry room question

The standard Aquila 50 Yacht layout has three cabins and a utility room. The owner's suite runs the full beam forward on a single level, with a king berth, his and her walk-in closets, a settee, vanity and a head with two sinks and separate shower. BoatTEST measured that berth at 73 by 78 inches and Yachting recorded 80 inches of headroom carried well forward. Large forward windows and hullside glass make it one of the brightest masters in any 50 ft cat.

Two en-suite guest cabins sit in the hulls with island queens, measured by BoatTEST at 59 by 77 inches, each with a big hullside window. The utility room in the port hull can take a full-size washer and vented dryer with folding counter space, or be converted to bunks. A four-cabin, four-head plan exists for charter, and a small forepeak captain's cabin with a wet head can be added in the starboard bow.

Pick the three cabin plus laundry version unless you plan to charter. It is the plan Aquila designed the boat around, it is what most private buyers want, and it will be easier to sell.

Flip-up bar window, hidden davit and a big flybridge

Aquila's signature tilt-up galley window turns the aft end of the saloon into a bar facing three cockpit stools, and Yachting measured nearly 7 ft of saloon headroom. The galley is L-shaped to port with a U-shaped dining sofa for eight to ten opposite a double fridge and wine chiller.

The tender davit hides in the hardtop and deploys horizontally, lifting up to 1,000 lb, enough for an Aquila 14 Cat RIB with a 40 hp outboard. Side decks are about 30 inches wide behind a stout rail, and the bow sun pads run nearly the full width.

Slip width, generators and the real annual bill

The 25 ft 6 in beam is the hidden cost of any 50 ft cat. Many US marinas charge catamarans a multiplier or force them onto end ties and T-heads, and some simply have no slip wide enough. Budget accordingly before you buy, especially in South Florida and the Northeast.

We estimate $60,000 to $120,000 a year to run an Aquila 50 privately in the US, excluding depreciation. The spread comes from dockage, insurance, haul-out on a wide hull, twin D6 and generator service, and above all fuel: 300 hours a year at 8 to 9 knots costs a fraction of the same hours at 18 knots.

Buying one of the first hulls

Because the model is so new, the used market is thin and mostly made up of dealer demonstrators and early trade-ins through MarineMax. That gives a buyer leverage on equipment rather than price: ask for the generator upgrade, the reserve fuel tanks or electronics to be included.

Early hulls of any new model collect running changes. Ask the dealer for the list of service bulletins and warranty items on the specific hull number, confirm which engine package and propellers it has, and get a survey that includes an engine survey with oil analysis even on a near-new boat.