Azimut Yachts Motor Yachts

Azimut 46 Flybridge Used Guide and Specifications

Azimut's late-1990s 46-footer, tested against a Ferrari F355 Spider and still one of the cheapest ways into a twin-diesel Italian flybridge.

1996 to 2005 Discontinued Updated

Azimut flybridge motor yacht moored in Cannes
For reference, Azimut flybridge motor yacht moored in Cannes, not the Azimut 46. Photo: Alexander Migl, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Length
48.5 ft14.78 m
Beam
14.5 ft4.42 m
Cruise
27 kn
Cabins
2 standard (owner's forward, twin guest to starboard); 3-cabin version also built; small crew cabin
Used price
$170K to $275K
On this page
  1. Overview
  2. Quarantasei, AZ 46 or 46 Fly: one boat, several names
  3. Three Ferraris' worth of flybridge
  4. The numbers: 29.4 knots on 435 hp V8s
  5. A raised helm, a lower galley and a forward owner's suite
  6. Flybridge, cockpit and platform
  7. What a 25-year-old Azimut costs to keep
  8. What 46s are listed for in 2026
  9. Specifications
  10. Price and value
  11. Strengths and weaknesses
  12. Used buyer checklist
  13. Rivals
  14. Our verdict
  15. FAQ

The Azimut 46, also sold as the Quarantasei 46, is a 48 ft 6 in flybridge cruiser listed from 1996 to 2005 model years with twin Caterpillar diesels. MBY recorded 29.4 knots with 435 hp CAT 3208s. Used boats ask about $170,000 to $275,000.

Best for
  • First-time flybridge buyers on a tight budget
  • Weekend cruising couples
  • Shallow or bridge-restricted waters
  • Buyers comfortable managing an older boat

Quarantasei, AZ 46 or 46 Fly: one boat, several names

Azimut gave some of its 1990s models Italian names, and the Azimut 46 was sold in Britain as the Quarantasei 46, Italian for forty-six. Brokers also list it as the AZ 46 or the Azimut 46 Fly. The specifications line up across all of these names: about 14.6 to 14.9 meters overall, a beam of roughly 4.4 meters, 1,500 liters of fuel and twin Caterpillar diesels. Model years we found on the market run from 1996 to 2005, and the boats most often searched for are the 2000 and 2001 Azimut 46.

This is not to be confused with the newer, unrelated Azimut 47 of 2006 or the 46 Evolution name that appears on some later listings. A 2003 boat in Alabama, for example, is advertised as a 46E with Caterpillar 3126 diesels, and Spanish and Italian listings show 2005 boats with Caterpillar C9s. Treat those as late versions of the same platform, but check the details on each boat.

Azimut 46 by the numbers

LOA 48' 6" / 14.78 mBeam 14' 6" / 4.42 mBow
Plan view drawn to scale from the published length and beam.
Speed to length ratio at cruise
4.16A planing cruise. Fast passages in exchange for much higher fuel burn per mile.
Length to beam ratio
3.34 : 1Moderate proportions.

Length compared with the 128 motor yachts we cover

32 ft89 ft

Three Ferraris' worth of flybridge

Motor Boat & Yachting's test framed the Quarantasei against the Ferrari F355 Spider, a car that cost a little over £100,000. The magazine concluded that for the price of three Ferraris you could own one of the most stylish boats afloat and still change your fuel filters in a hurry. The base price at the time was £296,000 before tax, and the test boat came to £334,480.

The joke has a serious point. The tester singled out Azimut's engineering: combining the engine room and lazarette into one large space made the machinery far easier to reach, and details such as an anchor-wash system and remote emergency closures for the engine air intakes were the sort of thing normally found on bigger, more expensive yachts. He credited some of that thoroughness to Azimut's ownership of Benetti.

Blue-hulled Azimut motor yacht in a Stockholm guest harbor
Blue-hulled Azimut motor yacht in a Stockholm guest harbor. Photo: Simiha, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

The numbers: 29.4 knots on 435 hp V8s

The MBY test boat had two Caterpillar 3208 V8 turbo diesels of 10.4 liters, rated 435 hp at 2,800 rpm, turning four-blade 23 by 33 inch propellers. In a long three-foot swell it reached 29.4 knots and cruised at 27 knots. The magazine's table gave 245 miles at the 2,500 rpm cruise and 202 miles at 2,700 rpm, both with a 20 percent reserve.

Weight was 12.5 tonnes light and 14 tonnes loaded, which is light for a 48-foot flybridge and explains how the boat made nearly 30 knots on modest power. Draft is just 3 ft 3 in, helped by propeller tunnels in the deep-V hull, so the 46 can reach shallower anchorages than most rivals. The air draft of 15 feet also clears many fixed bridges that stop taller boats.

A raised helm, a lower galley and a forward owner's suite

Inside, the saloon is bright, surrounded by large windows and finished in high-gloss cherry. The lower helm is raised, so the driver has a commanding view but can still talk to guests on the settees. The galley is down, outfitted for real cooking with a fridge-freezer and electric cooktop on the boats we have seen listed.

The common two-cabin plan puts the owner forward with a centerline queen, a vanity, an en suite head and a walk-in wardrobe. A guest cabin with twin berths sits to starboard, and its head has two doors, so it also serves as the day head. Three-cabin boats exist too, listed with six berths. MBY was less impressed with the human engineering: it praised both helms but felt the seating was designed for very tall drivers, and it found the crew cabin cramped.

Flybridge, cockpit and platform

The flybridge has curved seating and a full second helm, and many boats now have a bimini or hardtop added. Two transom openings lead from the cockpit to the swim platform, which often carries a tender on chocks or a davit. Several U.S. boats have a hydraulic Opacmare passerelle that doubles as a dinghy lift, useful for stern-to mooring.

Teak on the cockpit sole and platform was common. On a boat of this age, check the teak thickness, the caulking and the fastenings, because replacing it costs a lot.

What a 25-year-old Azimut costs to keep

The 46's appeal is the price. A sound boat costs less than many 35-foot express cruisers, yet you get two helms, two cabins and a flybridge. Plan on $35,000 to $70,000 a year in the U.S. for slip, insurance, two diesels, a generator, bottom work and the steady flow of age-related repairs.

The Caterpillar 3208 is a simple, widely known V8, and 3126 and C9 parts are easy to find in the U.S. The bigger risks on boats this old are wiring, hoses, pumps, air conditioning, fuel tanks and hidden water damage in the superstructure. An owner in the U.K. turned his refit of an Azimut 46 into an MBY video feature, a reminder that these boats reward careful owners and punish neglected ones.

What 46s are listed for in 2026

U.S. listings are surprisingly consistent. Two 2000 boats asked $249,000 and $265,000, a 2001 boat asked $249,500, and 2003 boats asked $225,000 and $248,600. A 2004 boat in Cartagena with rebuilt Caterpillars was listed at $199,740. In Europe, a 1997 three-cabin boat in Germany was reduced to €169,000, a 2002 boat in Italy asked €269,000 and 2005 C9 boats asked €250,000 to €270,000.

Within that range, pay more for later engines, freshwater use, recent electronics and a documented engine rebuild or low hours. Do not pay a premium for a boat just because it is a later year if the engines still need work, because repowering will cost much more than the price difference between model years.

Azimut 46 specifications

Length overall48.5 ft14.78 m
Beam14.5 ft4.42 m
Draft3.3 ft1 m
Air draft15 ft4.57 m
Displacement30,865 lbs14, kg
Fuel capacity396 gal1,5 L
Fresh water132 gal5 L
Cabins2 standard (owner's forward, twin guest to starboard); 3-cabin version also built; small crew cabin
Berths4 in the two-cabin layout, 6 in the three-cabin layout
Heads2
Standard enginesEarly boats: 2 x Caterpillar 3208 V8 diesels, 435 hp each
Optional enginesLater boats: Caterpillar 3126 (about 440 to 457 hp) and, by 2005, Caterpillar C9 (about 490 to 507 hp), per broker listings
Cruise speed27 knots
Top speed29.4 knots
Range245 nm
Hull typeDeep-V planing hull with propeller tunnels for reduced draft
Hull constructionGRP
BuilderAzimut Yachts, Italy
Other design creditsExterior styling by Stefano Righini (per broker listings)
Production1996 to 2005
StatusDiscontinued

Figures come from builder documentation and independent tests where available. Displacement is usually quoted light, so a loaded cruising boat will weigh more. Compare these specs with another model.

How much does a Azimut 46 cost?

New, typical sail-awayNo longer built
Used, typical asking$170K to $275K
Yearly running costs$35K to $70K

Recent U.S. asking prices cluster tightly: $249,000 and $265,000 for 2000 boats, $249,500 for a 2001 and $225,000 to $248,600 for 2003 boats, with a 2004 in Colombia at $199,740. European boats ask about €169,000 for a 1997 hull up to €270,000 for a 2005 C9-powered boat. Engine generation, hours since major service, and the condition of the cherry joinery and teak decks separate the cheap boats from the good ones.

Estimated used asking prices by model year, US market, 2026
$150K$200K$250K19971997, $165,000 to $215,00019991999, $175,000 to $230,00020002000, $180,000 to $265,00020012001, $185,000 to $265,00020022002, $190,000 to $275,00020032003, $190,000 to $260,00020052005, $210,000 to $280,000

Estimate your yearly cost

A planning estimate using common rules of thumb: insurance near 1.5 percent of value, maintenance near 3 percent, haul out and bottom paint by length. Your marina, region and use will move these numbers. Open the full cost calculator.

Versions and options

Azimut 46 with Caterpillar 3208
1990s boats, including the MBY test boat, with 435 hp V8s; some 2000 and 2001 hulls also have 3208s.
Azimut 46 with Caterpillar 3126 (46E)
Boats from around 2000 to 2003, some listed as the 46E or 46 Evolution, with about 440 to 457 hp per engine.
Azimut 46 with Caterpillar C9
Late boats from about 2005 with roughly 490 to 507 hp per engine.

Azimut 46 timeline

  1. 1994Azimut's AZ 54, Stefano Righini's first Azimut, sets the helm design benchmark the 46 is later measured against
  2. 1996Earliest Azimut 46 model year found on the brokerage market
  3. 2000Caterpillar 3126 engines appear on listed boats
  4. 2003Boats begin appearing as the 46E or 46 Evolution
  5. 2005Latest model year found, now with Caterpillar C9 diesels
  6. 2006The all-new Azimut 47 becomes Azimut's flybridge in this size range

Strengths and weaknesses

What owners like

  • Very low entry price for a twin-diesel flybridge
  • Combined engine room and lazarette gives excellent access
  • Shallow 3 ft 3 in draft and 15 ft air draft
  • Light displacement allows nearly 30 knots on modest power
  • Simple, widely supported Caterpillar engines

What to weigh up

  • Age-related systems, wiring and teak work are likely
  • Cramped crew cabin and helm seats sized for tall drivers
  • Modest 396 gallon fuel capacity
  • 1990s high-gloss cherry interior looks dated to some buyers
  • Wide variation in engines makes boats hard to compare

Used Azimut 46 buyer checklist

Take this list to a viewing. Your ticks are saved in this browser so you can come back to it.

Always commission an independent marine survey and an engine survey before you buy. How a marine survey works.

Rivals to consider

Princess 45

British flybridge of a similar size and era, often praised for its seakeeping.

Sea Ray 480 Sedan Bridge

American alternative with a larger interior and easy U.S. parts support, but less style.

Compare side by side

Fairline Phantom 46

British flybridge rival of the same period, popular on the European used market.

Azimut 42

The smaller sister flybridge of the same era, with Caterpillar 3126 power.

Compare side by side

Our verdict on the Azimut 46

The Azimut 46 is the bargain end of the Azimut flybridge story, and it has aged better than most boats of its time. MBY's test showed a light, shallow-draft hull that reaches nearly 30 knots on 435 hp, an engine room that is easy to work in and design details normally found on bigger yachts. The trade-offs are those of any 25-year-old boat: tired systems, dated cherry joinery and engines that may need work. Choose on condition and engine history rather than model year, and a 46 offers real flybridge cruising for the price of a much smaller new boat.

Azimut 46 questions answered

What is the Azimut Quarantasei 46?

It is the Azimut 46 flybridge under its Italian name, used in Britain in the 1990s. Specifications match the boats listed as Azimut 46, AZ 46 and 46 Fly.

How fast is the Azimut 46?

MBY recorded 29.4 knots and a 27-knot cruise with twin 435 hp Caterpillar 3208s. Later boats with 3126 or C9 engines have more power.

What is a 2000 Azimut 46 worth?

Recent U.S. asking prices for 2000 boats were $249,000 and $265,000. Most Azimut 46s ask between about $170,000 and $275,000 depending on engines and condition.

How many cabins does the Azimut 46 have?

Most have two cabins and two heads, with the owner's cabin forward. A three-cabin version was also built, and there is a small crew cabin.

What is the fuel capacity of the Azimut 46?

1,500 liters, about 396 gallons, with 500 liters (132 gallons) of fresh water.

Which Azimut followed the 46?

The next flybridge in this size was the all-new Azimut 47, built from about 2006 with Caterpillar C9 power and three cabins.

More motor yachts to explore

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