Ferretti 681 Specs, Speed and What to Pay for One Now

What the Ferretti 681 changed over the 680

Ferretti built 68 examples of its 680, according to the company's own website, and when it came time to refresh the boat it kept what worked. The Ferretti 681 uses the same 21.2-meter hull, the same 5.63-meter beam and the same 17.8-meter waterline, so underway it behaves much like its predecessor. What changed was everything you see and touch.

Ferretti's dealer pages from 2006 summarized the update. The profile became more aggressive with a new extended window line, and the master cabin gained an open-view hull window so you can watch the sea from the bed. The salon furniture and sofas were completely redesigned in teak, replacing the darker finishes Ferretti had used earlier, and the starboard guest cabin was reworked to fit two beds with more space around them. The 681 arrived in the range alongside the 731, 761 and 881, part of the same mid-2000s refresh.

The official figures, engine by engine

Ferretti's technical sheet lists two MAN common-rail V12 options. With the 1,224 hp V12-1224 CR the yard predicted 33.5 knots maximum, 30 knots cruise and 310 nautical miles of range. With the 1,360 hp V12-1360 CR the predictions rose to 36 knots maximum and 32 knots cruise, with range dropping slightly to 305 nautical miles. Both used the same 4,000-liter (1,057-gallon) fuel and 1,000-liter (264-gallon) water tankage.

Displacement is 39 tonnes unladen and 45 tonnes laden, the boat is rated for 20 people, and Ferretti's ARG gyro stabilizer was an option. A 2006 Italian listing describes the boat as CE Category A and quotes a 28-knot cruise and 33 knots top with the 1,360 hp engines after nearly 2,000 hours, a realistic picture of a loaded boat in service compared with the factory's clean-hull predictions.

• MAN V12-1224 CR: 33.5 knots max, 30 knots cruise, 310 nm range (predicted)
• MAN V12-1360 CR: 36 knots max, 32 knots cruise, 305 nm range (predicted)
• LOA 69 feet 6 inches, hull length 67 feet 8 inches, beam 18 feet 6 inches
• Four guest cabins, three guest heads, one crew cabin plus an optional second

Below decks: the open-view master and four cabins

The master suite amidships is the 681's headline feature. The new hull window lets the owner see out from the bed, a trend Ferretti was pushing across its range at the time, and it transforms how bright the cabin feels compared with a 680. The VIP sits forward and two further guest cabins fill the space between, with three guest bathrooms in all.

Crew get one cabin aft as standard with its own head, and a second crew cabin was optional, which suits owners who run the boat with a captain and a stewardess. Some listings describe the layout as five cabins counting crew. If you are comparing boats, confirm whether the second crew cabin was fitted and what it is used for today; on many owner-operated boats it has become storage.

Teak salon, flybridge and outside spaces

Matte teak joinery, lighter fabrics and redesigned sofas give the 681 a more modern feel than the 680 it replaced; Yachting noted the same shift from heavily lacquered cherry to tactile matte teak on the sister 731. Up top, the flybridge offers a helm, dinette, wet bar and sun pads, and the cockpit has a dining table under the flybridge overhang.

Most surviving boats have collected upgrades over the years: hardtops or new biminis, stern thrusters, watermakers, replaced generators and newer chartplotters. These additions matter more to value than model year.

Living with first-generation common-rail MANs

The 681's MAN V12 CR engines were early common-rail diesels. They are cleaner and more responsive than the older D2842 LE engines in the 680, but they depend on clean fuel, good filtration and a mechanic familiar with electronic injection, and injector or high-pressure pump work can be expensive at 2,000-plus hours. Ask for injector and pump history and an engine diagnostic printout.

European listings for this hull quote roughly 280 to 350 liters per hour, about 75 to 92 gallons per hour, at 24 to 26 knots. Budget $130,000 to $230,000 a year to own and run one, including a part-time captain.

Spotting a genuine 681 in a listing

Because the 68, 680 and 681 share a hull, listings are not always labeled correctly, and the price gap between them is large. Start with the engines: a 681 should have MAN V12 CR common-rail units rated 1,224 or 1,360 hp, while 680s carry the older D2842 LE series at 1,200 or 1,300 hp, and some of the earliest boats listed as Ferretti 68 have MTU 12V 183 engines. Next, look at the hull side: the 681's master has a large open-view window, where the earlier boats have smaller ports. Inside, matte teak points to a 681; glossy cherry points to an earlier boat.

Finally, check the hull identification number for the model year and ask the broker for the builder's certificate. A boat advertised as a 2003 681 is almost certainly a 680, and should be priced like one.

Where the 681 fits in 2026

For buyers who want a 70-foot Ferretti but not a 680-era interior, the 681 is the logical choice, typically priced well under a million dollars in the US. It costs more than a 680, but the teak interior, the open-view master and the common-rail engines justify much of the premium. Newer alternatives such as the 2012 to 2015 Ferretti 690 cost roughly twice as much.