Sanlorenzo SD 118 Navetta Review, Specs and Price

Where the SD 118 sits in Sanlorenzo's navetta family

Sanlorenzo divides its yacht range into lines with very different personalities. The SL boats are planing flybridge yachts, the SX line is the crossover with the open stern, the SP line is sporty, and the SD line is the navetta family: semi-displacement yachts with tall bows, deep volume and a preference for 12 knots over 25. The SD 118 is the 36 meter step in that family, and it arrived as a deliberate continuation of the SD96 that designer Bernardo Zuccon drew before it.

Zuccon describes the navetta as a type that recalls the romantic side of going to sea, cruising without haste and living on board for long periods. That philosophy is visible everywhere on the SD118. The boat trades top speed for range, quiet and space, and it is aimed at owners who want to keep a yacht out for weeks at a time rather than run between beach clubs.

The model moved quickly from drawing to order book. Sanlorenzo reported four hulls sold by late 2020, ahead of the yacht's planned appearance at the 2021 Cannes Yachting Festival.

An asymmetric deck borrowed from the SL line

The SD118's signature is asymmetry, an idea Sanlorenzo first used on its SL planing yachts. On the port side a conventional walkway runs from stern to bow. On the starboard side the superstructure pushes out to the hull side, effectively creating a widebody. The main deck interior gains volume and floor to ceiling glass on that side, and the upper deck gains extra room and sea views as well.

For crew, the port walkway means lines, fenders and docking still work normally. For guests, the starboard side of the salon and owner's areas feels closer to a 40 meter yacht than a 36 meter one. The trade-off is that you cannot walk the full starboard side deck, which some captains dislike when handling lines on that side.

• Full-length walkway to port, widebody interior to starboard
• Asymmetric upper deck with more interior space and views
• Two-level bow living area with private access from the owner's cabin
• Transformable beach area of about 19 square meters at the stern

The owner's bow terrace and a 19 square meter beach

Two outdoor spaces define the boat. Forward, a two-level bow living area can be reached privately from the owner's cabin, giving the owner a terrace that guests do not pass through. On a yacht that will often be at anchor for days, that private foredeck is worth more than another lounge on the sun deck.

Aft, port and starboard drop-down platforms open the stern into a beach area of about 19 square meters, more than 200 square feet. It is the SD118's answer to the beach clubs on more modern planing yachts. The tender garage takes a boat of up to about 5 meters, roughly 16 feet, which is modest for the size. Owners who want a large chase boat or a fishing tender usually tow it or add a davit.

Ten guests, five crew and the interior plan

Sanlorenzo lists accommodation for 10 guests and five crew. The interior is fully customized, and the owner's cabin has private access to the two-level bow living area, with the remaining guest cabins arranged to suit each owner. The 291 GT volume, very high for 36 meters, is what makes the boat feel larger than its length.

The crew area is sized for a team of five, which is realistic for private use and lean for charter. Owners planning heavy charter often add a sixth crew member who shares a cabin, and buyers should check the crew mess and laundry size before committing, since navettas spend long stretches away from shore support.

MAN V12 power, 18 to 19 knots and serious tankage

Two engine packages are offered, both MAN 12V D2862 LE diesels. The standard pair produces 1,400 hp each for a maximum of about 18 knots, and the optional 1,650 hp version lifts the top end to about 19 knots. Neither package turns the SD118 into a fast yacht, and that is the point. The hull is meant to be run well below its top speed, where noise and fuel burn drop sharply.

The tankage is the giveaway. The SD118 carries 32,000 liters of fuel, about 8,450 US gallons, and 4,000 liters of fresh water. That is far more fuel than a planing 36 meter yacht carries and points to very long range at economical speed, although Sanlorenzo does not publish an official range figure for this model. Sanlorenzo does not publish a fuel curve either, so ask for logged consumption from the captain of any boat you consider.

Choose the bigger engines only if you regularly need to outrun weather or make long daylight hops. For most owners the 1,400 hp package is the more rational choice and costs less to maintain.

Crew, charter potential and the 10 percent rule

A typical SD118 crew is five to six: captain, mate or engineer, deckhand, chef and one or two stewardesses. In 2026 salaries for that team run about $450,000 to $650,000 per year. Add maintenance, insurance at roughly 1 percent of hull value, dockage, fuel and management and the industry rule of 10 percent of value per year holds well, putting a $15 million yacht at around $1.3 to $1.9 million annually.

For charter, the SD118 sits in a strong slot. Sanlorenzo runs its own charter fleet program, and we estimate 35 to 36 meter yachts of this quality command roughly $120,000 to $170,000 per week plus expenses in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. Charter clients like the beach platform and the five stateroom plan; they are less impressed by navetta speeds when itineraries are tight, so captains should plan routes accordingly.

• Crew: 5 to 6, roughly $450,000 to $650,000 per year in salaries
• Estimated charter rate: $120,000 to $170,000 per week plus expenses
• Annual operating budget: about $1.3 to $1.9 million
• Gross tonnage near 291 GT keeps it below major 300 and 500 GT thresholds for many regimes

Buying an SD118 in the United States

Sanlorenzo has invested heavily in the US market through its Americas operation and a strong presence in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, and its SL, SX and SD models are a regular sight at the Florida shows. That helps service and warranty support, but owners should still plan for factory-trained technicians to fly in for major work on Italian systems.

Searches for Sanlorenzo yachts for sale return few SD118s at any one time because production is limited and owners tend to keep them. When one appears, compare it against the slightly smaller SD96 and against newer SX models such as the SX88, SX112 and SX120 if you value open-plan living over range. If long range is truly the goal, the SD118's fuel capacity sets it apart from all of those.

Who the SD118 suits, and who it does not

This is a yacht for people who cruise slowly and stay out long. It suits owners heading from Florida to the Bahamas and on to the Caribbean for a season, or from the Mediterranean to Northern Europe, with a crew who live aboard full time. It is a poor match for buyers who want a 25 knot dash from Miami to Bimini, and those owners should look at a planing yacht such as an SL or a Sunseeker 100 Yacht instead.