This page compares production and semi-custom catamarans roughly 17–24 m (about 56–79 ft) built in Western yards (primarily France, plus other European, Australian and some North American programmes) with those built in mainland China (and, where relevant, high-volume Chinese/Taiwanese programmes sold under Western or hybrid brands). Emphasis is live-aboard sailing and power yachts; charter, performance and workboat types are noted where they overlap.
1. Snapshot comparison
| Topic | Typical Western (FR / EU / AU / some US) | Typical Chinese-built |
|---|---|---|
| Price (sail, ~17–20 m) | Roughly USD 1.1–3.5 million for production GRP (Lagoon / Fountaine Pajot / Bali class). Performance or carbon (Outremer, Gunboat-type) often USD 2.5–6 million+. | Often 20–45% lower for comparable volume GRP or aluminium. High-end carbon (e.g. HH-type) can still sit in the USD 2–5 million band. Aluminium expedition-style boats can undercut Western custom aluminium substantially. |
| Price (sail / power, ~20–24 m) | USD 3–10 million+ depending on brand, carbon vs GRP, and finish. Semi-custom European aluminium or composite is at the high end. | Wider spread: volume power cats and mid-spec sailers frequently well below Western equivalents; flagship carbon or luxury-finish projects still expensive but usually cheaper labour and tooling. |
| Internal living area | A 17–18 m production cat typically offers on the order of 90–140 m² of enclosed living space (saloon + cabins + heads), depending on owner vs charter layout. 22–24 m boats commonly 150–220 m²+. | Similar or slightly more volume per dollar: Chinese programmes often maximise beam and headroom for the live-aboard market. Layouts can be more “apartment-like”; some performance carbon boats trade volume for weight. |
| Power / sail / solar | Still dominated by sailing cats with diesel auxiliaries. Growing solar (often 2–8+ kW), lithium, and hybrid options. Dedicated solar-electric (Silent-type) and a smaller power-cat segment (FP MY, etc.). | Strong in power cats (Aquila-type and many domestic brands) and hybrid/solar packages sold as live-aboard. Sailing cats exist at volume and at carbon performance level. Robotic aluminium yards also push diesel and hybrid power cats. |
| Primary materials | Infusion or hand-laid GRP sandwich (foam/balsa) is the production default. Carbon/epoxy for performance brands. Aluminium more common in custom Dutch/French/Australian expedition yachts (costly labour). | GRP sandwich for volume brands; carbon for HH-class performance. Aluminium growing fast where robotic welding is used — cheaper than Western aluminium, attractive for live-aboard and work/expedition hybrids. Quality of welding and coating varies by yard. |
| Est. units / year (this size band, all types) | Major French groups (Lagoon, Fountaine Pajot, Bali/Catana, Excess) plus Leopard (South Africa) and smaller EU/AU yards: very roughly 250–500 boats/year in/near this length overall, of which a minority are 20 m+. | Harder to pin down (many yards, mixed export/domestic). Plausible range for export-oriented 17–24 m cats (GRP + aluminium + carbon) on the order of 80–250/year and rising. A few yards are still in the tens, not hundreds. |
| Company / sector growth | Established brands: typically mid-single to low-double-digit % in good years; cyclical with interest rates and charter demand. Consolidation under large groups (Beneteau, etc.). | Yacht and aluminium-workboat capacity in China has grown rapidly (often cited well into double digits annually in the 2018–2024 window, though uneven). Automation (including robotic aluminium welding) is a stated cost advantage. |
| Resale, network, perception | Stronger global dealer/service networks, known survey history, generally easier resale in Europe, Caribbean, US, Pacific. | Improving but still a discount for unknown yards. Branded programmes (Aquila, HH, some OEM for Western designers) fare better. After-sales and spare parts outside Asia need extra due diligence. |
2. Price context
For a live-aboard 18 m sailing cat in owner’s version with a realistic options list (generator, air-con or strong ventilation, watermaker, lithium, decent solar, electronics, davits, tender):
- Western production GRP: commonly quoted in the low-to-mid seven figures USD before tax and shipping.
- Western performance / light composite: a large step up; waiting lists are common.
- Chinese GRP volume or aluminium: frequently the route people use to get more length or more aluminium structure for the same budget. Savings are largest on labour-heavy items (joinery, aluminium welding, paint).
- Chinese high-end carbon: not “cheap boats”; they compete on spec and sometimes on price against Gunboat / McConaghy / Outremer rather than against the cheapest Lagoon.
Power cats in this length (20 m class) often start in a similar or slightly lower band than equivalent sailing cats of the same luxury level, because the sailing rig, boards/keels and some structure disappear — but engines, tanks and systems grow. Chinese power-cat capacity is particularly competitive.
3. Internal square footage (order of magnitude)
Catamarans sell space. Approximate enclosed living area (not counting flybridge or cockpit):
| Length | Typical enclosed living area | Notes for live-aboard |
|---|---|---|
| ~17–18 m | ~90–140 m² | 3–4 cabins common; owner’s hull with large berth and ensuite. Saloon/galley is the social core. |
| ~20–21 m | ~130–180 m² | True full-time live-aboard comfort; workshop/laundry/office easier to plan. |
| ~23–24 m | ~160–220 m²+ | Apartment-scale; crew cabin possible; flybridge living becomes a second salon on many power and some sail designs. |
Western production boats and Chinese volume boats are usually similar in raw m²; differences show up in joinery quality, insulation, tankage, and whether the yard “sold” volume or sailing performance. Carbon performance cats (Western or HH-class Chinese) often feel smaller inside for a given length because of finer hulls and lighter structure.
4. Power, sail and solar
- Sail + diesel (still the live-aboard default): Lagoon, Fountaine Pajot, Bali, Excess, Leopard, Outremer on the Western side; several Chinese GRP and aluminium programmes plus HH-type carbon sailers.
- Power cats: Strong Western names exist, but China (including Aquila’s Sino Eagle production and many domestic brands) is a major source of 50–80 ft power cats aimed at coastal and island live-aboard use.
- Solar / hybrid / electric: Large fixed solar (several kW to 15 kW+ on bigger boats), lithium banks and hydrogeneration are now common on both sides. Fully solar-electric cats (Silent-style and imitators) are a small but visible niche; some of that supply chain and build is Asian. Aluminium Chinese boats are also being offered with large solar and hybrid diesel-electric packages because deck area is cheap to use for panels.
For full-time living, solar reduces generator hours but rarely eliminates a genset or a robust diesel option unless the boat is designed around it from the start (huge array, modest hotel loads, careful climate).
5. Materials
- GRP sandwich: Still the world standard for production live-aboard cats, East and West. Osmosis risk, core quality and infusion vs hand lay-up are the survey issues — not the flag of the yard.
- Carbon / advanced composites: Western performance specialists and Chinese HH-class boats. Higher cost, higher stiffness, often better for ocean passage-making if engineered well.
- Aluminium: Traditional Western aluminium cats (custom Netherlands, France, Australia, some US) are expensive because welding and fairing are skilled-labour heavy. Chinese yards using robotic welding are the cost disruptor the query refers to: more consistent seams, lower hours, and the ability to quote live-aboard aluminium cats that would be boutique-priced in Europe. Watch coating systems, insulation against condensation, and noise — aluminium is not “maintenance free,” but it has no osmosis and is straightforward to repair after a grounding.
6. Who actually builds in this size (illustrative, not exhaustive)
Western / closely associated
- Lagoon (Groupe Beneteau, France) — largest global production cat brand; many live-aboard and charter boats in and just below this range; GRP.
- Fountaine Pajot (France) — sail and power; similar market to Lagoon.
- Bali / Catana group (France) — open living, lots of volume; popular with live-aboards who want indoor-outdoor space.
- Outremer (France) — lighter, faster live-aboard cruisers; higher price, strong ocean reputation.
- Leopard / Robertson & Caine (South Africa) — not Chinese; high volume, charter DNA, also private live-aboard. Often grouped with “Western product” in broker conversations.
- Others: Excess, Nautitech, Gunboat, various Dutch/French/Australian aluminium and composite custom yards, Sunreef (Poland — luxury, often larger than 24 m as well).
Chinese-built (mainland and closely linked programmes)
- HH Catamarans — carbon performance sailing cats in this size band; Chinese build, Western design/sales presence; competes up-market.
- Aquila (Sino Eagle, China) — power cats, widely sold in the West; live-aboard and coastal cruising.
- Various GRP and aluminium yards (export and domestic brands, plus OEM for foreign designers) — this is where robotic aluminium welding shows up for 17–24 m live-aboard and hybrid expedition cats. Names change and quality is yard-specific; treat each hull as its own survey project.
- Some European or US brands have at times used Chinese or other Asian hull construction for cost; always check where a given hull number was actually laminated or welded.
7. Production volume and growth (estimates only)
Western production cats: The French groups plus Leopard account for the majority of 40–80 ft cats sold worldwide. In a healthy year the combined output of those brands across all lengths is several hundred boats; the 17–24 m slice is a smaller, higher-value subset (especially above 20 m, which is still semi-rare as true production).
Chinese: No single public statistic cleanly isolates 17–24 m cats. Export-oriented carbon (HH-class) is low tens of boats per year. Power-cat lines and aluminium live-aboard/work hybrids can add more. Combined, a working guess of roughly 80–250 boats/year in this length for export-capable yards is reasonable — with a wide error bar — and the direction of travel has been up.
Growth: Western majors grow with the global charter and private market (cyclical). Chinese yacht and aluminium craft capacity expanded quickly over the last decade as labour, automation (robots for aluminium welding and cutting) and domestic wealth grew. Individual company growth rates of 15–30% in strong years have been reported in Chinese marine manufacturing more broadly; that does not mean every catamaran brand compounds at that rate, and quality control can lag capacity.
8. Live-aboard vs other types in this size
- Live-aboard cruisers (your main interest): Volume GRP from France (and Leopard) still dominate world oceans because of dealer networks, spare parts and known resale. Chinese GRP and aluminium options are the value play; Chinese carbon is the performance play. Prioritise tankage, watermaker, solar + lithium, insulation, storage, and a yard that will still answer the phone in five years.
- Charter versions: More cabins, more heads, less tankage and owner storage. Many “Western” 17–20 m cats are born as charter boats. Chinese yards also supply this, especially power.
- Performance / racing-cruising: Outremer, Gunboat, HH and similar. Less furniture, more carbon, higher skill required to sail well.
- Power live-aboard / coastal: Aquila-class and European power cats; Chinese aluminium power cats if you want metal and range.
- Expedition / work / passenger: Aluminium shines. This is where Chinese robotic welding is most disruptive on cost versus Dutch or Australian custom aluminium.
9. Practical buying notes
- Price per metre is not the whole story: freight from Asia, import duty, commissioning, and the first-year snag list can eat a chunk of the “China discount.”
- Survey both construction (core, welds, coatings) and systems. Aluminium needs a coating and insulation specialist; carbon needs a composite specialist.
- Live-aboard success depends more on systems, tankage, and the builder’s documentation than on the country of the mould.
- Resale: a well-known Western production name is easier to sell in the Med, Caribbean or US East Coast today. That gap may narrow for branded Chinese programmes with a track record.