17–24 Meter Catamarans: Western vs. Chinese Construction
A liveaboard-focused comparison of price, enclosed accommodation, propulsion, materials, production scale and manufacturer growth. Size range: approximately 56–79 feet.
Reference period and limitations:
This is a planning-level comparison based on models and market information available
through approximately mid-2024, not a verified 2026 quotation survey.
Prices, interior areas and annual model-production figures below are explicitly
estimates. Manufacturer specifications, current availability and delivered
prices should be checked before making a purchase decision. Historical corporate revenue
data are identified separately.
1. Main findings
- China already builds sophisticated cruising catamarans. Aquila, HH and ILIAD are important examples, but they are predominantly composite boats—not inexpensive robot-welded aluminum boats.
- Brand nationality and build country are different. A Western-managed or internationally marketed brand can manufacture in China. This comparison classifies boats primarily by where they are built.
- China-built does not automatically mean inexpensive. A carbon HH sailing catamaran or a large Aquila power yacht competes with premium Western products. Fit-out, engines, electrical equipment, engineering and after-sales support account for much of the finished yacht price.
- The largest potential aluminum price advantage is in simpler custom boats: displacement liveaboards, houseboat-style cats, passenger vessels and utility boats. The savings become less predictable when you require luxury interiors, offshore engineering, export compliance and an established service network.
- For full-time living, usable interior layout matters more than length alone. Power cats usually offer more enclosed volume; performance sailing cats trade some of that volume for lower weight and better sailing.
- Public production and growth figures are limited. Most builders do not disclose annual deliveries by model. Numerical growth claims for private Chinese or Western yards should be treated skeptically unless supported by accounts or dated delivery records.
2. How to read the comparison
- Size: approximately 17.0–24.0 m length overall. Model names are not reliable measurements: for example, the Sunreef 80 sailing catamaran is approximately 24.4 m and is outside this comparison, while the 80 Sunreef Power is approximately 23.95 m and fits.
- Prices: indicative new-build budgets in US dollars, at approximately 2024 price levels, for an ordinarily well-equipped cruising boat. They exclude VAT/sales tax, import tariffs, delivery, financing and major bespoke upgrades. These are not advertised base prices or binding shipyard quotations.
- Interior square footage: estimated enclosed, habitable floor area across the saloon/galley and hull accommodations, including cabins, bathrooms and internal circulation. Excludes open cockpits, exposed flybridges, trampolines, machinery spaces and storage lockers. Figures are not measured manufacturer specifications; allow roughly ±25% uncertainty, sometimes more.
- Production estimates: approximate annual deliveries of the listed model or size family, not total company output. They are low-confidence, order-of-magnitude judgments based on the type and scale of the builder—not verified production counts. Actual annual deliveries, especially for new or custom models, can be zero.
- Solar: “house solar” powers domestic loads and does not imply electric propulsion. “Solar-electric/hybrid” means electric propulsion is available, but practical range still depends on speed, batteries, weather and any installed generator.
Area conversion: 1 m² = 10.764 ft². Do not compare these enclosed-area estimates with a brochure’s “total living area” unless its treatment of terraces, cockpits and flybridges is identical.
3. Western-built catamarans
| Builder / model | Build country / length | Propulsion and solar | Primary construction | Estimated price USD millions |
Estimated enclosed interior ft² |
Estimated units/year Listed model only |
Liveaboard assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lagoon 60 | France 18.27 m |
Sail + auxiliary diesels; house solar can be fitted | Glass-fiber composite / sandwich | $2.1–3.0m | 1,000–1,250 | 10–30 after ramp-up | Strong accommodation-to-price balance; broad dealer and charter ecosystem. New-model ramp-up makes production estimates especially uncertain. |
| Lagoon SIXTY 5 | France 20.55 m |
Sail + auxiliary diesels; house solar | Glass-fiber composite / sandwich | $3.6–5.0m | 1,200–1,550 | 5–15 | Comfortable long-term home; increasing docking, systems and crew demands compared with a 60-footer. |
| Lagoon SEVENTY 7 | France 23.28 m |
Sail + auxiliary diesels; house solar | Glass-fiber composite / sandwich | $5.0–7.5m | 1,650–2,100 | 2–6 | Luxury apartment-like living; normally more practical with professional crew. |
| Lagoon SIXTY 7 | France 20.15 m |
Diesel power; house solar | Glass-fiber composite / sandwich | $3.3–4.8m | 1,300–1,650 | 5–15 | Excellent volume and easier movement without sailing equipment; fuel use depends heavily on cruising speed. |
| Lagoon SEVENTY 8 | France 23.80 m |
Diesel power; house solar | Glass-fiber composite / sandwich | $5.5–8.0m | 1,800–2,300 | 2–6 | Very spacious full-time residence; substantial operating and marina costs. |
| Fountaine Pajot Samana 59 | France 18.78 m |
Sail + auxiliary diesels; house solar | Glass-fiber composite / sandwich | $2.0–2.8m | 950–1,200 | 10–25 | Good mainstream liveaboard candidate. A large flybridge adds outdoor living, not enclosed floor area. |
| Fountaine Pajot Alegria 67 | France 20.36 m |
Sail + auxiliary diesels; house solar | Glass-fiber composite / sandwich | $3.0–4.3m | 1,200–1,550 | 5–15 | Strong choice for a large owner’s suite, guests and extended cruising. |
| Fountaine Pajot Thira 80 | France 23.98 m |
Sail + auxiliary diesels; solar/electrical specification varies | Glass-fiber composite / sandwich | $5.5–8.0m | 1,700–2,200 | 1–4 | At the upper edge of the size limit; luxury and charter orientation. Confirm contractual LOA and registration measurements. |
| BALI 5.8 Catana Group |
France 17.65 m |
Sail + auxiliary diesels; house solar | Glass-fiber composite / sandwich | $1.8–2.6m | 950–1,250 | 10–25 after ramp-up | Particularly accommodation-focused. Large opening saloon/cockpit arrangements complicate “inside versus outside” area comparisons. |
| Balance 580 | South Africa About 17.7 m |
Sail + auxiliary diesels; house solar | Foam-core composite with carbon reinforcement | $2.5–3.4m | 750–1,000 | 2–6 | Better suited to active passage-making than maximizing apartment-like volume. Payload discipline matters. |
| Balance 620 | South Africa About 18.9 m |
Sail + auxiliary diesels; house solar | Foam-core composite with carbon reinforcement | $3.2–4.2m | 900–1,150 | 1–4 | Performance-oriented liveaboard option with more carrying capacity than smaller performance cats. |
| Sunreef 60 Eco | Poland, reference-period builds 18.3 m |
Sail + electric/hybrid propulsion; integrated solar | Composite / sandwich | $3.5–5.3m | 1,050–1,350 | 2–6 for Eco variant | Luxury electric-living proposition; verify usable battery capacity, generator specification and realistic hotel-load autonomy. |
| Sunreef 70 Eco | Poland, reference-period builds 21.3 m |
Sail + electric/hybrid propulsion; integrated solar | Composite / sandwich | $5.0–7.5m | 1,400–1,850 | 1–5 for Eco variant | Large customized home afloat; higher capital cost and systems complexity. |
| 80 Sunreef Power Eco | Poland, reference-period builds 23.95 m |
Solar-electric/hybrid power; generator configuration varies | Composite / sandwich | $8.0–13.0m | 1,900–2,500 | 1–4 for Eco variant | Maximum-space luxury option, not a low-cost solar houseboat. Verify the build location of the specific contract as Sunreef expands internationally. |
| Silent 60 | Italy for relevant later production; verify hull About 18.0 m |
Solar-electric power with generator backup | Glass-fiber composite / sandwich | $2.8–4.2m | 900–1,200 | Not reliably estimable during restructuring | Interesting for quiet, slow cruising and time at anchor. Builder restructuring makes contract entity, warranty and delivery security especially important. |
| JFA Long Island 78 Power | France About 23.7 m |
Diesel power; custom house-solar options | Aluminum hulls with composite upper structure | $7.0–11.0m Custom-project budget |
1,400–1,900 | 0–1 | A relevant Western aluminum-hull comparison: bespoke ocean-cruising quality rather than low-cost series production. |
Sunreef Eco estimates should not be applied to conventionally powered versions. Likewise, a composite production yacht and a bespoke aluminum-hull yacht do not have comparable engineering, customization or build economics.
4. China-built branded catamarans
These are established branded products with international sales channels. They should be distinguished from anonymous export listings for aluminum hulls, unfinished boats or commercial passenger catamarans.
| Builder / model | Manufacturing / length | Propulsion and solar | Primary construction | Estimated price USD millions |
Estimated enclosed interior ft² |
Estimated units/year Listed model only |
Liveaboard assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HH60 HH Catamarans / Hudson |
China About 18.3 m |
Sail; auxiliary propulsion and solar depend on specification | Carbon-fiber / epoxy sandwich | $3.0–4.2m | 750–1,000 | 1–4 | Premium performance cruiser. China provides advanced composite manufacturing, not bargain aluminum construction. |
| HH66 HH Catamarans / Hudson |
China About 20.1 m |
Sail + auxiliary propulsion; house solar | Carbon-fiber / epoxy sandwich | $4.0–5.8m | 900–1,200 | 1–3 | Fast bluewater platform; less interior volume per dollar than accommodation-first cruising cats. |
| Aquila 70 Luxury Sino Eagle manufacturing |
China About 21.3 m |
Diesel power; house solar is not the propulsion system | Infused glass-fiber composite / sandwich | $4.5–6.5m | 1,450–1,900 | 3–8 | Spacious, higher-speed luxury power cat. Compare directly with large Lagoon power cats rather than Chinese workboat prices. |
| ILIAD 58 | China; internationally marketed brand About 17.7 m |
Diesel power; house solar can be specified | Glass-fiber composite / sandwich | $2.0–2.8m | 950–1,250 | 2–6 | One of the more relevant China-built options for practical, long-range liveaboard use. |
| ILIAD 62 | China; internationally marketed brand About 18.9 m |
Diesel power; house solar can be specified | Glass-fiber composite / sandwich | $2.6–3.8m | 1,100–1,450 | 2–5 | Good accommodation and cruising-range proposition; compare tankage, loaded displacement and service access with French power cats. |
Important scope limitation:
This is not an exhaustive directory of Chinese-owned yards.
It emphasizes identifiable yacht products rather than giving unsupported specifications
or production claims for export-platform listings.
Also, popular models such as the Aquila 54 and ILIAD 53 fall below the 17 m cutoff.
5. What about low-cost Chinese aluminum catamarans?
Robotic welding helps—but is not the whole explanation
Robotic welding can improve repeatability and lower labor per weld when a yard has repeat designs, accurate cut parts, good fixtures and enough volume. A one-off 20 m yacht is harder to automate economically than a series of identical passenger vessels. Large aluminum boats also need distortion control, accessible weld geometry, inspection and considerable manual assembly and finishing.
Unless a yard provides evidence for the particular production line, it is not safe to assume that a low advertised price results from robotic welding. Lower labor costs, simpler interiors, fewer imported systems, local supply chains and differences in certification or warranty obligations can matter more.
| Type | China: conceptual budget | Western build: conceptual budget | Interior / propulsion | Principal caveat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18–20 m simple displacement liveaboard Basic but complete residential fit-out |
$1.2–2.5m | $2.2–4.5m | Roughly 900–1,400 ft² enclosed; typically twin diesels with house solar | Assumes modest speed, restrained finishes and limited customization. Offshore capability must be engineered, not inferred from aluminum construction. |
| 22–24 m owner-grade cruising cat More substantial systems and accommodation |
$2.5–5.0m | $4.5–8.5m or more | Roughly 1,400–2,100 ft² enclosed; diesel or a separately engineered hybrid package | Luxury fit-out, high speed, class requirements and imported equipment can push either build well above these ranges. |
| 17–24 m passenger, dive or utility cat | A meaningful comparison requires a common specification; no defensible single price range is provided here. | Usually diesel; aluminum is common. Passenger-deck area is not residential accommodation. | A low-cost day boat is not equivalent to a liveaboard yacht. Conversion may require new stability calculations, tanks, insulation, fire protection and escape arrangements. | |
These scenarios illustrate procurement possibilities, not proven country-wide price discounts. They exclude tax, import duties and delivery. There is no reliable annual production or company-growth estimate for an unnamed “Chinese aluminum catamaran” category.
What to require from an aluminum yard
- Engineering: named naval architect, intended operating category, loaded displacement, stability documentation and bridge-deck clearance.
- Material traceability: specified marine alloys and mill certificates—not merely “marine aluminum.”
- Welding quality: approved procedures, qualified welders/operators, inspection plan and appropriate nondestructive testing.
- Corrosion management: electrical isolation, bonding design, compatible fasteners and protection against stray-current corrosion.
- Residential suitability: insulation, thermal breaks, condensation control, acoustic treatment, ventilation and service access.
- Compliance: requirements for your flag, destination market and private or commercial use; CE/RCD assessment where applicable.
- Contract protection: independent surveyor, milestone inspections, clearly defined ownership of work in progress, change-order rules and enforceable warranty terms.
6. Manufacturer growth and production transparency
Revenue growth is not the same as growth in the number of boats built. Revenue can rise because prices increase or because a yard delivers more large yachts. Order books, factory expansions and deposits are also not completed-boat deliveries.
| Company / brand | Growth information | Relevance to this comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Fountaine Pajot Group | Historical reported revenue increased from approximately €276.8m in FY2022/23 to €351.3m in FY2023/24: approximately 26.9% growth. This is a historical financial comparison, not a current growth forecast. | Group revenue includes activities outside the listed large catamarans, including Dufour monohulls. It cannot be converted directly into Samana, Alegria or Thira production growth. |
| Lagoon / Groupe Beneteau | Public parent-company financial reporting exists, but no verified stand-alone Lagoon growth percentage is supplied here. | The parent includes many brands. Group growth would be a poor proxy for deliveries of Lagoon’s 60–78 ft models. |
| BALI / Catana Group | Public group accounts are available. A verified model-specific growth rate for the BALI 5.8 is not available in this comparison. | A new-model ramp-up can be rapid from a very small base and does not establish a sustainable annual rate. |
| Sunreef | Private company; expansion announcements indicate investment, but no independently verified, comparable annual growth series is provided here. | Separate delivered yachts from orders, and Eco variants from conventional versions. |
| Balance | Private builder/brand; reliable annual revenue and model-delivery growth are not publicly established here. | Small-volume production makes year-to-year percentages volatile. |
| JFA | Private, project-based yard; no comparable public growth rate supplied. | One large delivery can materially change annual revenue. Custom projects do not behave like a production line. |
| Silent | Corporate restructuring around 2024 makes a simple continuous growth rate misleading. | Verify the legal contracting company, completed deliveries, funding and warranty responsibility rather than relying on earlier order-book claims. |
| HH / Hudson | No verified public stand-alone HH annual revenue or delivery-growth series supplied. | Hudson’s wider manufacturing activity should not be treated as HH60/HH66 output. |
| Aquila / Sino Eagle | No verified comparable annual growth percentage supplied for Aquila yacht deliveries. | Brand-wide milestones include much smaller boats; they do not establish Aquila 70 production. |
| ILIAD | Private business; no verified audited annual revenue or delivery-growth rate supplied. | Request dated handover records and hull numbers for the 58 and 62 rather than inferring growth from new-model announcements. |
| Independent Chinese aluminum yards | Varies by legal entity; export-platform claims are insufficient to estimate growth. | A yard may count ferries, patrol boats, unfinished hulls and small craft together. Ask specifically for completed 17–24 m yachts. |
Best verification method: request a three-year list of completed handovers,
with model, hull number, completion date and customer references. Calculate delivery growth
as (current-year deliveries / prior-year deliveries − 1) × 100,
and examine revenue separately.
7. Sail, diesel power or solar-electric for living aboard?
| Type | Main liveaboard advantage | Main limitation | Relevant examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation-first sailing cat | Good living space with wind-powered passage-making; mature cruising and resale markets. | Rig maintenance, sail handling and sensitivity to excess liveaboard weight. | Lagoon 60, Samana 59, Alegria 67, BALI 5.8 |
| Performance sailing cat | Better sailing and passage performance; less dependence on motoring in suitable conditions. | Usually more expensive per enclosed square foot; heavy residential equipment can undermine performance. | HH60/66, Balance 580/620 |
| Diesel power cat | High usable volume, no sailing rig and straightforward relocation in calm weather. | Fuel cost and engine hours; higher-speed operation can be substantially more expensive. | ILIAD 58/62, Aquila 70, Lagoon SIXTY 7 |
| Solar-electric / hybrid cat | Quiet time at anchor, reduced generator use and efficient low-speed operation. | Higher capital cost; substantial air-conditioning and propulsion loads can exceed daily solar production. | Silent 60, Sunreef Eco variants |
| Custom aluminum residential cat | Layout freedom, robust working surfaces and potentially attractive space per dollar. | Engineering and project-management risk; thermal/acoustic treatment and resale can be challenging. | Individually specified Chinese or Western custom builds |
A realistic solar-energy check
An illustrative 15 kW solar array producing the equivalent of four to five full-sun hours per day yields roughly 60–75 kWh before system losses. If propulsion draws 30 kW in total, that daily harvest represents only about two hours of propulsion before accounting for refrigeration, cooking, watermaking, air-conditioning and charging losses.
Therefore, solar can be transformative for living at anchor and slow cruising, but “solar yacht” should not be read as “unlimited normal-speed cruising without fuel.” Obtain a speed-versus-power curve at realistic loaded displacement and an itemized daily domestic-energy budget.
8. Other catamaran types worth considering
- Used production sailing cats: a used Lagoon 620 or Leopard 58 can fit this size range and may offer a more predictable route to lower acquisition cost than a first-of-kind imported custom build. Condition, charter history and refit requirements are decisive.
- Passenger and dive cats: aluminum construction and repeat production can make these attractive working platforms. However, overnight accommodation, privacy, tankage and noise control are often inadequate for residential use without expensive modification.
- Houseboat-style cats: potentially excellent space per dollar in protected waters. Large windows and tall superstructures increase windage; marina living capability is not evidence of offshore seaworthiness.
- Expedition-style displacement power cats: worth investigating if range, workshop space, storage and durability matter more than speed. Compare actual loaded range and carrying capacity, not just tank volume.
9. Practical shortlist
- Value-oriented new sailing liveaboard: start with Samana 59, Lagoon 60 and BALI 5.8. Compare owner layouts rather than maximum-cabin charter versions.
- China-built power liveaboard: start with ILIAD 58 and 62. Add Aquila 70 if a larger, faster and more luxurious yacht suits the budget.
- Quiet solar-assisted residential use: compare a conventional cat with a carefully engineered solar/battery package against a purpose-built Sunreef Eco or Silent. Propulsion electrification is not necessary to obtain most of the at-anchor benefits.
- Serious sailing performance: compare HH60/66 with Balance 580/620. China-built and Western-built options overlap in price; neither category is inherently the bargain.
- Lowest-cost aluminum route: commission a common naval-architect specification and solicit like-for-like bids from several Chinese and Western yards. Do not compare a Chinese unfinished hull with a turnkey European yacht.
My overall assessment: For most buyers wanting a dependable full-time home, an established 18–20 m production catamaran is the safer starting point. A custom Chinese aluminum boat can make sense when the layout is simple, speed requirements are modest and independent technical supervision is budgeted from the beginning. The opportunity is real, but it is primarily a procurement and specification opportunity—not proof that robots have made equivalent luxury yachts dramatically cheaper.
10. Sources and verification starting points
These are official manufacturer and corporate starting points, not a claim that live quotations or every specification were checked during preparation. They are useful for confirming model dimensions, construction, layouts and current availability. The estimated prices, enclosed floor areas, annual model outputs and custom-build scenario budgets in this report are analyst judgments, not figures published by these websites.