Monohull · Sail
LOA 56 FT · SLOOP
$0
≈ 620 sq ft interior
↳ click to spotlight
01 · The fleet
Five reference yachts
Each column below is anchored to a representative new-build: a specific length and sail-away price (dealer-delivered, commissioning done, before VAT/sales tax). Hover a card to trace its column in the table — click to pin it.
Monohull · Trawler
LOA 52 FT · DISPLACEMENT
$0
≈ 700 sq ft interior
↳ click to spotlight
Catamaran · Sail
LOA 52 FT · TWIN HULL
$0
≈ 950 sq ft interior
↳ click to spotlight
Catamaran · Diesel
LOA 53 FT · POWER CAT
$0
≈ 980 sq ft interior
↳ click to spotlight
Catamaran · Solar
LOA 58 FT · ELECTRIC DRIVE
$0
≈ 1,200 sq ft interior
↳ click to spotlight
02 · Full breakdown
Fourteen cost centres, five hulls
Percentage of the sail-away price is shown large; the dollar amount underneath. Every column sums to exactly 100%.
| Cost category% OF PRICE · USD BELOW | Monohull · Sail$925,000 | Monohull · Trawler$1,150,000 | Catamaran · Sail$1,450,000 | Catamaran · Diesel$1,550,000 | Catamaran · Solar$1,900,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial & design | |||||
| Sales company & dealerDealer/distributor margin + marketing (~8–10% of MSRP is typical) | 8%$74,000 | 8%$92,000 | 8%$116,000 | 8%$124,000 | 8%$152,000 |
| Naval architect & engineeringHull/structural design, tooling amortization, tank testing | 3%$27,750 | 3%$34,500 | 3%$43,500 | 3%$46,500 | 4%$76,000 |
| Structure & systems | |||||
| Hull & deck structureLamination, resin & core, keel/rudders or twin hulls, paint | 21%$194,250 | 22%$253,000 | 23%$333,500 | 23%$356,500 | 20%$380,000 |
| Mechanical & propulsionEngine(s), transmissions, shafts/saildrives, generator(s) | 6%$55,500 | 9%$103,500 | 8%$116,000 | 11%$170,500 | 8%$152,000 |
| Electrical, rig & energyWiring, batteries, inverters · mast/sails on sailboats · solar hardtop on the solar cat | 10%$92,500 | 6%$69,000 | 9%$130,500 | 6%$93,000 | 12%$228,000 |
| Navigation & electronicsChartplotters, radar, autopilot, instruments, comms | 3%$27,750 | 3%$34,500 | 3%$43,500 | 3%$46,500 | 3%$57,000 |
| Living-aboard fitout | |||||
| Appliances & interiorGalley, refrigeration, joinery, upholstery, soft goods | 4%$37,000 | 5%$57,500 | 5%$72,500 | 5%$77,500 | 5%$95,000 |
| Plumbing & HVACTanks, heads, watermaker, heating & air-conditioning | 5%$46,250 | 6%$69,000 | 5%$72,500 | 5%$77,500 | 5%$95,000 |
| Yard economics & logistics | |||||
| Direct laborHands-on build hours (lamination through sea trials) | 17%$157,250 | 15%$172,500 | 15%$217,500 | 15%$232,500 | 14%$266,000 |
| Parts, hardware & fittingsHatches, cleats, fasteners, deck gear, miscellaneous | 2%$18,500 | 2%$23,000 | 2%$29,000 | 2%$31,000 | 2%$38,000 |
| Transportation & commissioningFreight, cradle/blocking, launch, sea trials (wide-beam cats cost more to ship) | 2%$18,500 | 2%$23,000 | 3%$43,500 | 3%$46,500 | 3%$57,000 |
| Shipyard overheadFacilities, management, insurance, warranty reserve | 9%$83,250 | 9%$103,500 | 7%$101,500 | 7%$108,500 | 7%$133,000 |
| Shipyard profitBuilder's margin before dealer markup | 8%$74,000 | 8%$92,000 | 7%$101,500 | 7%$108,500 | 7%$133,000 |
| Taxes, duties & complianceImport duty, CE/ABYC certification — excludes VAT/sales tax | 2%$18,500 | 2%$23,000 | 2%$29,000 | 2%$31,000 | 2%$38,000 |
| Sail-away totalDealer-delivered, commissioned, ex-VAT | 100%$925,000 | 100%$1,150,000 | 100%$1,450,000 | 100%$1,550,000 | 100%$1,900,000 |
| Interior square footageApprox. enclosed living area — salon, galley, cabins, heads | 620 SQ FT | 700 SQ FT | 950 SQ FT | 980 SQ FT | 1,200 SQ FT |
| Cost per interior sq ftTotal price ÷ interior area — a "marine real estate" yardstick | $1,492 /SQ FT | $1,643 /SQ FT | $1,526 /SQ FT | $1,582 /SQ FT | $1,583 /SQ FT |
03 · The pattern
Where the average dollar goes
Averaged across all five yachts. Structure and labor dominate; roughly one in six dollars never touches the boat at all.
Sales & dealer8.0%
Naval architecture3.2%
Hull & deck21.8%
Mechanical8.4%
Electrical & energy8.6%
Electronics3.0%
Appliances & interior4.8%
Plumbing & HVAC5.2%
Direct labor15.2%
Parts & hardware2.0%
Transport2.6%
Yard overhead7.8%
Yard profit7.4%
Taxes & compliance2.0%
≈ 22%
goes into fiberglass, resin, core, keel and paint — the structure itself.
≈ 15%
is hands-on human labor at the build bench, before overhead.
≈ 17%
covers selling, administering and profiting — never touches the hull.
$1,490–1,650
per interior square foot — marine-grade space costs far more than residential.
04 · Assumptions
How to read this sheet
01Figures are illustrative industry estimates for production / semi-custom series yachts, fully equipped and sail-away ready. Actual yards vary widely — budget builders skew toward lower overhead & margin, semi-custom yards toward higher labor.
02All prices are USD, ex-VAT. The "taxes" row covers import duty and certification only; national sales tax/VAT (often 7–22%) sits on top of everything shown.
03"Sales company" is the dealer/distributor margin plus factory marketing — the industry-standard 8–10% of MSRP.
04On sailboats, rig & sails are folded into "Electrical, rig & energy" (mast, boom, standing/running rigging, sail wardrobe). On the solar cat, this row carries the solar hardtop, lithium house bank and controllers.
05Interior sq ft is an approximation of enclosed, climate-controlled area (salon, galley, cabins, heads). Catamarans win here — twin hulls plus a bridgedeck salon buy real volume per foot of LOA.
06Reference classes: 56 ft production sloop (Beneteau / Hanse tier) · 52 ft displacement trawler (Nordic Tug tier) · 52 ft production sailing cat (Lagoon / Leopard tier) · 53 ft power cat · 58 ft solar-electric cat (Silent-Yachts tier).