It is the question every catamaran owner asks at some point: « Does my boat still make sense, or should I sell it and buy new? ». The answer is hidden in a calculation few do honestly. Let's run the numbers — without sales pitch, without delusion.
The True Cost of New
Take a benchmark: an Alegria 67 catamaran, listed at €1.2 to 1.4 million ex-yard. Add the variables every salesperson omits: VAT (20 %), commissioning, sails, electronics, energy upgrades, transport, brokerage. The real total reaches €1.5 to 1.8 million.
Add the lead time: 24 to 36 months. Two to three years during which you no longer have your current boat — assuming you sell it — but you don't yet have the new one. That's two to three lost seasons.
The Real Cost of Refit
Now take the same Alegria 67, 6 years old, currently worth around €700,000-800,000. A high-end structural and aesthetic refit costs €300,000-500,000 depending on scope. Total: €1.0-1.3 million for a vessel that is technically and aesthetically equivalent to a new build, delivered in 6-9 months.
Saving: €400,000-700,000. Time saved: 18-27 months. Customisation: total.
The Hidden Variables
Three factors most people overlook:
- Initial depreciation. A new catamaran loses 15-20 % the moment it leaves the yard. A well-refitted catamaran does not suffer this hit.
- Resale value at year 5. A refit done by a recognised integrator retains 85-90 % of its post-refit value. A new build keeps 60-65 % over the same horizon.
- Customisation = differentiation. A factory-built catamaran is one of dozens of identical units. A bespoke refit is unique — and the resale market values that.
The Comparative Table
Here is the side-by-side our customers find genuinely useful:
- Cost: New = €1.5-1.8 M / Refit = €1.0-1.3 M
- Lead time: New = 24-36 months / Refit = 6-9 months
- Initial depreciation: New = 15-20 % / Refit = 0-5 %
- 5-year resale value: New = 60-65 % / Refit = 85-90 %
- Customisation: New = limited / Refit = total
- Onboard technology: New = factory baseline / Refit = state-of-the-art on demand
The Final Equation
For comparable investment, a refit delivers a more usable, better-tailored, better-valued, faster-available boat. The 30-40 % saving is not a discount — it is the elimination of waste embedded in the new-build process: marketing, distribution, generic engineering, decoy options.
The question is no longer « refit or new ». It's « why on earth would you still buy new in 2026? ».