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14 Great Pocket Cruisers in 2023

• By Victor Tan
• Updated: July 20, 2023

Pocket cruisers and mini yachts are generally vessels under 50 feet in length overall, and can include express cruiser designs, flybridge yachts as well as either monohull or catamaran hull forms. They are cruising boats easily handled by a small, or even shorthanded, crew. Pocket cruisers generally have wave-taming hull designs and have the ability to take on sporty seas, offer comfortable accommodations belowdecks with one or two staterooms for extended voyages, “homelike amenities,” and the ability to cruise as slowly or as quickly as an owner desires with inboard- and outboard-power options. These pocket-cruising boats have the range for longer voyages , can pull up in skinny water at the sandbar thanks to shallow drafts, and head over the horizon where cruising adventure awaits. Pocket cruisers are true multitasking yachts. When it comes to family and couples cruising, it’s hard to beat a well-built and well-equipped and pocket cruiser.

Best Cruising Boats Under 50-Feet

The following 14 pocket cruisers and mini yachts are all vessels we’ve seen, been aboard, and tested. They are listed in no particular order.

• Hood 35 LM: high-tech, family-friendly pocket cruiser
• Galeon Yachts 375 GTO: mid-size boat with plenty of below-deck space
• Aquila 42: sleek power catamaran ready to entertain
• Azimut Verve 42 : small, yet mighty yacht ready for open water
• Hinckley Yachts 35: luxury picnic cruiser with range
• Beneteau Gran Turismo 45: sleek cruising yacht with all the amenities
• Solaris Power 48 Open: eye-catching power yacht with 360-degree views
• Cruisers Yachts 42 GLS: luxury cruiser yacht with powerful outboard options
• Back Cove 34O: modern outboard power combined with classic Downeast styling
• Picnic Boat 40: speedy and fuel-efficient vessel with great looks
• Aquila 36: comfortably seat up to 20 guests for fun on the salt
• Boston Whaler 350 Realm: multitasker built for fishing and entertaining
• MJM 35z: sporty, aesthetically pleasing, cruising-conscious features and elegant lines
• Greenline 39: sturdy-looking lines and environmentally-friendly power

When Android co-founder, Rich Miner, wanted a new family-friendly pocket cruiser , he turned to a custom-penned C.W. Hood design and a Lyman-Morse-built 35-footer, which has a timeless Down East profile matched to seriously modern technology under the hood.

This yacht looks like a traditional, cold-molded Down East dayboat, but actually, it has everything, from Hamilton HJX Series water-jet drives to a planned Sea Machines autonomous command-and-control system . Top speed: 40-plus knots.

Quick Specifications

Galeon Yachts 375 GTO

Even the remnants of Hurricane Ian, couldn’t dissuade the Galeon Yacht 375 GTO from its cruising mission. The small yacht’s wave-splitting hull form is paired to torque-filled 600 hp Mercury Verado outboards , giving this fun-in-the-sun boat a 47-knot top hop.

The 375 GTO is a speedster, to be sure, but it’s also so much more. Just about every aspect of the main deck seating is transformable and multifunction, from the aft seating to the alfresco dining abaft the helm, and beyond. It also has a family-size and eminently cruise-worthy belowdecks space for four guests, all while providing a foredeck entertaining lounge too.

The Galeon Yachts 375 GTO ticks all the boxes for an easy-to-handle and sporty cruiser.

Aquila 42 Yacht Power Catamaran

Following the success of its 44-, 54- and 70-foot power catamaran models, Aquila has launched the stable-as-a-table, owner-operator-ready Aquila 42 Yacht Power Catamaran .

The Aquila 42 is the entry point into the builder’s yacht line and is noteworthy for its ability to accommodate anywhere from a two- to four-stateroom layout, depending on the owner’s cruising requirements. There are alfresco spaces to manage the sunset cruise with friends and family, including a foredeck lounge area that can be accessed via centerline steps from the flybridge. The Aquila 42 is available with several Volvo Penta diesel-engine options .

Azimut Verve 42

Want to cruise from Florida to Bimini in about an hour? The Azimut Yachts Verve 42 can do that thanks, in part, to triple 450 hp Mercury Racing outboards and a hull designed to dice-and-slice a seaway. Top hop: 45 knots. The Verve 42 also has style for miles with a fine entry, raked hardtop, and a razorlike sheerline accented by sweeping hull glass from bow to stern. It’s striking.

With accommodation for a family of four, the Verve 42 is also solid under the hull tokeep everyone safe on those passages. The Verve 42’s hull is built of fiberglass and uses vinylester resins for blister protection. The yacht’s deck and hardtop are comprised of carbon fiber for strength without added weight. This all means that the Azimut Verve 42 is built to CE Classification Type A , making it suitable for sea voyages where winds can exceed 45 mph and seas to 13 feet.

Hinckley Yachts 35

The Hinckley Yachts 35 takes everything that yachtsmen like about this pedigreed-brand’s classic profile and infuses today’s modern outboard power to create 40 knots of sheer fun wrapped in sheer luxury.

This 35-foot Hinckley is built on a Michael-Peters-penned hull form with a fine entry, wider-than-average chines and a moderate deadrise. While the boat is built to sprint when desired, it’s also a relatively economical cruiser. For instance, a comfortable 24-knot cruise the Hinckley Yachts 35 has a 276-nautical-mile range.

It also has a tech-build thanks to vacuum-infused carbon-fiber composites and epoxy resin. An integrated interior structure is infused with the hull adding rigidity. The hull is then post-cured in an 80-foot oven, further strengthening the structure.

Beneteau Gran Turismo 45

The Beneteau Gran Turismo is the flagship of the builder’s four-model GT series, which also includes 32-, 36- and 41-foot models.

The Gran Turismo 45 ’s cruise-centric layout includes two staterooms and two heads belowdecks, as well as a galley down. There is also a dinette for meals and a settee for rainy-day lounging. Entertaining guests and enjoying the sun is the primary mission of the main deck.

Solaris Power 48 Open

The Solaris Power 48 Open was the first powerboat from this longtime builder known for its sailing yachts, ranging from 40 to 110 feet length overall. The Solaris Power 48 Open is notable for its wave-slicing plumb-bow design, high freeboard forward and 32-knot-plus speed. Power is twin 480 hp Volvo Penta IPS650 diesels.

The high freeboard keeps the deck dry and help creates sizable volume belowdecks with an average 6-foot-6-inch headroom. This enables real estate for either one or two staterooms. With the single-stateroom setup, there is a forepeak master stateroom while an L-shaped settee converts to sleeping accommodations for family or occasional guests. Interior wood options are oak or walnut.

Cruisers Yachts 42 GLS

Outboard-power cruising aficionados will appreciate the triple-engine options for the Cruisers Yachts 42 GLS . The 42 GLS we got aboard had the triple 400 hp Mercury Verados , which produced a top hop of 45 knots, but triple 450 hp Verados are available. Triple 350 hp Mercury Verados are the standard engine option. No matter the power arrangement, this express cruiser can easily be used for wakeboarding and tube towing. The 42 GLS is designed to handle the rough stuff too, with a fine entry and 21-degree transom deadrise.

For cruising enthusiasts, the 42 GLS has a master stateroom with an athwartships and a nearly queen-size berth, and the lower salon’s U-shaped dinette converts to a queen-size berth for the kids.

Back Cove 34O

Combining modern outboard power with classic Downeast styling, the Back Cove 34O touts award-winning standards with cruising in mind. The 34O is equipped with twin 300 hp Yamaha outboards, engines that allow the Newport International Boat Show’s 2018 Best Powerboat Under 35 Feet winner to travel up to 214 nautical miles at 24 knots on a 250-gallon fuel tank.

Belowdecks, the 34O has an island double berth and a split-head arrangement with the toilet to port and a separate shower stall to starboard. On the main deck, a U-shape dinette to port accommodates four or more guests on the Back Cove Yachts vessel. The 34O’s galley is equipped with a Cuisinart microwave, a two-burner Kenyon electric cooktop and a Vitrifrigo fridge and freezer.

Picnic Boat 40

Hinckley Yachts unveiled its first Picnic Boat more than two decades ago. Now, after two previous, sub-40-foot models, the Maine-based boatbuilder has developed its largest and most advanced model to date: the Picnic Boat 40.

Twin 480 hp Cummins diesel engines paired to twin Hamilton 322 jet drives propel the yacht to a 30-knot cruising speed and 34 knots on the pins. With optional twin 550 hp Cummins diesels, cruise and top-end speeds jump to 35 and 38 knots, respectively.

There is an L-shaped settee with a table and a wet bar on the main deck to port. The helm station is forward and to starboard with a benchseat for two. There is also a companion seat across from the helm. Belowdecks, there is 6-foot-2-inch headroom, and the dinette table drops to form a California-king berth for overnights and weekending.

Aquila Power Catamarans started its line with 44- and 48-footers, and now the builder’s Aquila 36 takes the line into the midsize market.

The 36 features a single, main-living area from bow to stern, helped in part by the vessel’s 14-foot, 7-inch beam. The boat can comfortably seat up to 20 guests for fun on the salt. Several Mercury Verado engine options are available for the Aquila 36, including twin 250-, 300- and 350-hp four-strokes. With the 350s, the Aquila has a top-end speed of 37 knots.

Other notable features include a fiberglass hardtop, a dinette, a cooktop, a fridge, a sink and a smokeless grill. Belowdecks, there are two staterooms with nearly queen-size berths, en suite heads and 6-foot-6-inch headroom in each.

Boston Whaler 350 Realm

From fishing and entertaining guests to diving and overnight cruising, Boston Whaler ‘s 350 Realm is a multitasker. And it’s fast, too. It’s powered with either triple 300 hp or triple 350 hp Mercury Verados. The 350 Realm can reach a top speed of 46 knots.

At the helm, two Raymarine displays provide vital navigation data. The captain can take in the displays’ view from a doublewide helm seat. There’s a flip-down platform for standing when needed and a footrest when desired.

There is a V-shaped berth that converts into a double berth with a filler cushion. The separated head has a VacuFlush MSD and a hot-and-cold shower. Owners also have the option to add a microwave and a flat-screen TV.

The MJM 35z can reach a top speed of 44 knots and a cruising speed of 33 knots on its optional 350 hp Mercury Verado outboards; twin 300 hp outboards are standard on this MJM Yachts vessel. Additionally, the 35z can travel up to 304 nautical miles on its 250-gallon fuel tank.

The 35z has a flush-deck layout and to port is space for an electric grill, a baitwell, a sink, an ice maker and a fridge. There are two Stidd helm seats—one for the helmsman and the other for a copilot—that rotate to face the rest of the seating aft. In the cabin is V-shaped seating forward that can be converted to a berth.

Owners also have the option of adding a Seakeeper 3 gyrostabilizer and a full-length Bimini top to shade the cockpit.

Greenline 39

Greenline Yachts ‘ vessels are aptly named for their environmentally friendly means of moving about; the Greenline 39 is no different. The Slovenian yacht manufacturer produces two types of this model: hybrid and solar.

If owners opt for the latter, the 39’s four solar panels atop the salon power all of the vessel’s systems for three hours. With the power of the sun, the 39 can achieve a max speed of 6.5 knots and a cruising speed of 4 knots. The hybrid type uses those same panels to help power a 220 hp Volvo Penta D3 with a Mahle electric-drive system. Owners have the option of replacing the standard engine with a 370 hp Yanmar 8LV diesel.

Belowdecks, scissor berths provide accommodations for long weekends.

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Small Yachts For Sale

Finding the right small yacht, or mini yacht, takes the expertise of a professional yacht broker. There are hundreds of yachts under 65-feet available, which is what our team considers a small yacht. Utilizing our professional brokerage services can assist you in your research with finding the perfect boat to purchase. To get started, simply select the boat you like below, or give our main office a call at 1-772-463-3131.

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The Best Mini Yacht Brands for Cruising and Luxury

6th sep 2024 by lenny rudow.

There are many different types of yachts , and there’s no commonly agreed definition of what makes one a mini yacht, but you’ll know one the moment you step aboard. Luxury and comfort are prerequisites, and to be any sort of yacht a boat needs to have all the comforts of home. Most mariners would consider 40 feet of LOA (length overall) to be the minimum for a “regular” yacht, yet there are plenty of luxurious vessels in the 30- to low-40-foot range that, setting aside size, check all the boxes to qualify for yacht status. These, we can safely dub mini yachts. But, which are the best mini yacht brands? How much do mini yachts cost? Is there one out there that might prove ideal for you and your family?

Best Mini Yachts Under $250,000

Best mini yachts $250,000 to $500,000, best luxury mini yachts, best sport mini yachts, best family mini yachts, choosing the best mini yacht for you.

While $250,000 is a lot of money to most of us, it’s an impossibly low figure to purchase a new, full-sized yacht. It’s even tough to find a mini yacht in this category, too. You have to expect minimal size, tight quarters, and a limited number of berths. That said, there are some boats out there that hit this price-point yet still offer reaspmab;e sleeping quarters, full galleys, comfortable saloons, and yacht prerequisites like air conditioning and entertainment centers.

When searching the market for a mini yacht you’ll find that while your options may be limited at this price ceiling, it’s possible to find a wider range of models if you consider looking at used boats for sale . True, we’d all like to buy our boats new. But a wide variety of mini yachts that cost above this budgetary bar when new can be found within this range when they’re just a few years old, including some of the very best yacht brands around.

Top Mini Yacht Brand Picks Under $250,000 

As one of the largest boat builders in the world, Beneteau benefits from economies of scale, and they have boats with all the goods of a mini yacht that fall into this budget range. The Antares 11, a 36-footer with all the comforts of home and a swing-down gunwale that transforms into a huge swim platform, is one example. Or if sailing is more your style, check out the Oceanis 34.1, with two private cabins and a full galley, head, and dinette. Beneteau boats for sale

Beneteau Oceanis 34. Beneteau photo

Ranger Tugs

Ranger Tugs offers the R-27, which despite its model designation is 31’7” long. Starting cost is just under our mark, rigged and ready for cruising with a Yamaha F300 outboard that provides sporty performance with a 30-mph cruising speed and a top-end over 40 mph. There’s a forward private stateroom, a dinette that converts into a berth, a full galley, air conditioning, and plenty of little perks like USB charging ports, an electric grill, a multi-zone stereo system, and EVA foam padding on the deck.  Ranger Tugs boats for sale

Ranger Tugs R-27. Ranger Tugs photo

Doubling the budget opens up a lot more possibilities, particularly among options from the best cabin cruiser boat brands. You can get a bit larger, a bit more opulent, and you’ll have many more options with diesel inboard power versus outboards and stern drives. Of course, not all cabin cruisers can make the grade as a mini yacht, and not all mini yachts are cabin cruisers. As your choices expand, you’ll have a lot more decisions to make.

Top Mini Yacht Brand Picks Under $500,000

The Axopar line includes several models that MSRP in this price range, but the big surprise here is just how large you can get and stay under the $500,000 mark. The 45 Cross Top, for example, pushes the boundary of putting the “mini” in mini yacht, yet still lists for substantially less than half a mil. We should note that these boats are by design more like weekenders than cruisers, with relatively small cabins for their size and lots of open outdoor space, but those who are more concerned with feeling the salty breezes and warm sunshine than they are with sleeping space will love them.  Axopar boats for sale

Axopar 37 XC Cross Cabin. Axopar photo

Cutwater is known for building boats that pack a lot of utility into a very small package, and models like the C-30 CB (35’8” LOA) and C-32 CB (37’8” LOA) are great examples of why. They have everything aboard you need to live the yachting lifestyle, a flybridge atop the cabin, and are available with luxury packages but still don’t come close to breaking this price-point. Plus, with the C-30 you get the reliability and long range abilities of cruising with a diesel inboard in the engine room.  Cutwater boats for sale

Cutwater C-30 CB. Cutwater photo

Jeanneau, part of the Beneteau Group, has several models that hit the mark. One nifty perk is that some, like the NC 1095 Fly, meet all the parameters for a mini-yacht and fall into this price range but also have a flying bridge. There’s no doubt you’ll feel on top of the world when you’re running your mini yacht from up top. Jeanneau also has several Sun Odyssey sailing yachts that make the grade for those who want to run with the wind.  Jeanneau boats for sale

Jeanneau NC 1095 Fly. Jeanneau photo

To some degree luxury, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder, but it’s hard to argue with goodies like high-tech entertainment systems, electrically-actuated loungers, solid teak interiors, or all of the above—and then some. In any case you’ll expect perks like high-end fabrics covering uber-comfortable cushions, complete climate control, and heads that have separate showers. It’s tough to fit all that into a mini yacht’s footprint, but these builders make the grade.

Top Luxury Mini Yacht Brand Picks

Back Cove Yachts was among our choices for the 10 Best Downeast Lobster Boat Brands, and this builder pulls a repeat appearance in the mini yacht division. With classic looks, a spectacular fit and finish, straight diesel inboard powerplants, and interiors that literally gleam with varnish, Back Cove’s boats are classics in every sense. Yet they also pamper the occupants with perks like hot and cold cockpit showers, electric-opening engine room hatches, and charging stations throughout. Back Cove boats for sale

Cruisers Yachts

While much of the Cruisers lineup extends beyond the size of a mini, their 39 EC is a boat that can’t be overlooked, and there’s also an argument to be made for including their GLS series in the realm of mini yachts. What all of the boats built by this brand share is an enormous amount of comfortable seating and open cockpits with huge settees and lounges. What’s unusual about the GLS series is that they sacrifice some cabin space to gain a bow cockpit. Yes, this does cut down on sleeping quarters, but it gains a tremendous amount of outdoor seating, and Cruisers expands your luxury level by including goodies like hydraulic lowering swim platforms, swing-down gunwale platforms, and shape-shifting seats that convert into sunpads.  Cruisers boats for sale

Another boat with classic looks and downeast lines is Sabre. Only one of their models, the 38 Salon Express, counts as a mini (they have five larger models up to 58’), but it scores so high in the luxury department there’s no doubt it belongs in this roundup. This is a pod-drive boat powered by inboard diesel Volvo D4 or D6 IPS drives, riding on a high-tech resin-infused hull. Of course, what’s inside that hull is what provides the luxury, and from one item to the next you’ll spot cut-above quality. The horn is a chrome Kahlenberg; helm seats are Stidds; the steering wheel is crafted from real teak; and soles are real teak and holly.  Sabre boats for sale

Sabre 38 Salon Express. Sabre photo

Can mini yachts really be sporty? Most aren’t, and they pay far more attention to interior design, comfort features, and accommodations than they do to performance. But there are a few brands out there that employ the latest in hull design and construction then match it up with beefy powerplants. The net result? You can enjoy thrill rides and high-speed chases between the bouts of lounging.

Top Sport Mini Yacht Brand Picks

Boston whaler.

Many people would think of Boston Whaler’s boats as fishing machines rather than mini yachts, but models in their Conquest line have everything it takes to be both. And, on top of that, their performance makes them far sportier than most of the competition. The 365 Conquest, for example, can carry a pair of Mercury’s V12 600-hp outboards—the most powerful outboard engines in production today—and it can hit speeds in excess of 50 mph. You want even more speed? Fine. Move up to the 405 Conquest and you can get three of those 600-hp powerhouses, pushing speeds into the 60s.  Boston Whaler boats for sale

Boston Whaler 365 Conquest. Boston Whaler photo

Formula has always been known for building performance boats, and their Sun Sport models combine that performance with comfort-laden cabins, wet bars, loungers, and entertainment centers. There’s a wide range of power options but if you rig a 310 SS with twin Mercury 8.2 MAG ECT engines and Bravo III drives, you can look for top-end speeds in the upper-50s.  Formula boats for sale

Formula 310 SS. Formula photo

What makes a mini yacht great for the family? Well, truth be told any boat is apt to provide lots of family fun. But some are better for the job than others. If you want to cruise with the entire family aboard, in addition to the usual luxury touches, you’ll probably want to have separate sleeping accommodations for kids and adults, a swim platform with easy access to the water, and a good entertainment system aboard. 

Top Family Mini Yacht Brand Picks

Pursuit has a well-deserved reputation for building rather luxurious boats and their Offshore models could have landed in a different category in this roundup, but they get the nod as a great family mini yacht for two reasons: first, because the mid-cabin berth means you get multiple sleeping spaces belowdecks, and second, because of this brand’s fishy attitude. Many kids love to fish and many parents love the bonding time, so angling households will find these boats ideal.  Pursuit boats for sale

Pursuit OS 385. Pursuit photo

Regal’s express cruiser lineup has a couple of models that count as mini yachts, and these are eminently family-friendly. Highlights include a folding “UltraLounge” in the cockpit that converts from forward-facing lounger to aft-facing lounger to sunpad, an optional “PowerPlatform” swim step that lowers from the swim platform at the press of a button, and surprisingly spacious cabins with separate mid-cabin and forward berths.  Regal boats for sale

Regal 33 Express. Regal photo

Sea Ray boats have always been known for being ideal family fun machines, and while most of their lineup is smaller than we’d designate as a mini yacht, the Sundancer line makes the grade. (The SLX line hits the sizing right, too, but cabin space is much more limited). From a family angle, we love the triple-wide bow seating integrated into a cockpit shallow enough for cabin space underneath but deep enough for kids to safely ride up front; the superior snackability of the wet bar with outdoor grill and refrigerator; and the mid-cabin berths in addition to forward berths so both the kids and the adults have their own space.  Sea Ray boats for sale

Sea Ray Sundancer 320. Sea Ray photo

Choosing among the best mini yacht brands is no small task, and choosing a specific model is even tougher. On top of that, you need to decide which type of mini yacht will make you and your family happiest. Then, there’s the question of cost: how much is a yacht , and is your budget appropriate for the smallest, least expensive options, or for larger ones? There’s only one way to answer these questions (and all the other ones bouncing around in your head right now), and that’s to take your time and check out all your options. Carefully. When you’re ready to make a decision, you’ll know it—from the first moment you step aboard.

Written By: Lenny Rudow

With over three decades of experience in marine journalism, Lenny Rudow has contributed to dozens of boating and fishing publications and websites. Rudow lives in Annapolis, Maryland, and is currently Angler in Chief at Rudow’s FishTalk ; he is a past president of Boating Writers International (BWI), a graduate of the Westlawn School of Yacht Design, and has won numerous BWI and OWAA writing awards.

More from: Lenny Rudow

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