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13 Best Cruising Sailboats in 2023 & Why They're Better

If you're interested in long-distance exploration at sea, cruising sailboats are a popular choice. The best cruising sailboats are designed to provide comfort, durability, and seaworthiness. From high-performance cruisers with heirloom-quality materials to versatile boats, there's something in this lineup for your skill level and preference. These boats have raised the bar and are set to provide memorable sailing experiences.

The best cruising sailboats are:

Beneteau Oceanis Yacht 54

Jeanneau sun odyssey 490, x-yachts x49, dufour grand large 460, hallberg-rassy 340, tartan 4300, island packet 420, fountaine pajot saona 47, lagoon 450f, bavaria cruiser 46.

One aspect that sets these sailboats apart is their focus on innovation and performance. Let's take a closer look at the 13 best cruising sailboats of 2023 and explore what makes them stand out from the rest.

• These cruising sailboats feature spacious interiors, sturdy hulls, and versatile sail configurations.
• These sailboats are equipped with navigation and communication systems, as well as additional features such as watermakers, generators, and refrigeration systems.
• You can buy these boats for anything between $250,000 and $1.4 million or more.
• A cruiser is a type of sailboat that is generally larger and more comfortable than a racing sailboat.

On this page:

Best cruising sailboats, why these sailboats are better, the most popular cruising sailboat.

In this section, we'll explore the 13 best cruising sailboats of 2023, highlighting their unique features and reasons why they stand out in the market.

Comfortable living space : A cruising sailboat should have a comfortable living space that can accommodate the crew for an extended period of time. This includes a spacious cabin, galley, head, and berths.

Seaworthiness : A cruising sailboat should be able to handle rough seas and adverse weather conditions. It should have a sturdy hull, a well-designed keel, and a balanced rigging system.

Sailing performance : A cruising sailboat should have good sailing performance, which includes speed, stability, and ease of handling. It should be able to sail efficiently in different wind conditions.

Safety features : A cruising sailboat should have safety features such as a reliable navigation system, adequate safety equipment, and a strong anchoring system.

Storage space : A cruising sailboat should have enough storage space for provisions, equipment, and personal belongings. This includes storage lockers, shelves, and compartments.

Energy efficiency : A cruising sailboat should have an energy-efficient system that can provide power for lighting, electronics, and other equipment without relying on shore power.

Durability : A cruising sailboat should be built to last and withstand the wear and tear of extended cruising. This includes using high-quality materials and construction techniques.

The Amel 50 is known for its luxurious and comfortable accommodations, and excellent seaworthiness. Its unique features include a spacious interior with modern design, an innovative cockpit layout, and a powerful yet easy-to-handle sailing system.

The Amel 50 has a unique feature called the "Amel Easy Docking" system, which allows for easy and precise maneuvering in tight spaces. It also has a unique "Amel Silent Block" system, which reduces noise and vibration for a more comfortable ride.

The Oyster 565 is known for its high-quality construction, attention to detail, and luxurious accommodations, as well as its excellent safety features. It provides you with exceptional performance and comfort. Its sleek hull design offers fast, stable sailing, while the spacious, high-quality interior ensures you'll enjoy your time onboard.

The Oyster 565 has a unique feature called the "Oyster Deck Saloon," which provides 360-degree views and adequate natural light in the living space. It also has a unique "Oyster DNA" system, which allows for customization of the boat to suit the owner's preferences.

With its cutting-edge design and performance, the Beneteau Oceanis Yacht 54 lets you sail in style. Its chined hull, twin rudders, and easy handling make it a pleasure to sail, while the spacious, modern interior ensures your comfort on longer voyages.

The Beneteau Oceanis Yacht 54 has a unique feature called the "Dock & Go" system, which allows for easy and precise maneuvering in tight spaces. It also has a unique "Beneteau Smart Sailing" system, which includes a suite of electronic and navigational tools for easy and safe sailing.

The Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 490 is known for its hard chine design, and excellent performance and stability. It offers innovative design and functionality. Its walk-around decks, unique cockpit layout, and high-quality interior make it ideal for cruising in comfort.

The Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 490 has a unique feature called the "Walk-Around Deck," which allows for easy and safe movement around the boat. It also has a unique "Jeanneau Sun Loft" system, which provides a flexible and customizable living space.

The X-Yachts X49 combines performance, luxury, and comfort. It is known for its high-performance hull design, excellent speed and stability. With its fast hull, advanced sailing systems, and plush interior, the X49 is perfect for both racing and cruising.

The X-Yachts X49 has a unique feature called the "X-Yachts Pure X" system, which includes a suite of performance-enhancing features such as a carbon fiber mast and boom, a racing-inspired sail plan, and a deep lead keel.

The Dufour Grand Large 460 provides you with both comfort and performance. It is known for its innovative design, featuring a self-tacking jib and retractable bow thruster for easy handling. Its spacious interior, ergonomic deck layout, and powerful sailing capabilities make it an excellent choice for long-distance cruising.

The Dufour Grand Large 460 has a unique feature called the "Dufour Easy" system, which includes a suite of tools for easy and safe sailing, such as a self-tacking jib and retractable bow thruster. It also has a unique "Dufour Grand Large Lounge" system, which provides a flexible and customizable living space.

Experience easy handling and modern style with the Hanse 458. It is known for its sleek and modern design, self-tacking jib, large swim platform. Its innovative self-tacking jib, efficient deck layout, and comfortable accommodation make it perfect for family cruising.

The Hanse 458 has a unique feature called the "Hanse Easy Sailing" system, which includes a suite of tools for easy and safe sailing, such as a self-tacking jib and retractable bow thruster. It also has a unique "Hanse Individual Cabin Concept" system, which allows for customization of the living space to suit the owner's preferences.

Known for its quality and craftsmanship, the Hallberg-Rassy 340 offers you comfort and performance in a compact package. It is known for its classic design, long waterline, spacious cockpit, and comfortable and practical accommodations. With its stable hull, efficient sailplan, and well-designed interior, it's ideal for long-range cruising on a smaller scale.

The Hallberg-Rassy 340 has a unique feature called the "Hallberg-Rassy Hardtop," which provides protection from the elements and a spacious cockpit area. It also has a unique "Hallberg-Rassy Quality Concept" system, which includes high-quality construction materials and techniques for durability and longevity.

The Tartan 4300 delivers a perfect balance of performance and comfort. It is known for its high-quality construction, cored hull and deck for added strength and durability. Its epoxy-infused hull provides lightweight strength, while the spacious, beautifully crafted interior ensures a luxurious cruising experience.

The Tartan 4300 has a unique feature called the "Tartan Infusion Molding Process," which allows for precise and consistent construction of the hull and deck for added strength and durability. It also has a unique "Tartan Smart Sailing" system, which includes a suite of electronic and navigational tools for easy and safe sailing.

For those who value comfort and classic design, the Island Packet 420 won't disappoint. It is known for its full keel design, excellent stability and seaworthiness. Its spacious, well-appointed interior and solid construction make it a reliable choice for long voyages.

The Island Packet 420 has a unique feature called the "Island Packet Full Foil Keel," which provides excellent stability and seaworthiness. It also has a unique "Island Packet Anchoring System," which includes a powerful windlass and a custom-designed anchor roller for easy and safe anchoring.

The Fountaine Pajot Saona 47 catamaran offers you the perfect combination of speed, stability, and space. Its sleek hulls and spacious, well-designed living areas make it an excellent choice for cruising with friends and family.

The Fountaine Pajot Saona 47 has a unique feature called the "Fountaine Pajot Helmsman's Position," which provides excellent visibility and control of the boat. It also has a unique "Fountaine Pajot Lounge Deck" system, which provides a spacious and comfortable living space.

Cruise in style on the Lagoon 450F, known for its spacious accommodations and excellent performance under sail. With its distinctive flybridge, comfortable cabins, and efficient sailing system, it's ideal for multi-day getaways.

The Lagoon 450F has a unique feature called the "Lagoon Flybridge," which provides excellent visibility and control of the boat. It also has a unique "Lagoon Spacious Cockpit" system, which provides a comfortable and practical living space.

The Bavaria Cruiser 46 is a versatile and stylish cruiser that offers excellent performance and comfort. It is known for its innovative design, featuring a drop-down transom for easy access to the water. Its user-friendly sailing systems, attractive interior, and practical deck layout make it an ideal choice for a wide range of cruising adventures.

The Bavaria Cruiser 46 has a unique feature called the "Bavaria Hybrid Propulsion System," which allows for energy-efficient sailing and propulsion. It also has a unique "Bavaria Smart Storage" system, which provides enough storage space for gear and supplies. Additionally, the Bavaria Cruiser 46 has a unique "Bavaria Vision" design concept, which includes a spacious and comfortable living space with plenty of natural light and ventilation.

Cruising Gear Essentials

Key features to look for

Versatile hull design.

This allows your sailboat to navigate in various conditions, making it ideal for long-distance cruising.

Efficient sail plan

By having a well-designed sail layout, your boat provides better control, handling, and propulsion.

High-quality construction

Top-quality materials and craftsmanship not only increase the boat's durability, but also enhance its performance.

Comfortable accommodations

When you spend extended periods at sea, you want your sailboat to feel like home, with adequate living space and modern amenities. For an extended sailing trip, you are going to need these 41 sailboat cruising essentials .

How they improve sailing experience

Easier boat handling.

Advanced rigging systems, self-tacking jibs, and other innovative technologies make it easier for you to manage your boat, allowing for more time spent enjoying the sea.

Increased safety

State-of-the-art navigation equipment and weather forecasting systems help you anticipate environmental changes, ensuring a safe voyage.

Sustainable power options

Many sailboats in 2023 come with solar panels, hydro generators, or hybrid propulsion options, reducing your environmental impact and providing more sustainable choices while out at sea.

Integrated connectivity

These boats boast digital systems that allow you to stay connected, monitor your journey, and update your friends and family with your adventures.

Their advantages over others

Better performance.

These boats have been designed with speed, stability, and maneuverability in mind, ensuring top-notch sailing experiences.

Longevity and value

Since they're built with high-quality materials and expert craftsmanship, these boats are certain to last, making them a wise investment.

Customization options

Many of these sailboats offer customizable features, allowing you to tailor the boat to your specific needs and preferences.

Award-winning designs

Several of these boats have received prestigious awards for their innovative features and performance, making them the ultimate cruising sailboats for any passionate sailor.

The Island Packet 420 and Lagoon 450F are the two most popular cruising sailboats known for their comfort, seaworthiness, and versatility.

The Island Packet 420 is a well-regarded cruising sailboat that has a loyal following. It is known for its spacious interior, comfortable accommodations, and good sailing performance.

The Island Packet 420 features a full keel and a cutter rig, which makes it a stable and seaworthy vessel that can handle a variety of weather conditions. The sailboat has a large master cabin, a well-equipped galley, and a comfortable salon area, making it a popular choice for those who enjoy extended periods of time at sea.

The Lagoon 450F is a popular choice for those who want to explore the world by boat. It is known for its spacious interior, stable platform, and good sailing performance.

The Lagoon 450F features a catamaran hull design, which provides a stable and comfortable platform that is ideal for long-distance cruising. The sailboat has a spacious cockpit, multiple sleeping quarters, and a well-equipped galley, making it a popular choice for those who want to travel with family or friends.

The best size cruising sailboat

The best size cruising sailboat is in the range of 40 to 50 feet. Sailboats in this size range are large enough to provide comfortable accommodations for an extended period of time at sea, yet small enough to be easily handled by a small crew or even single-handed.

Sailboats that are too small may lack the necessary amenities and space for long-distance cruising, while sailboats that are too large may be difficult to handle and require a larger crew. Ultimately, the best size cruising sailboat will depend on individual preferences, needs, and intended use, and it's important to consider factors such as comfort, safety, and ease of handling when choosing a cruising sailboat.

The safest cruising sailboat

Hallberg-Rassy 340, and Island Packet 420 are considered among the safest cruising sailboats. These sailboats are known for their sturdy construction, well-designed hulls, and reliable systems. They are also known for their ability to handle a variety of weather conditions and their comfortable accommodations. However, safety can also depend on the boat maintenance, and the skill and experience of the crew.

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Sailboat Review: Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 380

• By Mark Pillsbury
• April 12, 2022

First impressions count, and mine were definitely ­favorable as I approached the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 380 with CW ’s Boat of the Year ­judges during October’s United States Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland. Something about the way the reverse bow’s knuckle hovered just above the water caught my eye. Toss in pronounced hull chines carried aft from amidships, a low-slung coachroof and a high-aspect rig, and this boat hinted at the potential for some serious giddyap-and-go.

And it did, as we found out a few days later, when we went for a sail on a delightfully sunny morning on Chesapeake Bay.

The breeze was decent, about 15 knots. Sailing hard on the wind, we saw 7 knots and change on the GPS; we pushed it past 8 knots when we cracked off to a close reach. The 380 comes with a sprit that does double duty as an anchor roller and tack for off-wind sails, but a code zero wasn’t available (or we might have bumped the speedo by another knot or so while reaching deeper).

Judge Tim Murphy summed up our time aboard fairly well later in the day: “It really was a lovely boat to sail. Boy, we got out there this morning; the breeze was light, and you really, really felt the pleasure of going sailing. That’s quite successful.”

After my trick at the wheel, I wrote in my notes, “super-­responsive.” Naval architect Mark ­Lombard knows how to draw slippery hulls, and with twin rudders, the 380 immediately zigged and zagged with just a turn of the wheel. I ­believe they call it fingertip steering. 

The helms are far aft in the cockpit, adjacent to the manual ­fold-down transom/swim platform, and there is a clean path between them. This ­design allows the helmsman to move easily from side to side. I had no problem tacking the boat single-handed, releasing the loaded-up ­genoa sheet and the crossing to trim to the new heading. A single Harken sheet winch was just forward of either wheel. Another pair of Harken winches was on the cabin top, to either side of the companionway, for halyards, reef lines and a vang control.

The 380 uses a double-ended main sheet attached to a bridle with anchors on either side of the cabin top. Sheet ends are led to stoppers at either wheel so that they can be locked off and the coaming winches can be used for genoa trimming. Rather than using fairlead cars and tracks, the genoa jib sheets are led through friction rings on either side of the mast. The rings are each controlled by inhaul and outhaul lines, which means you can position the clew where you want it and really fine-tune sail shape. It takes a little getting used to, but it’s a ­pretty ­nifty feature. The boat we sailed was set up with a 110 ­percent genoa on a roller ­furler; a track for a self-tacking jib is an option.

Forward of the helms, the 380 has a roomy, well-laid-out cockpit. A centerline table has fiberglass leaves that drop to allow a clear path forward to either side, and its stainless-­steel tube frame provides a solid handhold. The boat we visited had cushions on the coamings and seats, and the benches were long enough for the off-watch crew to stretch out and grab some rest.

A few years ago, Jeanneau introduced walkaround decks to the Sun Odyssey line, and the builder has now brought this concept to the 380, likely the smallest boat that will see it. The side decks ramp down to the level of the cockpit sole, so you just have to walk out from either wheel and then forward up a relatively gentle incline. Besides ease of use for older crew, the arrangement means the lifeline and stern pulpit are about waist-high at the after end of the boat (good for safety as well). Forward of about amidships, the lifelines are at their typical 24-inch height. Thick, molded toe rails help keep feet from sliding overboard when the boat’s heeling.

Two last notes about the topsides: The 380 has no backstay, meaning an owner can hoist a square top main for added performance (our boat had a traditional main, stowed in a boom pouch when not in use). The trade-off is relatively low lower shrouds that need to be ducked when heading for the foredeck, though the low coachroof makes stepping up and past them tolerable.

Down below, the 380 has a fairly traditional layout by Jean-Marc Piaton, who’s had a hand in styling the entire Sun Odyssey range. A centerline drop-leaf table is forward in the saloon, surrounded by U-shaped seating to port; opposite is a long settee, with a kind of cool inboard armrest at its forward end. It lets you face aft and relax, or turn to converse with mates across the table. At the opposite end are a nav station and the boat’s electrical panel.

The galley is abaft the ­dinette. It has a gimbaled ­propane two-burner stove and oven, as well as generous refrigeration space. The counters have deep fiddles, and there’s enough stowage to provision for extended time at sea.

There are multiple ­options for sleeping ­accommodations. The boat we saw had a three-stateroom, two-head ­layout, with a shared head and shower compartment to starboard, at the foot of the companionway. With the two-stateroom, one-head arrangement, you gain a second hanging locker in the owner’s stateroom forward, and the stateroom aft and to starboard is reconfigured for a separate shower, as well as room for a workshop or stowage. If it were my boat, that’s what I’d choose.

Jeanneau injects the ­balsa-cored deck of the 380, which means there is a finished top and bottom ­surface when it comes out of the mold. The hull is hand-laid and solid fiberglass. There are two cast-iron fixed keels available: shoal draft (5 feet, 3 inches) and standard (6 feet, 6 inches). There’s also a lifting keel option. At 54 feet, 6 inches, the rig is Intracoastal Waterway-friendly. Our boat had a 29 hp Yanmar and shaft drive (a 40 hp Yanmar is optional). A base-model SO 380 starts at $237,000. The boat we sailed, with canvas, air conditioning, electronics and a stereo system among the options, will run you about $350,000, delivered and commissioned to the East Coast of the United States. 

Though I began with a nod to first impressions, my ­lasting impression of the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 380 is favorable too. Or, as Boat of the Year judge Ed Sherman put it, “Yeah, cool boat.”

Mark Pillsbury is a CW editor-at-large.

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 380 Specifications

For a complete guide to ­ Cruising World ’s extensive ­online ­catalog of boat reviews, or to ­request ­reprints from our older print ­archives of reviews, go to ­ cruisingworld.com/sailboats .

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Jeanneau Arcadia

A sleek, modern european-style cruiser from one of the world's largest boat builders..

A mixture of old and new, of reality and hype, seems to characterize the Jeanneau company and its boats. A bit of old-fashioned attention to detail; a bit of high-tech stamp-em-out production. A bit of old-fashioned engineering; a bit of “to hell with tradition, let’s make this boat different.”

To most Americans, the Jeanneau boats seem to have appeared suddenly, but the company has been around since l956. Aggressive entry into the American market resulted when Lear Siegler bought Jeanneau and the other Bangor Punta boat companies (Cal, O’Day, Ranger) in 1983.

Like most of the Jeanneaus, the Arcadia (pronounced “Are-caw-dee-yah”) is rare in America—only a few were imported—but, also like most of the Jeanneaus, the total production run is incredible—the factory popped out 600 completed boats in the Arcadia’s first two years. The only American company that could even aspire to such numbers in a 30-footer is Catalina, and they produce a miniscule number of models compared to Jeanneau.

A notable thing about Jeanneau is the diversity of designers—almost all “big names,” at least in Europe, and almost all with grand-prix racing credentials: Guy Dumas, Doug Peterson, Philippe Briand, Jacques Fauroux, the Joubert/Nivelt team.

The designer of the Arcadia is Tony Castro, new to Americans but an established designer in Europe. Of Portuguese descent, Castro began his work with Ron Holland in Ireland, then set up his own shop in 1981 and achieved success designing successful IOR racing machines. Now a British citizen, he has two other designs in production at Jeanneau, and a third—an IOR half-tonner—scheduled for production soon.

The design of the Arcadia is not IOR. We would call it “moderate modern,” of relatively light displacement and shallow hull, with a high aspect ratio keel, separated spade rudder, and beamy hull.

Her appearance is, well, “European.” The flat sheer, a doghouse that slopes forward into the foredeck, long black windows (you can’t call them “ports”), and blunt ends make up that “European” look which is decidedly—almost blatantly—nontraditional.

“Thoroughly modern” is a term that appears several times in Jeanneau’s advertising blurbs.

Construction

In contrast to the boat’s image, the construction of the Arcadia is anything but high-tech.

The hull is standard hand laid fiberglass mat and roving; the deck is standard hand laid fiberglass with balsa core in spots. The balsa-core “spots” seemed to be less extensive than normal (we couldn’t examine much of the deck molding because of the interior ceiling liner), but the deck was stiff enough underfoot. The deck hardware we could examine was through-bolted with big washers, but there were no backing plates on anything.

The hull-to-deck joint typifies the construction of the boat. The joint appears to be a standard inward-turning flange on the hull, on which the deck molding rests. Then 1/4″ stainless bolts are set through an aluminum toerail as well as the deck and the hull flange.

Pretty normal so far, but Jeanneau finishes off the joint on the inside by laying a thick layer of fiberglass over everything—from the hull, over the seam, covering the bolts, onto the deck. It looks strong—a good way to build a decent hull-to-deck joint on a fast moving production line. The reservation we have about it is in repairs—if the joint is damaged, it will be tough to examine thoroughly and tough to fix. Similarly, the joint should never leak, but if it does, tracking down the source will be nearly impossible.

Generally, the glasswork and gelcoat look good; the two hulls we examined were smooth and fair.

The boat’s strength and stiffness probably come from Jeanneau’s practice of bonding everything to everything else. Not only are the athwartship bulkheads bonded to the hull and deck with fiberglass tape, but cabinet fronts are bonded to hull and bulkheads, cabinet sides are bonded to fronts and bulkheads, the head door frame is bonded to the engine box frame which is bonded to the hull and to the cockpit, and so on. The whole interior is obviously prefabricated in typical production line fashion, but we’ve never seen another production boat in which the interior parts were so much fiberglassed to each other and to the hull. It seems like a good lowtech method of acquiring stiffness without skeleton framing or coring the hull.

Like many of the Jeanneaus, the Arcadia comes with either a centerboard or an external keel—about 70% having been keel models. The keel is unusual in two respects. First, rather than lead, it’s iron, coated with fiberglass to prevent corrosion. Second, the keelbolts are not vertical and on centerline in the normal fashion. Instead, they are set in pairs, angled from the sides of the keel inward so that, inside the hull, the bolts, were they long enough, would converge and touch. Further, once the keel is bolted on, a heavy layer of fiberglass is laid in the bilge to fully cover the bolts. As with the hull-to-deck joint, this looks strong and leak proof, but again we would be concerned about the difficulty of repairs and finding leaks following a hard grounding. The keel that we examined was fair and well finished. We did not inspect a centerboard model.

The spade rudder is supported by a small skeg; the one we saw was well finished except for a rough trailing edge. Tiller steering is standard on the Arcadia, but both boats we examined had the optional Plastimo wheel steering, with a “European size” wheel, about 24″ diameter. Most Americans like a much bigger wheel; unfortunately a larger one could not be fitted without major modifications to the cockpit seats.

The rig generally looks to be pretty standard issue—masthead rigged sloop, with upper and aftlower shrouds and a “baby stay” forward. The boat we examined had double spreaders, whereas the company literature and photos show a single-spreader mast. The company does advertise an optional tall “lake” rig, but this is designed only for European inland lakes and would be unsuitable for coastal, Great Lakes, or offshore sailing. None were imported into the U.S.

The upper shroud chainplates are anchored on a transverse overhead frame which begins at a settee bulkhead on the hull and then extends up over the cabin and down to the hull on the opposite side, with a compression post in the middle of the cabin under the mast. The frame is bonded to the hull and deck and should provide adequate strength and mast support. The lower shroud chainplates are anchored to a similar frame, bonded only to the hull and side decks.

A final note on the Jeanneau’s construction. We asked the dealer who was showing us one of the Arcadias to pick out one thing that made the Jeanneau different from the three American brands he also handles. “They are dry,” he said. “I don’t know how they do it, but they just don’t leak, either from the top of the deck downward or from the bottom of the hull upward.” From a dealer who has sponged out a lot of bilges before bringing customers on board, those are words of praise.

Handling Under Power

The two Arcadias that we looked at had two-banger diesels—one a Yanmar, the other a Volvo (production line changes, again). Sales literature lists an outboard version—thankfully no such monster is likely to be imported—and a version with either a one or a two cylinder Yanmar. For a 6000+ pound boat, we would consider the one cylinder very marginal and recommend the two cylinder, along with the optional folding prop.

The engine installation is well done (stringers and beds bonded to everything in sight) with soundproofing on the compartment walls, a waterlift muffler, and a seven gallon fuel tank. There is good accessibility to the engine through the aft cabin and through the removable companionway, except that the dipstick on the Yanmar is hard to get at.

Two details impressed us. The engine compartment has a small electric bilge pump as standard equipment in the sump below the prop shaft’s packing gland—one place that is likely to have water. And, in the front of the companionway steps that open onto the engine, there’s a 2″ hole with a plastic cover, the function of which baffled not only us but also the first person who showed us the boat. Finally, the dealer explained its purpose: in the event of an engine room fire, pull the plastic cover, insert the working end of a fire extinguisher, and discharge it. Eminently more practical than pulling off the companionway steps and feeding more oxygen to the flames.

Under power with the folding prop, the boat handled satisfactorily, backing where we wanted to back it, with adequate power in forward and reverse. Visibility from behind the wheel is decent, but there is no comfortable place to sit aft and the wheel is too small to reach from the sidedeck. The engine had no more vibration than you’d expect from a two-cylinder diesel and was a bit quieter than other boats, probably because of the insulation in the engine compartment.

Handling Under Sail

We were able to sail the Arcadia for only about an hour; unfortunately, we have too few reader responses to make many valid judgements about the Arcadia’s performance under a variety of conditions (most of our owner’s responses are based on a single season’s sailing, or less).

In our limited experience, we found that she went to weather, reached, and ran very much like other contemporary racer-cruisers. She pounded a bit in a short chop, as you might expect from her shallow hull design, but we saw no other bad habits. (Her sails are from a small French loft, “Ton,” and are adequate. Racers will want to get better.)

Her PHRF rating of 150 suggests that overall performance under sail is about midway between older racer-cruisers like the Pearson 30 or Tartan 30 and the newer racer-cruisers like the Santana 30/30 or the S2 9.1. We were hoping that—as a Tony Castro design—she might be a rocketship, but she’s not. She will be a fast cruiser, and an owner will be able to race her under PHRF.

Deck Layout

With inboard shrouds, wide sidedecks, and the sloping cabin top, the Arcadia is easy to move around on and to work under sail. We only noted two problems: first, the foredeck becomes very narrow—an impediment to easy foresail and anchor handling that is all too common in modern designs. Second, the cockpit was uncomfortable—the seats a little too narrow, the backs too vertical, and the footwell maybe a little too deep. We also had trouble reaching the small wheel from either the windward or leeward sidedecks where you would normally sit while racing.

Deck fittings are generally good quality and adequately sized, with everything necessary to race the boat except spinnaker gear coming as standard equipment. We did feel that the designer had not quite thought through crew positions for working the boat—what should be done at the mast, what from the cockpit—surprising for a contemporary IOR designer who must attend to those details. Most owners will probably rearrange things after a season’s experience.

The non-skid is average, but there are some nice details on deck such as the twin bow rollers for anchor handling, the sturdy latch on the anchor locker, and the large mooring cleats. There’s a space at the back of the cockpit for life raft stowage and for propane bottles, and a stowage bracket for a horseshoe buoy built into the stern pulpit. The stern pulpit opens up to a folding stainless ladder.

It is “downstairs” that Jeanneau really spits in the eye of tradition—not just in the Arcadia but in most of their models. Most obvious is the layout, with the Arcadia’s head and the owner’s double-berth cabin packed into the rear third of the boat, partly under the cockpit. Both head and owner’s cabin are a little cramped, but for a smallish 30-footer, it’s surprising they are possible at all.

The rest of the cabin is wide open, with a small galley and navigation table opposite each other, then settee berths on either side of a fold-up centerline table, then a crawl-in forward berth.

We noted three drawbacks. First, the forward Vberth is too short for adults. Second, anyone over 5′ 8″ or so cannot sit upright on the settee berths without banging the overhead. Third, the standing headroom at the aft end of the cabin disappears as you walk forward under the sloping deckhouse.

This last item we really find hard to understand, since headroom is something most people are looking for, and the only apparent reason not to have it in a 30-footer is to satisfy the “style” of the sloping deck house. (There is a bit of a weight saving that might be important in a racer but hardly valuable in the Arcadia.) Oddly, the same headroom problem exists even in the 34′ Jeanneau Sunrise that we looked at.

The interior of the Arcadia is all woody and undoubtedly one of the strong selling points at boat shows. Teak-faced plywood is all over the place. We thought the veneer work was good for production line work, especially where the veneer covered the plywood edges—for example in the window cutouts. The wood has a light coating of varnish, even inside lockers and drawers. The overhead has a soft vinyl covering that looks a little better than bare fiberglass. Inside hardware—like hinges and latches—is noticeably better than on the usual American production boat.

A strange detail is the manual bilge pump whose handle sticks out of the side of the chart table into the middle of the cabin.

Oddly, the boats we inspected were not “Americanized.” Most owners would likely want shore power, but this is not a company option—it will have to be installed by the owner or dealer. The galley stove comes with hook-ups for butane which will have to be converted to propane. And many Americans looking at a 30-footer might expect a shower, which will be difficult to install on this boat.

Conclusions

Overall the Jeanneau Arcadia surprised us. We were expecting a boat comparable in quality to mid-line American production boats; we found the Jeanneau to be somewhat better in construction and in many details. Being fond of tradition, we have a problem with the style of most of the Jeanneaus, including the Arcadia, but ultimately style is a tenuous criticism of a boat, unless it is truly ugly.

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Better Sailing

Beneteau Vs Jeanneau: Which is Better?

I want to start this article by saying that both Beneteau and Jeanneau produce fine boats built to high standards, and you can’t go wrong either way. However, in today’s article, we will take a closer look at both brands to determine each’s pros and cons and hopefully help you make up your mind when purchasing one. 

Beneteau offers a wide range of sailing boats in various sizes, from small boats such as the First 14 to bigger ones like the Oceanis Yacht 62. In their production line, there are power boats as well as sailboats ideal for both leisure boating and sports events. Beneteau is a reputable brand to be reckoned with as far as international boating standards are concerned. Their boats have won famous international races such as Fastnet, Sydney Hobart, and the Middle Sea Race.

The Beneteau group acquired Jeanneau in 1995, so Beneteau and Jeanneau boats are essentially the same brand with some differences in how the two of them do things. Jeanneau produces luxurious and timeless boats by architects with a world-class reputation between 33 feet (like the Sun Odyssey 349) and 64 feet (like the Jeanneau 64 ). Their boats are famous for their comfort, sportiness, and sheer luxury. Jeanneau is famous for making their customers’ comfort a top priority, and personally, I like the timeless design.

Beneteau Vs Jeanneau – Overall Built Quality

According to my personal experience, an interview that I did with a boat surveyor and an online independent boat owners review group, there have been subtle choices of the Jeanneau newer models having a stronger build than the previous Beneteau boats. This is because the Jeanneau’s hull is built using the glassed-in stringers and floors and won’t come unglued. On the other hand, Beneteau has a dropped in moulded pan model. The glassed-in grid system is superior to the glued-in liner system.

Besides that and a few other variations on different architectural approaches, the overall built quality is typically the same, and many of their boats are even produced in the same factories.

Beneteau boats are often made for charter and the family market, with design towards more roomy interiors and bigger, more comfortable cabins and galley. This means more storage in the cabins and roomier bathrooms. Jeanneau boats, however, perform better as cruisers. They point well, do not often creak and slam, and are lovely sailors that ride well with the wind. The keels are robust, and these features culminate to make them better under sail. Still, even though their interior has enough space and provides comfort, they come second to the Beneteau in that aspect.

>>Also Read: Best Sailboats Under 100k

Jeanneau has promised and delivered its customers on an international scale peace of mind concerning their cherished Jeanneau boats. With an extended general warranty which was moved up from 2 years to 3 years, customers can boldly cruise wherever on earth and never need to worry if the part they are sailing in voids their warranty or not. They have a 5-year blister warranty on hull blistering thanks to the new material resin they now use as a barrier coat. The 7-year warranty covers all Jeanneau boats’ structure exclusively, which means that all deck and hull repairs with regards to manufacturing defects as recognized by technical services are covered under this 7-year warranty package. What’s so much more is that this 7-5-3 warranty is transferable upon the boat’s resale to future owners. So, the Jeanneau warranty can still cover a second-hand buyer, which helps with the resale of your boat.

The Beneteau group parts and labor warranty for replacing any defective parts as detected by professional technicians in the department is offered. This will last for 3 years following the delivery of your purchased boat. Then similarly to Jeanneau, they also offer a 7-year structural warranty that will cover the expenses of any fault that is deemed by your dealer’s diagnosis to be the manufacturer’s fault. This period of 7 years starts counting following the purchase of a new boat from any authorized retail outlets.

>>Also Read: Best Sailboats Under 40 Feet

Architects and Designers

Beneteau first did architectural work with an outsider in 1975. This collaboration produced the First 30, and since then, Beneteau crafts have been boats to reckon with at sea. Today Beneteau continues to partner with seasoned architects to make the best naval crafts. These architects go to great lengths to make real innovative stuff. Some of these well-known architects and their companies are Pierangelo Andreani of ANDREANI DESIGN, a designer and an architect; Jean Berret & Olivier Racoupeau of BERRET-RACOUPEAU DESIGN; Robert Biscontini of BISCONTINI YACHT DESIGN, who doubles as a Naval architect and a designer. These renowned companies and men have been and are behind the architectural structure and design of Beneteau crafts.

Jeanneau has worked out something similar to the Beneteau in line with their design department. Their boats are distinguished by their elegance, with constant innovation drawn in by the crème-de-la-crème in the naval architecture niche. Together with the well-tempered execution of the Jeanneau project teams, these designs help to achieve the attractive and easy to handle boats they are well-known for. Some of their architectural designers include Daniel Andrieu of ANDRIEU YACHT DESIGN; Vittorio Garroni, CEO of GARRONI DESIGN; Marc Lombard of MARC LOMBARD DESIGN; and Andrew Winch of WINCH DESIGN.

>>Also Read: Best Sailboats to Live On

Beneteau’s revolutionary Dock & Go System is a kind innovation in the boating world that eliminates the worry of manually maneuvering your watercraft into a dock and providing a solution to the cumbersome task of having to handle your boat in close quarters. The new Beneteau boats come with a joystick that synchronizes a pivoting saildrive base and bow thruster. The Dock & Go system combines the engine’s assistance and bow thruster to give the same thrust both astern and ahead. It is also compatible with feathering/folding propellers, which helps optimize a yacht’s thrust for all-around maneuverability.

Jeanneau partnered with the ZF Marine Industries group to create a similar Dock & Go System, one which allows a joystick to direct the boat to whichever direction within a 360 degrees angle just with the push of a button. They named this system the 360⁰ docking, a name culled from the directions. This system can move the boat at the desired speed for an easy and fulfilled experience. Subsequent models of boats were released after the innovation came fully equipped with it.

>>Also Read: Beneteau vs. Catalina

Building Materials

As for building materials, the Beneteau group uses resin and balsa core to build their hull. Balsa core is a sandwich laminated between the inner and outer fiberglass material. This balsa core permits resin quantity reduction in each hull constituent while still maintaining the desired structural strength. Resin constituent reduction in the hull means lighter weight and better sailing. It can also make the boat go faster. Balsa core is infamous for high resistance, noise reduction, and insulation. Wood for their boats is reportedly purchased from only certified and controlled sources who cut with the good of the ecosystem at heart. Alpi Wood seems to be their favorite choice, and why wouldn’t it be? Alpi Wood perfectly suits timber for marine products and is definitely a renewable resource.

Jeanneau makes their modern monohull using the vacuum resin infusion molding technique, and they also use something similar when they make the deck. This is implemented to control weight and also to create a quality finish. No wonder Jeanneau boat owners always have some scintillating (no matter how subtle or little) to say about their boats finishing. They have also been making use of fiberglass to make their hulls since 1958 and because this material is just as -if not more- reliable as wood which has been the preferred choice of building material.

They use this fiberglass technology known as an infusion to make hulls for bigger boats. Infusion is where they lay up dry fiberglass cloth in the mold and enclose it in a vacuum with a plastic film. Then they pour the resin to seep in and seed the entire cloth. The result is an overall weight reduction and optimization of the resin quantity to increase the strength and resistance of each piece produced.

Beneteau Vs Jeanneau – Final Thoughts

Much, yet not enough, has been said about these two innovative boat brands, and this is because there are so many good things to say about both Beneteau and Jeanneau. Because both brands are basically the same company, many similarities have arisen in the course of our comparison. Not to worry, though, because both brands are constant award winners in races and yearly awards and what is more important is that their owners are the proudest to own them. 

Personally, although I believe that Beneteau boats are nice and comfortable and sail reasonably well, Jeanneau boats are better as they feel and sail like proper sailboats. Jeanneau boats point well, sail better and don’t creek as much or slam as hard. Also, keel fittings feel more robust and feel better-built all around.

Pro Tip:  If you are torn between buying a Jeanneau or a Beneteau sailboat but are unsure which one you should go for, then I strongly suggest that you charter each of the boats for at least a week. That way, you will find out which boat fits your needs better and which one you like better. That way, you can avoid making an expensive mistake.

Peter is the editor of Better Sailing. He has sailed for countless hours and has maintained his own boats and sailboats for years. After years of trial and error, he decided to start this website to share the knowledge.

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• Jeanneau Yachts 55
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Innovative, bold, and original, this Jeanneau Yachts 55 is a direct and uncompromising response to meet the needs of sailors who love to travel and who appreciate beauty.  This sailing yacht offers a world entirely constructed around its owners, headed for a unique cruising experience.

SEANAPPS Technology on board. To learn more, click here .

The Sailboat for All Who Love Open Waters

Faithful to the spirit of the line – with elegance, high performance, and comfort for offshore sail-ing and longer voyages – this sailboat does not hesitate to break from tradition to better meet the expectations of avid sailors headed for far-off destinations. Designed as a true private apartment, in an unprecedented layout, the forward owner's suite occupies fully two-thirds of the interior. Refined, bright and comfortable, the Jeanneau Yachts 55 is well equipped for cruising with full peace of mind. The main companionway provides private access to the owner's suite, opening onto the forward cabin, and features numerous handholds for safety on board while under way. Two cabins with private bathrooms enable guests to enjoy perfectly independent living spaces, accessible from the cockpit by two separate companionways.

Revolutionary Deck Layout

On the exterior, the Dual Cockpit takes on new meaning. The aft is dedicated to relaxation, featur-ing: two saloons, one U-shaped and one L-shaped, which each convert into sundecks, and a gigantic hy-draulic swim platform. The twin helms are positioned forward, and even feature an exterior chart table with a GPS screen and autopilot controls, all sheltered by the hard top and the wide, wrapa-round windscreen, offering remarkable visibility. These innovations enable you to cruise in all seasons and latitudes, placing the pleasure of sailing back at the heart of life on board. When the dream becomes a reality…

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Jeanneau SO410 review: lift keel opens up options

• Toby Hodges
• October 21, 2021

With its lift keel option, the Jeanneau SO410 has a potent trump card: It has the draught of a Class 40, yet can also nose into the shallows. Toby Hodges was intrigued

Product Overview

Manufacturer:, price as reviewed:.

If you sail in tidal harbours or shallow waters, your choice of midsize new production yachts is more limited than you may realise. While most manufacturers offer a shallow draught version of their fixed keels by adding more weight to the bulb to compensate for the reduction in righting moment, this is not a compromise all sailors are willing to make. Jeanneau, on the other hand, has long offered a lift keel on its smaller models, yet by doing so on something the size of the new Jeanneau SO410, it has established a clever niche.

The Vendée yard certainly didn’t follow the status quo when it developed its eighth-generation Sun Odyssey line three years ago and the Jeanneau SO410 adds to a string of innovations for this latest range.

First came the groundbreaking bow and hull shape, together with the walkaround deck design on the SO440 and SO490. Now comes this lift keel option, which is technically a hinging ballasted keel. It is a similar concept to that employed by Pogo for its performance yachts, yet Jeanneau is the only large scale cruising yacht manufacturer to offer such a system.

Consider the fact that the standard draught of a Jeanneau SO410 is a conservative 2.25m and the shoal keel version just 1.6m deep. Alternatively, this lift keel version reaches down to 2.97m/9ft 8in, which is the draught of a Class 40 race boat and a substantial difference in potential pointing ability. Then, at the push of a button at the helm, this swings up to reduce it to just 1.37m/4ft 5in.

This €20,000 option is therefore a prospective game-changer for those wanting to sail efficiently to windward. For example the owner of the test boat, which is the first lift keel version of this model in the UK, wants to sail regularly from Falmouth to the Isles of Scilly with his large family. So he wants to cut passage times when sailing against the prevailing westerlies yet be able to tuck into the coves on arrival.

We had a brief opportunity to sail his new boat with agents Atlantic Yachts in Plymouth before it was handed over the following day.

Jeanneau SO410 under sail

The SO440 and SO490 were the forerunners for this modern trend in hull shapes and first impressions of the Jeanneau SO410 are of another contemporary, powerful, aggressive-looking design.

This Marc Lombard interpretation continues and refines that full bow, chined and chamfered look – elements which help give maximum internal volume yet keep the wetted surface narrow. The forefoot and first 0.5m below the dreadnought bow is also noticeably dry.

Chines help create volume and stability, while twin rudders give the beamy hull plenty of grip. Photo: Josh Tarr

A bow thruster is an option most owners reportedly take and while that sounds like overkill for this length of boat, I can understand why. The light, voluminous bow gets taken by the wind easily when under motor, which makes manoeuvring tricky, particularly in reverse.

Typical British summer conditions greeted us in Plymouth Sound, with 15-20 knots westerly winds that were really puffy under the dark clouds. It was the first time the boat had sailed, so I was surprised and impressed with how quickly and easily the Jeanneau SO410 found its groove. It never felt pressed and was easy to maintain good speeds (very close to the polars in fact).

We averaged 7 knots beating and 9 reaching. It was also a fun yacht to sail off the wind, deep reaching with the swell, where we nudged 9.5 knots with the Code sail. I was left wanting more, which is always a good sign.

The bowsprit integrates the bow roller, an option needed to keep the anchor clear of the reverse stem. Photo: Josh Tarr

Worthy of note were the form stability of the hull shape and the ability this keel gives you to point high to the wind (tacking through 70°). It remained very light on the helm, yet with enjoyable and direct control. Marc Lombard is a veteran designer of race yachts around this length, so the performance and handling of the SO410 should perhaps come as no surprise.

The grip of the deep twin rudders and deep keel gave me plenty of confidence to sail around the moored yachts in Cawsand Bay. Sailing heeled and powered up on the wind is addictive. The mainsheet and genoa sheets are on neat bridle systems and while the latter allows for adjustment to lead the sheets inboard for tight pointing, the lack of a traveller option means it’s almost impossible to trim the main to a similar high angle.

The deep swing keel lifted. Photo: Josh Tarr

Managing the sheets from the two aft winches is a little fiddly. You need to pre-plan tacks to ensure the new working genoa sheet will be on the correct winch, swapping it with the German-led mainsheet. However, a real benefit the ramped side deck design brings is the option to stand outboard to work the winch yet with the security of over 1ft of bulwark to brace against.

Both sheets on the test boat had clutches, which allow you to free up the winch, but can cause issues for genoa sheets during tacks if accidentally left on. We also found these sheets consistently snagged the forward mast base cleat during tacks, so moving or covering that cleat would be prudent.

The winches and pedestals are positioned right aft to maximise cockpit space, leaving a compact space behind the helms. However, you do have the option to either sit athwartships, or take the unique position of sitting facing forward with your legs outstretched on the side deck.

The resultant cockpit size is impressive, as is the protection afforded by the deep coamings and large sprayhood. There is no stowage for sheet tails so bags would need to be fitted to keep things tidy. Elsewhere, deck stowage is adequate in two shallow bench lockers, a quarter locker and a sail locker.

Jeanneau SO490 down below

The SO410 offers plenty of accommodation options, from two cabins and one heads to three cabins with two heads, and it is arguably the excellent proportions and the amount of space it provides in all areas that help it stand out from the competition.

Spacious, light and airy in the main saloon with a practical C-shaped galley. Photo: Bertrand Duquenne

This space allows for the inclusion of a proper navstation, ample aft cabins and an impressive en-suite owner’s forecabin. The slab topsides between the upper and lower chines helps create the beam in the galley, saloon and forward cabin.

Rectangular berth in the huge forward cabin. The lift keel version angles this berth. Photo: Bertrand Duquenne

Below decks has a modern apartment feel and I liked the fabric on the bulkheads and neat stowage solutions throughout. The central galley configuration, which has a practical C-shape for working at heel, is one of the main differences over the old SO409. It includes a deep fridge and ample stowage.

The door to the forward cabin has been offset to allow space for the keel box, which removes the option of a convertible double berth in the saloon. The central chaise longue is a great feature and makes clever use of the keel box. A very comfortable seat in the heart of the boat, it also extends out flat to make a nice child’s berth. The manual pump for the keel ram is mounted below and there is a spy glass for checking the ram position.

The forward cabin has an intelligent layout too. By angling the headboard and berth against the forward bulkhead it creates room for a proper rectangular berth (as opposed to a typical V-shape) as well as a good en-suite heads and shower compartment offset to port, which is the same size and configuration as the aft heads.

There is also plenty of space and light in the near identical aft cabins, which have low berths, modest stowage, and large side access panels into the engine room. The curved and fiddled joinerwork, notably the central stowage unit between navstation and galley, provide good support when walking around at heel. Dampeners and spacers are used on the soleboards to prevent some creaking, but unfortunately much of the plywood endgrain has been left exposed and unsealed.

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams. Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

The SO410 has a smart modern hull shape which offers good sailing manners and behaviour, and has been used wisely to create an appealing accommodation layout. It’s another versatile model from Jeanneau, and one with an added twist – a proper trump card option. If you want a 40ft+ production yacht with shoal draught but deep keel performance, this is the only option. It will allow you to effectively take the competition at the traffic lights and claim the inside track, then when you get to your destination you’ll be able to pick the best parking place too.

Home » Blog » Bluewater sailboats » The best bluewater sailboats (we analyzed 2,000 boats to find out)

The best bluewater sailboats (we analyzed 2,000 boats to find out)

By Author Fiona McGlynn

Posted on Last updated: May 16, 2023

We analyzed two-thousand bluewater sailboats to bring you a list of proven offshore designs

What are the best bluewater sailboats?

This was a question we asked a lot of experienced cruisers when we decided to sail across the Pacific. We needed a boat after all, and we wanted to buy the best bluewater sailboat we could afford.

We heard a lot of strong opinions.

Some sailors thought it was reckless to go offshore in any boat that didn’t have a full keel.

Others prioritized performance, and wouldn’t dream of going anywhere in a slow boat like the Westsail 32 (a.k.a. a “Wet Snail 32”).

Opinions like these left us feeling confused like we had to choose between safety and performance.  

If we learned anything from these conversations, it’s that what makes a bluewater boat is a hotly debated topic!

However, there’s a way to cut through all the opinions and get to the bottom of it. The solution is….

We analyzed just under 2,000 boats embarking on ocean crossings (over a 12 year time period) and came up with a list of the ten best bluewater sailboats.

Where did we get our data?

The data for our best bluewater sailboats list comes from 12 years of entries in the Pacific Puddle Jump (PPJ), an annual cross-Pacific rally. We took part in 2017 and had a ball!

You can read about the methodology we used to analyze this data at the bottom of the post.

What do we mean by “best”?

We know, that word is overused on the internet!

Simply, based on our data set, these were the most common makes and models entered in the PPJ cross-Pacific rally. There were at least 10 PPJ rally entries for every make of boat on our top 10 list.

So, these boats are 100% good to go?

No! A bluewater boat isn’t necessarily a seaworthy boat. Almost every cruiser we know made substantial repairs and additions to get their offshore boat ready, adding watermakers , life rafts, solar panels, and more.

Also, you should always have a boat inspected by a professional and accredited marine surveyor before buying it or taking it offshore.

But my bluewater baby boat isn’t on this list!?

There are hundreds of excellent bluewater yachts that are not on this list. For instance, we sailed across the Pacific in a Dufour 35, which didn’t even come close to making our top 10 list.

Choosing the right boat is very much an individual journey.

Where can I find these bluewater boats for sale?

We recognize that a top 10 list won’t get you very far if you’re shopping for a bluewater boat (especially if you’re looking in the used market).

So, to help you find your perfect boat, we’re going to create a big list of bluewater boats that you can use to refine your search on Yachtworld, Craigslist, or any other places to buy a used boat .

Sign up for our newsletter to get our big list of bluewater boats list as soon as it comes out.

We’re also working on a series of posts by size class. For example, if you’re looking for a smaller boat, you can narrow it down to the best bluewater sailboats under 40 feet .

Takeaways from our analysis

There were no big surprises on an individual boat level. All of these makes are considered good cruisers, some of them are even best-selling designs! However, there were a few things that caught our eye.

“Go simple, go small, go now” still holds water

We were thrilled to see the smallest boat in our roundup at the very top of the list! Westsail 32 owners can take pride in their small but mighty yachts (and ignore all those snail-sayers).

While undoubtedly there’s been a trend towards bigger bluewater cruisers in recent years, small cruising sailboats seem to be holding their own. 60% of the monohulls on this list were under 40 feet (if you count the Valiant 40 which sneaks just under at 39.92 feet).

Cat got our tongue

So, we knew catamarans were a thing, but we didn’t fully appreciate HOW popular they’d become!

50% of our top 10 bluewater boat list consists of catamarans—a good fact to toss out the next time you’re trying to garner a happy hour invite on the party boat next door (which will undoubtedly be a catamaran).

Still got it!

We’ve got good news for all you good old boat lovers! 60% of the boats on our list were first built before 2000.

While these older models are less performance-oriented than modern designs, cruisers value these boats for their ability to stand up to rough seas and heavy weather. It just goes to show that solid bones and classic looks never go out of style.

Alright, without further ado, let’s dive into our list of the 10 best bluewater boats!

The 10 best bluewater boats

1. Westsail 32

The Westsail 32 is one of the most iconic bluewater cruisers and 19 have set out to cross the Pacific in the PPJ rally since 2009.

In 1973, this small cruising sailboat garnered a 4-page spread in Time magazine. The article inspired many Americans to set sail and the Westsail 32, with its double-ender design, set the standard for what a real bluewater cruiser should look like.

There were approximately 830 built between 1971 and 1980.

This small boat has taken sailors on ocean crossings and circumnavigations. Though considered “slow” by some, the heavily-built Westsail 32 has developed a loyal following for her other excellent offshore cruising characteristics.

If you’re interested in small bluewater sailboats, check out our post on the best small sailboats for sailing around the world .

2. Lagoon 380

The Lagoon 380 is a reliable, solidly built catamaran and considered roomy for its size. We counted 18 of them in our data set. With over 800 boats built , it may be one of the best-selling catamarans in the world. Like the other boats on this list, the Lagoon 380 has proven itself on long passages and ocean crossings, winning it many loyal fans.

3. Lagoon 440

18 Lagoon 440s have set out to cross the Pacific in the PPJ rally since 2009.

Why leave the comforts of home, when you can take them with you? The Lagoon 440 is a luxurious long-range cruiser, offering beautiful wood joinery, spacious accommodations, and a deluxe galley. Oh, and you have the option of an electric boat motor !

SAIL and Sailing Magazine have both done in-depth reviews of the Lagoon 440 if you want to learn more.

4. Amel Super Maramu (incl. SM 2000)

If you follow the adventures of SV Delos on YouTube, you probably know that the star of the show (SV Delos— in case the title didn’t give it away ) is an Amel Super Maramu. These classic bluewater sailboats can be found all over the world, proof they can go the distance.

We counted 16 Amel Super Maramus and Super Maramu 2000s in our list of PPJ entries.

Ready to join the cult of Amel? Read more about the iconic brand in Yachting World.

5. Valiant 40

When I interviewed legendary yacht designer, Bob Perry, for Good Old Boat in 2019, he told me that the Valiant 40 was one of the boats that most defined him and marked the real start of his career.

At the time, heavy displacement cruisers were considered sluggish and slow, especially in light winds.

Perry’s innovation with the Valiant 40 was to combine a classic double ender above the waterline, with an IOR racing hull shape below the waterline. The result was the first “performance cruiser”, a blockbuster hit, with over 200 boats built in the 1970s.

It’s no surprise we counted 16 Valiant 40s in our data set.

Cruising World magazine dubbed it “a fast, comfortable, and safe cruising yacht,” and there’s no doubt it’s covered some serious nautical miles.

It’s worth noting that there were blistering problems with hull numbers 120-249 (boats built between 1976 and 1981). Later models did not have this problem. Despite the blistering issues, the Valiant 40 remains one of the most highly thought of bluewater designs.

6. TAYANA 37

The Tayana 37 is another hugely popular Perry design. The first boat rolled off the production line in 1976 and since then, nearly 600 boats have been built. Beautiful classic lines and a proven track record have won the Tayana 37 a devoted following of offshore enthusiasts.

12 Tayana 37s have set out to cross the Pacific in the PPJ rally since 2009. Read more about the Tayana 37 in this Practical Sailor review .

7. Lagoon 450

If this list is starting to sound like a paid advertisement, I swear we’re not on Lagoon’s payroll! This is the third Lagoon on our list, but the data doesn’t lie. Lagoon is making some of the best cruising sailboats.

The 450 has been a hot seller for Lagoon, with over 800 built since its launch in 2014. While not a performance cat, the Lagoon 450 travels at a reasonable speed and is brimming with luxury amenities.

At least 12 owners in the PPJ rally chose the Lagoon 450 to take them across the Pacific. It’s no wonder SAIL had so many good things to say about it.

8. Fountaine Pajot Bahia 46

There were 11 Fountaine Pajot Bahia 46s in our data set.

Fountaine Pajot released the Bahia 46 in 1997, a sleek design for traveling long distances. Its generously-sized water and fuel tanks along with ample storage for cruising gear are a real plus for the self-sufficient sailor.

According to Cruising World , “Cruising-cat aficionados should put the Bahia 46 on their “must-see” list.”

9. Catalina 42 (MKI, MKII)

10 Catalina 42s (MKI and MKII) have set out to cross the Pacific in the PPJ rally since 2009.

The Catalina 42 was designed under the guidance of the legendary yacht designer and Catalina’s chief engineer, Gerry Douglas.

One of Catalina’s philosophies is to offer “as much boat for the money as possible,” and the Catalina 42 is no exception. According to Practical Sailor , Catalina aims to price its boats 15% to 20% below major production boats like Hunter and Beneteau.

Practical Sailor has a great in-depth review of the Catalina 42 .

10. Leopard 46

Since 2009, 10 Leopard 46s have embarked on Pacific crossings in the PPJ rally.

Leopards have won legions of fans for their high build quality, robust engineering, and excellent performance.

The Leopard 46 also boasts something of a racing pedigree. It was built in South Africa by Robertson and Caine and designed by Gino Morelli and Pete Melvin, who came up with the record-breaking catamaran Playstation / Cheyenne 125 .

Read more about the Leopard 46 in this Cruising World review .

Methodology

What the data is and isn’t.

The PPJ data was a real boon because it reflects a wide range of cruising boats: small, big, old, new, expensive, and affordable. We think this may be because the PPJ is a very financially accessible rally—the standard entry cost is $125 or $100 if you’re under 35 (age or boat length!).

We did look at data from other (pricier) rallies but found that the results skewed towards more expensive boats.

Needless to say, the data we used is just a sample of the bluewater boats that crossed the Pacific over the last 10+ years. Many cruisers cross oceans without participating in a rally!

Entries vs. completions

The data we used is a list of the PPJ entries, not necessarily the boats that completed the rally. In instances where we saw the same boat entered multiple years in a row, we assumed they’d postponed their crossing and deleted all but the latest entry to avoid double counting.

Boat make variations

The world of boat building and naming can get pretty complicated. Sometimes a manufacturer changes a boat’s name a year or two into production, other times the name remains the same but the boat undergoes a dramatic update.

For the most part, we’ve used SailboatData.com’s classification system (if they list the boats separately, then we have also), except where there are two separately listed models that have the same LOA, beam, and displacement.

Fiona McGlynn is an award-winning boating writer who created Waterborne as a place to learn about living aboard and traveling the world by sailboat. She has written for boating magazines including BoatUS, SAIL, Cruising World, and Good Old Boat. She’s also a contributing editor at Good Old Boat and BoatUS Magazine. In 2017, Fiona and her husband completed a 3-year, 13,000-mile voyage from Vancouver to Mexico to Australia on their 35-foot sailboat.

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10 Best Sailboat Brands (And Why)

Last Updated by

Daniel Wade

December 20, 2023

‍ There's no denying that sailors are certainly a passionate bunch. We’re so passionate about our boats that we always try going for the best sailboats. To make it a lot easier for you, here are the best sailboat brands.

Owning a sailboat is an indulgence that many of us only dream about but very few ever have the privilege of sailing the seas in what they can actually call their own.

While there's nothing wrong with renting a sailboat, the honor of owning one is certain what many sailors dream of.

With a perfectly crafted sailboat as company, gliding through the water, waves, and wind brings some sort of unmatched comfort and peace.

Add this to the fact that sailing takes you far away from the daily hustles and bustles that we've become accustomed to in our daily lives and you'll see why the life of sailing is very appealing to the masses.

But without a proper sailboat, all this fun and the good life of sailing are thrown out of the window.

Contrary to the widespread opinion, owning a sailboat isn't beyond anyone's reach. It's something that we can all achieve. But before getting into that, it's important to know some of the best sailboat brands.

The best sailboat brands will make your life as a sailor a lot easier and more fun. The best sailboat brands have, for decades if not centuries, mastered the art of woodworking. They've dedicated their skills and immense amount of their time to designing and manufacturing nothing but the best quality of sailboats in the industry.

So if you've been looking for the best sailboat brands from all over the world, you've come to the right place. We'll discuss the best of the best, something that will give you a perfect getaway from your normal life.

Table of contents

‍ Must-Have Features for Your Sailboat

Before highlighting the best sailboat brands, it would be appropriate to jog your mind a little with some of the features that must be available in your sailboat.

Choosing a sailboat can sometimes be a matter of compromises. In other words, it's sometimes sensible to accept that a sailboat cannot have all the features that you desire.

As such, it's all about going with a sailboat that has the features that matter to you most.

For this reason, let's look at the most basic features that can make the difference in both safety and comfort while improving your sailing experience.

A Safe and Comfortable Sailing Cockpit

You'll most definitely be spending a huge amount of time in the cockpit. Whether you're keeping watch, trimming sails , helming, or just enjoying the scenery, there's no better place to do all these than from the cockpit. That being said, a good cockpit should have the following.

• Have a good depth for safety reasons and adequate drainage
• Should give you a quick and easy access to jammers, cleats, and other important parts of the winch system
• Should have a seat or seats that are about 35 cm high, 50 to 55 cm wide to provide ideal support
• The seats should be adjustable to offer maximum comfort and allow you to change your position

GPS Chartplotter

Use a GPS Chartplotter once and your sailing will never be the same without it. It not only allows you to map a course but is also a great way of ensuring that your sailboat exactly follows that course. It also gives you constant updates on ocean conditions, weather conditions , and potential hazards such as deadly currents and sandbars.

A GPS Chartplotter is also an important safety device that can help you in some very critical situations while out there on the water.

For instance, it has a man-overboard button that is essentially meant to allow you to receive coordinates of the exact location should someone fall off your boat.

Electric Winch System

This is an amazing addition to any sailboat. It allows you to sheet a jib even in high and strong winds with a simple press of a button. It also gives you the chance of trimming a mainsail easily while still carry out other essential tasks in the sailboat.

An electric winch system can be of great importance, especially if you're short on crew. This is because it can free up some crew members to carry other important tasks. In other words, it can make duties that would otherwise require more crew members a lot easier.

More importantly, an electric winch system can maintain safety even in the roughest of conditions, thereby preventing you and your crew from getting injured. In essence, an electric winch system will make your sailing a lot safer, less stressful, and more enjoyable.

Reverse Osmosis Watermaker

This is a very valuable accessory, especially if you're going on long sea voyages. You can spend days on end without drinking clean and safe water.

As the name suggests, you can use this accessory to turn seawater into purified drinking water. It uses the reverse osmosis method that's essential not only in removing bacteria and parasites from the water but also in turning the water into purified and safe drinking water.

Even though this device is pricey, it's a great way to mitigate the over-reliance on huge water tanks. All you have to do is to ensure that it's properly maintained and you'll have an endless streak of safe drinking water no matter where you are.

Wide and Clutter-free Deck

While the deck is often an overlooked feature of a sailboat, it can be the difference between a great sailing experience and a stressful one. In essence, the deck of a sailboat should be wide enough and clutter-free.

This is significant as it can enable you to quickly access different parts of your sailboat with hindrance or getting tangled. As you can see, this is particularly important in improving safety and reducing stress.

With that in mind, make sure that the deck is organized in such a way that you can have easy access to sails, masts, and winches.

You should, therefore, avoid sailboats with decks that are designed in such a way that you have to climb on top of the cabin just to access these features. Needless to say, this can be quite unstable and very dangerous especially when conditions are rough.

The Best Sailboat Brands and Why

1. hallberg-rassy.

Hallberg-Rassy is a Swedish yacht maker that's very well-known in the blue water cruising circles for making some of the highest quality and sturdiest sailboats. For many sailors, this is the number one sailboat brand as it offers absolute comfort, utmost safety, and good and easy handling.

This brand is not only synonymous with sturdy construction but you won't worry getting soaking wet while out there on the water. This is because it has a well-protected deck and cockpit, finished with nice woodwork, and has a powerful engine with a big tankage just to ensure that you can go on long voyages.

When designing its sailboats, this brand has made it a norm to add some features that stand out from the rest. For instance, the bowsprit is an integral feature that makes sailing a Hallberg-Rassy quite easy and much enjoyable. This is because it grants easy access to and from the deck. Its electric anchor winches facilitate smooth maneuvering. Even more, its large steering wheels makes it much easier to control the boat even in the roughest of conditions. In essence, this brand has features that provide good control and an extra sense of safety.

Although this brand has evolved over the years, you'll easily recognize it even from a distance. And why is this? A Hallberg-Rassy never goes out of style. This is a unique sailboat brand that has always stayed true to its principles and concept. No matter which part of the world you go, Hallberg-Rassy will remain the undisputed king of blue water cruising.

2. Nautor's Swan

For over 50 years, Nautor's Swan has endlessly raised the sailing levels by designing and manufacturing new sailboat models that not only push the boundaries but also meet that many requirements and demands of sailors across the world. Thanks to its wide range of seaworthy, timeless, elegant, and highly-performing sailboats, the Nautor's Swan remains one of the best if not the best sailboat makers in the world.

Based in Jakobstad, Finland, this brand has severally set the industry standard with its speedy and sleek models such as the Swan 48, Swan 65, Swan 98, Swan 78, and Swan 120. These models have one thing in common: they never compromise on safety. As a brand that puts safety first, it ensures that its models are made of foam-cored glass fiber and reinforced both with carbon-fiber and epoxy. In essence, Nautor's Swan is widely revered for its unmatched seafaring and safety records.

Additionally, Nautor's Swan models are incredibly responsive. You can easily tell this just by the feel of the wheel. This brand has models that will gracefully slice through the biggest of waves with ease. That's not all; the interior of these models that are very comfortable even when the going gets tough. This is, without a doubt, a brand that strives to create self-contained worlds with each model.

3. Beneteau

This is perhaps the most selling sailboat brand in the world. For over a century now, this brand has based its models in a combination of simplicity and performance. This is a brand that will serve you just right across all latitudes and in all circumstances. Whether you prefer the Oceanis Yacht 62 or the Figaro Beneteau 3, this brand will never let you down on all fronts.

This brand revolves around a simple concept of creating a link around the world. From the deck space to its design and light, this brand does everything possible not just to uniformly transform life at sea but also to open doors to new horizons in a very luxurious yet practical way. Its models are designed with clear deck plans, stable hulls, simplified maneuvering and interior materials and equipment that can be easily personalized.

Whether you're looking for a racing sailboat or something that's designed to explore and enjoy the world in the company of friends and family, Beneteau is a true combination of sensations and simplicity. This is a brand that brings to the seas fun, simplicity, smartness, toughness, safety, intuitiveness, as well as dazzling reinvention.

4. Amel Yachts

Based on the ethos of designing and manufacturing comfortable, robust, and easy-to-handle boats, this French brand has, for over five decades, offered sailors and other sailing enthusiasts the perfect opportunity to explore the seas with the utmost quality, comfort, and more importantly, safety.

Using 100% French know-how, this brand has brought to the sailing world some of the best boats such as the Santorini, the Mango, the Super Maramu, and the Maramu. We would be doing this brand total injustice if we said that they're distinctive. Truth be told, there's nothing comparable to an Amel model. Well Amel was and still is, the ultimate standard by which other sailboat models are measured.

From items such as electric winches and furling, to generators, Watermaker , and washing machine down to the simplest of items such as towels. Spare filters, bathrobes, deck brush, and a boat safe, the Amel is in reality with what the real life of a sailor is and should be.

Although some may say that Amel still has room for improvement in terms of specifications and personalization, it cannot be denied that the Amel is a serious brand that designs and manufactures complete boats. With this brand, you'll be guaranteed of a higher degree of reliability, safety, and an edge of fun while out there on the water.

5. Hinckley Yachts

Based in Maine, United States, Hinckley Yachts is a brand that has been building robust, luxury, and safe sailboats for more than 90 years now. In its sailboat class, you'll find several sailboats that have classic shapes, inner strength, dramatic lines, and features that are absolutely essential in dealing with the challenges of the North Atlantic.

This brand has been successful in integrating impeccable craftsmanship with new technologies to ensure that their models always stand out while articulating advanced sailing practices, timeless aesthetic, robust construction, and the utmost safety. Whether you choose the Bermuda 50, the Sou'wester 53 or any model for that matter, you'll never be short of advanced performance based on the best design and technology.

In terms of features, this brand provides sailboat models with modern performance hulls. These hulls are constructed with inner layers of carbon, outer layers of Kevlar, and are aligned with computer-designed load paths. Every feature is designed without compromising comfort.

To this end, this brand offers you a perfect combination of both fun and sail. This brand offers more than just sailing. Instead, it offers a unique sailing experience that's combined with the pure joys of sailing in the blue waters with an ease of ownership and maneuverability.

6. Oyster Yachts

If you've been looking for luxury more than anything else, Oyster Yachts provides you with numerous solutions. This British brand is widely known for manufacturing a wide range of luxury cruising sailing yachts. Its sailboats are among the finest in the world and are immensely capable of taking you to some of the far-flung places in the world without having to worry about high winds and hellish waves.

Whether you choose the iconic Oyster 565 or the immense Oyster 595 you never fall short of experiencing the new world like never before. These are models that will enable you to own your adventure, choose your destination, set your courses, pick your anchorage, and stay safe at all times. If you want to hold the wheel and pull the sail while feeling the tang of salt spray on your face, Oyster Yachts is the way to go.

This is, unquestionably, a brand that's meant for you if you want to explore the seas in comfort, luxury and utmost safety. From craftsmanship, sailboat design, to hull, deck, and keel configurations, everything is designed to allow you to circumnavigate the world in comfort, elegance, and style.

7. Tartan Yachts

Based in Fairport Harbor, Ohio, there's arguably no better to begin your sailing adventures than with a sailboat designed and manufactured by Tartan Yachts. With several award-winning designs and construction, this brand is widely known for providing easy handling, great performance, and an ultimately stable platform.

This brand always strives to deliver a unique and the best possible experience to every sailor. As a brand, Tartan fully understands that every sailor has his/her unique sailing needs. As such every component of their models is designed with engineering levels that guarantee optimum performance, excellent on-deck visibility, and luxurious interior.

From the Tartan 5300, the Tartan 4300, the Tartan 345 to the New 365 and the Fantail, this brand makes it a priority to ensure that its models are among the strongest, lightest, and more importantly, the safest in the sailing industry. In essence, this brand can be ideal if you appreciate performance. It has rewarding sailing features both in narrow water lines and wider passages. Add this to its easy handling and you'll have a top-notch performer in virtually every condition.

8. Catalina Yachts

As one of the most popular boat manufacturers in the world, this American brand is widely revered for building the sturdiest boats that can hold up perfectly well in real-world conditions. These are generally family-oriented boats that are intelligently designed to ensure that your entire family can have fun out there on the water.

Some of the models include the cruiser series such as the Catalina 315, the Catalina 385, the Catalina 425 while the sport series include the Catalina 12.5 Expo, the Catalina 16.5, and the Catalina 14.2 Expo. As the current winner of the "Boat of the Year" Cruising World, you'll rarely go wrong with a Catalina model.

It offers a wide range of sailboat sizes that suits your lifestyle. This brand makes it a priority to ensure that all their models are not only safe but offer the best ownership and sailing experience. If anything, this brand is widely known to have one of the most excellent resale values in the sailing industry.

9. Island Packet Yachts

From the IP 525, the IP 439 to the IP 379, the Island Packet Yachts is a brand that encourages its customers not to keep the world waiting. This brand is meant for sailors who want to explore the world in utmost comfort and safety.

The first thing you'll notice in an IP sailboat is its large aft deck. This is not only perfect for sunbathing but can also serve you well if you want an impromptu dinner with friends and family while out there on the water. The living space is also large enough to carry most of your belongings, which is an added advantage especially if you've been planning to spend longer periods in the seas.

With modern evolution and refinement, as well as proven features, this brand is known to offer sailors maximum comfort, luxury, and safety. You'll have better access to the cockpit, have enough space, and are excellently designed to provide superior seafaring and the best features to enable you to spend extended periods when cruising.

10. Sparkman & Stephens

For more than 90 years, Sparkman & Stephens has been at the forefront of the belief that sailboat excellence goes beyond hull lines and deck plans. Instead, this brand believes in excellent naval architecture, innovation, sophistication, and beauty. This is a brand that has laid the foundation of sailboat as a sport not just in America but all over the world.

These models have graced the world for decades and bring immense pleasure to their owners in terms of innovation, performance, and excellence. Though rooted in tradition, the brand has pushed sophistication, technology, and sailing experience to a whole new level. You'll be a proud owner of the Sparkman & Stephens model.

There you have it; these are the best sailboat brands in the world. Although there are several other sailboat brands to choose from, the-above described brands stand shoulder above others in terms of quality, safety, performances and luxury.

Hopefully, you're at a much better place when it comes to choosing a sailboat that suits your lifestyle, needs, and budget .

Happy sailing!

Related Articles

10 Best Sailboats To Live In

Common Issues With Hallberg-Rassy Sailboats

Common Issues With Catalina Yacht Sailboats

Common Issues With Island Packet Yacht Sailboats

I've personally had thousands of questions about sailing and sailboats over the years. As I learn and experience sailing, and the community, I share the answers that work and make sense to me, here on Life of Sailing.

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From beaches to water parks, these fun summer activities will help you beat Arizona's heat

When the heat rises, Phoenicians know it's time to stay cool. And Arizona has a lot to offer to help you enjoy your summer.

From tubing on the Salt River to boat rentals and water sports at Tempe Town Lake and Park, there are plenty of options for Arizonians to get outside and have fun during the summer. Discounts are also available at some of these popular attractions.

The Republic's podcast team surveyed some of the best spots to beat the heat. We came up with five must-visit water attractions in the Valley.

Here are our top recommendations for where you can keep cool this summer.

Listen to the episode

There is an episode transcript available. Please note, there might be slight discrepancies because of the AI used to transcribe the conversation.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Salt River Tubing

The river is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, with tube rentals ending at 2 p.m.

Salt River Tubing offers fast passes and online reservations through September. You can purchase your Salt River Tubing tickets online or in person. Here's the cost breakdown:

• Tube rental and shuttle: $25.
• Shuttle pass for those with their own tubes: $18.
• Bucket/cooler tube, to hold your cooler: $20.
• Season passes (includes one tube rental per day): $199.
• VIP group passes (for groups of 20 or more; includes tube, private shuttle and skip-the-line privileges): $30 per person.

Discounts are available for military members and first responders when purchased in person only.

More summer fun: Arizonans love Disneyland. So why don't we have more theme parks near Phoenix?

Lake Pleasant Regional Park

Park hours from May 1 to Oct. 31 are 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Then from Nov. 1 to April 30, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. 

Lake Pleasant Regional Park is anticipating temporary closures into the summer. The decision to temporarily close sections of the park will be based on:

• Increased holiday/weekend traffic.
• Parking lot and shoreline limits exceeding capacity and/or high water levels seasonally limiting shoreline availability.

Keep up to date with any changes on the Park Updates page. Ticket prices vary depending on which activity you plan to do at the park. See all the ticket prices .

Tempe Town Lake and Beach Park

Get out on the water with these boating options.

Vintage Phoenix: Pools for public lured residents in the good old summertime

Boat Rentals of America

Located on the south shore at Tempe Beach Park. This rental offers all kinds of watercraft for rent. Boats of all types can be rented here for one-hour or two-hour segments. Watercraft options available to rent include donut boats, kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, pontoon boats, pedal boats and electric boats. Find pricing, hours and availability on  Boats 4 Rent.

Northshore Watersport Rentals  

Northshore Watersport Rentals is located on the north shore of Tempe Town Lake, near the Tempe Town Lake Marina Boat Launch. Available watercraft options to rent include kayaks, double kayaks or paddle boards to explore the water. Find pricing, hours and availability on their  website .

Tempe Beach Park is open daily from 5 a.m. to 12 a.m.

Make sure to check out all the amenities and their locations .

Mesa Golfland Sunsplash

Sunsplash hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m., with Night Splash from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Ticket prices vary on age and on the day and time. For adults, general admission tickets are $55 with discounts if you buy online. Junior tickets are for children ages 3 to kids who are under 48 inches in height and cost $52. Parking is free. Take a glimpse at ticket and package prices .

Six Flags Hurricane Harbor

Park hours are 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. most days. Check their website for the most current hours.

Ticket prices vary depending on age and the day and time of your visit. Single-day general passes can be as low as $35 if purchased online. Season passes start at $55.

Parking is $20 for general and $30 for premium. Passholders can get free parking. Check out all of the ticket pricing .

New attractions: Biggest hotel openings and renos in Arizona in 2023: VAI Resort, a Sam Fox hotel and more

Curious about the Valley?

Submit questions you have about metro Phoenix for a chance to be chosen for the podcast.

Follow Valley 101 and all azcentral podcasts on Twitter and Instagram .

Contact the producer at  k [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter  @ KaelyMonahan .