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New Catamaran vs. Used Catamaran: Making the Right Choice
New Catamaran vs. Used Catamaran: Making the Right Choice
5.26.26
Buying a catamaran isn't just about comparing prices. It's about choosing a way of sailing. Your boat will shape how you feel on board, your peace of mind, and your freedom to leave whenever you want.New or used: both options have their merits. But depending on your project, your profile, and what you truly expect from a boat, the choice becomes fairly clear, fairly quickly. Here's how to see it clearly.
Buying a catamaran isn't just about comparing prices. It's about choosing a way of sailing. Your boat will shape how you feel on board, your peace of mind, and your freedom to leave whenever you want.
New or used: both options have their merits. But depending on your project, your profile, and what you truly expect from a boat, the choice becomes fairly clear, fairly quickly. Here's how to see it clearly.
Buying a Catamaran: Start by Defining What You Want from Sailing
Your Expectations at Sea: Comfort, Feel, Independence
Coastal sailing, long passages, living aboard for weeks at a time — every kind of sailing calls for different choices. A catamaran used twice a year won't be the same as one that goes out regularly, or as a catamaran built for sailing around the world.
So the question is simple: what do you want once you're out on the water?
Immediate handling, the feel of the helm, stable comfort at anchor, enough range to leave without constraints — these criteria will guide you toward a new catamaran or a used one.
Budget and Long-Term Vision
The purchase price matters, but it doesn't tell the whole story. When buying a catamaran, you also need to think about maintenance, changing use cases, and resale.
Often cheaper and immediately available, a used boat can seem attractive. But it often comes with hidden costs, and its value can drop quickly.
A new catamaran offers a clear, reliable starting point with no concerns about the boat's history. Manufacturer and engine warranties bring real peace of mind. The purchase price is higher, but if your plans change, your boat will be easier to resell.
Would you rather optimize your budget right now, or secure your investment and your sailing for the long haul?
Used or New Catamaran: Two Ways of Sailing
Used: A Fast Entry Point — But a Demanding One
Buying a used catamaran means getting on the water quickly: the boat is available immediately, already equipped, sometimes ready to go. The lower purchase price is usually the first argument made.
But a second-hand catamaran has a history: past voyages, maintenance that may or may not have been rigorous, work that's been done, equipment that's worn or needs replacing. That history is something you'll never fully know.
Some used catamaran models represent genuine opportunities — as long as you're willing to accept a degree of uncertainty.
→ The specialist platform Band of Boats offers several options. Always factor in the work and adjustments you'll likely need to make.
New: A Catamaran Ready to Sail, Built Around You
Buying a new catamaran, by contrast, means sailing a boat that is 100% reliable, fully known, fully understood. No questions about the boat's condition, no history to piece together.
With a new boat, you choose exactly the configuration that suits your sailing program. Equipment, layout, options — everything aligns with how you sail.
From the very first outings, the difference is felt:
Handling is immediate
The boat behaves exactly as it should
Equipment is current and fully functional
There's no work to plan for
The manufacturer's warranty on a new catamaran adds an extra layer of security: you're always sailing without having to manage the unexpected. You simply step aboard and go.
Catamaran Pricing: New vs. Used — The Real Gaps
Price is one of the main factors when buying a catamaran, new or used. But comparing the same model new versus second-hand requires stepping back, because what you pay at purchase never reflects what you'll actually invest over time.
Owning a used catamaran often means bringing the boat up to standard: replacing equipment, updating electronics, servicing sails, overhauling the engine.
Expenses appear gradually — while the owner of a new catamaran stays comfortable for much longer. Over time, the price gap between new and used narrows considerably.
What it looks like over 5 years:
Initial refit: none on a new boat, whereas a used model can require up to 10–15% of the purchase price in work.
Manufacturer warranty: included on a new boat, often absent or limited on a used one.
Breakdowns & surprises: generally low in the first few years on a new boat, but more frequent and unpredictable on a used one.
Annual maintenance: more predictable on a new model, while remaining difficult to anticipate on a used one.
Resale value: better tracked and more stable on a new boat.
Overall 5-year assessment: the real cost of a used catamaran is often underestimated.
First Catamaran or Upgrading: What to Think About in Advance
First Purchase: Simple, Solid Foundations
Choosing between new and used isn't really about skill level. But for a first catamaran, you're usually looking for something straightforward, clean, sound, and easy to get to grips with.
For those just starting out in sailing, a new model lets you focus on what matters: sailing, improving, and building confidence.
A used catamaran, by contrast, always involves an adjustment period: understanding the systems, getting familiar with a boat that's already lived a life, fixing things along the way. Not to mention the surprises you might run into.
In what conditions do you want to be sailing on your first outings?
Upgrading to a New Boat: Evolving Expectations
If you've already owned a catamaran, your expectations have likely grown with experience. Feel, ergonomics, comfort, range — by now, you know what you want.
In that case, a new catamaran lets you dial in the configuration and all the equipment to match your program precisely.
You no longer adapt to the catamaran — it adapts to you.
Choosing a New Excess Catamaran for More Sensation on the Water
You don't choose a new catamaran just to avoid the hassle of buying used. You choose it to decide, from A to Z, how you want to enjoy it.
Excess catamarans are designed for those who want to sail actively and comfortably, making the most of the helm, the sails, and the sensations:
The Excess 11 offers a compact, responsive, easy-to-handle format. Lively and accessible, it's ideal for sailing often.
The Excess 13 brings more space and versatility, with a balance between on-board comfort and under-sail feel — for both short and longer passages.
The Excess 14 gives you generous volume and excellent sailing behavior, designed for the most ambitious voyages.
On any of our models, you take the helm, feel how the boat responds, tune your settings — and you go.
Buying a New Excess Catamaran: How It Works
Lead times, options, delivery — buying a new catamaran can seem daunting. In practice, the process is straightforward, as long as you're well supported.
Here's how it works with Excess:
1. We talk about your project
First, we want to understand how you sail — or how you want to sail: your program, your ambitions, your crew. This first conversation shapes everything that follows.
2. You choose your configuration
Model, options, interior layout, equipment — you build a boat that fits the way you sail, not the other way around. This is where buying new makes all the difference.
3. You follow the build
Your catamaran takes shape, and we stay in touch throughout.
4. You take the helm
At delivery, you step aboard a boat you already know. Handling is immediate, and the manufacturer's warranty is active.
From the first conversation to the first time out on the water, every step is clear.
So — new catamaran or used? It's yours to decide: how you want to sail, and how far you want to go.
Let's talk about your project. Our dealers are here to help you find the right model, the right configuration, and the best way to make your catamaran a boat truly built around you.
New or Used Catamaran — Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have to go through a broker to buy a used catamaran?
It's not required, but it's strongly recommended. A nautical broker or independent surveyor can assess the boat's real condition, identify work that needs doing, and secure the transaction. Without a survey, you're buying a history you don't fully know.
How long does it take to buy a new catamaran?
It depends on the model and when you order. On average, expect 6 to 14 months between signing and delivery. That's not a drawback — it's the time to configure your boat exactly as you want it, and to prepare your sailing plans calmly.
At what age does a used catamaran become a risk?
There's no fixed age limit: maintenance history matters far more than years on the water. A 15-year-old catamaran that's been rigorously looked after can be worth more than a 5-year-old one that hasn't. A survey is essential, whatever the vintage.
Can you finance the purchase of a new catamaran?
Yes. Several options exist — marine credit, leasing, manufacturer financing — often with more accessible terms than for a used boat. It's worth raising this in your very first conversation with our team.
How long does a well-maintained new catamaran last?
A composite catamaran that's properly looked after can sail for 30 years or more. A new Excess maintained correctly from the first season is a boat whose entire life you control — and whose resale value reflects that directly.
By using the EXCESS catamaran configuration service, you acknowledge that you have read the general conditions of use below and agree to be bound by them.
No reference to this configurator shall have any contractual value or replace the information available from your exclusive Excess dealer. Although every care is taken to include accurate and up-to-date information, the prices and information in the configurator may contain tariffs, rates and information that are no longer in force at the time of use. Furthermore, the compatibility of the options and/or accessories selected must be approved by your exclusive Excess dealer.
The data and information contained on this site relate to catamarans marketed and approved in France. EXCESS catamarans are shown on the configurator for information only and may not correspond to the configured version. EXCESS reserves the right to make technical modifications at any time to the specifications and models of catamarans and accessories described and represented on the configurator. Data and information such as models, engines, equipment and colours are subject to change. Some data and information are indicative, subject to homologation. The catamaran versions marketed may differ from country to country, and some equipment may not be available (as standard, as an option or as an accessory).
The prices shown on the configurator are recommended prices, given for information only, and are subject to change without notice. They are taken from the price list in force on the date of the last update of the various pages of the configurator. They are expressed in euros exclusive of tax (HT) and, where applicable, inclusive of all taxes (TTC) including value added tax (VAT) at the rate in force in France, and exclude ancillary costs and services (preparation, delivery, etc.).
The total price indicated and the result of the configurator are given for information purposes only and do not constitute a contractual offer of products from EXCESS or the members of its network of exclusive dealers. Only your exclusive dealer can provide you with a contractual offer.
Errors or omissions may occur. The images shown are purely indicative and do not necessarily relate to the model you have chosen or the options you have selected. Due to technical limitations, the colours shown on this configurator may differ slightly from the actual colours. The photographs of the catamarans shown are indicative and non-contractual.
You can contact your nearest exclusive dealer to find out about the price and availability conditions (equipment and options) applied to your catamaran.
