amel 54 yacht

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• By Stacey Collins
• Updated: January 17, 2007

Like its predecessor, the Super Maramu, the Amel 54 has a conservative sail plan and hull shape designed for comfortable sailing. On a CW test sail last year, in 16 knots on the beam with choppy cross seas off Florida, the 54 logged an effortless 9 knots. Old-school cruisers will appreciate the full-skeg rudder and twin reaching poles for downwind work. Because safety is Amel’s paramount concern, the boat has four watertight bulkheads. The 54’s solid hull is laminated to the deck, which has high bulwarks and full-length stainless-steel railings for added security.

Many Amel customers are older cruising couples, so easy operation is key. “If you can lift 50 pounds, you can do everything on this boat yourself,” says U.S. agent Joel Potter. The electric furling main and genoa, electric winches, a bow thruster, and hydraulic pistons to help lift berths to access storage all support his claim.

Amel’s characteristic steering station, behind the hard windshield/dodger, has push-button controls and readouts for almost all systems, although visibility from the chair is limited.

Built-in lee cloths and ample tankage indicate a boat designed for passagemaking. In port, the sumptuous leather-and-mahogany interior makes the 54 a queen on any quay that the built-in passerelle touches. The seaworthy galley has a dishwasher and a deep freeze; a washer/dryer is standard. Ample storage for cruising gear includes a cavernous lazarette fit for an RIB.

The late Captain Henri Amel’s vision of the ideal cruising boat incorporated elegance, safety, comfort, and shorthanded-sailing ease. The new Amel 54 is a distinctive, luxurious, long-legged passagemaker of which the Captain would certainly approve.

Amel 54 Specs

LOA: 53′ 10″ LWL: 50′ 4″ Beam: 15′ 9″ Draft: 6′ 9″ Sail Area: 1,507 sq. ft. Displacement: 35,000 lb. Water: 237 gal. Fuel: 237 gal. Engine: 110-hp.Volvo Designer: Amel Design Group Price: $965,000 Chantiers Amel, (954) 462-5869, www.amel.fr

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• Last update: 17th March 2020

Amel 54's main features

Amel 54's main dimensions, amel 54's rig and sails, amel 54's performances, amel 54's auxiliary engine, amel 54's accommodations and layout, amel 54's fore cabin, amel 54's aft cabin.

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The Amel 54 is a long-distance cruiser with all you need in terms of safety and space. The most comfortable sailing yacht in this size range. She can be fully operated at all times from the large center cockpit and the deck is very clean. the electronic controls make this 54 footer easy to sail, even solo. Up to six people can go on lengthy trips in comfort thanks to the smart layout. You’ll also enjoy the exceptional storage options under the floors/beds and easy access to the spacious engine room. Relaxation options include a sun deck and swim platform with steps.

General - AMEL 54

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STANDFAST 56

CR YACHTS 480 DS

BAVARIA C50 STYLE

JEANNEAU 54

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The Amel 54 Sailboat Specs & Key Performance Indicators

The Amel 54 is a French-built cruising sailboat, designed by Henri Amel and further developed by his company Chantiers Amel. Henri Amel, a French national, focused on creating ocean-going yachts with a distinctive design ethos centered on safety and ease of handling.

The boat was constructed at Chantiers Amel’s facility located in La Rochelle, a historic seaport on the Atlantic coast of France. The Amel 54 is part of a lineage of yachts known for their robust construction and innovative features, aimed at long-distance sailors who seek self-sufficient and comfortable sea travel.

The Amel 54 was designed to be a successor to the popular Amel Super Maramu model, incorporating many of the features that made the Super Maramu successful while also introducing new design elements and technologies. The largest and most obvious difference on casual examination is that the 54 was designed with an inner forestay that carries a staysail.

Despite being replaced by the Amel 55 in 2011, the Amel 54 continues to be a popular choice among cruising sailors due to its quality construction, comfortable accommodations, and excellent sailing performance.

Published Specification for the Amel 54 Underwater Configuration: Fin keel Hull Material: Fiberglass Length Overall: 17.2 meters (56.4 feet) Waterline Length: 13.9 meters (45.6 feet) Beam: 4.8 meters (15.7 feet) Draft: 2.1 meters (6.9 feet) Rig Type: Ketch Displacement: 17,500 kilograms (38,580 pounds) Designer: Amel Design Team Builder: Chantiers Amel Year First Built: 2005 Year Last Built: 2011 Number Built: Approximately 50 units

Published Design Ratios for the Amel 54

• Sail Area/Displacement Ratio (21.2): This ratio indicates a relatively high performance level. Given that this ratio is above 20, the Amel 54 should exhibit good sailing power per unit of displacement, suggesting it can maintain speed in lighter winds and handle moderate to strenuous conditions efficiently. This speaks to a boat capable of brisk acceleration and agility, reflecting a more performance-oriented design over purely leisure or heavy-duty cruising.
• Ballast/Displacement Ratio (29.1): While this value is below the threshold of 40 typically associated with quite stiff and powerful boats, it's still considerable. This ratio suggests a reasonable degree of stability and the boat's ability to stand upright against wind pressure but might not be as stiff as heavier ballasted boats. This may affect its performance in extremely heavy weather where maximum stability is required. The importance of knowing the distribution of ballast is crucial as it impacts the actual stability offered by the boat under varying conditions - but see below... *
• Displacement/Length Ratio (134.9): Falling within the light displacement range (100-200), the Amel 54 is designed to be easier to drive to its hull speed, requiring less sail area relative to its length compared to heavier boats. This attribute enhances its handling and speed capabilities in a range of wind conditions, making it suitable for faster cruising and responsive sailing.
• Comfort Ratio (29.1): Positioned in the bracket typical for coastal cruisers, this indicates that the Amel 54 should provide a comfortable experience for near-shore journeys, balancing ease of handling and livability. It suggests moderate motion at sea, reducing the fatigue and discomfort associated with more pronounced movements, but it might not be as comfortable in the more challenging conditions of long ocean passages as a boat with a higher comfort ratio would be - but see below... **
• Capsize Screening Formula (1.9): This value being less than 2.0 implies the Amel 54 is well-suited for ocean passages, offering a good level of safety against capsizing when compared to wider or heavier boats. This makes the Amel 54 a viable option for more adventurous sailing, venturing beyond protected coastal waters.

Theoretical Nature of the Ratios: It's imperative to understand that these ratios, although insightful, provide a theoretical outlook:

• * The Ballast/Displacement Ratio, as discussed, doesn't consider the specific placement of ballast, which can dramatically affect stability characteristics. Thus, real-world performance can differ based on design specifics not captured solely by these ratios.
• ** Similarly, the Comfort Ratio, which favors traditional heavy displacement designs, might not fully represent the comfort experienced aboard modern, lighter, or beamier vessels with different hull designs and weight distributions. These boats could be surprisingly capable and comfortable despite not fitting into the traditional metrics.

Read more about Design Ratios...

In summary, the Amel 54 sailboat emerges as a performance-oriented, light displacement cruiser with reasonable comfort for coastal navigation and sufficient stability and safety features for occasional ocean passages. Its suitability for various sailing ventures would depend significantly on the specific conditions and the sailor's experience and preferences.

The above text was drafted by sailboat-cruising.com using GPT-4 (OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model) as a research assistant to develop source material; we believe it to be accurate to the best of our knowledge.

Press Reviews for the Amel 54

Cruising World says "Like its predecessor, the Super Maramu, the Amel 54 has a conservative sail plan and hull shape designed for comfortable sailing. On a CW test sail last year, in 16 knots on the beam with choppy cross seas off Florida, the 54 logged an effortless 9 knots. Old-school cruisers will appreciate the full-skeg rudder and twin reaching poles for downwind work. Because safety is Amel’s paramount concern, the boat has four watertight bulkheads. The 54’s solid hull is laminated to the deck, which has high bulwarks and full-length stainless-steel railings for added security." Read more...

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BILL KINNEY 

CRUISING 

• Nov 17, 2022

Compare and Contrast: The Amel 54 vs. the Super Maramu

Updated: Nov 20, 2022

After our recent delivery of the Amel 54 we have been asked to give our impressions of the differences between the Amel 54 and her older sister, the 53 foot Super Maramu. We were only sailing aboard the Amel 54 for a week, so our impressions are not comprehensive. Also, it is just natural that we would prefer the way we have become accustomed to doing things onboard our Super Maramu, to the point we might look askance on things just because they are different. Hopefully I have avoided overt prejudice, and give reasonable rationales for my conclusions.

The Super Maramu was certainly Amel’s most commercially successful design to date. Introduced in 1988 and produced until 2006 well over 400 were made over 18 years. I would guess the gross sales of this model approached half a billion dollars, certainly one of the single most successful cruising yacht models ever built. When Amel 54 was introduced in 2005 as the successor to the Super Maramu it certainly had big shoes to fill. Although it had a shorter production run of 6 years, several people who know the Amel line intimately have described it as the best world cruising boat Amel ever built–strong praise indeed.

Right now, an Amel 54 in good nick will run about US$400,000 to $600,000. The prices for a Super Maramu will vary more, since they cover a wide range of ages, but for a well maintained example $230,000 to $350,000 would be a reasonable range to expect. Both of these boats share the same “DNA.” They have a similar visual design, and incorporate many of the same features that have always made Amel yachts stand out as premium world cruising boats. They share enough features, it would make a very long article to list them, so I will focus on those things that are different. Every evaluation I express is strictly my own opinion, and I am sure there is no one else who would agree with everything I write here. Hopefully, even in disagreement, it is helpful.

At first glance, not a lot distinguishes an Amel 54 from the older Super Maramu.

Both boats are ketches, and are more similar than different, but there ARE real differences. The largest and most obvious difference on casual examination is that the 54 was designed with an inner forestay that carries a staysail. Some Super Maramus have been modified to carry a staysail, but most of these modifications are weakly implemented. Our experience with using the staysail on the 54 in strong winds is that the boat balances nicely, and it is an improvement for heavy weather sailing.

The Super Maramu was not designed to carry a spinnaker, although it is easily modified so it can. The 54 was built to carry a spinnaker. We didn’t get to use one on our trip. The down wind poles on the 54 are longer and heavier than those on the Super Maramu, although the rigging of them has been well thought out and doesn’t require a lot of man-handling. Both boats can utilize the Amel twin headsail downwind rig.

One of the most significant changes we made to our Super Maramu’s sailing performance was the addition of cockpit control to the mizzen traveler. It means we can adjust the mizzen traveler without having to go out onto the aft deck. We use the mizzen sail a lot more, and get more efficiency out of it. Making such a modification to the 54 would not be impossible, but is more complex since the mizzen traveler is down on the aft deck, not up on the coachroof.

The sail furling gear for the mainsail and mizzen are essentially the same on both boats. The Super Maramu uses an Amel designed furler for the genoa that is robust and reliable. The 54 was built with Bamar fulers for the genoa and staysail that were very problematic, to the point that Bamar offered significant discounts for redesigned units. Different owners addressed this problem in different ways. The success of the alterations will vary from boat to boat.

The most obvious change in the deck arrangements of these two boats was the change to flush locker hatches on the 54. This is certainly better esthetically, and offers less opportunity for tripping and toe-stubbing for the crew. On the downside, the hatches have a much higher tendency to leak. You win some, you lose some.

Super Maramu #160 on the left, Amel 54 on the right. The changes in anchor handling from the early Super Maramus to later models and the 54 are significant. The early Super Maramus have a functional anchor handling system that handles a single anchor very well, but this is taken several steps up on the Amel 54. Twin windlasses, and a more flexible and robust set of rollers represent a significant upgrade. Unlike the Super Maramu, the chain lockers for the Amel 54 were designed with a removable bottom grate to enable easier cleanout of the inevitable mud that will accumulate. But nothing comes for free. The windlasses of the 54 are further forward to make more room in the bow locker. That means the space available for chain storage is shorter and narrower. While retrieving 100 meters of chain all in one go we had it pile up high enough that it jammed the chainpipe and needed to be manually cleared. This has never happened to us on our Super Maramu

The Super Maramu has twin bow storage lockers that are relatively shallow in depth, but useful none the less, easily holding spare sails, and other gear. The single bow locker on the 54 is certainly voluminous, but smaller items might get lost in the depths. It’s also a mixed use space with access for some electrical panels and bow thruster. If it is packed with sails and “stuff” access to those systems are compromised.

The Super Maramu has a passeralle that is 100% manual. It is stored on the starboard quarter rail , and put into place on the stern when needed. It doubles as the gunwale mounted boarding ladder. The 54 was optionally equipped with a electric passeralle that is very cool and awesome–when it works. It has a reputation for constant mechanical problems and serious corrosion issues. I haven't met anyone who was happy with it.

Power Train

The engine rooms on these boats are very similar, and are truly one of the great features. Essentially identical, they are fully isolated from the living spaces, they are spacious and easy to work in.

Amel never really found the perfect engine for the 54. Most of these boats were equipped with the Volvo D3. These were early models of fully electronic engines which has been a source of trouble for some owners. A number of software and hardware upgrades from Volvo over the years has reduced the issues. On the Super Maramu both the Volvo TMD22 and the Yanmar engines have been reliable workhorses. Although as time passes more and more of these have been repowered as the original engines age into third decade of life.

The Super Maramu was equipped with a custom built retractable bow thruster of Amel’s own design. These were designed back when bow thrusters were still unusual on yachts of this size. Robust and powerful, they have been reliable tools–when well cared for. The 54’s bow thruster was built for Amel by Sidepower, and is even more powerful. If the forward locker where the bow thruster lives can be kept dry, it is a great tool.

The interior design of these boats is where they differ the most. The 54’s hull is a more modern design for a cruising boat. She is much broader in the aft sections than her older sister. This results in a significantly larger interior volume that the designers took excellent advantage of.

The biggest changes are forward and aft. The aft cabin on a 54 is much larger than on a Super Maramu, and the bed changes from one pushed up against the port side, to a full walk around bed. The head has also been reworked with a separate shower stall. Almost as dramatic are the changes in the forward cabin. Instead of the traditional v-berth, there is a port side pullman cabin and on the starboard side a pair of bunks. The head was moved to the bow peak.

I think of the changes as a bit of a mixed bag, but mostly better. The aft cabin is a huge improvement in utility and comfort. The heads on the 54 are much nicer at anchor with separate shower stalls, and more amenities, but we found them less advantageous underway. Fewer appropriate handholds and brace points, and a good deal less storage. Not a disaster, certainly, but not as easy to use as those in the Super Maramu while the boat is in a seaway. Since boats spend a much greater percentage of time at anchor or in the marina, this might be a reasonable compromise.

With the 54 Amel moved away from solid wood leeboards for all the berths, and went to lee cloths. Both are well designed, secure, and comfortable.

The Nav Station is much improved on the 54. Usable as a desk for routine work on paper or keyboard, where the ergonomics of a Super Maramu Nav Station doesn’t work for much more than plotting a fix for a few minutes at a time.

The 54 is equipped with much larger freezers than the Super Maramu, and they seem better insulated. On the downside, the circulating raw water cooling on the 54 freezer is a maintenance nightmare, for a quite small improvement in cooling efficiency. The 54 galley is set up for a wider four burner stove, instead of the smaller 2 burner model installed on most Super Maramus.

The 54 has many more opening hatches than the Super Maramu, partly because the space it divided up a bit more and more points of air intake are needed, and partly to improve the amount of air flow. Neither boat has any useful passive ventilation available when underway.

Utility Systems

Here the boats are way more alike than they are different. Most of the utilities are served up in similar ways, sometimes even using exactly the same equipment.

The electrical system on the 54 is beefed up some, but the general philosophy is the same. Amel has moved toward a more modern setup for the electrical distribution in the 54, but still retained some of their unique quirks–for better and worse!

These boats are both very similar and very different. After a week aboard, we decided that we wouldn’t, ourselves, want to trade up to a 54. But we certainly understand why other people would. It’s a bigger boat, within almost the same footprint. It’s newer. Amel redesigned many parts of the boat, with mostly good results, although they swung and missed on a few.

It is a rule that no boat is perfect for everybody–and no boat is perfect for anybody. All boats are compromises. Is the Amel 54 a better set of compromises for you? Or the older, cheaper, Super Maramu? Only you will know!

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