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A 50m Heesen motor yacht in 2026 costs $2.8M to $3.4M per year to run, all-in, on a typical Mediterranean-summer and Caribbean-winter dual-program with 12 weeks of owner-and-guest use and zero charter weeks. The 50m Heesen is a steel-and-aluminium platform built to Dutch yard standards (Oss, Netherlands), with displacement or semi-displacement hull forms depending on the class. The 2026 charter and brokerage market shows roughly 95 Heesen hulls in service in the 40 to 70m band, with the largest concentration at 47 to 55m on the FDHF (Fast Displacement Hull Form) and the YN-series steel platforms. The numbers below are pulled from operator interviews and yacht-management quotes for four reference 50m Heesen hulls, anonymized at the owners' request. The headline number is $600K cheaper than a same-LOA Lurssen, $300K cheaper than a same-LOA Feadship, and roughly $200K above a same-LOA Italian-built yacht.
The headline grid
| Cost line | Annual cost (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Crew payroll | $1,000,000 to $1,180,000 | 12 to 14 crew, blended rate |
| Crew benefits and rotation | $145,000 to $200,000 | Health, travel, training, rotational pay |
| Dockage and port fees | $230,000 to $300,000 | Med summer + Caribbean winter |
| Fuel | $260,000 to $340,000 | 180 to 240 engine hours, plus generator |
| Insurance (hull and P&I) | $140,000 to $200,000 | $32M to $42M agreed value |
| Maintenance and consumables | $240,000 to $310,000 | Routine, scheduled, parts |
| Refit accrual | $400,000 to $560,000 | 5-year and 10-year cycle blended |
| Yacht management fee | $135,000 to $175,000 | One of the major firms, 0.4 to 0.5% of replacement cost |
| Communications and IT | $70,000 to $110,000 | VSAT, Starlink, onboard network |
| Tender and toy maintenance | $55,000 to $85,000 | 2 tenders, 4 to 6 toys |
| Provisioning at owner level | $90,000 to $160,000 | Owner-and-guest weeks |
| Flag, registration, and admin | $25,000 to $40,000 | Flag dues, classification, audit |
| Repositioning fuel and crew | $130,000 to $200,000 | Med-Carib delivery and back |
| Depreciation (not cash, separate) | $900,000 to $1,400,000 | Memorialized for accounting |
| Total cash operating | $2,790,000 to $3,400,000 | Excluding depreciation and finance |
The total varies by $610,000 across the realistic operating range. The disciplined owner lands at $2.8M. The owner running the full program with a senior captain, an aggressive cruise schedule, and on-time refit accrual lands at $3.4M.
Crew payroll, in detail
A 50m Heesen crews 12 to 14 in standard configuration. The headcount and salary band:
| Position | Count | Annual salary range (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Captain | 1 | $150,000 to $200,000 |
| Chief Officer | 1 | $90,000 to $120,000 |
| Second Officer | 1 (sometimes) | $70,000 to $90,000 |
| Chief Engineer | 1 | $125,000 to $165,000 |
| Second Engineer | 1 | $75,000 to $100,000 |
| Bosun | 1 | $60,000 to $80,000 |
| Deckhands | 2 to 3 | $48,000 to $58,000 each |
| Chef | 1 | $100,000 to $145,000 |
| Sous chef (sometimes) | 1 | $60,000 to $80,000 |
| Chief Stewardess | 1 | $70,000 to $90,000 |
| Stewardesses | 2 to 3 | $48,000 to $60,000 each |
Aggregate $1.0M to $1.18M depending on whether the program runs 12 or 14 crew. The 50m Heesen at 12 crew is the lean operation: experienced captain, single chef, no sous, two deckhands. At 14 crew the program adds a second officer, a sous chef, and a third stewardess, which is the configuration most charter-market 50m Heesens run because the additional crew is what makes the difference between a charter rate of €180K per week and €240K per week.
Crew benefits add 14 to 18 percent on top of payroll for MLC-mandated leave, training, travel, and health cover.
Dockage and port fees
Mediterranean summer dockage at 50m runs $3,200 to $5,500 per night for the top-tier ports and $1,200 to $2,800 per night for the second tier. A typical summer at $3,800 average × 70 dock-nights = $266K. Caribbean winter adds $80K to $120K across the December-to-April program at lower per-night rates. Total dockage and port fees: $230K to $300K per year.
The 50m yacht has substantially better dock access than the 60m yacht. Saint-Tropez Vieux Port, Capri Marina Grande, Port Hercule in Monaco, and Marina Botafoch in Ibiza all hold 50m berths in larger numbers than 60m berths, and the per-foot rate at the 50m level is meaningfully lower. This is one of the structural arguments for the 50m platform over the 60m platform on Mediterranean charter or owner programs.
Fuel
A 50m Heesen on the FDHF platform burns 220 to 280 liters per hour at cruise (12 to 14 knots), or 320 to 420 liters per hour at higher cruise. The displacement-hull 50m platforms burn 180 to 230 liters per hour at cruise. Across 180 to 240 engine hours per year, main propulsion fuel runs 50,000 to 75,000 liters at the 2026 Mediterranean dock price of $1.20 to $1.60 per liter, or $70K to $115K. Generator hours add 1,500 to 2,000 per year at 22 to 35 liters per hour, contributing another 35,000 to 65,000 liters or $50K to $100K. Tender and ancillary fuel adds $15K to $25K. Total fuel and lubricants: $260K to $340K per year.
Insurance
Hull insurance on a 50m Heesen at $32M to $42M agreed value runs $115K to $165K per year. P&I cover at $750M to $1B per occurrence runs $25K to $40K. Total insurance: $140K to $200K, or 0.4 to 0.5 percent of replacement cost. Heesen yachts tend to insure at a small discount to Italian-built yachts at the same LOA because the underwriting view of Dutch build quality is favorable.
Maintenance and consumables
Routine maintenance budget at $240K to $310K covers paint touch-up, varnish, anti-fouling, propeller dressing, scheduled engine service, spare parts inventory, and the steady consumable spend (filters, oils, paints, hardware). The Heesen built before 2020 runs at the upper end of this range. The post-2020 build with a Heesen extended warranty runs at the lower end for the first 24 to 36 months.
Refit accrual
A 50m Heesen goes through a major refit on a 5-year cycle ($1M to $2M) and a 10-year cycle ($2.5M to $5M). Annualized, the refit accrual is $400K to $560K per year. The 10-year refit at the 50m Heesen level is meaningfully cheaper than the equivalent 10-year refit at 60m Benetti or 60m Feadship because the steel hull is smaller, the systems are fewer, and the cosmetic refresh covers less area.
The Heesen refit yards are concentrated in the Netherlands (Heesen Oss, Damen Vlissingen, Royal Huisman), Italy (Lusben in Viareggio, La Ciotat for the Mediterranean side), and the Caribbean (Antigua Yacht Yard for cosmetic work between seasons). The yard choice matters: a 5-year refit at Heesen Oss runs $1.5M to $2M, the same scope at Lusben runs $1.2M to $1.7M, and the same scope at a non-specialist Mediterranean yard runs $900K to $1.4M but with meaningful risk on warranty.
Yacht management fee
Standard 0.4 to 0.5 percent of replacement cost per year, which lands at $135K to $175K. The Heesen yacht management market is well-developed and competitive: Heesen Yachts Service, V.Group, Y.CO Yacht Management, and IYC all bid in this band.
The lines the buyer underestimates
Repositioning. The Mediterranean-to-Caribbean delivery runs $65K to $100K each way at 50m, plus the crew rotation cost. Allocate $130K to $200K per year. The owner who runs Mediterranean-only or Caribbean-only saves this.
Provisioning at owner level. The 12 weeks of owner use generate $90K to $160K of provisioning at standard owner-level catering. The owner who entertains on board (charter-equivalent menus, wine list, large parties) pushes this above $200K.
Comms. Starlink-plus-VSAT redundancy on a 50m Heesen runs $70K to $110K. The yacht-as-floating-office buyer pushes this higher.
Tender maintenance. The 50m Heesen typically carries two tenders (a 7 to 9m limousine and a 5 to 6m chase or dive tender) and 4 to 6 toys. Maintenance, fuel, and storage: $55K to $85K per year.
Comparison: 50m Heesen vs 50m peer builders
| Builder | Estimated annual cash operating cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Heesen 50m | $2.8M to $3.4M | This page |
| Benetti 50m | $2.6M to $3.2M | Slightly lower crew payroll |
| Sanlorenzo 50m | $2.7M to $3.3M | Higher tender package on SP/SX |
| Feadship 50m | $3.4M to $4.1M | Heavier refit accrual, larger crew |
| Lurssen 50m (older) | $3.5M to $4.3M | The smallest Lurssen platforms still carry larger crew |
The 50m Heesen runs at a mid-point of the cost band: more expensive than a same-LOA Italian build, materially cheaper than a same-LOA Feadship or Lurssen, and meaningfully cheaper than the 60m platforms in any builder.
The 50m vs 60m decision in cost terms
A 50m Heesen at $2.8M to $3.4M per year compared to a 60m Benetti at $4.6M to $5.4M per year sits at roughly 60 percent of the cost. For 90 percent of owners that 40 percent cost saving outweighs the 20 percent capacity gain at the 60m level (typically 10-to-12 guests instead of 12-to-14). The 50m platform is the sweet spot for the owner who is honest about how many guests are usually on the yacht.
What we passed on including
We passed on financing cost because owner-by-owner variation makes one number useless. A 50 percent financed purchase at 7 percent on a $32M acquisition adds approximately $1.12M per year in interest.
We passed on depreciation in the cash operating total. The 50m Heesen at year-5 resells at approximately 36 to 39 percent off purchase price, which annualizes at $900K to $1.4M per year in non-cash depreciation.
We passed on charter income offset because this page covers the owner-only program. Charter income on a 50m Heesen placed on the market for 8 to 12 weeks per year nets approximately 35 to 65 percent of operating cost depending on the program and the broker. Cover that in Charter vs buy calculator.
FAQ
Why does a Heesen cost less to run than a Feadship or Lurssen at the same LOA? Smaller crew, lower refit accrual, lower base build cost so the insurance and depreciation lines run lower as percentages. The Heesen platform is built to a high standard but the Dutch yacht-builder hierarchy puts Heesen below Feadship and Royal Huisman on cost-of-ownership.
Is this number specific to the FDHF platform or any 50m Heesen? Specific to the steel-and-aluminium 50m Heesen platforms (YN class and FDHF). The aluminium 50m Heesens (rare, mostly older) run roughly 5 to 8 percent below these numbers on fuel and maintenance but with shorter refit cycles.
Does this include yacht-as-charter operational costs? No. Add 1 to 1.5 percent of operating cost per chartered week, which lands at $30K to $50K per chartered week in operational uplift.
What size of refit fund should I build? For the 50m Heesen we recommend accruing $500K per year to a refit sinking fund. The 5-year refit will draw $1.5M to $2M and the 10-year refit will draw $3M to $4M. Without an accrued fund the refit moments compete with the operating budget.
Can I run a 50m Heesen with 10 crew? For an owner-only program with no charter, yes. The yacht will run, but the operational tempo drops, the senior officers carry more workload, and refit prep work happens during the season rather than between seasons. We have seen 10-crew programs on private 50m Heesens; we have not seen 10-crew programs work on charter-market 50m Heesens.
How does the Heesen compare to a same-LOA Sanlorenzo on running cost? Within $100K to $200K per year of each other. The Sanlorenzo SP/SX platforms carry larger tender packages and run higher on tender maintenance. The Heesen carries higher refit accrual because the steel hull cycle is slightly longer than the composite-and-aluminium Sanlorenzo cycle but the per-cycle scope is larger.