2014 Aquila 48

2014 Aquila 48'

Owners upgrades and notes:

2026 update:

Just had the generator removed, stress-tested, oil checked by a laboratory, sound enclosure rebuilt, engine mounts replaced. Everything is great condition.

Finished having most of the boat re-caulked. "Mostly" because some of it is unreachable while in the water. That will have to wait for a haul-out. But it's mostly done & looks great. It makes a nice difference.

Also compounded & waxed.

Both Volvo drive motors professionally serviced, on schedule again, fall of 2025. Also the bottom was professionally cleaned by the scuba diver & its zincs checked. This boat is ready to go.

Overview: 2014 Aquila 48, 48-foot, the 4-suite bedroom version. This boat was popular in charter for several years in the BVIs. It was cosmetically damaged by Hurricane Irma in 2017 & repaired, re-entering the charter fleet.

The electronics were replaced in 2018. It was purchased by me in 2020 & registered here in the US, planning to charter it locally, & then do The Loop, thanks to its favorable air draft & also shallow water draft, plus maneuverability.

Aquila's 48 was their original Flagship model, setting new standards in style, maneuverability, usability & safety. It put them on the map because they "overdid" it in these areas, successfully establishing the entire brand with that reputation. It is easy to handle, it's solid, has storage everywhere & with luxury touches normally limited to much more expensive yachts. They were very popular in charter. Fantastic air conditioning. Plenty of water making. Flybridge electric grill. Big "normal" windows & each bed has an eye-level view of the water & charter-jet type reading lights. Each berth has its own dry shower, a tall closet for hanging clothes, storage all along the wall & under the bed as well as under the floor. There's an hydraulic swim platform as well as a unique davit overhead.

It is satisfying to hear mechanics at the marinas commenting on how impressed they are with this boat, compared to other boats, in areas such as the thickness of the wiring & accessibility of components.

Taxes, transportation & were tariffs paid. These were huge because a 25% tariff applied to Chinese boats imported in to the US then (it may still apply to any boat built in China). Although this boat had spent years in the BVI, it had never been imported. To import it in to the US required the tariff to be paid. This is in addition to taxes, inspection & documentation fees. Plus, shipping a 50,000 pound 48×24' boat on a ship from BVI to Miami, then hiring a delivery Captain to take it from there, was another $25,000). This has all been paid on this boat. You'd still be responsible for paying tariffs to your country (if not the US), plus applicable fees & taxes.

Not registered with Coast Guard, but has international CE designation (10 in open seas, 25 inshore) with safety crush zones on each end of each hull, elevated electronics, redundant systems, overbuilt everywhere.

It is very easy to handle with the wide-spaced motors. You can turn within the width of the boat & "crab" it sideways. Bow thrusters are not needed. See video.

Very nice and reliable energy management

• We added over 1,800 watts of solar power on the hardtop and an 800AH supplemental lithium LiPro (the non-flammable type) battery bank. It can now sit for days without running a generator (unless you need to run the 220v AC, hot water heater, stoves or watermaker). Two 'Power King 8D' 245Ah AGM house batteries are maintained to soften the blow of alternator charging.
• The house bank is recharged by solar, by generator, by shorepower and by the drive motors, mostly automatically.
• There are also 3 separate AGM starter batteries, connected to the house bank, with a redundant system so they remain charged and if one fails, the drive motors can be started by other batteries.
• It uses mostly Victron components, with solid-hard-wired connections to their Cerbu, with a touch-screen pad, and bluetooth monitoring. It can be accessed and monitored at any time, for free, via the web, from anywhere, and it includes alarms for bilge, location and humidity. Just wiring this system took 3 guys over two weeks, not to mention the time to took to figure out the lithium and AGM system.
• There is also a supplemental 200watt solar system, completely separate from the main one, as a backup to run the electric "whole house" ventilating fan system. It is perfectly quiet and pulls a breeze through the boat when it's not hot enough for the AC. This one is not monitored.
• This system includes free remote monitoring from anywhere in the world via a private webpage & also color night vision surveillance cameras with motion sensing & "intelligent" target designation. You can check in & see the boat's location, temperature & humidity in each hull, status of bilge pumps, battery condition, solar charging status, & video of movement in side & around the boat, etc.
• A sample of the view from one of the color night vision cameras is in the Gallery (the image showing guests walking down the bow steps at night).

Construction

• Composite Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) using end-grain balsa core-infused sandwich construction.
• Some is PVC foam cored.
• Vinylester resin is used below the water line to prevent osmotic blistering.

Accommodations

• Four Equal Cabins With Private Head And Separate Dry Showers.
• Featuring Four Double Island Berths With Aft Convertible To Singles.
• The Cabins Are Well Lit Thanks To Their Panoramic Windows And Offer Spacious En-suite Heads With Teak Floors And Separate Showers Stalls.
• Each cabin and each head also has a separate lighting system down at the floor (along with salon, galley, stairways): courtesy lights. You can use those to find your way at night without turning on the big lights. Or use them as accent.
• It has a wonderful flow-through hatch design. Wind comes through the center (thanks to front and rear doors), also through each hull, with opposing hatches forward and rear. It is nice and breezy at anchor.
• Plus there's a solar fan to help pull air when needed, like a "whole house fan" on a separate system, not using the house battery bank.

Salon

• The Main Deck Offers Extended Spaces For Living Large, With Beautiful Panoramic Views And Access To Both Covered Forward Lounging Areas And Aft Cockpit With Tinted, Tempered Glass, Windows On The Forward, Aft And Sides Of The Cabin.
• There Is An Aluminum Framed Watertight Door Leading To The Forward Cockpit And An Aluminum Sliding Doorway Aft.
• Forward To Port The Comfortable Saloon Seating Ensures Leisurely Dining And Entertainment With A TV On Lift To Catch A Game Or Movie On A Rainy Day. Or stream from Internet.
• A Chart Table And Settee Are To Starboard.
• A Hidden Slide Out Mini Bar Is Incorporated In The Galley Partition. Surround Sound Entertainment System with speakers throughout. The TV is hidden in the Port Partition Recess.
• We've added ceramic coating to the larger glass surfaces. Works really well.
• There's storage everywhere & a separate Heating & AC control there in the Salon.
• Courtesy LED lights in this area, too. Plus there's a classy accent light system above.
• Great multizone bluetooth Fusion stereo system, with speakers everywhere, even in hardtop above flybridge & on forward & aft cockpits. It can be controlled via smart phone, on or off the boat.

Galley

• The Galley Is Port Aft And Is Ergonomically Designed With Modern Appliances.
• Vitrifrigo Starboard Supplemental Refrigerator & Port Vitrifrigo Drawer Refrigerator And Freezer.
• Galley Microwave. All are DC powered.
• Glass Cooktop - the ones that don't get hot to the touch)
• Electric Kenyon Grill (there's no flammable gases on board)
• Double Sink With Corian Cover And Corian Countertops Appliance Work Area also a separate over sized drained-sink which is perfect for holding entire bags of ice & drinks.
• Slide Out Garbage Bin Under Sink

Cockpit

• We added custom plastic shelving in the forward lazarette to keep the various extra lines and hoses neat.
• All new 3/4" lines in 2022.
• Aft starboard sliding door rollers replaced, metal treated.
• Purchased missing tools which came with the boat originally.
• Replaced main panel GFI breaker, 110v outlet on flybridge, generator ball scupper valve, rope cutters, battery tray support bracket, broken blinds, reading lights.
• Added wood-pattern vinyl (English burlewood, with a separate pattern for each piece) so it doesn't look like a bottle of bleach.
• We added even more storage, to a boat already famous for it. We replaced and upgraded systems all over the boat, such as replacing the entire bilge system, adding 110 shore power.
• The diesel tank for the generator holds 100 gallons and can be pumped to the port main tank, thereby functioning as a reserve. We added another pump so it can be transferred to the starboard side as well. Two 100 gallon fresh water tanks.
• All cushions were recovered in 2023.

Electronics

• Raymarine Axiom MFD GPS with updated firmware.
• Also added two new VHF radios, a main one & then a second one completely separate with a separate coax and scanner triband antenna.
• Raymarine's autopilot was rebuilt & compass replaced.
• Volvo Easy Connect for better diagnostics & bluetooth connection.
• A Digital Yacht AIS Receiver was professionally added to the Raymarine MFD.
• Raymarine I70 Depth/speed
• Raymarine Back Up Camera
• Two Standard Vhf Radios With Separate Antenna, One Is For A Near-Field Scanner, plus Hd Tv OTA Marine Antenna
• Added 3 Surveillance Cameras with color night vision. One of the photos in the "media" section shows an image from the forward-facing one. It needs some light, such as from other boats in the marina. Some times a full moon is enough. The spotlight on top provides enough light sometimes, too. It can provide assistance with slow night time travel, such as finding you way in a dark lagoon or marina.
• The boat includes free remote monitoring from anywhere in the world via a private webpage & the color night vision surveillance cameras include motion sensing, alarming, audio, & "intelligent" target designation. You can check in & see the boat's location, the temperature & humidity in each hull, the status of bilge pumps, battery condition, solar charging status, & also see real-time or recorded video of movement in side & around the boat, etc.

Electrical

• Victron Energy Multiplus' 3000W inverter / 120A charger, 110 outlets throughout.
• We had a marine electrician check the galvanic isolators & install a commercial-grade surge protector to limit shore-power surges.
• Poynteng 4G marine antenna was installed on the mast, wired to 1G hotspot. Supports up to 10 people at a time with live-stream internet.
• We added a 430,000 candle-power 360-degree remotely operated spot light on the very top. It can be used for visibility forward, but it also swings around & depresses for lighting up the aft or sides.
• We added LED lighting in both drive motor engine compartments.
• There are two shorepower cords, a 50amp & a 30amp, plus we added a 3rd separate system, for 110v.
• Marine HDTV 19" antenna, also fast-charge USB ports for 4 devices, wired in.
• The major systems, motors, MFD, anchor, solar, even each individual lithium battery, can be monitored via a tablet from anywhere on the boat.

Flybridge and Deck

• The hard top covered flybridge is about 11x17 and can be accessed in via the front two stairs and by the interior steps from the galley (great when it's raining or you're carrying food from the galley).
• The helm "windshield" canvas was replaced with smoked strataglass in June of 2024. It includes a "clear panel" for assured visibility in bad weather or at night. All three panels roll up easily or detach, with a custom storage bag.
• The bow has a nice cozy covered cockpit everyone enjoys. The generator is underneath the floor there, between the hulls. Much quieter that way.
• The bow rails have seats - one of the best spots on the boat for watching dolphins play.
• We also replaced the factory's standard fiberglass flybridge table with a circular polymer-wood one, with two matching chairs.
• Custom aluminum ladder from flybridge to hard top.

Air Conditioning

• It has wonderful AC, even for those of us in really hot, humid environments.
• Both heat and cool, 48,000 BTU 'Condaria / Dometic chiller system, with 5 separate zones; separate thermostats, software updated, with new compressor.
• It's like you'd find in an office building or apartment.
• The delivery captain told us this was the first yacht he had delivered that actually had cold AC, "the rest were merely 'not-hot' air." he said.
• Chiller capacitorreplaced February 2026

Engines & Mechanical

• Both props serviced and adjusted in 2022. The rudders were aligned as well.
• Both upgraded Volvo Penta D6 in-line drive motors have about 2,300 hours on them, with professional service history up to date.
• They are the upgraded 5.5 liter, 330hp versions.
• The Northern Lights 16kW Marine Generator has about 13,000 hours, which I'm told is about half of its lifespan. Since our use is a fraction of what it did in charter, especially after adding the solar system and lithium bank, the generator could last another 10 years. To be sure, we just had it removed, checked thoroughly & it went through a 6 hour stress test, then the oil sent off to a laboratory to be tested. All hoses, filters, belts & motor mounts replaced. This was January 2026.

Tender

• 2019 SeaDoo 3-up with custom sling. This is the lightweight one designed to be used as a tender. I think it weighs 500 pounds and carries 3 passengers.
• The electric davit for the overhead dinghy places it right in the water, beyond the lower platform.
• The lower platform is hydraulic, for tenders, sea-do's, or dingys, or just chairs. It drops to just below water level. Makes a great scuba platform.
• Swim ladder off port swim-platform

Navigation Equipment

• Raymarine MFD chartplotter
• Backup Raymarine standard gauge (heading, compass, speed, depth)
• Rebuilt Raymarine autopilot.

Safety

• Auto-inflating 10-person life boat in a fiberglass case.
• It is not required in this area and I have not been able to have an official re-certify it. But the chandlery said it was a good one "and probably worked."
• All of the fire extinguishes were checked out last year.
• There are more than 20 life jackets on board, plus the required flares and replaced newer life-ring.
• Required placards were added.
• Anchor light upgraded to LED

Anchor and Docking

• The primary anchor has 200 foot of all chain. The electric windlass has a remote. There is also a secondary anchor.
• The cleats are over-sized.
• It has nice big soft bumpers and crush zones, easy maneuverability, benefiting a charter boat.
• New anchor bridle in 2022. Probably not even used since.

Miscellaneous

• Spectra Newport 1000 Mk 2 30-gph water-maker with remote control panel. Extra filters.
• A pressurized wash-down pump and hose is on the bow, either fresh or seawater source.
• Underfloor storage in each suite and in the galley. Also a wine--bottle drawer.
• There's a convenient opening for a washer-dryer, which could be added later.
• Three new hatch lenses plus one entirely new Lewmar hatch.
• Last haul-out was June of 2022, which included hull inspection, new 5-year bottom paint, and replacement of the weak motor-cooling throughulls with nice permanent bronze ones, also re-positioned for better cooling.
• Bottom cleaned twice yearly by a scuba diver, who also replaced the shaft zincs. It sits in mostly-fresh water, build up is minimal.
• All very expensive engine cooling hoses for both motors were installed.
• New shore-water regulator.
• Electric Flush Marine Heads with fresh water plumbing.
• 2 X 15 Gal Hot Water Heater
• Outdoor Shower
• Quick Electric Windlass With Remote.
• Included in "Media" are two published tests of the burn-rate of an Aquila 48. Note one of them were for the 370 hp Volvos, not these, which are still upgraded but are the mid-range 330hp. One image in the Gallery is an excerpt from a publication noting the "near 1,000 mile" range this boat can achieve, & that's with the 370hp Volvos.

Designed top speed is 20kts. She gets up "on plane" at about 16kts.

Boat Wizard - Standard AI generated description:

Custom built to significantly elevate the boating experience aboard a power catamaran under 50', the Aquila 48 has been developed to set the standard as the state-of-the-art, pure-bred power catamaran with a perfect balance between luxurious comfort and performance.

The Aquila 48 was designed in collaboration with leading experts in the power boating industry including world-class designers, engineers and builders as well as the industry's leading yacht retailer. She represents the newest and most exciting evolution on the market today. On the Aquila 48 you will quickly notice the attention to innovative design, detail and quality in all areas of the yacht. The main deck offers extended spaces for living large, with beautiful panoramic views and access to both forward and aft covered cockpit seating areas.

Inside, comfortable saloon seating ensures leisurely dining and entertainment. The galley is ergonomically designed with the most modern of appliances, and all the cabins are well lit thanks to their panoramic windows and offer spacious en-suite bathrooms and showers stalls.

Pleasing modern lines set the Aquila 48 in a league of her own and moving around this boat is a breeze for people of all ages and abilities. Aft, a lifting platform provides excellent access to the ocean, dinghy and water toys. Access to the flybridge from one of five convenient stairways - the interior salon, or the innovative forward and aft secure stairways. A large entertainment and dining area on the flybridge with barbeque with wet bar, and forward, an ergonomically designed steering console position with modern navigation equipment. On the main deck, outside shaded areas in the front and rear ensure leisurely relaxation on every level.