Max 55 SC: Performance and Comfort
Proven Performance, Liveaboard Comfort, Unmatched Value
At 16.8 metres, the Max 55 SC is the flagship of Max Cruise Marine’s range of semi-custom performance catamarans. It is built for sailors who are serious about ocean miles and serious about living well aboard.
The Builder: Max Cruise Marine
Max Cruise Marine was founded by Terry Dewhurst, a long-distance sailor whose focus is on high daily mileage passage-making in comfort as well as enjoying life at anchor and in the marina. The company builds in Vietnam and works directly with owners throughout the specification and build process.
The Max Cruise Marine Team’s hands-on involvement is often cited by owners as a key differentiator from the volume production world, where the builder-buyer relationship is typically more transactional or handed off to dealers. They’ve become known in the community as the Max Cruise Visionary Vanguards.
The range currently consists of three models: the 45 SC, the 48 SC, and the 55 SC. Each is a semi-custom build, which means buyers are involved on layout, systems, and specification without the costs and delays of a fully custom project.
Construction: Light, Strong, Fast
Every Max Cruise Marine hull is built using advanced resin-infused composite construction with CNC-cut components. The 55 SC uses vinylester resin-infused foam sandwich with carbon reinforcement in high-load areas. The result is a light, stiff structure that punches well above its weight class in sailing performance.
Light displacement is not just a marketing slogan here. The 55 SC has a lightship displacement of around 12,000 kg. Compare that to production catamarans in the same size range, which typically tip the scales at 17,000 to 22,000 kg fully loaded, and the sailing performance advantage becomes obvious. A lighter hull accelerates faster, performs better in light airs, and requires less engine time to make ground. This matters on long passages.
Dimensions and Key Specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| LOA | 16.8 m |
| LWL | 16.6 m |
| Beam overall | 8.5 m |
| Draft (mini keel) | 1.4 m |
| Draft (daggerboards, extended) | 2.7 m |
| Lightship displacement | ~12,000 kg |
| Bridge deck clearance | 900 mm |
| Main engines | 2 x 50 hp |
| Mainsail | 98 m² |
| Jib | 62 m² |
| Code Zero (optional) | 105 m² |
| Spinnaker (optional) | 180 m² |
The 8.5 m beam gives the 55 SC good transverse stability and a great deal of usable interior volume. The bridge deck clearance of 900 mm is excellent for offshore work, minimising issues in steep chop.
Sail Plan and Performance
The working sail area of 160 m² combined with a hull that weighs roughly half what a comparable crusing cat does makes the 55 SC a fast passage-maker. With the optional Code Zero at 105 m², the boat has the light-air ability to maintain decent speeds in the trade wind lulls and broad reach runs that dominate many offshore routes.
The optional 180 m² spinnaker extends the off-wind repertoire further for downwind passages. Or there is an option for a parasailor of course.
Buyers can choose between fixed mini keels at 1.4 m draft for simplicity and the ability to dry out in tidal anchorages, or daggerboards extending to 2.7 m for more efficient upwind performance, especially in lighter winds. For blue water passage-making on predominantly reaching and downwind routes, the mini keel configuration is practical and proven. For sailors who plan regular windward work or want VMG performance in lighter conditions, the daggerboard option is worth a look.
Ocean Proven: Real-World Evidence
The phrase “ocean-proven” is bandied about in catamaran marketing. In the case of the Max 55 SC, there is plenty of evidence to back it up.
One 55 SC has completed a delivery from Vietnam to California on approximately one and a quarter tanks of fuel. A substantial Pacific crossing achieved on modest fuel consumption, which speaks both to the sailing performance of the yacht and to the efficiency of the hull form under power when conditions demanded it.
A 44 SC, SV Kea, sailed 10,000 NM from Vietnam to France for the 2025 La Grande Motte International Multihull Show, consuming just 656 litres of diesel over the entire voyage. SV Kea runs a parallel hybrid system with a 38 hp diesel on the port side and a 10 kW electric drive on the starboard. By the time she arrived in France, she had logged 1,200 hours on the diesel and 1,600 hours on electric. This is real-world data from a passage that took the boat through the Indian Ocean, around the Cape of Good Hope, and up the Atlantic. The 55 SC is built to the same philosophy and construction methods but benefits from a longer waterline length
Hybrid Propulsion: A Serious Option
Max Cruise Marine offers the 55 SC with diesel, parallel hybrid. The hybrid package for the 55 SC includes:
- 10 kW electric drive motor
- 6 kW Victron inverter system
- 4.8 kW of solar with MPPT controllers
- 40 kWh lithium battery bank with CAN bus integration
- 48V windlass and deck winches
- DC/DC 48V to 12V conversion for onboard systems
The hybrid design means the boat can motor quietly on electric for extended periods in anchorages and channels, recharge under sail via regeneration, and keep the diesel in reserve for heavy weather motoring or long windless stretches. For a liveaboard couple trying to limit generator noise and fuel costs, this setup has clear advantages.
The shaft drive configuration, available across the Max Cruise range, reduces complexity compared to saildrive systems, which is a key benefit for high-mileage passages.
Liveaboard Comfort
An 8.5 m beam at 16.8 m length gives the 55 SC interior volume that competes with much larger production catamarans. The layout is semi-custom, meaning buyers work with the Max Cruise team to configure the space according to how they actually intend to use the boat.
Standard liveaboard features include:
- Three or four cabin layouts with island queen and king berths
- Ensuite heads to each cabin
- A large saloon with panoramic views over the forward deck
- A well-specified galley designed for serious provisioning and preparation
- Dedicated navigation and electrical management stations
- Generous storage throughout both hulls
An optional forward cockpit can be specified on the 55 SC, adding a sheltered social area forward of the mast with excellent ventilation and sea views. This feature is well-suited to tropical cruising, where shade and airflow are key priorities.
The saloon layout is comfortable and practical: a relaxing space to sit and eat, somewhere to navigate, with the ability to monitor systems without having to go below in poor conditions. A mid-raised helm option gives the helmsperson all-round visibility and weather protection.
For a couple or family planning extended liveaboard time, the space-to-price ratio of the 55 SC is hard to fault.
Value in Context
The Max 55 SC offers volume, significantly lighter displacement than most production cats, a semi-custom specification process, and the option for a comprehensively integrated hybrid power system, at a price point that represents great value for money.
The construction quality, the hybrid integration, and the offshore track record are all consistent with what the price reflects: a serious bluewater catamaran built to an clever specification, without the brand premium baked into the pricing of the established French and South African production yards.
Who the Max 55 SC Is For
The 55 SC suits sailors who want a fast, comfortable, offshore-capable catamaran who are prepared to get involved with the build process to buy a boat they actually want and need. The semi-custom nature of the build requires input and patience, but they pay dividends. The reward is a yacht configured to their specific cruising goals, built lighter and faster than other production alternatives, at a price that leaves budget for more options or the voyage itself.
The ocean miles are proven. The performance is there. And the quality and value is there.
Specifications Summary
LOA: 16.8 m LWL: 16.6 m BOA: 8.5 m Draft (mini keel): 1.4 m Draft (daggerboards): 2.7 m max Lightship displacement: approx. 12,000 kg Bridge deck clearance: 900 mm Engines: 2 x 50 hp Mainsail: 98 m² Jib: 62 m² Code Zero (opt.): 105 m² Spinnaker (opt.): 180 m²
For full specifications, layout options, hybrid configurations, and pricing, contact Max Cruise Marine directly via maxcruisemarine.com.