kraken 52 catamaran price

DSK Marine Inc.

Kraken 52 Exterior

The Kraken 52' is engineered to be lightweight, fast, efficient and strong.  It's the world's first offshore quad cabin luxury sportfish outboard catamaran with super unique lines that stop traffic at any marina. 

Super Kraken - Vessel #1

Stern Gangway, Livewells and Optional Fighting Chair

Large Bow Lower Sundeck

Fighting Chair Option On Stern Perch

Dual Side Gunnel Doors

Flybridge At Sunset

Flybridge Upper Sunbed

Rear Deck Gathering Space

Walk Around Gangway X 2

Flybridge Helm

State of the Art Lumitec Lighting

• I145 Diesel / Electric
• I110 Diesel / Electric
• I85 Diesel / Electric
• I68 Diesel / Electric
• I42 Diesel / Electric / Outboard
• C85 Diesel / Sail
• C55 Diesel / Outboard

The Future of Offshore Sport Luxury

Ultimate performance, fastest in class.

The Kraken 52 is the industry's first lightweight full size multi-cabin (4) luxury performance catamaran.  It is designed to reach speeds of modern high performance center consoles but with the ride and efficiency of a catamaran.

State of the art design with 4 cabins, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, 2 living spaces, main helm,  flybridge and 2 large sun decks.  Unprecedented 60+ MPH luxury cabin catamaran speed.

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Demo The Kraken

As anyone who’s ever watched an episode of “ Howe2Live ” on the show’s YouTube channel knows, performance boat enthusiasts Mike and Sarah Howe live large and adventurous lives. So it stands to reason that for open-water cruising expeditions they would need a large and efficient, seaworthy vessel with plenty of living space and a performance edge. But the Maine-based couple couldn’t fine one that met all their needs.

And that lead Mike Howe—an inventor of note—to build a 52-foot cruising catamaran he dubbed The Kraken .

Powered by 2,400 hp worth of Mercury Marine outboard engines, The Kraken was built for open-water cruising. Photo by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix .

Released in 2023, The Kraken is the subject of an entertaining Scrapyard Media adventure video.

Of course, Howe—a serial entrepreneur—didn’t just build the vessel, which is powered by four Mercury Marine Verado 600 outboard engines, for himself and his bride. Deep Sea Kraken (aka DSK Marine), the brand he founded, will build them for a few select owners this year.

To that end, Howe is offering by-appointment demo rides out of an undisclosed location during the Miami International Boat Show , which runs February 14-18.

“DSK will be producing only three Kraken vessels in 2024 and we’re excited to find their new owners,” Howe wrote in a post on the Howe2Live Facebook page. “Very serious buyers only—please email demo inquiries to [email protected] for reservations and a secret-but-famous launch location.”

Related stories Countdown To The 2024 Miami International Boat Show Catching Up With Mike And Sarah Howe—Riding Dolphins MTI At 25—In The Longest Run Behold The Super Kraken 52 Up Close And Personal With Mike And Sarah Howe In Key West New Video Release: In The Lead With Michael Howe Of Howe2Live Howes’ New York To Miami Record Attempt Update: ‘It’s Not Over Till It’s Over’ On At Dawn—Howes To Tackle New York To Miami Record Attempt Tomorrow Howes Take Delivery Of MTI’s First Production 440X Catamaran In Epic Fashion

Outerlimits SC 37 Cat Snags Another Longtime V-Bottom Owner

Joystick piloting coming for mercury racing 500r outboard.

About   Kraken

Find out more about Kraken Yachts. Check out the latest Kraken in-build at our bespoke factory in Turkey or meet the team behind the yachts.

Kraken   Design

Kraken Yachts are the safest blue water sailing yachts in build today. Find out what makes our yachts so special.

Kraken   News

Stay up-to-date with everything Kraken Yachts. See our reviews in yachting magazines from around the world or find out about Kraken Yachts and all things sailing in Ocean Sailor Magazine.

Get more from Kraken Yachts . Watch, listen and read everything about bluewater sailing.

Kraken Yachts

In development, luxury sailing yachts from kraken yachts.

Undoubtedly the best blue water sailing yacht in production today - John Kretschmer

A blue water beast that rips up the rule book! - David Harding, Yachting World and Yachting Monthly

Beautiful yacht and a fantastic design, Excellent sail! - Peter Nielsen, Sail Magazine

In The Yard

Preparation of the mould.

Episode 1  of our new series, 'In The Yard', see's Dogan, our Lamination Engineer, taking you through how we prepare the mould before the gelcoat is applied.

Kraken Yachts on YouTube

What is the code-k.

We set out to design the perfect downwind sail to compliment our versatile solent rig and standard sail wardrobe. Join us to learn about the Code K and why we designed it.

Podcast: Episode 14

The second part of our discussion with SV Delos's Brian Trautman, delving into the psychology of the sea and especially the Captain's chair.

Monohulls Vs Catamarans

Join the two Dicks as they pit monohulls against catamarans, discussing the differences, advantages and disadvantages.

Budget Bluewater Boats

Join the two Dicks as they delve into older suitable blue water yachts you can buy on a budget.

 The aim of Ocean Sailor is to keep everyone up to date with all aspects of blue water cruising. We hope Ocean Sailor will become a valuable source of information for those who wish to gain knowledge about subjects ranging from live-aboard cruising, through design, build and commissioning of yachts to equipment, both above and below the waterline as well as down below and on deck.

Sailing The World Part Three: Port Preparation

Dropping Anchor

Going Spare – Part 1

Storm for a Teacup

Choosing the Right Sails

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Buying a Kraken Yacht is one of the best decision a blue water sailor can make, but don’t just take our word for it. Explore reviews of our yachts below…

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The 52 Super Series

Photo by Katrina Zoë Norbom

The 52 Super Series is widely considered one of the top circuits in the world for monohulls, and in this era of rapid change, the TP52—or TransPacific 52—has managed to stay the series’ boat of choice for 10 years. Not only that, but as the class marks its 20th anniversary the boats it has produced remain as relevant today as the year they first came out.

The Super Series was born in 2012 when class sponsorship from Audi and the MedCup circuit ended, leaving owners in Europe without racing opportunities. Veteran U.S. sailor Doug DeVos, the Roemmers family and Niklas Zennström all conspired to keep the class alive, because for them, the boats were the perfect combination of technology, speed, power and reasonably sized crews—not to mention they’re great to sail. To this day, the 52 Super Series is primarily a regatta of boatowners. They’re the ones who sustain it, the ones for whom the two fundamental pillars of sailing fast and having fun remain the same as ever.

In Barcelona, Spain, in May 2012, the first 52 Super Series regatta kicked off with five boats in contention. Today the regattas regularly boast a dozen boats entered, as loyal owners continue to enjoy a kind of racing that never grows old thanks to the class’s constant evolution.

A typical 52 Super Series circuit includes five or six events held in various locations, mainly in the western Mediterranean, but with a few notable exceptions, like Key West and Miami, Florida. Usually, the fleet follows a windward-leeward course, although it will sometimes take part in coastal races as well. Each event has an individual winner. A season winner is then crowned according to the overall results at the end of the year—no discards.

Trophies are also awarded to the best owner-drivers, as it has been customary since the circuit was created for owners to drive their own boats. Professional skippers can be hired, but owners who choose to do so are penalized by being required to also get by with less crew weight.

To date, nine seasons have been completed. (Let us forget the pain of 2020!) Until 2021, only two teams had the honor of winning the series overall—victory having alternated between Doug DeVos’ Quantum Racing and the Azzurra team of the Argentine Roemmers family. But in 2021, Sled , owned by New York Yacht Club member Takashi Okura took the overall win. After losing the championship, DeVos said, “It is great for the class to have a new winner. The level of the competition with how close the Rolex World Champs were and how close the season championship is shows that there are some great teams that have really embraced the spirit of the 52 Super Series.”

Now, with what once seemed like a pipe dream—someone actually beating the “big two”—having come to pass, the regatta enters a new phase, with more boats than ever capable of winning the competition. Take Harm Müller-Spreer’s Platoon , which has been on the season’s overall podium since 2017 but has yet to secure an overall win, or Vladimir Liubomirov’s Bronenosec , Andy Soriano’s Alegre or Turkish owner Ergin Imre’s Provezza —strong teams all. Then there’s the Plattner family’s Phoenix project, which has gone so far as to put two boats in the water at the same time in the same competition.

Currently, veteran sailor Rob Weiland serves as the class manager for the series. When asked what he thought were the keys to a circuit like the 52 Super Series staying relevant in the face of the rise of the many grand prix catamaran and foiling classes now competing around the globe, he says, “Never say never. Classes and circuits of privately owned ‘flying yachts’ may happen in the future. But I feel that it will be a long time before you see a circuit [of foilers] as well established as the 52 Super Series…There already are attempts to realize this for smaller and less pricey concepts. Wait and see. The TP52 will be a classic, no doubt. And they still provide good racing and good fun.”

The boats were originally created for the Transpacific Race (hence the acronym TP) between California, and Diamond Head, Hawaii. At the time a cohort of West Coast sailors was looking for a “box rule” class that would be especially good at reaching, as this race is mainly downwind. Out of that came the TP52.

Photo above courtesy of Nico Martinez/52 super series

“The TP52 class is a development class and over its 20 years you clearly see changes in the pace and type of development,” Weiland says. “Of course, in the first years big steps were made, with designers having no previous designs to go by, but learning quickly. Then the class moved to the Mediterranean and mainly focused on WL (windward-leeward) racing.” Weiland notes the fleet has also gotten bigger, which leads to an increased focus on the first beat, so that upwind performance, especially pointing and ‘holding the lane’ have a become much more important than when the class made its debut.

“From 2005 to 2010 one had the feeling that a new boat would always be better, and so the top team’s were replacing their boats each year.” Weiland says. “It was a game not many could afford for a long time and, combined with the 2008 financial crisis, caused the fleet to shrink quickly. A few years later, though, the MedCup stopped, and with that and with the fleet being much more optimized for its use, the urge to build new slowed down to a much more sensible rhythm of about one new build every three years. ”

Of course, even when not building a new boat every year, mounting a serious 52 Super Series campaign—and at this level all the campaigns are serious—still takes commitment. Dedicated owners like DeVos, for example, find themselves having to be away from their work and families at least five weeks out of the year; however, they tend to take it in stride, recognizing the privilege of being able to sail at such a high level. As DeVos puts it, “To see the quality of all the sailors, all the owners, all the programs and to be in the mix here is a complete thrill. I pinch myself every day when I walk down the dock. The shore teams, the crews on the boats, seeing the effort that goes into being the best they can be, I’m just thrilled to be part of it.”

“The concept of the TP52 boat is great, because it is a modern, fast boat and has the right size to be considered a big boat, but is small enough to be fun and agile,” says Guillermo Parada, president of the circuit and the helmsperson with the most 52 Super Series titles under their belt to date (four). “That means it can be used to the limit without being afraid of the boat. For the owners, the organization of the circuit also makes it easy to know ahead of time that you are going to have plenty of good competition in each of the venues with good racing, good rivals and good boats. The truth is that this is a combination that is difficult to improve upon, and that’s why we have the best projects, owners and sailors. One thing ends up attracting the other.”

Interestingly, at 54, Parada is just one of a number of experienced sailors competing on a circuit where silver hair dominates, especially among the afterguards: a testament to the staying power of the many of the campaigns if ever there was one. “Many of the faces are the same,” he says. “We sailors have a slightly longer sporting life than other athletes, and this makes experience unbelievably valuable in all the boats. There are always some changes on the crews, but less so in positions where decisions are made or where there is not so much physical wear.”

Parada adds: “It also happens that changes are seen as something risky, and people don’t dare to bring in someone who has no experience in the class because each boat has its tricks, its secrets…Sailing with people who have no experience on a TP52 can be a major handicap, especially in the first year.”

Which is not to say the class is standing still: just the opposite as the boats continue to evolve, even 20 years down the road. Because the class is governed by a box rule, each boat is unique with its own strengths and weaknesses. Each boat also always has the potential to go just a little bit faster.

“I feel the boat can still go a bit lighter with a bit more sail without falling out of tune with its secondhand market in rated racing,” Weiland says. Beyond these adjustments, though, he says the next step to pushing the class forward would be reconsidering the specifics of the class’ box rule, a step that “does not allow the existing fleet to compete with the new fleet without applying handicap scoring. That would be a total reset.”

Meanwhile, in the short term, Parada says the future of the 52 Super Series and TP52 racing, in general, is all about keeping things fast and fun. “We must [continue to] set up a circuit that is competitive, good and fair. In short, one that has all the sporting ingredients and that the shipowners need,” he says. “On the other hand, we must try to make the circuit at reasonable costs and ensure it does not cost a lot of money to the boat owners. Sailing and chairing the circuit has given me a great overview, and I am relieved to know that I can still help even without competing in the regatta as has happened this last year which I hope will not happen again because I love sailing in this class!”

Along these same lines, Weiland says, “It would be great to have a second high-quality event that would trigger owners to build new boats, like the Admiral’s Cup or One Ton Cup of days long gone. To have two more ‘reasons’ to build a new TP52 would be significant help.” For the present, though, Weiland says, “Together we are strong, besides which the TP52 still is one of the best-looking boats out there—if I do say so myself!” 

Photo above courtesy of Nico Martinez/52 Super Series

Ed Note: For the latest on the TP52 class and complete results for the 2021 52 Super Series, go to 52superseries.com

Photos by Katrina Zoë Norbom

Author:  Kraken Sailing

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Kraken 50 yacht test: This bluewater beast was built to cruise

• November 21, 2019

One man’s idea of what a no-compromise offshore cruiser should be, the Kraken 50 does things differently. David Harding reports

Product Overview

Manufacturer:, price as reviewed:.

Some of the most inspirational ranges of production yacht have come into being because a man started by building the boat he wanted for himself; one he could find nowhere else.

Plenty of one-offs have been created this way, but the chances are that, if the market can’t supply what one person wants, other people are in the same boat – or would like to be if it existed. That’s especially true of one that’s designed for serious offshore cruising and takes absolutely no notice of modern fashions.

Dick Beaumont is the man behind Kraken Yachts. He came up with his own 66-footer having sailed tens of thousands of offshore miles in other boats. He had the Kraken 66 built in China, found during his extensive travels that a good number of people liked the concept and, as a lifelong businessman, decided to go into production.

On a fetch under the large lightweight genoa, the Kraken clocked an easy 8.5 knots

Then came the Kraken 50. If you want to know what makes it different from anything else and why the builder believes most boats designed as offshore cruisers have got it wrong, read on.

Cruising independence

To understand the Kraken philosophy, you have to put yourself in the position of someone who’s planning to sail a long way from what we might loosely call ‘civilisation’. You want a boat capable of weathering storms, of sailing on after hitting a submerged object in the middle of the ocean and of making sure the occasional encounter with a rock or a reef is nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

This ‘surviving hitting things’ approach is central to how Kraken builds boats, and explains why Beaumont believes the keel should be an integral part of the hull structure. That means no bolts: a return, if you like, to the keels we used to see on ‘proper’ crusing yachts but without the slack bilges and wineglass sections.

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Modern design and technology has allowed Kraken to develop an underwater shape more akin to that of a modern yacht with a bolt-on fin, incorporating a tighter hull-to-keel radius, a slimmer keel section and, significantly, a bulb at the bottom carrying most of the ballast.

Kraken’s bulb is incorporated within the integral keel. This took some working out, but the result is a keel that becomes part of the hull structure without most of the compromises associated with traditional encapsulated keels.

It’s also longer than most modern fins, to distribute the loads over a larger area and to enhance directional stability. Beaumont calls it the Zero keel, reflecting the number of bolts and its chance of parting company with the hull.

For a heavy-duty, go-anywhere offshore cruiser, the Kraken is surprisingly sleek and speedy

In a similar vein, the rudder is mounted on a full-length skeg, the two together forming a NACA airfoil section. On production models it will be fitted with a third bearing at the top of the stock, allowing the through-hull bearing to be changed with the boat afloat.

Like integral keels, skegs – especially full-length – have fallen from fashion, but Beaumont believes they’re of fundamental importance. A rudderless boat with a big hole where the stock used to be rarely has a great future.

When, like Beaumont, you have grounded thousands of miles from a hoist that can lift a 66-footer, and have come to an abrupt halt from 9 knots after a whale bounced down the side of the keel and crashed into the skeg, you tend to develop firm views about what you want.

The rigours of cruising

Because of the slim keel section and low centre of gravity, the Kraken can carry a good spread of sail: the sail area/displacement ratio is nearly 20. Passagemaking is more relaxing in gentle breezes and, as well as being able to weather storms, it’s good if you can sail fast enough to get out of their way rather than bobbing around in the middle of the ocean waiting for them.

Krakens sport Solent rigs. The inner forestay, taken to the anchor well bulkhead, supports the rig and carries the staysail for windward work. On the outer forestay you can fly a genoa when you have cracked off a few degrees.

The rig itself is keel-stepped, of high-fractional configuration with three sets of swept spreaders and a bifurcated backstay. A centre cockpit pushes the boom up, so stowing a conventional mainsail is a bit of a stretch. The stack would be lower with a Harken Switch T-Track or you can have in-mast reefing.

The hull continues the belt-and-braces theme. The anchor well bulkhead is watertight, as is the bulkhead abaft the large locker in the bow. Beneath the anchor well is a foam-filled crash box. Into this run two of the hull’s six full-length stringers which, together with multiple frames that join the stringers or extend from gunwale to gunwale, form a comprehensive stiffening matrix.

Kevlar is incorporated in the stem and the leading edge of the keel. A foam core is used in the topsides above the waterline. Below this it’s a solid laminate.

As for the hull shape, the bow is unfashionably raked rather than plumb, for buoyancy in a seaway, a drier ride, less chance of serious damage in a collision and to keep the anchor away from the stem.

The rig is supported by three sets of swept spreaders, a bifurcated backstay and an inner and outer forestay

At the other end of the hull is a transom of modest proportions by modern standards and with no dinghy garage. That’s another ‘not-on-a-Kraken’ feature. You’re offered davits instead.

I tested the Kraken in Hong Kong shortly after it had been sailed from the yard in China. Kraken’s office was in Hong Kong at the time but has now moved to Turkey, where an additional production facility has been set up to serve the European market.

We had gentle breezes on two of our sailing days and 20+ knots with a sizeable sea on the third. The Kraken 50 proved to be quick and easily driven in light airs, clocking up to 8 knots under the full-cut genoa as soon as the sheets were eased.

Upwind speeds with the Solent jib were more modest – up to around 5.2 knots – as it’s not a big sail and the sheeting angle was wider than it will be on production boats.

To keep powered up in less than 10 knots or so, especially if there’s any sea running, you might choose to fly a flatter-cut genoa and accept that you have to sail a few degrees lower than with the jib. Such are your choices with a Solent rig.

In heavier airs the boat was dry and comfortable, powering through the seas under jib and full main with up to 25 knots over the deck. Grip from the large rudder was good, even when we tried bearing away with the sheets pinned in.

An unbalanced rudder blade inevitably makes its presence felt through the wheel, though weather helm was modest with the large mainsail suitably de-powered. The gearing in the steering – over two turns from lock to lock – also helps keep the wheel comfortable.

The ergonomics generally work well. It’s not an enormous cockpit and the fixed table takes up a fair chunk of it, but security is good. The decks are secure too: you have foot-bracing bulwarks and 70cm (27½in) stanchions with triple guardwires.

Fuel polishers are an extra guard against fuel contamination

System security

Beaumont maintains that the majority of engine problems stem from dirty fuel, so clean fuel is a priority. Two wing tanks are filled via deck fillers whose necks sit proud in a drained, covered recess to minimise chances of water ingress.

From the wing tanks the fuel passes through polishers on the way to the central tank from which the engine draws. Then there’s a further fuel polisher between the central tank and engine, in addition to the engine’s own filters.

No chances are taken with the 24V electrical system either, provision being made for manual bypass should any faults develop in the fully digital system.

Interior joinery is a choice of cherry (as here), teak or light oak. The finish is tidy throughout

Below decks

As you’d expect on a boat of this nature, variations are possible, together with a degree of customisation. The galley and the walk-in engine room are constants. Otherwise you have mix-and-match options and a choice of timbers.

On our test boat, finished in cherry, the space between the saloon and the bow locker was dedicated to a large and comfortable guest cabin with en-suite heads and shower, ample stowage and a desk with a fold-down seat. An alternative is a smaller double cabin in the bow and a bunk cabin to starboard, sharing the heads to port.

Styling and finish are good and will quite possibly be improved by the yard in Tuzla. Attention to detail is evident throughout; just one example being the inch-thick, honeycomb-cored sole boards with lugs and catches for positive engagement and no rattling.

Drawers are all wood. All tanks can be reached, cleaned out and, if necessary, removed. Cabling is routed through conduits. Seacocks can all be reached – and so on. There’s much to like and little to criticise in terms of both comfort and practicality below decks.

Not everyone will agree with the Kraken approach. If the combination of an integral keel, full-length skeg, raked stem, Solent rig and all the Kraken’s other features seems wasteful, inefficient or simply unnecessary to you, there are plenty more bluewater cruisers to choose from. Would a boat like this match a lighter, sloop-rigged conventional fin-keeler for pace? Perhaps not, at least upwind in light conditions. Offwind and in heavier airs she would give a good account of herself and, when conditions kick up, would probably be kinder to the crew. Krakens won’t sell by the hundred. Production will be limited and so will the number of people wanting a boat of this type. You get a lot for your money, however: the Kraken 50 costs a good deal less than some of the European alternatives. Together with the concept, the design and the construction detail, that might tip the balance.