There is a line in yachting drawn at 500 gross tons, and everything about owning a boat changes on either side of it. The Benetti B.NOW 52M is engineered to sit just under that line at roughly 499 GT — 169 feet of steel yacht with a full-size pool on a 1,400-square-foot Oasis Deck, and a regulatory footprint a private owner can actually live with.
Who This Boat Is For
The B.NOW 52M is for the owner who wants the private-island life — twelve guests in six cabins, ten crew in six cabins, indoor-outdoor flow that makes the main deck feel like a waterfront villa — without crossing into the certification regime and crewing requirements of larger-tonnage rivals. That sub-500 GT classification is not a spec-sheet footnote; it shapes the cost and complexity of every year of ownership.
The Oasis Deck
The 1,400-square-foot Oasis Deck carries a full-size pool and integrated dining, with the terraced, sea-facing architecture the B.NOW line is named for. It delivers more usable outdoor space than most yachts in its class, and the flow from saloon to pool to water is the way the whole boat wants to be used.
The Platform
The B.NOW 52M measures 169'0" overall on a 29'6" beam and an 8'6" draft — that draft, like the tonnage, buys access: more anchorages, more shallow cruising grounds, fewer compromises on where the season happens.
Twin 1,400 hp MAN V12 diesels drive a 15-knot maximum and an 11-knot cruise on a steel displacement hull that rides predictably in moderate seas and is built to hold 11 knots all day. The endurance case is transoceanic: Miami to the Mediterranean without stopping, or the Bahamas to the Grenadines and back with margin in hand. Have consumption documented at trial at passage speeds, and get the tankage figures confirmed in the contract rather than from a brochure.
Within the Range
The B.NOW 60M is the step up — more guests, more Oasis Deck, and the 1,080 GT regime that comes with them. The Oasis 42M carries the outdoor-first philosophy at 139 feet with a lighter operation. The 52M is the range's threshold boat: the most yacht Benetti will sell you on the friendly side of the 500-ton line.
Where to Start
Have your captain or management advisor walk you through what sub-500 GT means for your specific flag and cruising plans — it is the boat's quietest and most valuable feature. Then stand on the Oasis Deck and confirm the louder one.