Amel · Sailing yacht

Amel 54

The Amel 54 is a 17.20 m (56 ft) centre-cockpit ketch that Chantiers Amel designed in-house and built in Périgny near La Rochelle from 2005 to 2011 as the successor to the Super Maramu 2000; by May 2011 more than 170 had been built. Like every Amel it left the yard fully equipped: AMEL electric in-mast furling on the main, an electric jib furler, a manual mizzen furler, three electric sheet winches, a retractable 24 V bow thruster, a 24 V windlass, a diesel generator, air conditioning with heating and Amel’s own drive with two gearboxes behind an 81 kW (110 hp) diesel. Amel’s lists name neither the engine nor the generator maker, and generator and batteries differ between the 2006 list (11 kW, 630 Ah, referring to the Comfort package) and the September 2008 list (7.5 kW, 420 Ah); owners report that most boats have a Volvo D3, so read the plates before ordering parts. Amel offers no documents for download, but its customer service still supplies parts, and the Amel Yacht Owners Group is the largest pool of owner know-how. The Amel 55 of 2011 followed it.

Manuals & documents

The links go to Amel’s own documents — some as archived copies of pages the maker has since taken down. We host no manuals or drawings.

Equipment & its manuals

Standard equipment as the builder’s documents list it. Boats were ordered with options and refitted since — check what is actually aboard.

ItemModelManual / pageNote
EngineDiesel, 81 kW (110 hp)1,2,3,4,5Every Amel document from 2005 to 2008: diesel engine of 81 kW / 110 hp, fresh-water cooled through a heat exchanger, in a separate stand-up engine room entered from the cockpit; no make or type given—Owner Bill Kinney, who delivered a 54 across the Atlantic, writes that most boats got a Volvo D3; read the plate on your engine before ordering parts.
GearboxHydraulic gearbox + AMEL drive1,2,62006 and September 2008 lists: hydraulic gearbox with automatic shaft brake, followed by Amel’s own drive system with two gearboxes—Neither gearbox nor drive has a maker’s name in the lists; parts for Amel’s drive come from Amel’s customer service.
Propeller3-blade fixed1,2,72006 list: three-blade fixed propeller, listed “as spare propeller”; September 2008 list: three-blade fixed, folding propeller optional; no. 112 (2009): variable-pitch feathering propeller and a Spurs line cutter on the shaft as extras—
Bow thrusterAMEL retractable, 24 V1,2,511 hp in the 2006 list, 15 hp / 11 kW in the September 2008 list; controlled from the cockpit and housed in the large forward deck locker, together with the sail locker and the two chain lockers—Owner Bill Kinney writes that Sidepower built the unit for Amel and that it is a great tool as long as the forward locker stays dry.
FurlerElectric jib furler, 24 V1,2,52006 and September 2008 lists: 24 V electric jib furler with full manual backup, worked from the helm; unlike the main-mast furler, Amel does not call it an AMEL unit—An owner reports Bamar furlers on the genoa and staysail that gave so much trouble that Bamar offered redesigned units at a discount; check which version your boat has before ordering parts.
Mast & riggingAMEL ketch rig, in-mast furling1,2AMEL 24 V electric in-mast furling on the main mast with manual backup, manual AMEL furling on the mizzen; six self-tailing winches on the masts with clutches; one pole with its rigging; foredeck flood, steaming and anchor lights on the main mast, cockpit flood on the mizzen (2006 and September 2008 lists)—
Sails4 tri-radial sails1,2,4Genoa, mainsail, mizzen and mizzen staysail; in the September 2008 list genoa, main and mizzen are Hydranet and the mizzen staysail nylon; 140 m² upwind, 192 m² with all standard sails—Extras on no. 112 (2009): a 28 m² staysail on its own electric furler and inner forestay, and a 100 m² furling gennaker.
Winches5 + 6 self-tailing, 3 electric1,2,4Five self-tailing sheet winches in the cockpit, three of them electric and worked from the helm, plus six self-tailing winches on the masts (2006 and September 2008 lists)—Amel names no maker.
WindlassVertical capstan, 24 V1,2,7,524 V vertical windlass for chain and rope with controls at the helm and on the foredeck, chain counter in the cockpit, salt-water anchor wash run from the helm, stemhead roller for two anchors (2006 and September 2008 lists); a second 24 V capstan with deck control was an extra (no. 112, 2009)—Maker not named. An owner notes the windlasses sit far forward, so the chain locker is short: 100 m of chain coming in at once piled up and jammed the chain pipe.
AnchorStainless 30 kg · 80 m × 10 mm2,7September 2008 list: one stainless-steel anchor of 30 kg with 80 m of 10 mm galvanised chain; a second anchor with chain and rope was an extra (no. 112, 2009)—
Toilet2 × electric, 24 V1,2,724 V electric toilets with fresh-water flush in both heads; the 2006 list includes holding tanks, the September 2008 list makes them optional; no. 112 (2009) has two 90 l black-water tanks as extras—Maker not named in Amel’s lists.
AutopilotFuruno Navpilot 5112,1,7September 2008 list: Furuno Navpilot 511 with a linear drive on the rudder quadrant; 2006 list: linear autopilot with its control in the cockpit, make not named; no. 112 (2009) carried a second complete Navpilot 511 as an extra—
InstrumentsB&G Hydra 30001,2,7B&G Hydra central unit with Sonic Speed, one graphic display at the chart table and four analogue displays at the helm (2006 list: GFD; September 2008 list: Hydra 3000 with FFD); another Hydra 3000 GFD in the cockpit was an extra on no. 112—
ChartplotterFuruno GP-150 · NavNet 3D (extra)1,2,72006 list: GPS, make not named; September 2008 list: Furuno GP 150; no. 112 (2009): Furuno NavNet 3D black box with a 17″ display at the chart table and a 12″ repeater in the cockpit, radar overlay, AIS receiver and DFF1 sounder, all as extras—
RadarFuruno FR 18322,1,7September 2008 list (the 2006 list names no radar); no. 112 (2009) had the NavNet 3D radar at extra cost—
VHFIcom1,2,72006 list: VHF, make not named; September 2008 list: Icom VHF; no. 112 (2009) added an Icom 505 second handset with loudhailer—
GeneratorDiesel, 1500 rpm, 7.5 or 11 kW2,1September 2008 list: three-cylinder diesel generator of 7.5 kW at 1500 rpm with its own 12 V alternator; the 2006 list gives a four-cylinder set of 11 kW and refers to the Comfort package; 220 V like the shore power—Amel names no maker for either set; read the plate before ordering filters or an impeller.
Charger24 V, 100 A1,2Charges the 24 V house bank from shore power or the generator (2006 and September 2008 lists)—
Batteries24 V house + 12 V start1,2September 2008 list: 24 V house bank of 420 Ah and one 12 V starter battery of 105 Ah; the 2006 list gives 630 Ah with a reference to the Comfort package; both banks sit in a watertight compartment under the passage berth—A visual alarm warns of a loss of continuity on either pole of the 24 V system.
Alternators24 V + 12 V on the engine1,2September 2008 list: 24 V alternator of 75 A for the house bank and 12 V alternator of 80 A for the starter battery; the 2006 list gives 110 A for both, referring to the Comfort package—
Shore power220 V, transom inlet1,2Shore-power cable and inlet on the transom, 220 V outlets throughout the boat (2006 and September 2008 lists)—
Inverter24/220 V, 800 W (extra)7No. 112 (2009): part of the saloon TV installation—
Air conditioning220 V, cooling + heating1,2220 V air conditioning with heating in both forward cabins, the saloon and the aft cabin (2006 and September 2008 lists); make not named—
HeaterDiesel forced air, 24 V, 5000 W (extra)7No. 112 (2009): diesel-fired forced-air heating ducted through the whole boat; make not named—
Water heater220 V + engine1,2Hot-water tank in the engine room, heated electrically or by the engine; thermostatic mixer in the forward shower (2006 and September 2008 lists)—
Fridge24 V fridge + 24 V freezer1,2Front-opening 24 V stainless-steel fridge and a large top-loading 24 V deep freezer in the galley (2006 and September 2008 lists); make not named—
StoveGas, 4 burners + oven/grill1,2Gimballed four-burner gas stove with oven and grill, two gas bottles with solenoid valve and regulators in a port deck locker; 220 V microwave/convection oven and dishwasher in the galley, 220 V washing machine (4 kg) and dryer in the forward head (2006 and September 2008 lists)—
Bilge pumpCentral sump, 24 V auto + manual1,2Single bilge sump with an automatic 24 V pump, a manual pump and an audible and visual high-water alarm; single sea-water intake with strainer and a distribution manifold with low-flow alarm (2006 and September 2008 lists)—
WatermakerDessalator 100 l/h (extra)7No. 112 (2009): Dessalator watermaker, 24/220 V, 100 l/h—
DavitsSL electric (extra)7,2,1No. 112 (2009): electric SL davits with an Avon 3.40 m dinghy and a 9.9 hp Mercury outboard; the September 2008 list has a 24 V electric dinghy inflator, and both lists an outboard mount on the guardrail—
PasserelleAMEL electric retractable (extra)7,5No. 112 (2009)—An owner calls the 54’s powered passerelle great when it works, but writes that it is known for mechanical trouble and serious corrosion.
Hatches & ports5 hatches · 15 opening ports1,2,5Five opening deck hatches, 15 opening side portholes and four fixed portlights in the hull sides (2006 and September 2008 lists)—An owner finds the 54’s flush deck-locker lids neater than the Super Maramu’s but much more prone to leaks.
Fire extinguishersPortable + fixed engine room2September 2008 list: one hand-held extinguisher and a fixed extinguisher for the engine room—

Specifications

Years built2005 to 2011 (Amel’s history); presented in 2005, following the Super Maramu8,9
Hulls builtMore than 170 by May 2011 (Amel’s website); no. 112 dates from 200910,7
DesignerChantiers Amel, in-house (“Les Chantiers Amel Design” in the brochure); Amel’s first models by an outside architect were the 64 and the 554,9
BuilderChantiers Amel, Périgny (La Rochelle), France8,2
PredecessorSuper Maramu 2000 (16 m, built 1998 to 2006)8,9
SuccessorAmel 55 (17.30 m, built 2011 to 2018), drawn with Berret-Racoupeau8,9
Length overall17.20 m (56′5″)4,3,2
Hull length16.40 m (53′10″)4,3,2
Waterline length13.75 m at rest, 15.35 m dynamic (Amel)3,2,4
Beam4.80 m4,3,2
Draft2.10 m4,3,2
Displacement17.5 t4,3,2
Ballast5.1 t on Amel’s website of 2005/2006 and in the 2006 list; 5.3 t in the brochure and the September 2008 list3,11,1,4,2
KeelHull, keel and skeg moulded in one piece; the rudder (glassfibre shell on a solid stainless-steel stock) hangs on a full-length skeg and is held at three points1,2
Sail area140 m² upwind, 192 m² with all standard sails4,3,2
Light-air sailsStaysail of 28 m² on an inner forestay with electric furler (extra, no. 112)7
Gennaker / Code 0Furling gennaker of 100 m² (extra, no. 112)7
Engine81 kW (110 hp) diesel4,3,2
Fuel tank900 l4,3,2
Water tank900 l in three compartments, each with a clean-out door; Amel float gauge4,1,2
Holding tankIn the 2006 list, optional in September 2008; two 90 l tanks on no. 112 (2009)1,2,7
CabinsThree double cabins (port forward with a double berth, starboard forward with upper and lower bunks, aft owner’s cabin) plus a single sea berth in the passageway; two heads, each with a separate shower; designed for a crew of 4 to 61,2,4
BerthsAft centreline double 2 m × 1.60 m, tilting up on gas struts for access to the rudder quadrant; forward double 1.40 m wide; lee cloths on all berths1,2
HullHand-laid solid glassfibre for hull, keel and skeg; balsa-cored deck; hull, deck, bulkheads and furniture laminated together in the mould; four watertight bulkheads; anti-osmosis treatment below the waterline1,2
Voltage220 V AC, 24 V house system, 12 V engine system; locker for a 24/12 V converter at the chart table1,2

Good to know

  • Amel offers no owner’s manual for download. New boats were handed over with a week of training on board (September 2008 list), so ask the seller for the papers that came with the boat. Spare parts and technical help still come from Amel’s customer service (customer@amel.fr) in La Rochelle, Hyères or Le Marin in Martinique; the independent Amel Yacht Owners Group, which keeps the 54 in its main group, admits owners and serious buyers.2,6,12
  • Amel’s lists only say “diesel engine, 81 kW / 110 hp” and give either a three-cylinder 7.5 kW generator (2008) or a four-cylinder 11 kW one (2006, with the Comfort package), never a maker. An owner who delivered a 54 writes that most boats got a Volvo D3 and that it has been a source of trouble for many owners, so read both plates and the service records before buying parts or the boat.2,1,5
  • The jib furler is the one Amel does not call its own: an owner reports that the 54 came with Bamar furlers for genoa and staysail that were so troublesome that Bamar offered redesigned units at a discount, and owners fixed it in different ways. The main and mizzen furlers are Amel’s. Before ordering furler parts, find out which unit and which modification your boat has.1,2,5
  • Both standard lists say that every metal part in contact with fluids is bonded to anodes built into the rudder, so the rudder anodes are the ones to inspect and replace at every haul-out.1,2
  • The retractable bow thruster lives in the big forward deck locker together with the sail locker and both chain lockers. An owner notes that Sidepower built it for Amel and that it does well as long as that locker stays dry, while the 54’s flush locker lids leak more readily than the Super Maramu’s, so keep their seals and drains in order. The video below shows silicone seals for the thruster’s vertical shaft.1,2,5

Videos & how-tos

Links to YouTube, nothing embedded. The maker’s own channel comes first; the rest are channels we found clear and correct for this model.

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Sources

  1. web.archive.org/web/20170506135738/http://www.amel.fr/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/standard…
  2. web.archive.org/web/20170506130236/http://www.amel.fr/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/AMEL-54-…
  3. web.archive.org/web/20060420135624/http://www.amel.fr/en/pages-amel/amel54.htm
  4. amel.fr/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/BROCHURE-AMEL-54-GB.pdf
  5. fetchinketch.net/2020/05/17/compare-and-contrast-the-amel-54-vs-the-super-maramu/
  6. amel.fr/en/our-yachts/amel-service-and-support-par-excellence/
  7. web.archive.org/web/20170506135751/http://www.amel.fr/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/extraAME…
  8. amel.fr/en/the-amel-story/
  9. amel.fr/en/2025/11/21/chapter-10-the-p-h-a-r-e-project-2000-2010-a-pivotal-decade/
  10. web.archive.org/web/20110521033249/http://www.amel.fr/la-gamme/amel-54
  11. web.archive.org/web/20051012154512/http://www.amel.fr/pages-amel/amel54.htm
  12. amelyachtowners.groups.io/g/main

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