Amel · Sailing yacht

Amel Super Maramu

The Super Maramu is a 16 m (53 ft) centre-cockpit ketch drawn by Henri Amel and Jacques Carteau and built by Chantiers Amel in La Rochelle from 1988. In 1998 it became the Super Maramu 2000: the same hull and plans with newer equipment and a refreshed interior, built until 2006 and followed by the Amel 54. Every boat left the yard fully equipped: Amel’s own electric furlers on the jib and main mast (manual on the mizzen), a retractable bow thruster, electric sheet winches and windlass, a diesel generator, air conditioning and the Amel C-drive, which turns the propeller just behind the keel. The engine changed over the years (a Perkins turbo of 80 hp in the 1988 brochure, a Volvo turbo of 78 to 80 hp in the late 1990s, a Yanmar of 100 hp on Super Maramu 2000s of 2002 and 2004), and Amel never names the type, so read the engine plate before ordering parts. Amel offers no documents for download; its customer service in La Rochelle, Hyères and Martinique still handles spare parts, and the independent Amel Yacht Owners Group is the largest pool of owner know-how.

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
EnginePerkins turbo, 80 hp11988 brochure: Perkins turbo diesel of 80 hp, run at 60 hp; 8 kn fast cruise, 7 kn economical, more than 500 nm range—Amel names no type; read the plate on your engine before ordering parts.
EngineVolvo Penta turbo, 80 hp2,3,4,5Standard list of hull 213 (1998) and Amel’s website of 2000: Volvo turbo diesel of 80 hp in a watertight, soundproofed engine room; Amel’s specification pages give 78 hp, with an actual 60 hp in use—No type in Amel’s documents; check the plate before ordering filters, impeller or belts.
EngineYanmar turbo, 100 hp6,7,8Amel brokerage sheets of Super Maramu 2000 no. 370 (2002) and no. 435 (April 2004): Yanmar 100 hp turbo diesel with heat exchanger, on no. 435 as part of the Comfort package; the Super Maramu 2000 standard list itself only says “80 HP turbo diesel engine”—Comfort package of no. 435: Yanmar 100 hp, 24 V 175 A alternator, 30 A and 100 A chargers instead of one 50 A, four more service batteries (630 Ah at 24 V), Racor Turbo 500 dual fuel filter, a larger four-burner stove and a bow fitting for two anchors.
GearboxAMEL C-drive (U-drive)3,9,8,2,1,10,11Amel’s own drive on every boat, with two right-angle gear stages (“double renvoi d’angle”); the hull was designed around it and the propeller turns just behind the keel. Amel called it C-drive (website 2000), U-drive (Super Maramu 2000 list) or simply “Amel transmission” (1998)—The propeller shaft leaves the drive through three lip seals with silicone grease packed between them; a removable wear sleeve gives access to change them. Parts come from Amel’s customer service.
PropellerAutoprop 3-blade feathering + fixed spare8,7,2Super Maramu 2000 list: Autoprop three-blade feathering propeller, with a three-blade fixed propeller carried as a spare; 1998 list: three-blade fixed propeller—
Bow thrusterAMEL retractable, 24 V12,1,8,2,10Amel developed its retractable electric bow thruster in 1985 and fitted it to every Super Maramu; 24 V on the Super Maramu 2000—The vertical shaft slides through a seal when the unit is lowered; one owner keeps it smooth and greased with silicone grease. The propeller shaft has its own lip seal.
FurlerAMEL electric jib furler8,2,13,12,14Amel’s own electric jib furler with manual backup on every boat (first Amel furlers 1983); jib sheet cars adjusted from the cockpit—The headstay needs a swaged terminal at its lower end inside the furler; see the tip below before a re-rig.
Mast & riggingAMEL ketch rig, in-mast furling8,15,13,1,10Amel main mast and boom with electric in-mast furling (manual backup), electric clew outhaul and Amel halyard tensioner; mizzen with manual furling; the mizzen boom doubles as a derrick (1988 brochure)—Amel’s twin downwind pole system with complete rigging is standard; the main and jib furler gearboxes have upward-facing lip seals that suffer from salt and sun, so rinse them with fresh water.
Sails5 sails: jib, main, mizzen, 2 ballooners1,2,8Jib, mainsail, mizzen, ballooner and mizzen ballooner (mizzen staysail) in every list; tri-radial cut on the Super Maramu 2000; sizes changed over the years (see specifications)—
Winches6 self-tailing, 3 electric8,13,2Super Maramu 2000 list: six self-tailing winches, three of them electric (the two jib sheet winches and the main sheet winch); 1998 list: electric winches for the jib sheets and the mainsail—Maker not named by Amel; every electric function has a manual backup.
WindlassElectric, deck + cockpit control8,2,13,6,16Electric windlass with controls on the foredeck and at the helm, double bow roller (triple in the brochure photo caption), anchor and chain wash-down controlled from the cockpit, chain counter (every list since 1998)—Amel does not name the maker; the owner of a 1996 boat describes a Lofrans Tigres on his. Super Maramu 2000 no. 370 carried 75 m of chain.
Toilet2 manual (1998) / 2 electric (SM 2000)2,8,6,17,71998 list: manual toilets in the forward and aft heads; Super Maramu 2000 list: two electric toilets; holding tanks for both heads were an extra on boats of 2002 and 2003 and listed with the toilets on no. 435 (2004)—Maker not named in Amel’s lists.
AutopilotAutohelm 70002,8,181998 list of hull 213; the Super Maramu 2000 list only names the autopilot control in the cockpitRaymarine’s library of retired autopilot manuals (Autohelm and ST7000 control units)
InstrumentsB&G Hydra (1998)2,8,171998 list: B&G Hydra for wind speed and direction, boat speed and depth, plus a B&G sonic speed display; Super Maramu 2000 list: central navigation unit at the chart table with four repeaters in the cockpit, maker not named—A Super Maramu 2000 of 2003 sold through Amel’s brokerage carried Raymarine ST60 instruments.
RadarFuruno daylight radar2,8,71998 list: Furuno daylight-display radar; Super Maramu 2000 list: daylight-display radar on an adjustable bracket at the chart table; no. 435 (2004): Furuno FR-1833C with a NavNet repeater in the cockpit—
VHFShipmate (1998) / Furuno (2004)2,8,71998 list: Shipmate VHF; Super Maramu 2000 list: VHF, maker not named; no. 435 (2004): Furuno 2721 DSC—
GeneratorOnan diesel, 6.5–7 kW2,3,8,91998 list: Onan diesel generator of 6.5 kW; Amel’s website of 2000: 6 kW at 1500 rpm; Super Maramu 2000: 7 kW at 1500 rpm, 220 V like the shore power—Amel names Onan only in the 1998 list and gives no type for any year.
Charger220/24 V, 50 A2,8,3,7Automatic 50 A charger in 1998 and on the Super Maramu 2000; Amel’s website of 2000 says 40 A; the Comfort package (2004) has a 30 A and a 100 A charger instead—
Batteries12 V engine + 24 V service bank2,8,71998: nine batteries, one of them for the engine; Super Maramu 2000: 12 V engine battery of 105 Ah and a 24 V service bank of 420 Ah, 630 Ah with the Comfort package—
Alternators2 × 12 V + 1 × 24 V8,7Super Maramu 2000: two 12 V alternators for the engine circuit and one 24 V alternator for the service bank, 175 A with the Comfort package—
Fridge24 V fridge + 24 V freezer2,8Front-opening 24 V stainless fridge in the galley and a 24 V deep freezer in the saloon (1998 and Super Maramu 2000 lists)—
StoveGas stove with oven8,2,7Stainless gas stove with oven in an airtight gas system with solenoid valve; four-burner stove with the Comfort package (2004); a microwave/convection oven, a dishwasher and a washer-dryer are standard too—
Air conditioning3 units, 220 V (A/C + heating)8,2,19,17Super Maramu 2000: three independent 220 V air-conditioning and heating units for the forward cabin, saloon and aft cabin; 1998 list: three 220 V heaters; air conditioning in saloon and cabins on Amel’s website of 2000—They run on shore power or the generator. Diesel forced-air heating was an extra (2003 boat).
Water heater220 V + engine heat exchanger8,2Hot water heated electrically or by the engine; showers with thermostatic safety mixers (Super Maramu 2000 list)—
Water pumpPressurised fresh water8,3Pressure water to heads and galley from the 1000 l tank, deck shower with fresh water; fresh-water pump set in the engine room—
Bilge pumpCentral bilge, automatic + manual8,2,3,9Central bilge sump with an automatic and a manual bilge pump; single central sea-water intake with strainer in the engine room—
Watermaker50–60 l/h, 24/220 V (extra)6,17,7Extra on the Super Maramu 2000: 60 l/h on no. 370 (2002), 50 l/h on the boats of 2003 and 2004; maker not named—
Hatches & ports4 hatches, 4 opening ports8,6Super Maramu 2000 list; two extra opening ports in the aft cabin were an option (no. 370)—

Specifications

Years builtSuper Maramu 1988 to 1998, Super Maramu 2000 1998 to 2006 (Amel’s history); Henri Amel dates the presentation of the first boat to 198912,20,8
VersionsSuper Maramu (1988) and Super Maramu 2000 (1998), drawn on the same plans; the 2000 got newer electrical, electronic and mechanical equipment and interior touches, and Amel also called it the Amel 53′. Aft cabin with two berths, one of them convertible to a double, or with a fixed double bed (1988 brochure)9,8,1
Hulls builtAbout 270 Super Maramus in the first ten years (Henri Amel in the Super Maramu 2000 brochure); Amel’s brokerage sold Super Maramu 2000 no. 370 (2002) and no. 435 (April 2004). Amel’s 2025 history gives “nearly 240” for both versions together, which does not square with those figures; SAIL magazine says nearly 5008,9,6,7,21,22
DesignerHenri Amel & Jacques Carteau1,8,12
BuilderChantiers Amel, Périgny (La Rochelle), France12,11
PredecessorAmel Maramu (13.80 m, built 1978 to 1989); the Super Maramu took ideas from it but has an entirely new hull12,1
SuccessorAmel 54 (17.20 m, built 2005 to 2011)12
AwardsSuper Maramu 2000: Cruising World Boat of the Year 200012,21
Length overall16 m (53 ft)1,8,23
Waterline length12.60 m1,8,5
Beam4.60 m; 4.10 m at the waterline (1988 brochure)1,8,5
Draft2.05 m1,8,5
Air draft20 m1,9,23
Displacement16 t loaded, 14 t empty (Amel 2000 to 2006); the 1988 brochure gives 14.5 t loaded and 12 t empty4,9,5,1
Ballast5.5 t; 5.1 t in the 1988 brochure9,5,1
KeelBallasted fin keel with two side wings; hull, keel and skeg laminated in one piece; the propeller turns just behind the keel1,8
Sail areaUpwind: 149 m² in the 1988 brochure (with mizzen staysail), 119 m² in 1998, 122 m² in 2004; 228 m² with all five standard sails (2004)1,2,7
Mainsail35 m² in-mast furling main; mizzen 19 m²1,8,5
GenoaFurling jib 75 m² (1988 brochure), 65 m² (Amel website 2000 and 2006 page of the Super Maramu), 71 m² (Super Maramu 2000 from 2003)1,4,5,23,8
Light-air sailsTwin ballooner 80 m² (1988) or 68 m², set on Amel’s two downwind poles; mizzen staysail (mizzen ballooner) 20 m² (1988), 31 m² (2000) or 35 m² (Super Maramu 2000 from 2003)1,4,23,8
EnginePerkins turbo diesel of 80 hp, run at 60 hp (1988 brochure); Volvo turbo diesel of 80 hp (1998 list, website 2000), given as 78 hp with an actual 60 hp on Amel’s spec pages; 80 hp turbo diesel in the Super Maramu 2000 list; Yanmar 100 hp on boats of 2002 and 20041,2,3,4,8,6,7
Cruising speed8 kn fast cruise, 7 kn economical under power1,4
RangeMore than 500 nm under power (1988 brochure)1
Fuel tank600 l1,8,5
Water tank1000 l1,8,5
CabinsForward cabin, aft owner’s cabin and a single berth in the aft passageway, two heads with showers; four watertight bulkheads1,8
BerthsTwo double-berth staterooms, a pilot berth to starboard in the saloon and a berth in the aft passageway (Super Maramu 2000 list); all berths with wooden lee boards8,7
HullSolid glassfibre laminate for hull, keel and skeg, moulded in one piece, with bulkheads, deck and hull laminated together; balsa-cored deck8,12
CE categoryA, approved by the French merchant navy for 1st category (1998 and Super Maramu 2000 lists)2,8

Good to know

  • Amel offers no owner’s manual for download. The Super Maramu 2000 was delivered with “instructions and technical data about the boat and her equipment” on board, so ask the seller for that folder. 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 admits owners and serious buyers who sign with name, boat and hull number.8,11,24
  • Check which engine a used Super Maramu really has before ordering parts: Amel’s documents list a Perkins turbo of 80 hp (1988 brochure), a Volvo turbo of 78 to 80 hp (1998 list, website 2000) and a Yanmar of 100 hp (Super Maramu 2000 of 2002 and 2004), but never a type designation. The engine plate decides which filters, impeller and belts fit.1,2,4,6,7
  • The C-drive’s propeller shaft runs through three lip seals with different jobs, not three spares: the outer one faces the sea and needs a stainless garter spring, and the space between them is packed with silicone grease, which Amel recommends. Take out the removable wear sleeve to reach them with a proper seal puller; prying with screwdrivers or screws risks the housing.10
  • At a re-rig, keep the headstay with swaged terminals at both ends: the lower end has to fit inside the Amel jib furler, and riggers who fit a bulky mechanical terminal at the top and shorten the foil leave the top bearing running on bare wire, which wears it and can damage the stay. Amel has original foil sections to splice a shortened foil back to length; one owner had it done at Amel’s service centre in Martinique.14
  • Before ordering sails, check which plan your boat has: Amel’s figures for the jib are 75 m² (1988 brochure), 65 m² (website 2000) and 71 m² (Super Maramu 2000 from 2003), for the mizzen staysail 20, 31 or 35 m² and for the ballooner 80 or 68 m², while main (35 m²) and mizzen (19 m²) stayed the same. The furling jib and in-mast main also depend on Amel’s own furlers and foils.1,4,23,8

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. amel.fr/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/BROCHURE-SUPER-MARAMU.pdf
  2. web.archive.org/web/20170506130213/http://www.amel.fr/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/SM213199…
  3. web.archive.org/web/20001018102839/http://www.amel.fr/Anglais/moteur.htm
  4. web.archive.org/web/20000621080043/http://www.amel.fr/Anglais/caracteristiques.htm
  5. web.archive.org/web/20061005203908/http://www.amel.fr/en/pages-amel/super-maramu.htm
  6. web.archive.org/web/20101011180624/http://www.amel.fr/pdf/occasions/sm2000-alma-libre-ang…
  7. web.archive.org/web/20130805153140/http://www.amel.fr/upload/occasion/Inventaire_SM2000_4…
  8. amel.fr/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/BROCHURE-SUPER-MARAMU-2000-ANG.pdf
  9. amel.fr/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/BROCHURE-SUPER-MARAMU-2000.pdf
  10. fetchinketch.net/boat-projects/lipseals/
  11. amel.fr/en/our-yachts/amel-service-and-support-par-excellence/
  12. amel.fr/en/the-amel-story/
  13. web.archive.org/web/20010807204255/http://www.amel.fr/Anglais/points.htm
  14. fetchinketch.net/boat_thoughts/amel-super-maramu-headstay-and-furler-issues/
  15. web.archive.org/web/20001018072010/http://www.amel.fr/Anglais/mat.htm
  16. fetchinketch.net/boat-projects/quick-chain-sensor-install/
  17. web.archive.org/web/20180517003408/http://www.amel.fr/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Super-Ma…
  18. raymarine.com/en-us/download/retired-autopilots-manuals
  19. web.archive.org/web/20001018020140/http://www.amel.fr/Anglais/carre.htm
  20. amel.fr/notre-histoire/
  21. amel.fr/en/2025/05/15/chapter-8-the-years-of-recognition-when-amel-became-a-global-refere…
  22. sailmagazine.com/boats/twelve-top-bluewater-cruising-boats/
  23. web.archive.org/web/20030805214851/http://www.amel.fr/ANGL/caracter.htm
  24. amelyachtowners.groups.io/g/main

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