50m ISA ALI BABA Offered by Smart Yachts at €14.5 Million

A refitted ISA enters the buyer's shortlist

Smart Yachts is presenting the 49.95-metre motor yacht ALI BABA for sale with an asking price of €14.5 million. The brokerage's current listing identifies the 2012-built ISA Yachts vessel as a new portfolio entry and describes a series of refit campaigns extending through 2026. This is an asking price and marketing appointment, not a verified transaction value. The vessel is listed as lying in Nice, France, with viewing arrangements handled by the Monaco brokerage.

ALI BABA combines a steel hull, aluminium superstructure, 9-metre beam and a quoted volume of 498GT. She was drawn by Andrea Vallicelli, with interiors credited to Francesco Paszkowski. These attributes position her in the mature, long-range motor-yacht segment rather than the latest lightweight fast-cruiser category. Buyers considering her would need to weigh the lower entry price against the work, age and running costs of an established 50-metre platform.

An unusual pair of master suites

The accommodation specification provides for 12 guests in six cabins, including full-beam suites on both the main and upper decks. The second principal suite was created when an upper saloon was converted during a 2021 interior reconfiguration, according to Smart Yachts. It includes a private hammam and updated bathroom, lighting and audiovisual equipment. Four further guest cabins occupy the lower deck, while nine crew have separate accommodation in five cabins.

Two similarly prominent suites may help an owner travelling with family groups or another couple who want a degree of parity in privacy and space. It is a different arrangement from an owner-only main-deck suite and smaller VIP cabins below. The conversion also changes the balance between guest accommodation and shared lounges, making a personal tour of the decks especially useful. Buyers should use current deck plans rather than assume the yacht retains exactly the 2012 arrangement.

Long-range machinery and stabilisation

Twin Caterpillar 3512C diesel engines of 1,650 horsepower each drive shafts through ZF gearboxes. The broker quotes a maximum speed of 17 knots, a cruising speed of 12.5 knots and a range reaching 4,500 nautical miles. As always, the published endurance is a planning figure that depends on consumption, speed and operating assumptions; fuel reserves and generator loads are particularly relevant on transatlantic passages. The yacht has 85,000 litres of fuel capacity in the supplied specification.

Naiad stabilisers operate both underway and at zero speed, while an associated bow thruster helps manoeuvring. The listed systems also include watermakers, satellite communications and conventional navigation equipment. None of those entries replaces a demonstration of machinery under load or a detailed review of maintenance. For a yacht marketed partly on long-distance independence, the condition of engines, generators, pumps, hydraulics and the electrical distribution is at least as important as the headline speed.

Refit work carried across several seasons

Smart Yachts sets out a long chronology of improvements. A 2021 programme included the ten-year class survey, alterations to the guest layout, main-saloon furniture and updated interior systems. Further work in 2022 and 2023 covered hull treatment, external upholstery, machinery components, refrigeration, generators and entertainment equipment. During the following winters, the maintenance continued through inspections and services rather than relying only on cosmetic refurbishment. The listing should be understood as the seller's account of completed work until supporting invoices and surveys are inspected.

For the 2025-2026 period, the brokerage reports a complete exterior paint job, antifouling, propeller and shaft treatments, selected teak repairs, mechanical servicing, stabiliser attention and renewed safety equipment. New water toys and improvements to interior finishes are also described. This breadth of work matters because a buyer may prefer documented upgrades to the prospect of an immediate large yard period. Nevertheless, a long list of recent tasks is not a warranty against defects or a substitute for an independent pre-purchase survey.

Deck use and entertainment capacity

ALI BABA's exterior arrangement includes a swim platform, a route through ISA's twin aft staircases and a sundeck with space for exercise as well as relaxation. The main aft deck has a dining table designed for about ten to twelve people. Sunshades and renewed upholstery feature in the recorded refit history, while a selection of tenders and water toys expands the range of activities from the yacht. These amenities support both informal family use and more structured entertaining.

The layout also contains a beach-club-style transition at the stern, served by a passerelle and the platform at water level. The exact inventory available on delivery requires confirmation, because equipment may be negotiated separately or changed during the listing period. Smart Yachts' description of the guest areas stresses warm materials and natural light. An interested buyer should inspect how easily guests and crew circulate between decks, and how the owner-suite changes affect privacy around shared lounges.

Due diligence behind the €14.5m headline

Smart Yachts says it acts as the appointed central agent and identifies brokers Julia Skop and Maria Razumi as the contacts for ALI BABA. Its published €14.5 million figure places a clear benchmark on the offering, but taxes, delivery conditions, equipment inclusions and any negotiated price remain separate matters. The listing notes RINA classification and a Cayman Islands flag; buyers will still need current class status, flag documentation, title evidence and the full survey record before an acquisition can proceed responsibly.

The larger commercial question is the value of a 2012-built yacht after substantial investment in refurbishment. A younger vessel may offer different technology and fewer years of service, while ALI BABA offers a distinctive six-cabin plan, two master suites and a documented history of changes. No claim is made here about comparable sale prices or an assured future valuation. The news is the current offering and its stated condition; the decision belongs to buyers able to verify the yacht's actual state and the cost of operating it.

Official announcement and photograph: Smart Yachts official current sales listing, checked 2 November 2026. Additional current brokerage information: Smart Yachts.