Italian brand
PLATE 01
Guide 03 — The engine · size, weight, people, law
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The power of a RIB is chosen between two numbers: the minimum needed to push your size of boat with your load, and the maximum power the builder states for that model. In the NAVY range it starts with the 40 hp outboard, which in Italy can be helmed without a licence within 6 miles of the coast (Italian legal limit: 30 kW, that is 40.8 hp, and 1,000 cc for a four-stroke outboard), and it goes up to the 350 hp single engine on the NAVY 7.60 and the twin outboards of the NAVY 9.50 Cabin.
40 hp without a licence within 6 miles, in Italy · up to 115 hp on the 5.50 · up to 150 hp on the 6.00 · up to 350 hp on the 7.60, with a single engine · updated 14 October 2026
PLATE 02
The rule in short
To the question “how much horsepower does a RIB need” there is no single answer, because power is not a property of the boat: it is an agreement between the boat, what you load onto it and the sea you head out into. There are, however, two fixed numbers between which the choice moves. The first is the minimum: the power needed to push your size of boat with the people, the fuel and the gear you really carry. The second is the maximum: the maximum power the builder states for that model, written in its data sheet. It is the model's ceiling, not a target to reach.
Then there is a third number, which depends not on the boat but on the law: 30 kW, that is 40.8 hp. In Italy, within 6 miles of the coast, with an engine below this power and with a cylinder capacity within the limits (1,000 cc for a four-stroke outboard), the RIB can be helmed without a boat licence: this is set by art. 39 of the Italian Recreational Boating Code. That is why the 40 hp is the request we receive most often, and why you find it on the three smallest models in the NAVY range.
PLATE 03 — Four measures · Naviglia vision of the NAVY 7.60
Length sets the ceiling
FROM 4.80 TO 9.80 METRES OVERALL · FROM 70-80 HP TO TWIN OUTBOARDS
The more the hull grows, the more power the model accepts: the NAVY 4.80 goes up to 70-80 hp, the NAVY 6.00 to 150, the NAVY 7.60 to 350 with a single engine. Size is the first filter, even before the make of the engine.
Dry weight is only the beginning
4.80: 300 KG · 7.60: 800 KG · 280-LITRE FUEL TANK
The engine pushes the boat with everything on board: fuel, water, anchor, bags, cool box. The 7.60 weighs 800 kg dry and has a 280-litre fuel tank: the power is chosen with the loaded boat in mind, not the empty one sitting on the trailer.
Every person on board counts
UP TO 6 PEOPLE ON THE 4.80 · UP TO 15 ON THE 7.60
Under Italian law, the maximum number of people on a CE-marked natante is documented by the builder's plate and the owner's manual (art. 34 of the Italian Recreational Boating Code). If you often go out with a full boat, think in terms of the full boat: that is where you see whether the power you have chosen is the right one.
One outboard or two
7.60 UP TO 350 HP WITH A SINGLE ENGINE · 9.50 CABIN WITH TWIN OUTBOARDS
On the 7.60 you can choose between a single engine and two: we recommend the single, like the one you see at the stern, because with twin engines you lose the swim platforms. The 9.50 Cabin is powered by twin outboards, and we decide the power together with you in the quote.
The NAVY 7.60 pagePLATE 04
The NAVY range
Below you will find, for each NAVY, the dimensions, the dry weight, the people and the engine power, with the figures from our data sheets. The last column answers the question that comes first: with the 40 hp, can that model be helmed without a licence within 6 miles, under Italian law? Where a figure is still being updated we say so, instead of estimating it.
| Model | Dimensions | Dry weight | People | Engine power | With the 40 hp, no licence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NAVY 4.80 | 4.80 × 1.82 m | 300 kg | up to 6 | up to 70-80 hp | yes, within 6 miles |
| NAVY 5.50 | 5.50 × 2.35 m | on request | up to 9 | up to 115 hp | yes, within 6 miles |
| NAVY 6.00 | 6.00 × 2.50 m | 600 kg | up to 10 | from 40 hp up to 150 hp | yes, within 6 milesit is the largest size we recommend with the 40 hp |
| NAVY 6.60 | on request | on request | on request | quoted together with the model | data sheet being updated |
| NAVY 7.60 | 7.60 × 2.89 m | 800 kg | up to 15 | 200/250 hp recommendedsingle engine up to 350 hp, or twin engines | no: the recommended power exceeds 40.8 hp |
| NAVY 9.50 Cabin | 9.80 × 3.20 moverall | on request | up to 15 | twin outboards, power set in the quote | no |
Source: NAVY model data sheets, price list of 9 September 2026. The engine is not included in the list price of any model.
The NAVY 4.80 is 4.80 metres long, weighs 300 kg dry, carries up to 6 people and takes an engine of up to 70-80 hp. With a 40 hp outboard it is the combination we are asked for more than any other: a compact RIB, no licence within 6 miles and, in Italy, 16 years of age to helm it. The NAVY 5.50 rises to 9 people and a 135-litre fuel tank, and goes up to 115 hp.
The NAVY 6.00, 600 kg dry and up to 10 people, is powered from 40 hp up to 150 hp. It is the last size in the range on which we recommend the 40 hp: above 6 metres the boat gains weight and people, and the right power rises with it. All three are in design category C: wind up to and including force 6 and significant wave height up to and including 2 metres.
On the NAVY 7.60, 7.60 metres, 800 kg dry, up to 15 people and a 280-litre fuel tank, we recommend 200/250 hp. A single engine goes up to 350 hp; twin engines can also be fitted, but with two engines you lose the stern swim platforms, and that is why we recommend the single. The 7.60 we use for sea trials carries a 250 hp outboard.
The NAVY 9.50 Cabin, 9.80 metres overall and design category B, is powered by twin outboards: we decide the power together with you in the quote, and so far we have fitted from two Honda 250s, for one customer, to two Honda BF350s, the new 350 hp units, for another. The NAVY 6.60 has its data sheet being updated: we quote its engine together with the model.
PLATE 05 — Four numbers to keep in mind
40.8hp
the Italian legal threshold
without a licence
30 kW, within 6 miles, with the cylinder capacity within the limits: art. 39 of the Italian Recreational Boating Code.
115.6hp
the ceiling
of the D1 licence
85 kW, from the age of 16, by day only and within 6 miles: the Italian D1 licence.
150hp
the maximum power
of the NAVY 6.00
It starts at 40 hp, without a licence within 6 miles in Italy.
350hp
with a single engine
on the NAVY 7.60
We recommend a 200/250 hp; with twin engines you lose the swim platforms.
PLATE 06
Horsepower and the law
The licence. In Italy, art. 39 of the Recreational Boating Code makes a licence compulsory, within 6 miles and on inland waters, when the engine exceeds 30 kW, that is 40.8 hp, or the cylinder capacity set for its type: 1,000 cc for a four-stroke outboard. The two conditions apply together: to go without a licence, the engine must stay below both. Beyond 6 miles a licence is always required, whatever the power. Without a licence, anyone who has turned 16 may be in command, if the RIB is a natante.
The D1 licence. Italian law also provides for the category D, type D1 licence (art. 27-bis of Ministerial Decree 146/2008, added by Ministerial Decree 133 of 17 September 2024): it is issued to those who have turned 16, it is valid only by day, within 6 miles of the coast and on hulls up to 12 metres, and until the age of 18 only on natanti, and it allows an engine of up to 85 kW, that is 115.6 hp, with a non-supercharged four-stroke outboard of up to 2,400 cc. A nautical school will tell you from when the course and the exam can be taken. The NAVY 5.50, which goes up to 115 hp, stays below that power threshold; the cylinder capacity is on the plate of the engine you choose.
Insurance. In Italy there is no horsepower threshold below which an engine need not be insured. Art. 41, paragraph 2, of the Recreational Boating Code and art. 123, paragraph 3, of the Italian Private Insurance Code extend compulsory third-party liability insurance to detachable engines “of any power”: the policy follows the outboard and covers the natante on which it is fitted. The 40 hp must be insured too.
| Power | In kW | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 40 hp | 29.4 kW | below 30 kW: in Italy, within 6 miles, no licence, provided the cylinder capacity stays within 1,000 cc for a four-stroke outboardthe engine of the licence-free NAVY RIBs: 4.80, 5.50 and 6.00 |
| 40.8 hp | 30 kW | the threshold of art. 39: above it, a licence is required even close to the coast |
| 70-80 hp | 51.5-58.8 kW | the maximum power of the NAVY 4.80 |
| 115 hp | 84.6 kW | the maximum power of the NAVY 5.50, below the 85 kW of the D1 licence |
| 115.6 hp | 85 kW | the ceiling of the D1 licencewith the D1 cylinder-capacity limits: 2,400 cc for a non-supercharged four-stroke outboard |
| 150 hp | 110.3 kW | the maximum power of the NAVY 6.00: a category A licence is required |
| 250 hp | 184 kW | the power of the 7.60 we use for sea trials |
| 350 hp | 257 kW | the maximum power of the NAVY 7.60 with a single engineand the power of each of the two Honda BF350s we have fitted on a NAVY 9.50 Cabin |
The kW figures use the ratio of Italian law, which writes “30 kW or 40.8 CV”: 1 kW equals 1.36 CV, that is metric horsepower, and every hp figure on this page is metric horsepower. From 250 hp upwards they are rounded to the nearest kW. Italian law as read in the Gazzetta Ufficiale on 19 September 2026.
After the horsepower
Once the power is settled, three questions remain: one engine or two, a new engine or the one you already have, and which make. They are the questions that come right after the one about horsepower.
Single or twin
Up to the NAVY 6.00 the data sheets list a single engine. The NAVY 7.60 can be fitted with a single or a twin installation, but we recommend the single: with twin engines you lose the stern swim platforms. The NAVY 9.50 Cabin is powered by twin outboards: we decide the power together with you in the quote, and so far we have fitted from two Honda 250s to two Honda BF350s. Remember that in Italy every detachable engine falls under compulsory insurance, whatever its power: with two engines, the policy must cover both.
With or without an engine
A NAVY can be bought with or without an engine. If you already have an outboard, we assess the pairing on the chosen model: we need the details on the engine's plate, that is make, power and cylinder capacity. They are the same details that decide whether you need a licence, and that tell us whether that engine stays within the maximum power of the NAVY you have in mind. If instead you choose the engine with us, we quote it together with the boat, with several engine options: that way you have the final figure in front of you.
The makes
Honda, Yamaha and Mercury are the outboards we fit to the NAVY RIBs. You choose the make, together with the power: for us, all three carry the same weight. The engine is not included in the list price of any model, and for power ratings above 40 hp there is no fixed price to write here: we quote the engine together with the chosen model, in the quote, item by item.
PLATE 08
Outboard or inboard
Every NAVY is powered by outboards: from the 4.80 to the 9.50 Cabin the engine sits at the stern, outside the hull. On the 7.60 the outboard sits on the centreline between the two swim platforms; on the 9.50 Cabin the aft sunpad sits above the two engines. Italian law also distinguishes between the two types: within 6 miles, the cylinder capacity above which a licence is required is 1,000 cc for a four-stroke outboard and 1,300 cc for a four-stroke inboard, while the power threshold, 30 kW, that is 40.8 hp, is the same for all.
For anyone searching “inboard or outboard RIB”, on our range there is therefore only one answer. The real choice becomes the power and, on the larger models, the number of engines.
How we choose it together
To recommend an engine we need six answers. If you have them ready, you reach the quote already knowing what power you need.
“With the 40 hp we recommend boats up to 6 metres.”
The questions you really ask us
These are the engine questions that reach us most often, in writing, by phone and on WhatsApp, with the answer we give to those who write to us and, alongside, the figure from the data sheet or the article of law. One at a time: opening one closes the other.
On the NAVY 6.00, 6 metres long and 2.50 metres wide, power starts at 40 hp and goes up to 150 hp. In Italy, with the 40 hp, within 6 miles of the coast and with the cylinder capacity within the legal limits, the RIB can be helmed without a boat licence. Above 30 kW, that is 40.8 hp, a licence is required. The choice between the two ends depends on how many people you carry and where you go.
With the 40 hp we recommend boats up to 6 metres: in the NAVY range that means the 4.80, the 5.50 or the 6.00. Beyond that size the boat gains weight and people on board, and the right power rises accordingly: on the NAVY 7.60 we already recommend 200/250 hp. In Italy the 40 hp remains the choice for those without a licence, within 6 miles of the coast.
The maximum power changes with the model: the NAVY 4.80 goes up to 70-80 hp, the 5.50 to 115 hp, the 6.00 to 150 hp. On the 7.60 we recommend 200/250 hp, with a single engine up to 350 hp. The 9.50 Cabin carries twin outboards, with the power decided together in the quote. The 6.60 has its data sheet being updated.
On the NAVY 7.60 we recommend a 200/250 hp outboard; a single engine goes up to 350 hp. The 7.60 can also be fitted with twin engines, but we recommend the single, because with twin engines you lose the stern swim platforms. The 7.60 we use for sea trials carries a 250 hp outboard: it is the simplest way to feel that power for real.
It depends on the model. Up to the NAVY 6.00 the data sheets list a single engine. The NAVY 7.60 also accepts twin engines, but we recommend the single, because with twin engines you lose the stern swim platforms. The NAVY 9.50 Cabin is powered by twin outboards, and we decide the power together with you in the quote. In Italy every detachable engine must be insured: with two engines, the policy must cover both.
Yes, the RIB is sold with or without an engine. We assess the pairing with your engine on the chosen model: we need the details on its plate. With those details we also check that the power of your engine stays within the maximum power of the chosen model, and we tell you whether, in Italy, you need a boat licence with that engine.
Yes. In Italy compulsory third-party liability insurance applies to detachable engines of any power: this is set by art. 41, paragraph 2, of the Italian Recreational Boating Code and by art. 123, paragraph 3, of the Italian Private Insurance Code. The policy follows the outboard and covers the natante on which it is fitted. There is no horsepower threshold below which the engine need not be insured.
No. The prices of the NAVY RIBs are quoted excluding VAT and without the engine, which is chosen separately according to how you want to use the boat: power, make, fit-out. The NAVY 4.80, for example, is listed from €13,924 + VAT · engine not included. We quote the engine together with the boat, with several engine options, so you have the final figure in front of you straight away.
PLATE 11
To read after this one
The engine brings two questions with it: whether you need a licence, and how much the complete RIB costs. The three pages below answer them in the same way, with the real figures alongside.
Guide 02
The 30 kW threshold, the 6 miles, the minimum ages and the new D1 from 16, article by article of Italian law.
Read the guide
The range
The 4.80, the 5.50 and the 6.00 with the 40 hp, within 6 miles of the coast.
See the models
Guide 01
Hull, engine, VAT, transport: the complete bill, item by item.
Read the guideAll the guidesThe whole NAVY range
Guide written by Naviglia Yachts, a brand of Michelessi Corporation Srl · updated 14 October 2026 · Italian law read in the Gazzetta Ufficiale on 19 September 2026 · power ratings from the data sheets of the price list of 9 September 2026
PLATE 12 — In person
The table tells you the power of each model; how much is enough for you, the sea tells you, with the boat under your feet and your people on board. Come and see the NAVY RIBs and try one. What size do you have in mind, and how many people will you carry?
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Naviglia Yachts — Aprilia (LT), Italy · 380 173 0961
