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Old 11-02-2013, 06:41   #121
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Re: Buying a Helia 44

I have a Mahe 36 with rudders in front of the props. Not a problem docking at slow or no speed.

In very heavy sea's, I have no prop cavitation and the sail drive is still deep in the water.

I also have folding props and only use one engine 99% of the time.
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Old 11-02-2013, 08:02   #122
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Re: Buying a Helia 44

Stefano,

Everything is a compromise... I would think (hope) that the Helia, and every other brand, designers have taken the maneuverability & cavitation issues into account when they designed the boat.

The current trend in cats/monohulls, and even powerboats, is to place the engines as far aft as possible to maximize livable space. Time will prove if it is a wise move. So far so good though... Nobody is complaining.
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Old 12-02-2013, 01:59   #123
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Re: Buying a Helia 44

Quote:
Originally Posted by dochueb View Post
To those few in possession of their Helias...anchor selection?

I'm leaning towards a 73 lb. Ronca. Any issues fitting that on bow rollers / anchor assembly?

Thoughts? That weight may be a bit of overkill, but...I wanna sleep well on the hook.

Dave
Anchor answer for dochueb.
We've chosen a 30 Kg Spade and a 20Kg Rocna as a secundary anchor, but we have upgraded the windlass to 1500W.
Haven't tried it yet. Let you know beginning of March.
Bye
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Old 14-05-2013, 23:41   #124
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Re: Buying a Helia 44

For any Australians contemplating purchasing a He'lia 44 or any other FP model,consider the factory pickup option. The arrangements now put in place by Multihull Solutions worked very well this year. They provided a team to support and assist the new owners. Fountaine Pajot have a wonderful group at the commissioning dock here in La Rochelle and they respond quickly to any requests or questions. The main commissioning agent for MHS and FP is Uchimata Sailing Service. The owner of Uchimata, Pierre Menardon has been someone we could approach and discuss any issue, he has a wealth of knowledge and is one of the nicest people you could meet. along with his wife Sylvie and a very able team they provide a first class service, this has been invaluable for those new to these boats and this area.
The big plus for this arrangement is the adventure to follow in your new boat as you set off to explore the world.
Multihull Solutions will be displaying the He'lia 44, Sanya 57, Catana 42 and the FP Summerland 40 at this years Sanctuary Cove Boat Show.
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Old 26-05-2013, 16:49   #125
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Re: Buying a Helia 44

Thanks Gordon for the Sanctuary boat show tip.. nice timing. As a result we went to see and compare the various 40 odd footers and this was our call on them. Prior to going and seeing the different boats online, especially the new Helia 44 I had high expectations for it. Sadly it ended up being ruled out for a couple of important points. Firstly the fit and finish on the boat was quite average, well below the lagoon or leopard. Some of the trim already had evidence of peeling, especially the wall surfaces in the main birth. Not sure if this was an early build but given it was used for display it was easy to pick on close inspection. The layout itself and the look of the boat is sensational however the births are very tight in the walkways, with doors put at the narrowest section meant you were rubbing everytime you went through. To make it worse the handles on the door were certainly not boat friendly with both myself and my wife catching out shirts on separate occasions. There were also lots of sharp corners. We ended up coming to a conclusion it was the Leopard 44 or Lagoon 450 first (there was no 421 on display) with the Helia bascially ruled out.

When it came to people service it was a very different story. The FP and Leopard people were very friendly, very helpful and were willing to spend as much time talking as needed. We spent plenty of time on each of the boats, including an Saline 48 private boat that was for sail and the the service was excellent. Sadly the Lagoon service was pretty hopeless. Most people didnt know much about the boats, and need to get someone who did and because they were so overworked they didnt really sound interested in selling a boat to us. No product brochures, no spec sheets, could only email to you later. I dont understand why vendors pay a fortune to go to these shows underprepared and not putting the best foot forward. Not a good indicator for aftersales service from the Lagoon people at all.

As we are still at least 12 months away from a decision we will continue to research etc. Thanks to everyone on this forum, we have learnt so much already and only just beginning our journey.
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Old 26-05-2013, 17:59   #126
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Re: Buying a Helia 44

Further reasoning for you Newbie as it was our boat @ Sanctuary Cove. I make these comments not in defence of the Helia but for your information as to how we came to the decision. Firstly price had a lot to do with it as we got a particular deal at a time when the Euro was 0.86. Disappointed you found the fit and finish that much worse than the Lag/Leopard. As an owner I now have identified the same flaws in the finish. The trim in the owners hull is actually the panel covering for the fuse box under the fridge. It has not returned to original shape after multiple removals and therefore sits out a little. If you found somewhere else the finish is lifting let me know. The floor hatches are loose and annoying, and I agree with the corners being sharp everywhere and anticipate this being an issue in future. But after years of research ( we met Mark from MH Sols 3 years prior to purchasing the Helia) I would choose the Helia or an FP again. The Helia is a good sailor (we achieved 9.6kts in 18kts AWS on a broad reach), weighs approximately a third less than the Lagoon, and after reports from friends who visited the Leopard factory last year as part of their purchase research I would not feel comfortable with the build quality for that boat. All three production yachts have their pros and cons. Its about finding the best compromise to achieve what you want with the yacht. But I would advise look beyond the cosmetic to layout, construction (both build design and actual construction methodologies), and the purpose for which you intend the boat. For us, we intend to live on the boat in the Solomon Islands, and require a boat that is capable of actually making miles at a reasonable rate. The Lagoon is great and I believe it has been described as a floating apartment. So nothing compares to the Lagoon for space. As stated the Leopard was not even considered for us. So in our circumstance price, performance, design /construction and weight combined to work for us, and we were filling out an options list with the dealer for the Lagoon two hrs prior to us signing the contract for the Helia. So good luck in your search but don't right off the Helia just yet. Charter a Lagoon and experience the up/down/up of the layout.
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Old 26-05-2013, 22:00   #127
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Re: Buying a Helia 44

Good reply, something i've noted with our Lagoon is our sailing speed (with fixed 2 blade props) is always half windspeed + 10-15% depending on our attention to trimming.
Our 440 is in cruising trim ie 75% tanks and all our possessions.

So don't discount a Lagoon as being slow because of it's comforts and space because quite simply they are not slow.

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Old 26-05-2013, 23:03   #128
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Re: Buying a Helia 44

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Good reply, something i've noted with our Lagoon is our sailing speed (with fixed 2 blade props) is always half windspeed + 10-15% depending on our attention to trimming.
Our 440 is in cruising trim ie 75% tanks and all our possessions.

So don't discount a Lagoon as being slow because of it's comforts and space because quite simply they are not slow.
Thats really good as I understand you have lots of power equipment on boat as well. This was on our initial sail of the boat and with a Hydrogenerator down. So I am hoping for substantially better figures than this. If I could match your figures I would be a happy guy. I appreciate these boats are not from the high performance end of the spectrum.
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Old 26-05-2013, 23:08   #129
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Re: Buying a Helia 44

That's right, What i can also say is very few boats sail past us and we pass most, certainly a Gunboat is the epitome of cruising fast however we didn't desire that in our choice.

Having raced mono's and cat's i can honestly say i'm very happy with the 440's performance and surprisingly in very light airs, in 5.5 knots true we will sail at 2 to 3knots AND tack easily. The cable steering gives some feel believe it or not.

Cheers Frank
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Old 26-05-2013, 23:40   #130
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Re: Buying a Helia 44

Hi Tim, Hope you enjoyed the Boat show experience. We are very pleased with our He'lia and finish not an issue on #12 hull. The boat is very quiet under sail when inside, no noises or squeaks at all. The sailing performance similar or better than the Orana, we have spent most of the sail around Spain/Portugal running and boat very comfortable and easy to manage with just my wife and myself sailing her. Bay of Biscay crossing from La Rochelle to La Coruna Spain took 50hrs, saw speeds up past 15kts running with 2nd reef in winds up to 30kts, sea was lumpy, this was for half the journey and then the wind died and we had to burn some diesel. With the D2-55 engines at 2200RPM and the 3blade flexfold props we see 9kts boat speed and burn around 3.8ltrs/hr per engine.
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Old 27-05-2013, 19:53   #131
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Re: Buying a Helia 44

Thanks for the feedback Nasa (and everyone). The information on this forum is so valuable.

Firstly I have to say that i think ANY of these boats seem to be overall well built and I would be happy to have any of them, and none of them (of the 3) seem to lemons. Ultimately it comes down to personal preference and which one fits your needs best.

I would also like to congratulate anyone also that is happy for 1000's of people to walk all over their boats at a boat show. Without their generosity this decision would be so much more difficult.

Most of our sailing will be 2 up so the whilst the lagoon 450 is more spacious its also more expensive than the Helia and the Leopard. We also much prefer the non-separated cockpit of the the other 2 models. We are going to do exactly as suggested and as most people have probably done and hire each model for a week to see what we like to live with.
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Old 28-05-2013, 00:17   #132
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Re: Buying a Helia 44

Newbie, didn't say I was happy about 1000's of people walking all over my boat but that was part of the deal and saved us a considerable amount so one of those frustrating things we deal with.
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Old 28-05-2013, 16:35   #133
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Re: Buying a Helia 44

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Newbie, didn't say I was happy about 1000's of people walking all over my boat but that was part of the deal and saved us a considerable amount so one of those frustrating things we deal with.
lol...either way, thanks, nothing like seeing them in the flesh.
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Old 25-07-2013, 14:56   #134
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Buying a Helia 44

Heres a look at what FP is working on for next years models.
Very interesting read about new interior colors and a few new models.
Attached Files
File Type: pdf fp_news_july.pdf (378.2 KB, 293 views)
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Old 26-07-2013, 04:21   #135
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Re: Buying a Helia 44

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Heres a look at what FP is working on for next years models.
Very interesting read about new interior colors and a few new models.
I'm waiting on their announcement that they've decided to focus on customer service and to actually respond to warranty issues on the existing Helias.

FP sent a man to Annapolis in June to perform Helia warranty work, then pulled him out after only working on ONE of the FOUR Helias here- mine included.

It hasn't helped that the sketchy broker (Eric Smith, Bay Yacht Agency) I purchased my Helia from has been completely dysfunctional -AND- had 3 key people quit this week. I hope FP steps up and stands behind owners who had the misfortune to purchase an FP boat though Bay Yacht Agency in Annapolis.
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