Helia Charter Review

[ssmoot]

We recently chartered a Fountaine Pajot Helia 44’ in California for a couple days.

It was an awesome experience.

I’ve seen a lot of “newbie” threads lately, and thought as a fellow newbie I might offer my thoughts. Just stuff I wish I’d had a better idea of.

Fair warning. This is going to be very long.

The weather was about perfect temperature wise. No need for A/C or anything. The water was much too chilly to enjoy for warm blooded southerners used to the gulf.

I’ll just dive right in then.

Stepping into the salon for the first time, with a few people sitting down, and squeezing past others to unpack into the cabins, the salon is a lot smaller in person than I expected. I would call it “serviceable”, but it certainly didn’t feel luxurious.

The galley seemed fine, but took up a ton of space and made me think the linear galley of a Bali or Leopard would be much more to my liking. It did make me realize that the awkwardly shaped, small galley of the Lagoon 42 is probably perfectly serviceable though. I'm the cook of the family, so this is an area I was hoping to be impressed with and I just wasn't. It's not bad certainly. But it didn't wow me with how well it was arranged or how much they packed into the space either.

The seating was just awkward. You take the “seats eight comfortably” claims from brokers with a big grain of salt, but your crew better be pretty trim to sit more than 4 comfortably with back cushions and room to not have to bang your knees together.

The little coffee table was nice for storage, but a real table (which I assume is an option) would’ve been welcome.

Quality wise everything in the salon seemed to be in great shape and we didn’t have any concerns there.

The refrigerator holds less than you’d assume. I didn’t get down and look at what the deal was, but there’s something in the back (compressor?) that prevents the doors from closing with 12oz beer bottles pushed to the back of the drawer. Slide them 3 or 4” forward and it closes fine. So something intrudes on the drawer depth at the back. I expected to really like these refrigerators, and I did. Just something to be aware of.

The sloped windows let in a good bit of heat even in the very mild weather. It never got uncomfortable, but it did make me think that more vertical windows would be a better design, especially in warmer weather.

The overhead lighting, height and window were all great, no complaints at all, and if you're taller than average, I could imagine this being a big advantage for you.

Overall I’d rate the salon a 4 out of 10. It was squared off and “IKEA” style, which I personally love. But with dark countertops I'd never consider at home, and it could’ve really used a couple more feet of length. I would’ve traded the nav station for full-width U-shaped seating with inside nav on a shelf or something in a heartbeat.

The cockpit was huge. To my surprise no one really much sat out there though. Maybe it was just the people I was with. Maybe it was the fact that with wind there wasn’t a ton of opportunity for card games or anything.

I give the cockpit a 7/10. I think I prefer a table oriented forward/aft as I found seating that way more comfortable than sitting athwartship while pounding through very light waves. At anchor this was a total non-issue of course. The "reading chaise" spot was really nice though. Wide and comfortable with a great view.

The galley pass through was nice for ventilation and making the salon feel bigger, but didn't strike me as much of a practical necessity as I thought it would going into the experience. The path through the cockpit was wide and gave a real feeling of openness. The boat was definitely designed to give you a huge cockpit and goes a long ways to explaining the small feeling salon. I'm not sure it's the trade-off I'd make, but looking at the competition, the Helia definitely has a significant advantage here over most.

The transom could’ve offered additional seating and storage, but besides that I didn’t see much room for improvement.

I wasn’t a big fan of the davits. The swinging davit system of Leopard or Bali catamarans would appear to be a nicer design. This boat had (I think) a 3.8m dinghy, and it seemed a bit of a handful to get it lined up and in getting the cover on when you couldn’t reach the outside hull from the sugar scoops. The davits also only supported 100kg each IIRC. Which struck me as pretty marginal. I don’t know what’s typical, but ~440lbs doesn’t seem like a lot of headroom for a 3.8m RIB with a 4-stroke and fuel.

The newer Evolution version of the boat appears to have added transom seating (but not storage?), and upgraded davits (not swinging, but higher at least and maybe stronger?).

I’m going to give the davits on this 2016 version of the boat a 2/10. Better than nothing. And I suppose they could be worse. But definitely at the bottom end of the spectrum among current offerings.

Our favorite seats was the 2+ seat up at the helm, and the seating a step up on the salon top. We’re not sun-bathers. Usually the sun is just trying to kill you where we’re from, so the lounging cushions forward of that didn’t really see any use. I’d probably cover it in grippy flexible solar instead assuming glare isn’t an issue. But the actual seats were really great. I wish manufacturers would do away with mattresses on the roof. Seating good. Mattresses not good. Give me smooth, unobstructed, flat surfaces for solar instead.

The helm felt pretty isolated from the cockpit and salon. That was actually my biggest surprise. Looking at pictures and videos of various catamarans I’d totally bought into the idea that a semi-raised helm allowed you to feel more part of what’s going on in the cockpit and salon, but that wasn’t really my experience. It’s probably better on boats where the helm seating isn’t molded into the cockpit roof. Which seems to be “everyone else” that isn’t Fountaine Pajot.

Sitting on the salon top, we didn’t really feel any more isolated than sitting at the helm though. And the seating was actually really enjoyable when in the shade of the mainsail. Ignoring the mattresses forward of the seats, I’d give them a 9/10. Cup holders and maybe a small 3 or 4 drink ice bin “cooler” might be the only small upgrades I might’ve wished for.

So the main lesson I walked away with was that I think that as long as there’s a good bimini, I might actually prefer a flybridge design. That was a surprise to me since I’d basically ruled it out previously. Being able to see around the sails on the port side of the boat when on a starboard tack would’ve been a huge upgrade though. As it was it felt like the dual aft helms of a Nautitech or Catana would’ve provided just as much practical view.

So I went from thinking the semi-raised helm was the best of both worlds, to thinking, at least on this boat, that it’s the worst of both worlds. With aft helms I would’ve felt much more connected with the rest of the boat, and with a flybridge I would’ve felt like I had a much better idea of what was going on. So there’s still trade-offs with those other styles. But not significant as I’d thought, and the semi-raised helm didn’t prove to be the advantage I’d thought it would be.

I think it’s fair to say that, for me, the Helia’s separate line handling position from the helm is not a design I’m a fan of though. Being able to remain at the helm during line handling like on most other brands would definitely be my preference.

The helm and line handling positions get a 5/10 from me. They work. They’re not outright bad. If it weren’t for the fact that the bench seating at the helm is the best seat on the boat, it’d be a 3/10 though. The whole setup could use a lot of improvement all around. You can access all the lines from the station, so that’s worth something. But I feel like that’s kind of the bare minimum on modern cats in this size range these days.

The trampolines, hatches and pulpit seats (I guess?) were fine. It would’ve been great to have a “forward cockpit”, and that’d definitely be a feature I’d look for on my own boat. The Astrea 42 does it well I think.

Going down into the hulls now. We were on an owner’s version, and the owner’s cabin was awesome. Tons of lighting. Having similarly large portlights in the hulls would be pretty high on my list. I love the current trend of the Bali 4.1, Leopard 45, Lagoon 42, Astrea 42, etc where huge horizontal port lights really brighten up the hulls.

There is a ton of storage, hanging lockers and shelving in the owner’s hull. Much more than I was expecting actually. It struck me as exceptionally well done.

I appreciated the small “sofa” to have somewhere to put on my shoes or toss a backpack. Given the other storage options in the hull, I don’t think I’d trade it for more storage after all. I liked the storage at the desk area, but if it were an option I’d rather have dresser drawers there or something for much more usable storage since I can’t see realistically using that desk/vanity for work or anything. Maybe my wife would feel differently and see it as a must-have. We just used it as a spot to charge our electronics, but that could’ve easier been a dresser with fiddles on the top and an outlet above it.

I give the owner’s cabin/hull a 8/10. Not much room for improvement.

The bathroom was nice. It did seem like the toilet is placed better on some other newer or larger boats, but it’s barely worth a mention; not really an issue, just something I noticed. I’m not a fan of double sinks, so I saw the single sink as a plus. There was plenty of storage in the bathroom as well, so that wasn’t lacking at all. The shower was generous and I really enjoyed it. The little cubby for toothpaste and such was handy. The bathroom could’ve really used a porthole (in addition to the hatch) to let out steam though. That’d be something on my checklist when boat shopping. The shelving and hanging locker in the head were welcome surprises. I really wish boat tour videos would focus more on available storage options. The medicine cabinet mirrors were very generous.

It’s not as fancy/pretty as the Astrea or Saona, but other than the porthole, I don’t see a lot of room for improvement from a practical perspective. I’m going to give it an 8/10.

We were less impressed with the guest hull. The forward cabin narrowed significantly. The heads were rather small and they were wet-heads. I would much prefer a single head in each hull with separate shower and shower door. I give those heads a 3/10. Only just serviceable. Not anything I’d want if a larger combined head was an option.

I think it’s probably important to keep in mind that this “44ft” boat is a good 18” shorter than a Leopard 45 or over 2’ shorter than a Lagoon 450. So while some areas were surprisingly generous, such as the owner’s hull, others felt like they could’ve really used the additional length, like the salon and guest hull.

The cabin and head doors were a bit narrow, but not at all a squeeze. Just a difference to get used to. The full length mirror behind the owner’s head was very nice though. Made the area feel more open. Is it worth the option price versus doing it yourself for $50 or something? Probably not. But it’d definitely make the list of things to put on the boat.

I didn’t get into any of the mechanicals of the boat beyond just opening lockers and looking inside. So the “engine room”s seemed to have plenty of space. There was no water-maker or generator on this boat, but there’s obviously plenty of room for it. I don’t know how easy or not it would be to service sanitary hoses, pumps, or anything like that. I wasn’t all that impressed with the Nav station. I think I’d prefer an iPad with a WiFi link to the chart plotter and an autopilot remote.

I don’t mean to come off negative on the Helia. For a cruising couple with guests, there seems to be a lot to recommend the boat. Not the least of which is the truly impressive owner’s hull. That wasn’t something I particularly gave a lot of thought to before boarding the vessel, (other than obviously an owner’s hull is nicer) but in hindsight it may actually be the feature that left me most impressed with the boat. I didn’t really appreciate exactly how nice the owner’s hull on the Helia was going to be. Very impressive.

With some tweaks here and there, I think you’d have to be crazy to turn your nose up at a Helia. It might not be my ideal boat, but it’s without a doubt a really nice one I could find myself spending several happy years aboard. There’s no one perfect boat for everyone.

Of the charter options we had available, I’m definitely glad we went with the Helia. It was a great boat for the purpose. Easily the best vacation experience of my life, and while I didn’t walk away thinking the Helia was the boat for me, I definitely learned a lot, and have a much better idea of what trade-offs and compromises are the right ones for us.

All said and done, I’m actually really excited to see the Bali 4.1 in Annapolis. I’d gone into this experience pretty skeptical of them, but with the updates (improved cabinetry finishes, L-shaped sofa, transom seating and storage) I think it might actually be my ideal boat now that I’ve come around on the helm position, and the huge lazarettes seem to provide for more room for toys like my folding electric bike.

Hope that helps.

[ssmoot]

I totally forgot to talk about the sailing!

The boat hit 8knts SOG steadily in about 12knts of wind (IIRC), calm seas and no current to speak of at about 45 AWA. The sails (full main and jib) would start luffing around 43°. With one engine motoring around 1,500RPM the boat would point up just under 35°. This struck me as very good performance overall for the type of boat it is.

When the waves picked up in late afternoon there was some slamming, and it would make the whole boat shudder. It wasn’t as bad or alarming as I thought slamming might be since this was my first real life experience with it, but these weren’t rough waters, so it happened sooner than I would’ve guessed as well.

Sail handling was fine. I’m. Not tall and I could pull down the mainsail and bag it easily enough. Lines could’ve been run a little better but everything but reefing could be done from the helm easily enough so it works. Just gotta keep an eye on main halyard chafe since it crossed the port jib sheet (IIRC). I can definitely see the appeal in a self-tacking jib now.

Second day we were running late back to the marina so it was motoring the whole way with a little bit of motor sailing with a reefed main. With both engines at 2,400RPM (IIRC) we’d do about 8.25knts. This boat had the upgraded engines, which seemed a waste to me even if marginally more fuel efficient. Probably a good idea for a charter boat though.

[Bean Counter]

Next time charter a Lagoon 450 Flybridge in the Bahamas in April - you will be amazed at the difference in boat operation and location.

[peterp]

Originally Posted by ssmoot

I totally forgot to talk about the sailing!

The boat hit 8knts SOG steadily in about 12knts of wind (IIRC), calm seas and no current to speak of at about 45 AWA. The sails (full main and jib) would start luffing around 43°. With one engine motoring around 1,500RPM the boat would point up just under 35°. This struck me as very good performance overall for the type of boat it is.

When the waves picked up in late afternoon there was some slamming, and it would make the whole boat shudder. It wasn’t as bad or alarming as I thought slamming might be since this was my first real life experience with it, but these weren’t rough waters, so it happened sooner than I would’ve guessed as well.

Sail handling was fine. I’m. Not tall and I could pull down the mainsail and bag it easily enough. Lines could’ve been run a little better but everything but reefing could be done from the helm easily enough so it works. Just gotta keep an eye on main halyard chafe since it crossed the port jib sheet (IIRC). I can definitely see the appeal in a self-tacking jib now.

Second day we were running late back to the marina so it was motoring the whole way with a little bit of motor sailing with a reefed main. With both engines at 2,400RPM (IIRC) we’d do about 8.25knts. This boat had the upgraded engines, which seemed a waste to me even if marginally more fuel efficient. Probably a good idea for a charter boat though.

Hi ssmoot well written review, can you give us your thoughts on reversing in the Helia on the Lagoon they have a wheel locking nut which one has to make tight to lock the rudders in the straight ahead position this works well, I have been told the Helia has hydraulic steering therefore the wheel stays where you leave it whilst you start backing in to a Marina pen is this correct??? or does some other FP owner know. Thanks in advance

[Tornadosailing]

Originally Posted by peterp

Hi ssmoot well written review, can you give us your thoughts on reversing in the Helia on the Lagoon they have a wheel locking nut which one has to make tight to lock the rudders in the straight ahead position this works well, I have been told the Helia has hydraulic steering therefore the wheel stays where you leave it whilst you start backing in to a Marina pen is this correct??? or does some other FP owner know. Thanks in advance

IIRC the original (non evolution version) Helia that Smoot chartered did not have hydraulic steering. In fact, it may not have been an upgrade until well after the evo started. It was a popular upgrade because FP made the mistake of going with a teleflex system that was at it's absolute limit on a boat that size. I believe the new 47 and probably 42 switched back to the dyneema rope setup like I have.

I know the steering on my Salina is far more responsive than on the L440 I used to bareboat. Not sure what the steering setup was on the Lagoon, but it was mushy, especially trying to hold it straight in reverse.

[LagunaRed]

We live on our Lagoon 52F, Summer Kai, a flybridge model. We’ve found that basically no one hangs out in the cockpit when underway because everyone is generally up on the flybridge. The big benefit of the flybridge is that there is room to sit under the Bimini and see forward whereas in the cockpit, you just can’t really see forward. This is a really big deal in my opinion. There are times when the kids play in the salon when under way but we have walkie talkies to communicate if they need something or want to come up to the flybridge. I must admit, it would be very unlikely for us to go back to at non-flybridge model if we bought a new boat.

[ssmoot]

Originally Posted by peterp

Hi ssmoot well written review, can you give us your thoughts on reversing in the Helia on the Lagoon they have a wheel locking nut which one has to make tight to lock the rudders in the straight ahead position this works well, I have been told the Helia has hydraulic steering therefore the wheel stays where you leave it whilst you start backing in to a Marina pen is this correct??? or does some other FP owner know. Thanks in advance

I didn't do any of the docking, so I can't help you. What little manual steering I did going forward felt good enough to me, but I don't really have a basis of comparison and I suppose I would just assume they all "drive like a bus" so the nuance is lost on me until I get a chance at some more experiences.

[Thalas]

Originally Posted by LagunaRed

We live on our Lagoon 52F, Summer Kai, a flybridge model. We’ve found that basically no one hangs out in the cockpit when underway because everyone is generally up on the flybridge. The big benefit of the flybridge is that there is room to sit under the Bimini and see forward whereas in the cockpit, you just can’t really see forward. This is a really big deal in my opinion. There are times when the kids play in the salon when under way but we have walkie talkies to communicate if they need something or want to come up to the flybridge. I must admit, it would be very unlikely for us to go back to at non-flybridge model if we bought a new boat.

You're comparing a flybridge to a cockpit, but in a Helia review, the comparison is really to a raised helm. And what you're describing is actually the reason so many of us prefer the raised helm setup to the flybridge. The Helia still allows lounging on the upper deck, but with the benefit of a much lower boom for access. Depending on your sail plan, you can more often see under leeward sails to look forward on a raised helm whereas your leeward view is often completely obstructed on a flybridge. Finally, with a raised helm you have fantastic communication both to the cockpit and to the upper deck.

For island hopping, I actually love a flybridge, but for further distances, I'd go with the raised helm every time.