Options other than Antares 44i

[Seaadventurers]

Hi,
My wife and I are planning to live on a sailboat once we retire in a few years. We've been intrigued with the Antares yacht and love all the features. However, the boat new is over now $1.1M with a waiting list of several years. There are few used boats on the market, and those tend to sell for just under what a new boat would cost.

We are looking for "plan B"! There seems to be a big gap in price between the Antares and other yachts of comparable size. We want something that the two of us can sail, so not too big.

So, what other boats should we be looking at as an alternative to the Antares? We will likely own the boat for 2-5 years.

[Factor]

How important is sailing capability to you?

[rallyman1122]

IN regards to similar sized boats, there is the Helia 44, a leopard 44 or 48, even a Lagoon. Or if you are looking for something with more performance and a bit more extreme, there is the Atlantic 48 Mast Foil from Chris White. Nautitech or Outremer have excellent reputations for producing quality boats

It comes down to your needs and desires. Many have cruised on all of these boats and there are many more to choose from as well.

[Catalysis]

Sea adventures ;
You might also consider a non-chartered, owners version of a Privilege 445. Similar size, and nicely finished and about half the price of a used an Antares - although it does have saildrives v. Antares shaft drives.



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[contrail]

There are also other well proven somewhat older models, which could be had for somewhere between $250k and $400k, so I guess an appropriate question would be, "what is the budget?" And remember, a new boat will probably need plenty of extra equipment and an older boat may need a re-fit, so allow for these things!

[iliohale]

We are shopping as well and in a very similar situation. Been life long mono hull sailors. We looked at the Antaris and felt that it is a two generations old design and the price is way too high, not to mention the wait for a boat. We are close to purchasing a Nautitech Open 46. It meets the majority of our decision criteria. You can check out my video on YouTube, iliohale productions is my channel.

[johnny AoB]

You might want to consider a St. Francis 50, A little bigger but a well built cat.

[Catalysis]

Johnny AoB,
That's funny, we recently sold our beloved Antares 44 after seven years and are having a St Francis 50 built.
Paul




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[Tom and Maje]

Two years ago in October we moved onto our Leopard 40 (the older model) and love it. Yes, I'd wanted a larger boat, but I'm really glad we bought her. It's enough room for us, and we know a few couples with kids who are on a 40 as well. Why? Two heads instead of four. You don't have to run jacklines in the salon under way (look at those wide open salons on the newer Leopards or the FPs). I would not recommend the owner's version. We were able to make the starboard forward cabin into a pantry, because really there is not a lot of storage space. It is much easier and less expensive to find places to dock when needed. It's also less expensive to haul. And if you decide to visit the Bahamas, it's the difference between $300 and $600 in entry fees.

There are a couple of L40 for sale now. PM me if you have any questions.

Maje

[FlyTheCoop]

We were considering an Antares 44 a couple of years ago but the waitlist and price were deal breakers. We picked up our new Helia 44 Evolution (owners version) a couple of months ago ex-factory in France and are now enroute to the Balearic Islands in Spain. We are a family of four and couldn't be more happy with her!

[Kajali]

Have a look at the Maverick 440. A cruise ready yacht with water maker, aircon, gen, etc for $580k. The newer pics are on their FB page "Maverick Yachts". I'm not affiliated to them other than I'm buying one.


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[Kajali]

The Knysna 500 is another one worth considering it's about $680k.


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[JohnT]

Another boat to look at may be the new Admiral 40, now built by Celtic Yachts in Cape Town. There should be a new one at the Annapolis show in a few months time. I believe it is somewhere in the Caribbean at the moment, slowly making its way north and is well priced.

[Seaadventurers]

Originally Posted by Catalysis

Johnny AoB,
That's funny, we recently sold our beloved Antares 44 after seven years and are having a St Francis 50 built.
Paul


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Hi Paul,

I'm interested in your thought process here. How did you like the Antares? Why did you sell it? What do you like about the St. Francis 50?

Also, what is their build time like?

Thanks,
Bill

[DotDun]

Originally Posted by Tom and Maje

Two years ago in October we moved onto our Leopard 40 (the older model) and love it. Yes, I'd wanted a larger boat, but I'm really glad we bought her. It's enough room for us, and we know a few couples with kids who are on a 40 as well. Why? Two heads instead of four. You don't have to run jacklines in the salon under way (look at those wide open salons on the newer Leopards or the FPs). I would not recommend the owner's version. We were able to make the starboard forward cabin into a pantry, because really there is not a lot of storage space. It is much easier and less expensive to find places to dock when needed. It's also less expensive to haul. And if you decide to visit the Bahamas, it's the difference between $300 and $600 in entry fees.

There are a couple of L40 for sale now. PM me if you have any questions.

Maje

??

It's $150 for boat up to 35' and $300 for boats over 35'