FP says that they have changed the resin supplier some time ago and that this would never happen again. I tend to agree with that, but who can guarantee it??

Hi Yeloya
Thanks very much. Great advice. The helia looks great. I've read that the FP range does suffer from osmosis. Do you think they've sorted it for the helia? Regards. Richard

Hi Richard,

First of all Salina will be phased out in a year or so and will be replaced wit a new 50-52 footer. (not announced yet) FP has therefore cut the price a bit, hence, if you want to buy new it may an opportunity. In terms of stability there aren't any difference between these 3 models, but Helia seemed to me sitting a bit better on water. Under sail Orana and Helia are a bit faster. Overall if you can afford, I would recommend Helia. The build quality is way better than Orana and Salina.
The beam to length ratio on a crusing cat is generally 1 to 2 in the range of 40-45 ft. But if the length goes to 48-50ft and above the same stability can be obtained by a smaller ratio. That's why this ratio is smaller on Salina.
Lastly, Orana is now discontinued and you can only get a second hand. Most of them suffered from osmosis and should you decide to buy an Orana,you should carefully check this out. The factory warranty doesn't cover the second hand boats. Good luck..

Hi Yeloya
Hope you don't mind me asking for some advice. I'm looking at buying a FP. It will be our first cat. Our last boat was a Tayana. We need to move to a cat for the improved stability because my wife has a back condition and struggles with the motion and heeling of a monohull. Have you any experience on the Salina 48 vs the Orana or Helia. A big priority will be the most comfortable/stable platform under sail and at anchor. Do you think the Salina has a big advantage over Orana? According to the specs, it is only 1 foot wider and although 3 feet longer, I don't have a sense of what this adds in either true size or stability. Any advice and guidance would be much appreciated. Regards Richard