Antares 44 vs Seawind 1260

[chris.burcher]

Originally Posted by Alistair242

The finish on our boat(2019) and others just before and more recent is fine. The older Australian built boats(1250s and 1160s) are similar but outdated compared to the 1260s and the newer 1160s. There have been some tweaks, interior and exterior, on the newer boats and the options updated, as you would expect. No issues with the finish.
These are two very different boats. The 1260s sail very well in all conditions including very light air whereas I assume the Antares 44 needs more breeze to sail and therefore requires more motor time. The Antares is no doubt bigger, more similar to the SW 1370 in size.
For us there is plenty of living space and storage onboard the 1260 for 3-4 people.

That's very helpful for my situation thank you. My wife fears there is not enough storage, but we have heard from several people what you say about moving in light winds as well as feeling safe in bigger seas.

[sw34]

There are 1260's available for charter, no better way to learn a boat than to spend a week on it.

[MattHauck]

I have not been aboard an Antares 44 but have seen the tours online. It looks like an amazing boat. I have owned a Seawind 1260 for several years and am often aboard with up to 6 people. A couple with kids is comfortable, but far less storage than the Antares. Although the styling is more minimal, I prefer it for simplicity.

We do charter our boat in Abaco. Happy to answer any questions you have on the 1260 - but if your wife has an opinion, best to answer those first

If you want to share this with her, my wife said we need a bigger boat, but this last season, she said she changed her mind and loves it. One of the biggest factors was the way the settee, cockpit and galley down are arranged. You live and make passages in this area, and it is vital to love it.

The costs are a big deal when you go up four or five feet in length, and our boat sails like a dream, and we love to sail - not just motor around.

[JasonS]

Antares are beautiful boats. There were quite a few in Oriental NC next to our friends dock. Which leads me to another option to consider if you can’t find the right Antares, a Manta 42 or Manta 40. We’ve had ours for a decade. Quite a few families on them. Lots of storage room. And galley up. Shower and pantry your wife will love. Aft staterooms similar to Antares with queens - one facing forward/aft and the other. Port/SB. They were built 1996-2008, so all will be older. Many very well maintained. Price will be less than Antares. They’ve run from about $175k for boats in poor condition to $350k for 42 MKIV in very good condition. Good luck.

[Rjstutch]

Originally Posted by UFO

Since Seawind moved their production to Vietnam, the quality appears to have gone downhill a bit, which is something to bare in mind.

Not sure about the 1260, but a lot of the slightly smaller ones seem to come with Petrol outboards rather than diesel motors.

Seawind moved over 12 years ago to Vietnam and the build quality has been excellent once they settled in. The 1260 comes with 2 x 29 HP Yanmar diesel engines with the option to upgrade. Not sure where the outboards came from except very early models of the 1000.

The only issue I had with the 1260 was the owners cabin bed does not have much clearance above it, so some nightime "activities" are limited if you catch my drift?

I have not sailed or chartered a Anteres 44 before.

[GinoDelG]

My wife and I received our new 1260 on Sept 1 we love the boat. Sails fast, well made and plenty of room. IMHO bigger is NOT better. Keep it simple. The more stuff the slower you’ll go and more time and money spent in marinas fixing stuff. Also its hard to find marinas that can haul out cats and the wider the harder it becomes. We thing the 1260 is just the right size. Big enough for a small family and safe when the conditions get rough.

[Wigglygoog]

I have a 1260. Very pleased with it after 8000 miles of sailing. It's a 2020 with all the good options. It goes up for sale this April.

[chris.burcher]

Wonderful help Matt, Jason, RJ, and Gino.

Yes, if my wife thinks there's not enough storage, there's not enough storage. But she came around on galley down, so there's room for discussion. It's just one of those things we won't know for months. How do you know what you don't know? You know?

I have often wondered about the 'activity' limitations on a high bridge deck athwartship bunk.

While a Maine cat (as someone mentioned earlier) is not interesting to us, I do sometimes wonder about a Manta. . . need to see one in person. I am not far from Oriental/Merrit. Maybe a third option.

The whole thing with the Seawards is as many of you mention. I have heard more than one delivery captain say they felt very comfortable and safe aboard despite the size.

Thank you all . . .

[JasonS]

If You find a Manta owner, most are happy to give a tour. The two that own a dock in Oriental are both in the Bahamas for the season, as are we. The only Manta I know that is staying North right now is in Manteo NC as both are working. There are a few for sale on Yachtworld that will give you an idea of layout and looks. Not aware of any FSBO right now. One had decided early December to sell and changed their mind this week and are on the way to the Bahamas right now. Good luck. If you decide on Manta and want me to share your contact with Manta owners who might consider a sale, let me know as I am admin for the Manta Ownere Groups.io site.

[SV Coronado]

You mentioned live-aboard, so I assume you'll live on this boat full-time? If that's the case, I would buy the bigger boat with more weight-carrying capability. Buying a performance cat to live on full-time is like buying a Ferrari to drive across the country. Sure, the Ferrari has impressive stats, but it will not be as comfortable as the Toyota minivan. This is especially true if you have your family on board. If you're planning to use the boat for short periods of time or on the weekends, then I would lean towards a performance cat. This comes from someone who lives full-time on a catamaran.

[catsketcher]

I think the agrument above is a good one, but I would not agree that a Seawind 1260 is anything but a solid cruiser, certainly not a Ferrari in the example given.

The Australian scene is a little different from the USA with the bones of many multis coming from a real cruiser/racer racing scene, so proper performance cats are a real thing here. The cat shown cruised from Cairns to Sydney as a liveaboard for months. This is a Ferrari, and the Seawind a solid a capable cruiser, yet still this Ferrari can be a great cruiser for someone who learns to leave the baggage behind when they cruise. Bigger and better is not always a truism.

I would also ask the OP how his wife knows what stuff she "needs". One of the nice things about cruising for me at least, is leaving extraneous things behind. Unless you have gone cruising before, you don't really have any idea of what you "need", you are doing so from a position of some ignorance. As people have obviously cruised on Seawind 1260s and smaller ones as well, people cruise perfectly well with the amount of stowage the boat's have. It seems a little warped to be determining the correct boat based on what may be flawed criteria. Judge a boat by how it sails, how safe it is, how ergonomic it is, how well it handles waves, whethyer it has sufficient extra flotation to carry cruising payload when lightship. To judge a boat by its ability to carry extra crockery is not fundamental to a good cruise, I don't think people have bad times on their boat because the air fryer couldn't come along, it is because they get scared, or uncomfortable, or the boat is too hard to handle. Cruising can get very nasty sometimes, and for those times give me a proper seaboat and I will deal with slight inconveniences at some other times.

[MattHauck]

My wife added a Slow Cooker/Air Fryer combo and keep it in the "hold" - a very deep area of storage just aft of the galley. She loves it after our lithium upgrade. Also keep another electric burner if she needs it. I do all the meat cooking outside on the flattop stove.

Also in the 'deep hold' are our dry good provision back ups for a couple months, including about a dozen bottles of the best tequila, soda stream bottles, kitesurfing gear, and more.

We added extra fridge space (drawer) and love that too. The freezer is huge already.

[Four Coconuts]

You asked if there were any other boats you should compare in this class. The Privilege 435/445 would be worth a look. Exudes quality with excellent joinery similar to the Antares, and lots of storage for cruising. It would be closer to the Antares in many ways than the Seawind. For me, the Antares and Privilege are more “warm” in their accommodations. The Seawinds are more minimalist, more fiberglass, less joinery (weight) which would normally translate into extra speed, but the longer waterline of the Antares or Privilege would offset some of the weight penalty. In lighter airs the Seawind will be more fun, in heavier seas the Antares or Privilege will feel more secure. The Privilege will be $100-$200k less than either.

[chris.burcher]

Yes Four Coconuts and thank you!

I agree with what you say. Never been on a Privilege, but I like what I see and have heard more than once that they are well made, etc., as you say. Plus, there are two available currently . . .

I also appreciate what you say about light airs vs. 'feeling safer'. It helped me realize, as much as I'd like both (obviously), I really don't think Seawinds are for us.

[sw34]

Unless your on a very tight timeline, I would highly suggest chartering one or two before buying. Yes its expensive, but it will likely pay for itself with the knowledge gained and potentially not making a bad first purchase. If you make a bad first purchase you will easily be out a couple of weeks of charter costs.