Antares 44 vs Seawind 1260

[chris.burcher]

I know these are different boats and comparisons are difficult if not silly, but the two keep returning to the top of our list. Looking at used only, and realizing used Antares are rare, I'm curious to hear about pros and cons from a liveaboard perspective. I've been on both but sailed neither. My wife says the 1260 is too small and it is 3' shorter with less storage, but is it too small for a couple and a kid? To me, the 1260 is the closest alternative to the Antares, is there another second choice I am missing?

I have heard from more than one person that the 1260 feels exceptionally safe in poor conditions. I have heard it sails marginally better and in lighter winds. I wonder if this translates if weighed down with live aboard conditions. I realize I could answer my questions with a charter, but I have found it hard to imagine long-term practicality from a few days.

The Antares seems like the perfect boat except for the price and limited availability of used boats. This boat appeals most to us and in a perfect world, we'd just wait for one or order new and suck it up. Are there things I'm missing?

Thanks for any relevant info you may have.

[catsketcher]

No boat under 32ft is "too" small in a physical sense for a family with a kid. It is all a matter of choice. I lived with my wife and 2 kids on a modest 38 foot cat for 3 years and never felt cramped, friends circumnavigated in 32 footers. Ask your wife some more questions perhaps?

cheers

Phil

[chris.burcher]

I hear you and thank you.

I mean 'too small' this way:

From my perspective, too small for comfortable sailing. Hobby horsing, motion at anchor, speed, comfort and the like.

From her perspective, too small to store all of our stuff.

We don't require sailing performance, but would prefer to find the best possible balance between the windspeed that gets the boat moving and comfort, while realizing there is no perfect boat.

[dougweibel]

I own and live on an Antares 44i. I have been aboard a Seawind 1260 but have not sailed on one.

To put the differences as succinctly as possible the Antares is a much bigger boat in terms of living and storage space. It also has a finish level which is much more comfortable as a home. It sails well and is a safe offshore passage maker.

My perception is that the Seawind is probably more than just "marginally better" under sail with respect to boat speed in lighter conditions.

You are correct that there are usually few Antares on the used market. Many that go on the market sell very quickly. Keep an eye on the Antares website's pre-owned page. Some of the boats never make it onto Yachtworld.

Happy to answer Antares questions by PM if you like.

[AiniA]

We had friends who sailed an Antares from the US east coast to Australia and were very pleased with it. Not very fast for a cat. We generally could keep up with a 45' mono.

[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.

[Factor]

Originally Posted by UFO

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

That was 10 years ago! And yeah nah. There was a Aus 1250 and a Viet 1250 parked side by side in. one of the marinas near me, when asked to pick the better boat people invariably picked the Viet boat.

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

. The 1160 Lite comes with Outboards or diesels. The 1260 only comes with diesels as do the 1170 and 1370 and 1600.

[UFO]

Originally Posted by Factor

That was 10 years ago! And yeah nah. There was a Aus 1250 and a Viet 1250 parked side by side in. one of the marinas near me, when asked to pick the better boat people invariably picked the Viet boat.

I've been on Pre and Post boats as I work in the marine industry and obviously the older Aussie built boats are now OLD hence the Viet ones looking smicker, but there is a marked interior build quality difference in the finishing.

[chris.burcher]

Thank you for your replies. I guess I am what I am looking for are boats that compare to the Antares that might be more available. Lots of 1260s are coming on the market now so they are available.

[Factor]

Originally Posted by UFO

I've been on Pre and Post boats as I work in the marine industry and obviously the older Aussie built boats are now OLD hence the Viet ones looking smicker, but there is a marked interior build quality difference in the finishing.

Again - yeah nah. The tow boats I was comparing were the second last Aus boat and the 3rd Viet boat - so five boats apart

[UFO]

Originally Posted by Factor

Again - yeah nah. The tow boats I was comparing were the second last Aus boat and the 3rd Viet boat - so five boats apart

How about Boats Pre Vietnam and Ones closer to today?


I have been on a lot of older Sea Winds and quite a few newer ones and the internal finish is not the same quality But Yeah Nah....... Or do you sell them?

[Tin Tin]

Originally Posted by UFO

How about Boats Pre Vietnam and Ones closer to today?


I have been on a lot of older Sea Winds and quite a few newer ones and the internal finish is not the same quality But Yeah Nah....... Or do you sell them?

You guessed it.

[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.

[Cloroxbottle]

Originally Posted by chris.burcher

I know these are different boats and comparisons are difficult if not silly, but the two keep returning to the top of our list. Looking at used only, and realizing used Antares are rare, I'm curious to hear about pros and cons from a liveaboard perspective. I've been on both but sailed neither. My wife says the 1260 is too small and it is 3' shorter with less storage, but is it too small for a couple and a kid? To me, the 1260 is the closest alternative to the Antares, is there another second choice I am missing?

I have heard from more than one person that the 1260 feels exceptionally safe in poor conditions. I have heard it sails marginally better and in lighter winds. I wonder if this translates if weighed down with live aboard conditions. I realize I could answer my questions with a charter, but I have found it hard to imagine long-term practicality from a few days.

The Antares seems like the perfect boat except for the price and limited availability of used boats. This boat appeals most to us and in a perfect world, we'd just wait for one or order new and suck it up. Are there things I'm missing?

Thanks for any relevant info you may have.

Can you get a Seawind with shaft drive?


If the only option is sail drive, I would go with the Antares.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKzu...NoYWZ0IGRyaXZl

Having experienced the failure of an internal seal on a sail drive unit (fortunately, the boat was still in the slings and it was fairly easy to lift it back out) my preference for an ocean going vessel is a traditional shaft drive.

[Sparx]

Speaking of rare…. There is a Maine Cat 41 for sale out of Deltaville Virginia right now. This boat might be a useful comparison in your search. I have no interest in the boat, just happened to notice it locally listed.

Similar length to the 1260 but ample accommodation and storage for blue water with a family. Very capable boat that sails very well. The Maine Cat focus is on quality build with no frivolous additional weight for solid sailing performance. Is you like Seawind you may just like Maine Cat as they share similar philosophy.