The majority of production catamarans are made for holidays in protected seas, and they have features that appeal to casual sailors. Since 2008, the Antares 44i has been produced in Argentina rather than Canada with the goal of serving the entire world. The Antares 44i continues to function flawlessly, just as she was intended to, even when fully laden for a circumnavigation.
From the sail plan to the winch arrangement to the covered cockpit, this catamaran has everything a serious cruiser needs, as opposed to a charter-boat vacationer.
Ample storage for long-term cruisers, an expanded galley capacity for individuals who will be staying on their boat for longer times, if not living aboard, and a comfortable environment that provides for easy living for the devoted sailor are all features that the makers have worked to provide.
The Antares people believed that a ship’s ability to be sailed by two persons, or two hands, was the final and, arguably, most crucial attribute that made it necessary.
A Canadian-built PDQ Antares 44 served as the basis for the Antares. The business put up its tents in Canada two years ago, and under new management, it started looking for a location where it could make boats. Owners Jeff Woodman and Rob Poirier searched for a boat building facility that possessed both a lengthy history of producing yacht-quality finishes and the cutting-edge technical know-how required to construct contemporary, cored, lightweight composite structures. Additionally, they were searching for that indescribable desire for exquisitely designed oceangoing yachts.
Their quest brought them to Memo Castro and Santiago Alvarez Forn, seasoned offshore sailors and boat builders, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Although it’s possible that North Americans are unaware that B.A. is a world-class centre for yacht construction, Europeans, particularly Italians, have been producing high-end, custom yachts in the city for many years. Additionally, South Americans have for many years purchased and sailed Argentine manufactured sailboats. In any case, the tale has come to a successful conclusion, and Antares is now building six boats a year out of two sites close to the Rio Plata, with a full order book running through 2011. The logistics of transporting the moulds and the firm from Canada to B.A. are a story in themselves.
Antares exclusively produces the 44i. Currently, six boats are built each year, and each one is a semi-custom offshore cruising boat built for its owner. The compromises that inevitably find their way into any yacht design are slanted toward the requirements of a self-sufficient, offshore sailing pair because the 44i was not designed for the charter market. Ted Clements, a designer, has spent his whole career in the Canadian marine industry and has collaborated with some of the top constructors on the continent.
He began with a blank piece of paper and worked through each challenge in turn to create the 44i. First, the boat needed to be a good sea boat that was secure at sea and light enough to sail quickly and with enjoyment. Ted began by discussing the hull forms, which are, as was already mentioned, thin and fore-and-aft balanced. In order to prevent wave slapping from being an issue, he focused on establishing the proper clearance for the bridge deck. As a result, the saloon was raised, giving the 44i relatively high topsides. The reverse sheer line offers the design a unique appearance and adds the most volume and headroom where it is most needed.
The boat can dry out on its own bottom, stand securely on the keels, and the rudders are attached to full depth skegs to protect them from flotsam, lobster pots, and weed.
The rig of the 44i has a full genoa, a huge, high roach mainsail, and a roller furling reacher mounted on a short bowsprit as standard equipment. It produces a lot of horsepower, which translates into fast passages and high average speeds. However, in contrast to other cats in this size range, the rig is short enough to fit beneath all but one of the bridges on the Intracoastal Waterway, as there are times when cruising the U.S. Atlantic coast from inside is the most pleasant option. In comparison to the majority of cats in the mid-40-foot class, the 44i is 10,000 pounds lighter. Clements and the builders went to tremendous efforts to reduce the boat’s weight without sacrificing its rigidity and strength. Above the turn of the bilge, the hulls are infused composite structures with Corecell cores. Bulkheads, furniture panels, and cabinet doors are interior constructions that have veneers laminated to honeycomb cores. Brazilian cherry is an attractive finish that gives the 44i a great yacht appearance. You will be astounded at how light a door or panel is when you take it up. The 44i is a concept boat, and the designer and builders have produced a lightweight, quick cruiser that can be sailed by a pair and regularly clocks 180 to 200 miles per day in favorable weather.
Although the 44i can have owner-specific modifications, the base boat was designed from the start to be the best equipped and most carefully considered cruising platform available. The list of included features is really long. Twin Volvo engines have been selected in the engineering department for their dependability, quiet operation, and global service network. A generator is mounted in a specific locker in the starboard hull, where it is completely silent and undetectable. For routine upkeep or repairs, the engines and genset are both totally accessible. Also included as standard is a Sea Recovery watermaker.
Solar panels have been incorporated into the hard cockpit top to make the 44i as self-sufficient as possible. These will maintain the massive regular battery bank’s (750 amp hours) full charge and maintain the fridge’s and freezer’s freezing temperatures eternally. LEDs can be utilised everywhere to cut the energy draw to nearly nil because interior illumination can be a significant energy drain.
Because cruising is an indoor-outdoor lifestyle, the 44i was created to make being outside as cosy and dry as feasible. The roof keeps the sun and rain out of the cockpit, the cockpit windshield shields the crew from wind, rain, and spray, and isinglass panels can completely enclose the cockpit to keep you warm and dry even during a driving downpour. The 44i has been outfitted with two primary anchors, chain rodes on bow rollers, and a strong anchor windlass because a cruising boat needs an anchor system that actually works. The bridles on the anchors may be hooked onto and unhooked from the chain rodes safely from the foredeck.
Couples that cruise often end up with a lot of equipment, replacement parts, toys, and mementos, so having storage space on board is essential. With two forward, watertight compartments big enough for bicycles, inflatable boats, extra sails, and much more, the 44i has plenty of storage space. Two sizable bins for anything from cleaning supplies to extra lines and deck tools are located beneath the cockpit sole. The 44i’s builders provide a special diving compressor for filling bottles and a hookah system for usage just off the boat since they are aware that the best tropical cruising grounds are also the best areas for underwater exploration. Nearly nothing has been missed in the 44i, and details count.
The 44i is a genuine liveaboard boat that can accommodate a family or couple. To accommodate six people for outdoor dinners or twice that number for sundowners, the cockpit offers two U-shaped bench seats arranged around a table with a folding leaf. The galley is located amidships in the port hull, with twin guest staterooms fore and aft and a head all the way forward in the conventional interior layout. The sleeping cabin, enormous head and shower, and dressing area are all located in the starboard hull’s master suite. Full queen beds may be found in both the master cabin and the front guest cabin.
A dinette to the port, a workstation or navigation station to the starboard, and a chest of drawers and cupboards to the rear adjacent to the door make up the saloon. The typical washer-dryer is installed here. The galley features four drawers, 15 storage lockers, and 18 square feet of counter space. Along with the propane burner and oven, a microwave is a given. For a boat of this size, the fridge is enormous and comes with a sizable separate freezer. The Antares 44i offers a tremendous amount of living space in 44 feet that has been very thoughtfully designed for independent cruisers who will be living aboard for extended periods of time.
One of a kind cruising catamaran is Antares 44i. The boat stands out in any harbour thanks to its striking ship-like appearance. The fundamental ideas behind the design, as well as the level of care put into the construction and equipment of the boat, are remarkably sound. Ted Clements is a talented designer with a pragmatic approach to problem-solving.
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