How did you choose the Elba 45 for Detour?
Thanks to Anne for asking how we chose the Elba 45 for Detour. Amanda and I have chartered a number of different boats and brands. Both monohulls and catamarans. When we decided to look for a boat, we felt the most important question that had to be answered was what exactly did we want the boat to do? Buying a boat to sail a group around Cape Horn, notorious as one of the roughest spots in world, is a very different prospect than buying a boat to sail around the Caribbean in mostly ideal weather. Obviously, we chose the latter.
First, we chose a catamaran as it appeals to a wider group of people. I love sailing monohulls. I really like the feel and feedback that you get when sailing a monohull. However, most charter customers are bringing friends and family who want an upright, smooth, sailing experience. Plus, the room afforded by the catamaran is tremendous. Now, mind you, it is not cruise ship large and spacious. However, you can visit out of the way nooks and crannies on your sailboat that a cruise ship would never, ever, consider visiting.
Next, we had to consider what size catamaran we were looking for. Our budget did somewhat dictate what we could afford. As a result, we decided to target the 40-48 foot range. Amanda felt that every stateroom needed to have a separate head (restroom on a boat and airplane). As a guy, this puzzled me. However, she assured me that our lady customers would not want to share a restroom and shower with folks not in the immediate family. I mentioned that these folks would not make it in the Coast Guard. To which I was reminded that this was not the Coast Guard! That really brought us to the 42-48 foot range.
Now, there are some pretty snazzy catamarans being built out there. As an example, the Outremer made popular by the sailing family La Vagabond is pretty great for sailing around the world. Fast, well built, and some great lines. Oh yeah! Unfortunately, it’s narrow hulls did not allow four great cabins/heads and speed is not cheap. So that narrowed our search to the brands Bali, Fontaine Pajot, Lagoon, Leppard and Nautitech. Interesting fact, all the aforementioned brands are built in France with the exception of Leppard, which is built in South Africa.
The Annapolis and Miami boat shows are something to behold. An overwhelming number of vessels of all kinds and configurations are displayed for sale. They are accompanied by a dizzying number of vendors trying to sell almost everything you might need on a boat. And an infinite number of cool gadgets and tools that you don’t need on your boat! We attended both boat shows and stepped aboard a multitude of boats. So many, that a large number of boats began to run together in our minds.
Then it happened. While religious, I am only a moderately superstitious sailor. Which is less than most! I am a firm believer that the right boat will call out to you. In this case, Amanda and I stepped aboard the Fontaine Pajot ELBA 45 and it just felt right from the start. It immediately said, I’m the boat for you! It was in our price range. It had four staterooms and four heads. The salon had the open, inside-outside concept that makes it feel very spacious for a 45-foot boat. It had an upper lounge area, which is the place to be while underway. It sails pretty darn well, is easy to handle, and we were pleased we could add additional sails for a little more hard core sailing experience (caveat- this is still a charter boat). Finally, it is a sexy looking boat with blue underwater hull lights! Clearly not the most important items, but it still makes me smile. In short, we loved the boat!
Now actually getting the boat is a story for another day. However, we can say that now that it has arrived, we could not be happier with our decision. If you have the opportunity to sail Detour with us, or on your own, we hope you are just as satisfied!
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