Antares 44i - 'The Best Liveaboard Catamaran'

Antares yachts are built in Argentina to Ted Clement designs. They are built for one purpose, to provide their owners with a safe, performance-oriented global cruiser that sets the standard for an exquisite, fast, global circumnavigator.

Performance is dependent on a lot of variables. Sea conditions and how the vessel is outfitted can greatly influence the outcome. The Antares 44 is designed and built with those variables in mind. Even when fully loaded for circumnavigation, the Antares 44 continues to perform. Proper bridge-deck clearance, narrow hulls and light-weight interior all contribute to great bluewater performance. And while the luxurious hand finished interior is designed for beauty and comfort, its light-weight construction means there's no performance compromise and it's consequently unnecessary to overcompensate with the size of the rigging.

Construction

The hull and deck are constructed of Isophathalic acid resin and tri-axial knitted fiberglass fabric. The skinning layer is 100% vinylester on the exterior, and polyester on the interior. Above the water line, the hulls and deck are cored with Corecell foam, except for hardware attachment points. All coring is vacuum bagged to ensure 100% adhesion. Below the water line, hulls are solid fiberglass. There are 2 forward watertight compartments, one inside each bow locker, as well as 4 watertight bulkheads, 2 forward and 2 aft. Standard fin keels have a sacrificial section allowing for substantial damage to keels without affecting hull integrity.

There are many thoughtful details aboard Exit Strategy that are often overlooked in the development of cruising vessels. One of these is the ease and safety of moving around the vessel underway. The Antares 44 has mostly curved surfaces that minimize dangerous hard knocks, and sturdy grab-holds intuitively placed throughout.

Accommodations

'Exit Stategy' is an 'Owner's Model', meaning there are three staterooms, with the entire starboard hull being given over to the owner's suite with private, spacious bath. The Port side is comprised of a spacious galley and two private cabins which share a single bath.

By keeping the hull floors within 30 inches of the bridge deck height, the builders were able to maintain a feeling of airiness in the hulls as well as providing an integrated and open layout arrangement.

The opportunities for light and air in this vessel have been given full rein. There is a view forward from the dining table, while those in the aft cabins have a view aft from their beds.

Among the many ‘comforts of home’ are a combo washer / dryer unit

Cockpit

As live-aboard cruisers come to understand, most sailors live primarily on a boat, rather than in a boat. It's apparent that the Antares designers devoted considerable energy to the design of the Antares catamaran's upper works. Antares cockpit has a hard bimini that mounts the main traveler and four integrated solar panels and three additional (enough to supply a large portion of the vessel's electrical requirements). The boat is fitted with a full canvas enclosure that protects the entire coach: front, sides and cockpit. The cockpit seats flank a removable 6-place dining table. 

Access to the boat is through a sliding, tempered-glass door. The cockpit sole continues at one level to the aft deck; steps descend the transoms to an oversize step for swimming and dinghy boarding.



Hull & Deck

Hull

The hull has a narrow waterline beam to maximize performance. The sections aft are designed to support the full aft cabin configuration with buttock lines that run out at a milder angle. This produces a faster, better-supported hull. The resultant slight submergence of the very narrow transoms is not a significant drag factor, especially as the water leaves cleanly at moderate speeds. The stem has been given only a mild rake angle to maximize waterline length and useful interior space within the length parameter.

From a fine entry at the waterline, the bows are mildly flared upward to provide wider drier deck areas forward. The keel and rudder are designed using N.A.C.A. sections selected for their stall and drag characteristics. The chosen draft gives a good balance of windward ability with the freedom to explore relatively shallow anchorages.

Cockpit

New Seadeck decking was installed in 2023. Also new in 23 is a full cockpit enclosure that protects 360 degrees around.

The cockpit layout is very spacious and comfortable. A large volume of stowage is provided under the cockpit and the aft deck for bicycles, outboard motors, and a life raft.

Other key features include:

• 2 x Harken 50.2 STEA powered winches, 1 centrally mounted sheet winch at the helm, and 1 halyard winch mounted on the aft pedestal
• 2 x Harken 46.2 STA manual self-tailing Genoa sheet winches with 2 winch handles
• Double helm seat with reversible backrest, covered in white polyethylene with additional storage under the helm seat. Comes with moveable step stool
• Cockpit seating arranged around expandable starboard table, expandable on both sides for more flexibility in seating arrangements (new cushion seats)
• Premium cockpit upholstery
• 12/24-volt electrical panel
• Full cockpit enclosure
• Stainless Steel grab rail mounted on cockpit ceiling
• Cockpit speakers
• Davit system suitable for dinghies up to 12" (3.7m) in length
• Propane BBQ
• Jon Bouy Overboard recovery system (Glo-Lite Mark V, New in 23)

Tender & Toys

• 11’ 6” Offshore Cruising Tender (OC350) Carbon construction (Owner says that with the included 15 hp Yamaha, it planes with FOUR adults aboard. No better tender anywhere.
• Yamaha 15 hp, 2-stroke, manual start outboard engine
• Hookah with 300’ hose

Hardtop

• FRP hardtop
• Glass windshield with windshield wiper
• 2 hatches permit great view of the mainsail and provide excellent ventilation
• LED cockpit lights on a dimmer switch

Anchoring System

The anchoring system aboard is a configuration of the absolute finest components, arrived at after many years of experience cruising the Antares 44i. Components include:

• Primary bow anchor: 300' of 5/16” high-strength chain attached to 1x 33 kg Rocna anchor (new 2019)
• Secondary bow anchor: 100' x 5/16" high-strength chain plus 200’ anchor rode attached to 1x 25 kg Racna anchor
• Integrated bridle system
• Quick Rider 1400 electric windlass

Deck Hardware

• Spinlock Rope clutches, 8 aft (7 on furling mast option), 3 at forward winch (4 on Jib option)
• Mooring Cleat (12" 30.5cm) with 2 fairleads leading from inboard and outboard on each bow
• Double mooring Cleat (12"- 30.5cm) with single fairlead amidships on each hull
• Mooring Cleat (12"- 30.5cm) with single fairlead on each stern
• Mooring Cleat (12"- 30.5cm) with single fairlead on each transom
• Stanchions (6) 30" (76cm) -high with double lifelines per side
• Gates with pelican hooks at stern and transom
• Toe-rail is clear anodized T section, mounted on external flange of both deck and hull Fasteners are on 5" (12.7cm) centers

Windows/Ports

• Complete wrap-around tinted polycarbonate Plexiglas in the salon
• Portlights including mosquito screens
• 24-inch (61cm) Bomar portlights include 2 per port stateroom, 2 in the guest stateroom, 2 in the wardrobe. Also 1 per head.
• Portlights in both heads fitted with Oceanair Cabinshades
• All 8 hull ports shall be trimmed with cherry wood on the interior of the hull. The 2 hull ports in heads to be excluded
• Oceanair Cabinshade on aft cabin windows white with blackout option
• Hatches including mosquito screens and Oceanair privacy blinds
• Bomar hatches include 1 over the galley, 2 over the saloon, 1 over port forward cabin, 1 over the master head, 1 in aft master cabin, 1 in the port guest
• All hatches include Oceanair blinds
• 2 Goïot emergency exits in aft cabins
• 2 forward-facing hatches that open on salon
• ALL ports have blinds

Deck Lockers

• Starboard forward locker with steps attached to outboard wall provide generator access
• Center forward locker with access through 20" x 20" (51cm x 51cm) hatch with a stainless steel ladder. Contains ship service batteries in a fiberglass enclosure. Access to halyards & tunnel under bridge-deck
• Cockpit lazarette with double door entry gives access to refrigeration compressors & steering components
• Twin rope lockers with Starboard dividers creating 4 rope compartments.
• Transom Lockers with access to the shaft steering system

Chain Plates

• Stainless steel through-bolted chain plates into primary reinforcements.

Front Beam

• Aluminum compression member that supports the forestay, wire bridle, and tie-down for the trampoline. 
• Trampoline net is woven and sewn Vinyl-dipped Dacron material for excellent comfort and durability (New, 2023).

Mast & Rigging

Running rigging is led from the mast, under the bridge deck, and back up to winch pedestals at the helm (self-tacking jib and main sheets) and on the aft deck (halyards). The pedestals have mounted electric winches for ease of sailing in light-handed operations. This layout is very convenient to access, and clears the deck of lines, increasing safety for those on deck.

Other key features include:

• Deck stepped anodized aluminum Selden Mast, double diamond stay configuration
• Rigid Selden Rodkicker
• 2 Selden In-boom single line reefs leading to the cockpit
• Running rigging lead through the under-deck raceway to stopper equipped cockpit winch pedestals
• All halyards are Dyneema for superior strength
• 4 folding mast steps, two on each side (not available on the in-mast furling system)
• Conduit in the mast for all electrical wiring
• The mast is outfitted with steaming light/deck light, spreader lights, LED anchor and tri-light
• 1 forestay, 2 Dyform wire cap shrouds
• All stays have swaged terminals & open-body turnbuckles
• Anti-chaff sail rollers

Sail Inventory

Mainsail (new in 17)

• Fully battened main with Main-Tamer & zippered cover
• 2:1 main halyard with a headboard block and shackle
• Lazy jacks
• Single line reefing for 2 reef points
• Telltales
• Sunbrella canvas sail cover

130% Genoa (new 17)

• Genoa tracks with adjustable fairleads
• Genoa sheets

Furling Screecher (new 17)

• Selden Code X furling lead to the cockpit
• Bowsprit mounted on front crossbeam
• 2:1 auxiliary halyard
• Screecher sheets lead aft to fairlead blocks

Parasails (new 17)

• 105 sq. meters
• 142 sq. meters
• All rigging lines for both parasails

Electrical

Batteries / Charging

• 14.4 kW Victron Lithium gel batteries in an enclosed fiberglass cabinet in a center foredeck locker (1200 amp hours)
• 3 X Group 12V for engines and Genset (maintenance-free)
• ALL batteries on trickle charge
• Victron Blue Power Panel VE Net monitoring system
• Solar Panels
• Seven solar panels, yielding 535 watts of solar power. Four are recessed and integrated into hardtop
• Victron Bluesolar 50 amp MPPT charge controller

Victron Inverter

2 X Victron MultiPlus 3000-watt power inverter and battery charger located under the main settee with a control panel at the main distribution panel

 Victron Converter / Transformer

1 x Victron 120 VAC / 240 VAC converter for connection to any dockside power source.

 Shore Power

2 shore power inlets c/w shore power cords for 120v and 240v shore power

 DC Distribution (12V)

• 24, 5 amp - 15 amp circuit breakers located on the distribution panel with Ammeter/Voltmeters on panel
• 12V outlets located 1 at the helm, 1 at the nav station, 2 at the galley.
• USB outlets located 1 at the nav station, 1 at each cabin

Dual AC Voltage (110/220V AC)

• All AC circuits have breakers as required (main, 5 std., spare). The ammeter is on the electrical panel
• 110V outlet located 1 at entertainment area, 1 at the nav station, 1 at each cabin, 1 at each head, 3 at the galley, 1 at Washer/Dryer and 1 in generator locker.
• Emergency safety panel
• Ground-fault protection for all energy sources

Lights (All lights premium LED except for spreader lights and fwd head)

• Saloon - 6 overhead lights. 2 reading lights mounted on the forward bulkhead. 4 courtesy lights in the saloon step
• Saloon ceiling light with 4 led lights on a dimmer
• Galley - 4 overhead lights and 3 counter lights mounted under outboard shelves. 1 under counter fluorescent over stovetop. 3 courtesy lights in the access step faces.
• Master Cabin - 2 overhead lights and 2 reading lights. 4 overhead in the dressing area, 3 courtesy lights in access steps
• Master Head - 5 overhead lights
• Port Head - 2 overhead lights with switch
• Port Forward Cabin -2 overhead lights with switch, 2 reading lights
• Guest Cabin - 2 overhead lights, 2 reading lights
• Cockpit - overhead lights mounted on the hardtop. Courtesy lights mounted on each transom step and companion well steps
• Underwater lights

Electronics

Navigation

• 2 x B&G Zeus3 12" (30.5cm) touch screen chart plotter / multifunction display (new 23)
• Broadband 4G Doppler Radar (new 23)
• GoFree WiFi Module
• 2 x B&G Triton color multi-data instrument displays at the helm station.
• 1 x B/G Triton multi-data instrument display at the nav station.
• B&G Triton Pilot autopilot with RC 42 Fluxgate compass. Includes 1 x Triton autopilot controller at Helm station.
• ICOM 504 VHF radio/loud hailer & remote-control Mic
• B&G NAIS-400 AIS Transceiver / NSPL-400 AIS Splitter
• B&G WS-310 Wired Wind instrumentation (New, 2023)
• B&G AC42 Autopilot
• Icom 802 SSB Radio
• Iridium Go Sat phone with extended antenna

Entertainment

• Premium amplifier & receiver with 2 interior speakers and subwoofer and 2 exterior cockpit speakers
• Flat-panel 32" (81cm) widescreen LCD HDTV in the salon
• Flat-panel HDTV mounted in the master cabin
• Fusion iPod docking station stereo
• Fusion MS-NRX200 stereo remote at helm

Mechanical Systems

The full engine instrumentation panel includes push-button engine start and individual gauges for engine temperature, water temperature, oil pressure, and tachometer/hour meter

Primary Mechanical Systems

• Twin Volvo Penta D2-40 40 HP diesel engines, shaft drive (1.25" shafts) located midships in a sound shielded compartment.
• Momentary start switches added to both engine compartments
• Dual Racor fuel filters
• Twin 75-gallon (284-liter) diesel tanks mounted midships below water-line with 2 fuel deck inlets
• 3-Zone Cruisair air conditioning/heat (2 x 8,000 BTU, 1 x 18,000 BTU)
• Onan 7.5 kW generator including sound insulation box and gas/water separator
• Hydrodynamic shaft seals with two spare collars on each shaft
• MaxProp Folding Propellers

Steering

• 30" (76 cm) stainless steel destroyer-type leather-wrapped wheel
• Jefa shaft drive system (NO chains or pullies!)
• Skegged rudders
• Rudders linked by a tiller bar
• UHMW Polyethylene bearings
• Accommodation for emergency steering through transom stairs/emergency tiller

Plumbing Systems

2 independent 60-gallon (227-liter) water tanks installed amidships below the water-line with 2 freshwater deck inlets located in the anchor locker. Ability to designate draw from either port/starboard tank. The water system is pressurized by a water pump, flow rate of 4.5 gal/min (17 l/min). A tank monitoring system is installed on the tanks

Other features include:

• 2 quiet flush electric heads & house size toilet seats. 
• 2 x 30-gallon (114-liter) holding tanks located adjacent to the heads. A 'Y' valve is installed to select a pump-out deck outlet or overboard discharge. A tank monitoring system is installed on the tanks
• 2 x 5.28-gallon (20-liter) hot water tanks, one in each hull, combination electric/engine heat
• 1500-gph (5,678-lph) bilge pump installed amidships in 2 hulls and 1 in starboard forward generator locker
• Freshwater hot & cold handheld shower is located adjacent to port transom stairs
• Fresh and seawater washdown outlets located in the anchor locker
• 22 GPH (163 LPH) watermaker installed in starboard aft transom locker (runs on inverter or generator)
• Protection enclosure around fridge and freezer and compressors
• Manual fresh water pump mounted for galley sink

Cruising Aboard

Performance is dependent on a lot of variables. Sea conditions and how the vessel is outfitted can greatly influence the outcome. The Antares 44 is designed and built with those variables in mind. Even when fully loaded for circumnavigation, the Antares 44 continues to perform. Proper bridge-deck clearance, narrow hulls and light-weight interior all contribute to great blue water performance.

And while the luxurious hand finished interior is designed for beauty and comfort, its light-weight construction means there's no performance compromise and it's completely unnecessary to overcompensate with the size of the rigging.

The upgraded electrical system is everything you’d hope for in a circumnavigator cat. Her seven solar panels and 1200 ah of lithium batteries will permit you to swing on the hook for a month or until the Black Label somehow evaporates. Under normal usage, the genset consumes only 1 gallon of diesel in generating 40 gallons of water.

The inverter will easily power the owners’ stateroom air conditioner or the watermaker, further reducing the need to run the generator.

Broker's Comments

As the Antares website videos (https://www.antarescatamarans.com/featured-videos/ ) indicate, Antares catamaran owners uniformly love their boats. Consequently, there's not a lot of turnover in ownership. When a well-equipped Antares 44i in excellent condition does come on the market, it presents a cruising family with the rare opportunity to buy the world's best live-aboard global cruiser. Because the boats are so highly regarded by their owners, they hold their value very well. That's something that will matter to you when you're ready to move back ashore.

The current owners purchased the vessel from the original owner, whose only cruising was from Buenos Aires, where he bought the boat, to Miami. Now, after seven years of living aboard, due to unfortunate circumstances, the current owners are forced to curtail their extended cruising plans and move ashore.

'Exit Strategy' is a best-in-class Bluewater cruising catamaran. It is easily distinguished from a typical charter / island-hopping cat by the many, many details, intended to withstand the scrutiny of the most educated and discerning sailing family. The Antares 44i was designed and built from the ground up to be the ultimate trans-oceanic cruising machine.

The success in this endeavor has been borne out through circumnavigations, including 20,000 miles traversed by the current owner. It is now presented in excellent condition, with nearly new engines, sails, many upgrades, extensive spares and a complete outfitting for her next bluewater bound owner.

Contact the listing broker for access to a larger library of photos and videos, and to schedule a time for your inspection aboard.