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This big 14.3m cruising cat comes fromFrench boatbuilder Fountaine-Pajot’svolume production line, which bringsmany advantages and a few constraints.Being a big producer, funds were ableto be spent in tank testing to optimisethe 2007 design, so it’s state of the art interms of hull dimensions, construction,load carrying, performance and sea-kindliness for a cat destined primarilyfor the owner-cruiser market. Thismeant 200nm daily passage-making,positive flotation, plus hull volumes on the high side to cater for liveability,and no dagger boards.

The weight (10.5 tonnes light – 14.8max loaded) is pretty low-displacementfor this size boat. Combine that with a 21m-tall rig and roached main, and

you have a sail-area-to-displacementratio providing a quick cruising boat. To achieve the weight savings, the boatcarries its foam sandwich constructionwell below the waterline before changingto solid glass for the central hull bottoms– the bits you might expect to contact thebottom in a grounding.

The few constraints? The boats havea fixed layout and largely fixed factoryfit-out options. At the factory stage you can delete standard items to yourheart’s content, and get your localdealer to custom-fit alternatives. Youcan also add at the factory stage from a fixed list of options, or get yourdealer to custom-fit those same optionsor alternatives. The more complex theoption, the more it will cost you to have

it from the factory. Variation fromstandard slows the production linedown for more boats than yours, so you pay. As a result, these boats are often extensively customised at the dealer delivery stage, and theconstraints are turned to advantage in many buyers’ minds.

Private and charterMost Fountaine-Pajot cats sold inAustralia are going into owner handsbut also a few into the charter market. I saw one of each at EC Marine’sMooloolaba fit-out yard. You can’torder to Australian charter surveystandard from the factory, so the dealer has become expert at bringing the cats into survey. For instance, some three weeks’ labour and about an extra $70,000 were bringing a Lavezzi 40 I saw up to charter survey standard.

Good breezeTest day at Mooloolaba saw anoffshore breeze and relatively lowswells. Motoring out to sea from the

October 2008

Big and boldRoger Priest checks out the latest arrival from France – Fountaine-Pajot’s Salina 48 luxury catamaran.

The Salina 48 isquick, here seen

reaching offMooloolaba in a

15kn breeze.

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breakwaters we recorded 7.7 knots at 2000rpm and 10 knots neat at themaximum 3050rpm. An economicalcompromise was 8.7 knots at 2400rpm.Fast motoring, hey? This was with fixedtwo-blade props and the optional twin55hp Volvo saildrives. Count on a bitless with the standard twin 40s. You canhave Yanmar 40 or 50s if you want.

Sail handlingMotoring slowly upwind, the main washoisted. This went nearly hitch-free, one full-length batten needing someencouragement to clear the lazyjacks.And effortless. Simply ease themainsheet, place halyard turns onto the self-tailing power winch at thehelm, press the button until fullyhoisted, close the jammer and free up the winch for other duties. Thestandard headsail was unrolled from its Facnor furler using the power winchand then the sheet was transferred toone of the two manual sheet winches.And we were sailing. The standardFuruno anemometer had a technicalhitch, but four of us agreed the wind to be 13-16 knots. We proved the polardiagram correct by recording 6.1 knots at 40° apparent and 7.3 knots at 45°.Then a broad reach at 100-110° apparentproduced speeds of 9-11 knots. Checkthe bow wave in the main pic for proof. A prodder-screecher kit is optional.She should really fly with that. And cats are well set up with multipleforward attachment points to deploy

an asymmetric spinnaker should you be intent on lots of downwindsailing. I tried furling and unfurling the headsail manually. Not a problem, but why not use power if it’s there?Unlike many cats, the traveller in theSalina 48 is atop the cockpit hard cover,so its control lines go to the helm –where you can use power if feeling lazy.

Shortening mainWe shortened the main to the secondreefing point – just to witness theprocess. Best with two people butpossible single-handed, with theautopilot steering. You luff up, ease the main halyard, then go forward tothe mast, where you find three separateattachment points to shorten the luff to the selected reef. Back at the helm,using the power winch, you applytension to the halyard then heave in theappropriate slab reefing line, and that’sit. It all went like clockwork. Shakingout was just as easy. Aside fromreefing, the only other sail handlingaway from the helm is screechersheeting. There is a manual self-tailing

October 2008

“Under way or at anchor the back cockpit is a greatplace. Lots of seats, a large table, plenty of shelter,and always something to hang onto”

LEFT Seated at the bridgedeck saloon tableyou have panoramic views. The galleybenchtop is to left.

BELOW The starboard aft owner’s suite inthe three-cabin layout is huge and meant forlong-term living aboard.

ABOVE The large bridgedeck galley featuresa high-set gas oven and front-opening fridge.

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winch for screecher sheets on each sideof the aft cockpit. So three steps downfrom the helm and a few metres’ walkfor screecher handling. Older ownersmight want to option the manual sheetwinches for the screecher (and maybeat the helm) up a size or two. They arefine as is for the fit and able-bodied.

SteeringI found the Solimar mechanical steeringlight but a little too direct for my liking.No doubt I would get rapidly used to it.Emergency steering has been catered for.You need to hop down into the starboardengine compartment to set it up on thecross-bar joining the two rudders. The standard Furuno autopilot worksvia a 12V hydraulic reversing pump withits ram on the starboard quadrant. Thisis good, heavy-duty engineering.

On deckThere are wide side decks. These slopegently down forward of the bridgedeckto give the boat graceful lines withoutcompromising internal headroom. On deck there are plenty of things tograb unless you venture to the centre of the trampoline. The anchor locker isvoluminous. So much so that you can fita lot more in there than the winch plusmain and spare anchors. For instance, anextra gas bottle locker, fender stowage,water tank, etc. Anchor-wise, mostowners will upgrade to a new-generationbrand of their choice with 100m or soof all-chain rode, and maybe keep thestandard-fit under-size 45lb CQR with60m chain as a spare. This boat is big andhas a fair bit of windage, so will need abig pick for security in poor conditions.

October 2008

✓ likes• The designer’s choice of compromise between performance and cruisability. The boat

is quick even without the optional screecher, and exceptionally liveable.• Wow! A 4.3-tonne payload right from design stage – with only 5cm loss of

bridgedeck clearance.• Excellent near-360° visibility seated in the saloon, for comfortable sociable watch-

keeping on autopilot in open waters.• Engines positioned well forward of rudder posts and totally isolated from

accommodation.• Extreme ease of sailing. Power winch plus most sail controls, including traveller, are at

the helm.• Anchor hawsepipe caters for most anchor types, including roll-bar styles.• Several dinghy stowage options.• I liked the large trampoline. There has been no attempt to extend the bridgedeck

structure too far forward as you see on some cats. Good for seaworthiness.

✗ dislikes

• No standard shelter from sun, rain or spray at the helm. Others (especially Australiancats) do this better. The dealer is working on an Australian-designed add-on becausethe factory option is only a sun shelter.

• Stern berthing cleats need re-locating. You have to stand on one to enter the boatfrom an alongside berth. EC Marine is shifting this cleat, pending a factory change.

• Lack of a dedicated start battery for the starboard engine, allowing current andvoltage surges through electronics. Easily fixed, but why fit that way?

• Two of the three heads in the standard boat are manual, thus having no maceration forlegal discharge in some Australian waters. Easily fixed.

• Small standard sewage-holding tanks. With three couples on board, the standard boatwill only last between 1 and 1.5 days before needing to discharge or pumpout thethree 45L tanks. EC Marine is currently fitting 2 x 220L tanks and four electric headsinto a charter cat.

• Lifelines are not standard across the bow (they are an option).

Three people can sitcomfortably at theopen helm station withjust a step forward tothe sail controls orsteps below.

ABOVE The larger port aft guest cabin.

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With the anchor locker closed access toatop the bridgedeck saloon is facilitatedby a folding step on the front of the mast.And from there you can go safely rightback to the end of the boom. You needto hop up there once finished sailing todraw the zip on the lazyjacks-supportedsail cover. This big cat is so stable I feltOK up there at sea even without hangingon to the boom.

The helm station is super-comfortablefor no less than three but a littlecontroversial. It’s been optimised forEuropean summers, where apparentlyone wants to soak up the sun, not escapethe skin-cancer-causing rays. In thestandard boat you are totally exposed.Great for watch-keeping and boatmanoeuvring and perhaps acceptable forlong-distance cruisers who might spendmost of their time on autopilot keepingwatch from the comfort of the bridgedecksaloon. But not OK for cruising intropical reef waters. EC Marine is comingto the rescue with a custom solution.

The high sides (about 1.8m) make itdifficult to raft up with monos or smallercats or to board anywhere except thetransoms, so EC Marine has designed acustom fold-up side ladder for one owner.

CockpitUnder way or at anchor the back cockpitis a great place. Lots of seats, a large

table, plenty of shelter, and alwayssomething to hang onto. A dealer optionwill allow it to be enclosed with clearsfor colder climes. At the forward end ishatch covering a shallow sump, whichgets rid of water. And should it get reallyrough – like greenies boarding via thestern – the sliding door to the saloon hasseveral stops, allowing it to be left safelyajar for a person to just squeeze through– thus limiting water entry to the saloon.

Bridgedeck saloonThis is the biggest bridgedeck saloonI’ve experienced. Seated, you have near360° vision, and by moving just a bityou can check any blind spots. Thereare two big opening windows eachside of the mast to provide tropicsventilation in good weather. The navstation is right forward. The galley isup on this bridgedeck and is largeenough to be “walk-in” with four“sides”. It features a high-set gas ovenwith separate bench-top burner range.

Then there’s the front-opening fridgeand a second lift-top fridge/freezer.The person on galley duty can talkfreely to people lounging round themain saloon table.

Sycamore timber abounds and the lighting is up-market for nightnavigation or entertaining – a trulygreat place to live. An extended partycan include people in both saloon andcockpit. The large windows are insuper-strong Lexan polycarbonate(rather than Perspex/acrylic).

BelowIn this owner’s version there are threedouble-bed cabins plus a pilot berth. Theowner’s cabin starboard aft is huge. Inthat same hull there is a storeroomforward and bathroom with electric headmidships. The port hull has two smallercabins, each with ensuite, plus a pilotberth in the passageway. The port aftcabin is the larger and the forward one,for obvious reasons, is smaller.

October 2008

ABOVE LEFT The spacious aft cockpit. Gas bottle stowage is beside the stairs tothe helm station.

LEFT The windlass features a warping drumfor line handling. The cleat secures ananchor bridle.

ABOVE Autopilot watch-keeping can bedone from the aft settee bench-seat or thenav station.

RIGHT Cats this size can have very wide sidedecks. Here you see Fountaine-Pajot’strademark saloon windows. The shade lip isnot a structural part of the cabin top so anydamage would be readily repaired.

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All three cabins have lots of light,ventilation and a Goiot circular escapehatch. All feature attractive sycamoretimber panelling and loads of storage,including under-bunk drawers.

TechnicalYou can hop down into both enginecompartments with ease and access allitems without becoming a contortionist.This size of cat overcomes the usualspace restrictions of its smaller sisters.The house bank is 4 x 135 amphour lowmaintenance. Well done. With theaddition of solar panels and alternatorvoltage regulators, these will be easilycharged and ample for house duty. Some,but not too much, of the engine roomspace will get taken up if you fit the highlydesirable extra sewage holding tanks eachside as offered by the Australian dealer.

Transom areaYou can secure a dinghy to unload heavyitems – like fuel drums at a remotelocation – alongside the inside of eachtransom. Good thinking. Then there isthe sundeck – positioned where youwould expect to find the dinghy, so alight dinghy goes underneath. Or a heavydinghy goes on top (with an electriccrane). Or you can get the dealer to cut offthe sundeck and fit regular davits. Plentyof options there. Each transom features alocker that could take a liferaft, gas bottle,small outboard or swim gear. And there’sthe now obligatory hot/cold shower.

SummaryYou’ll want around $1m to buy a Salina48 new. Yes, a lot, but if you can affordit, it’s excellent value for money. You aregetting a big, comfortable, fast, safeboat, state-of-the-art tank-tested designand a fine world-wide reputation to holdresale value up. The boat’s sheer sizewill limit your berthing options whenyou go cruising. Anchoring off andgoing ashore in the tender might benecessary from time to time.

October 2008

Roger Priest

Roger sails weekends in his Hartley 38, goes to searegularly with the NavyReserve in Torres Strait, does

maritime asset management as hiscurrent job, and has had many years in the past as both a civilian and navalhydrographic surveyor.

SPECIFICATIONS

Fountaine-Pajot Salina 48

LOA 14.3m

LWL 13.1m

Beam max 7.7m

Beam each hull (at WL) 1.76m

Draught 1.1m

Bridgedeck clearance (light) 0.84m

Bridgedeck clearance (loaded) 0.79m

Displacement (light) 10,500kg

Displacement (loaded) 14,800kg

Mast above DWL 21m

Air draught (incl aerials) 22.8m

Mainsail 80sqm

Genoa 56sqm

Screecher (if supplied) 105sqm

Engines standard 2 x 40 Volvo

Engine options 2 x 55 Volvo fitted to test boat, 2 x 40 Yanmar,

2 x 50 Yanmar

Propellers fixed 2-blade Volvo

Propeller option feathering, folding, or Max-Prop

Alternators 2 x 115-amp standard Volvo

Alternator regulator std Volvo (option dealer fit to

customer spec)

Anchor winch Lofrans 1000-watt motor, 900kg pull,

with warping drum

Anchor winch option Order without and have dealer fit

any size/brand

Fuel 480L std (dealer fit up to total 1200L)

Water 795L std (dealer fit up to total 1800L)

Holding tank 3 x 45L (dealer option for extra tankage)

Construction CE Cat A 12 persons; ISO 9001

Mast, boom Z Spars

Furler Facnor

Sailcloth/Sails Incidences

Architect/Designer Berret/Racoupeau

Builder Fountaine-Pajot, FranceWebsites: www.fountaine-pajot.com.au,www.fountaine-pajot.com

Boat supplied by EC Marine(Mark Elkington) Mooloolaba, ph 1300 855 338, (07) 5452 5164, email mark@fountainepajot.com.au

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