Elan Impression 45
(written by Kivanc)
I have been asked this question so many times and my answer has always been “Because I am in love”.
How did we meet?
As described in the Our Story page, our sail plan, and the type of sailboat we wanted evolved over the years. We went from wanting a true blue ocean cruiser to the realization that a solid well made production boat would accomplish our needs and comforts.
In 2018, everything shifted for us during a vacation charter in Greece. As we were enjoying great sailing, we looked into the European market and discovered plenty of boats available which cost less in the Med compared to the Caribbean or American market. To give you a perspective, a European-made boat, used but well-kept, will cost close to twice as much in San Francisco compared to Greece. The decision became obvious. It now made sense on many levels to focus our search in the European market for a well-made production boat. This is when we first discovered a brand we had never heard of before, Elan Yachts.
What clicked?
I did not want to give up the secure feeling of being on board a safe and well-constructed bluewater cruiser. Yet it was no longer practical for our needs. Perhaps it's the right choice for someone sailing long ocean passages in higher latitudes, but not as practical, or easy to maneuver if you are Med mooring into tight spots on town quays in the Greek islands. That said, I did not want to go all the way to the other end of the spectrum, with a light displacement cruiser/racer either. A production boat that is well-engineered with the design characteristics of a bluewater cruiser, was an attractive balance. This led to deep research, going on forums, asking questions, and talking to other sailors.
Our sweet spot was a 40’ to 45’, 2-3 cabin cruiser with appropriate design, sailing characteristics, and proven safety reputation that didn't cost us an arm and a leg. Results were the usual suspects Beneteau, Jeanneau, Bavaria, Dufour Hanse, etc. I started comparing the offerings from these brands by areas that are important for us:
Hull design, displacement, ballast, stability (STIX,AVS), water/ fuel tank capacity, storage space, fit, and finish.
As for the interior, we are fans of the classic L or U-shaped galley, adjacent to the companionway; forward-looking appropriately sized, dedicated navigation desk. It was also important to us find a boat with 2 heads and 2 larger cabins, as opposed to the 3 – 5 cabin configuration popular in Europe and in charter fleets.
Our first glimpse was an earlier model Elan Impression 434 which shares the same exact mold as Sea Bee and even Elan’s most current model Impression 45.1. Designed by famous naval architect Rob Humphrey, the Impression series has been enjoying great success for close to two decades.
It checked all the boxes and we were quickly drawn into this design and the overall package. This yacht was topping all other contenders on my list on nearly every front.
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Elan Yachts is a small batch manufacturer and as a consequence, there was not much information available. This was frustrating at first. However, the more I researched, the more Elan owners I came into contact with and the more data I discovered around Elan boats. I was becoming convinced that this is the perfect boat for us.
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A canoe-shaped hull with a deep forefoot and sugar scoop exit for sea kindly motion is especially helpful when sailing upwind in choppy waters. Also, by not having a wide, flat bottom (as seen in most modern production boats) the hull design on an Elan helps with splashing waves while at anchor, which can make sleeping a challenge, especially if you are in the aft cabin.
Raised interior floors provide great visibility while cooking downstairs, or sail planning from the navigation desk. They also provide extra space for a larger fuel tank and storage. She is fitted with a 75-gallon fuel tank and comes with the option to add an additional water tank, which can hold up to 800lt of water onboard. In addition, she offers higher stability data without the need for a high aspect keel, which has a tendency to make me nervous.
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But you don’t fall in love with a boat because everything looks good on paper, or by looking at data and characteristics. I fell in love because she is beautiful at first sight. Then I met her and she is everything I dreamed of. Now I’m getting to know her and I can’t see myself with anyone else.
Resources:
Boat tour video of Sea Bee is below:
Ep:11 Beneteau, Jeanneau, Bavaria, Hanse, what about Elan? In-depth mid-size production cruiser comparison