I’m sure many of you are wondering why the heck John is writing about a $750,000 boat that most of us can’t afford. Here’s why:
We Need This Boat
The Outbound 46 is a great voyaging boat, and there are not many of those being built these days, no matter the money.
A Good Example Boat
And even those of us who can only dream of owning a brand new Outbound 46 can learn a huge amount from this boat from the board of a great designer with updates and improvements based on the wisdom of nearly 70 owners over 20 years.
Expanding on The Example
So not only did I review the Outbound 46, I also used the Outbound 46 as a springboard to discuss decisions all of us must make when selecting a boat. For example, in Parts 1 and 2 on the hull form and appendages I have dug into:
- Choosing a good hull form for offshore voyaging
- Encapsulated or bolt-on keels and the interesting hybrid on the Outbound 46
- Full keels or fins
- Spade or skeg rudders
- Bow thruster, or not
Valuable to Refits
So even if your plan is to buy an old and inexpensive boat and refit her, a much more attainable goal, particularly if you can live aboard while still earning, reading this series on the Outbound 46 will help you make better decisions, both about what boat you start off with and how you refit her.
I own hull #50.
There’s some minor issues (port lights leaked due to bad sealant) but you definitely get what you pay for. This is the ultimate solid blue water boat for a couple to voyage on. There are so few boats aimed at this niche market and so many for coastal cruising or charter it’s a shame. Our boat was built for us 7 years ago. At that time only considered Boreal, HR, Amel and Outbound. The next jump to K&M or a one off was well beyond our budget.
Hi Lee,
Great to have you here for this project. I will look forward to getting the benefit of your experience and wisdom in future parts.
Looking forward to seeing the upcoming articles. Outbounds have been one of my go to boats for “I have X problem I am trying to solve on my boat – how is the design on the outbound solving this” as I am undergoing a major refit.
That said, if money was no object – Boreal & Outbounds are my two favorite boats, just far from my financial reach.
Hi John
I‘’ve been looking forward to these articles since you mentioned it last fall following your visit to the Annapolis Boat Show. We were fortunate enough to get a tour of one in the Bahamas as well as visiting the Outbound crew in Annapolis. We love our Sabre 402, however if I were to win the lottery today I would order one tomorrow. In the meantime I’ll see what intel we can gather from your articles to apply to our boat.
Thanks
Allan Gray
Hi Jordan,
We are in the same situation: love the two boats, don’t have the bucks. Still, like you say, a lot to learn from both.
Hi Jordan,
I would say you have made a very smart call on your “model boat”. That said, I will have a few suggestions for places I would diverge from the Outbound way, depending on usage profile.
Frankly, Outbound may build good boats, but I would stay away from this company. They hired Kyle Jackney, who had represented Hylas Yachts in the US. Kyle took many people’s deposits, including ours, and never sent the deposits on to Hylas Yachts. I personally know of several instances of this conduct by Kyle reported to me by others in my same position. In my opinion, any any company who would hire a dishonest fraudster like Kyle should not be in business. It appears the only reason they hired Kyle was that Outbound then purchased the mold for the Hylas 56 out of bankruptcy which Kyle filed to avoid the results of successful litigation against him. Outbound is now marketing that boat as the Outbound 56. Buyer beware.
Hi Zachary,
Wow, that’s pretty disturbing news. Thanks for coming up, particularly since this kind of thing is very painful to share.
I’m going to pass your comment on to Phil to see if he has anything to add.
Hi Zachary,
I heard back from Phil, but, understandable, he does not want to get into it here.
This is an awkward situation, but obviously it is not for me to in any way get in the middle of this.
That said, I do feel your pain at having lost a deposit, particularly since Phyllis and I lost over $50K on a carbon mast that was not built to specification. Still stings 15 years later.
Just a follow up here. Outbound is now marketed by Collection Yachts, Ft. Lauderdale FL.
Hi Bennett,
Not just marketed. Phil tells me he that Collection yachts now owns Outbound. That said Phil still works for them and is, as I understand it, still the primary Outbound person.
Hi, John
I had the pleasure of touring the Outbound 46 at the Newport boat show last month and both my wife and I were really impressed with it. I really wanted to see it after reading this series of articles earlier this year. What a nice yacht! And thanks, John, for the great review, it was really helpful.
Zachery expressed a concern (above) that “Outbound may build good boats, but I would stay away from this company. They hired Kyle Jackney…” Circumstances have changed and he’s is no longer working for Outbound; he’s now behind “Bluewater Yachts.”
I only know this because we met Kyle at the show and toured a “Bluewater 56.”
As it turns out Outbound and Bluewater (Passport as well) are all presently built at the same yard.
The Hylas 56 hull mold became the marketed “Outbound 56” which became the physically-existing “Bluewater 56.”
Reading the comments section here and touring both boats in Newport coalesced in my mind as an encounter with the material embodiment of the “Outbound 56.” Who needs hallucinogens?
The Hylas – Jacheny – Angry Buyers saga is long and complicated (this thread prompted me to read through a couple of court cases online) but, with complexity aside, the Bluewater 56 is a really impressive boat. I just don’t know what to do with that impression!
This got me wondering about the current state of third-party insurance covering the build and delivery process for new yachts?
A teenage sister to the Outbound is the Saga 43. Very similar hull form and rig. A bit less space and less tankage. There were 54 built and the cost is very attractive versus the Outbound. Ours has been a good girl for the 20 yrs since new; preparing now to do a Baja Bash back to So Cal.
Hi Roger,
Yes, I like the Saga too, and have written about her, albeit briefly: https://www.morganscloud.com/2009/11/01/saga-43-sailboat/
And in the final part of this review; Had “Bob” known at the time just before commencing his infamous refit (or just before purchasing MC) what he knows now, and had both the Boreal and Outbound been available at the time, what would he have chosen?
Hi P D,
Interesting question. It would be a toss up and, I think, depend a lot on what I planned to do. If I was going to the high latitudes then the Boreal every time. On the other hand, I prefer a lot of things in the Outbound, more on that in later posts. Bottom line, they are both great boats, but so different that I would never get into even thinking about “which is better” only about which is better for a given task.
Another interesting thought is that back in the day when I did the refit I would not have had the experience to understand the Boreal and so would have bought the Outbound.
And then finally, another question. Was Morgan’s Cloud an even better choice for us than either? Not sure, I would really have to ponder that one.
Might make a fun article some day.