Elan Impression 434

[Fredderick]

Can the bed-frames be lifted out of the cabins in 434 and 384, so that one or more cabins may be rearranged into a small work-studio fitted with a chair and table?

I am planning on purchasing either a 434 or 384, but I would need to redesign at least one of the cabins into a work-studio.

[Papabill]

G'day Terry,
I have just sold my beloved Swanson 36, and am seriously investigating buying an Elan 450 in Europe.
Don't have the time to sail it back so investigating shipping to Syd or Melb.
Any tips, tricks, pitfalls, and whether indicative cost of $60-70k is over the top would be much appreciated. Did you consider and reject using a delivery crew?
Thanks,
Papabill

[Far Star]

Hi Papabill
We freighted because of time involved, wear and tear and customs doesn't accept bill of sale after 6 months for valuation for gst payment. We used Seven star because they have a office in Australia for safety as I have heard of bad stories from overseas agents. The cost was $ us41000 included in that price was custom agent fees as they have their own in house and insurance. Highly recommend Seven star. We did use a delivery crew to delivery from Croatia to Italy to meet the ship, as ships don't come to you. however if done again would do it myself. The whole project worked out well . It was frustrating when the yacht sat in Palm beach Florida for a month waiting for the next ship to come across the Pacific. Anyway if you want any further info don't hesitate to contact me.
Cheers
Terry

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[mlibkind]

In the next week or two I will close on a 2011 Elan 444 that was just imported into Florida. It was sailed here from the Med over the span of a couple of years.

I want to add more clutches to the cabin top so that there are 5 on each side. I want them so that I can improve the reefing system. I was surprised to find that the existing clutches are not bolted through. Does anyone know if there is a metal plate embedded in the fiberglass in the clutch area? I've written the factory but have not gotten a reply as of yet.

I suspect that the mounting is the same as for a 434.

Thanks for any help you can give.

Marcus

[Far Star]

Hi Marcus, Can't give much help other than my experience with the factory, I will doubt you will get a reply.I rarely did. You you need to get help through the the local Elan distributer, although since I doubt you brought from them getting help is limited . I Can't tell you if bolted through as the interior lining blocks this. Although the deck thickness around the hatches is over 1 inch .
Cheers
Terry

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[mlibkind]

Terry,

I've actually had good experience with the factory. W.r.t. This question they got back to me overnight. The answer is that there is an embedded metal plate.

Marcus

[Far Star]

Hi Marcus
That's great better than me. Enjoy the Impression you have made a good choice .
Cheers Terry

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[mlibkind]

By the way, again I heard back overnight from them. They said that the plate embedded for the clutches is aluminum.

I should also add that for a difficult question it took maybe 7 to 10 days to get a reply. I had asked what amperage the 230 volt wiring could handle if I used it for 110. In the end I plan to install a parallel 110 v circuit.

[sunxpert]

I really love 348 design and it looks like a good cruising boat for the family.
Let me know if anyone is selling a good 348 or 344.

[Fredderick]

What is wrong with the steering and rudder on Impression 384 (same with 434?)?

A reviewer in Cruising World wrote:
"In the gusty conditions, we should've reduced sail sooner: In one large blast, the rudder stalled,"
Impression 384 | Cruising World

That sounds dangerous, and could possibly prove disastrous if out on the ocean.

Can the steering on 384 be trusted?

[daletournier]

Hi, in regards to construction one contributor believes they are better built than beneteaus.....why is this? If anyone knows more about the overall construction please share. I'm assuming they have liners etc?

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[robert sailor]

Originally Posted by arsenelupiga

i sailed 384 in med. Nice boats, well insulated, however not too ergonomic. My decently cut feet testimony to that.

Maybe this is issue with every mono.

Cats are so much less prone to harm you. Also I was overboard 2x on mono. No such thing on cats although many more miles & rougher seas on cats.

Your a funny guy! Cutting your feet and going overboard twice seems to me more self inflicted than blaming a boat....I think you are just having fun with us, LOL.

[daletournier]

Natural selection at work!

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[GiovanniA]

Originally Posted by daletournier

Hi, in regards to construction one contributor believes they are better built than beneteaus.....why is this? If anyone knows more about the overall construction please share. I'm assuming they have liners etc?

Sent from my vivo Y35 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

I am about to buy a yacht in the 42-50 ft range. I had a look at various Jeanneau and Beneteau and frankly I was quite disappointed at the build quality of the interior. Noisy floorboards, no finish behind the scenes, poor fitting panels, overall a cheap Ikea feel. The exterior on the other hand was quite nice for lets say the Mediterranean, but Would be less confident in rougher conditions.

I also checked out Bavaria. Definitely a step up, much more solid, even though pricewise differences are minimal.

My biggest positive surprise was the Elan range. Solid build, beautiful finish, clever design. Especially like the owners version of the 434. That’s probably number 2 on my list.

My absolute personal favorite is the Contest 50CS. A bluewater cruiser’s dream. Now all I need is half a million euros, for a good 10 year old one. That is about 4 times the price of a 10 year old Elan 434 😢

[mlibkind]

I agree 100% with your analysis of the quality of the various boats you describe.

I ended up purchasing a 2011 Elan Impression 444. I would have settled for a Jeanneau or Beneteau if I could have found one with a layout that I liked. By luck I found out about Elan (they are rare in the US) and was blown away by the very functional layout and quality of construction (but I assume less than the Contest 50CS (looks fantastic on paper).

I sailed my Elan 444 more than 8000 nm in two seasons plus a couple of months in a third season. As you know it is rated Class A and I can attest to its sturdiness. I have sailed her in a couple of large storms including one with waves literally breaking over the bow. She is very fast and well balanced. And as I already said, I loved her layout.

While I'm married, my wife only joined me occasionally during the 7 months I would sail each season. So most of the time I would have friends crew for me. That's why I loved having two very large aft cabins ... with three single people each can have their own space, though on multi-day passages I would sleep on the settee in the salon that I rigged with a lee-cloth. The vee-berth is not good on any boat for open ocean passages.

I also singled handed her for a week in 2017-2018. I was 70 years old and while I took extra precautions, especially when I had to go forward, I felt quite safe.

Unfortunately, at the start of my third season sailing her I got very sick. While I dream of returning to that life, it is probably not going to happen. So reluctantly I have put her up for sale. See:

https://www.yachtworld.com/core/list...currencyid=100

I suspect that you live in Europe since you quote prices in Euros so my boat is probably not of interest unless you are interested in cruising the Bahamas and Caribbean as well as other amazing places.

The bottom line is that I think that you are making a good choice if you go with an Elan and I know that there are quite a few to choose from in the Med. There are a few things that I think can be improved, but I have never regretted purchasing her. I don't think there is any boat in this price range that I would have liked having more.

I just wish my cruising could have continued for another 4 years as I had planned. I had wanted to continue exploring the Caribbean before heading to Panama and Guatemala, then transiting the Panama Canal to the Pacific, then heading north, spending a season in the Sea of Cortez, and finally arriving home in San Francisco. Maybe you want to complete my adventure.

Best wishes on your future new boat.

Marcus

Originally Posted by GiovanniA

I am about to buy a yacht in the 42-50 ft range. I had a look at various Jeanneau and Beneteau and frankly I was quite disappointed at the build quality of the interior. Noisy floorboards, no finish behind the scenes, poor fitting panels, overall a cheap Ikea feel. The exterior on the other hand was quite nice for lets say the Mediterranean, but Would be less confident in rougher conditions.

I also checked out Bavaria. Definitely a step up, much more solid, even though pricewise differences are minimal.

My biggest positive surprise was the Elan range. Solid build, beautiful finish, clever design. Especially like the owners version of the 434. That’s probably number 2 on my list.

My absolute personal favorite is the Contest 50CS. A bluewater cruiser’s dream. Now all I need is half a million euros, for a good 10 year old one. That is about 4 times the price of a 10 year old Elan 434 ��