Antares 44 Buyer's Guide
The Antares 44 occupies a narrow and deliberate niche in the cruising catamaran world: a semi-custom bluewater liveaboard built for offshore couples, not the charter trade. That distinction matters when you go looking for one on the brokerage market. Production numbers are modest — the builder has historically turned out a small number of hulls per year — so the pool of available boats stays limited relative to mass-produced cats of comparable size. What you will find is a boat that was almost always set up for serious passagemaking from the moment it left the yard, which makes the used-market search both easier and more demanding: easier because boats tend to arrive well-equipped, more demanding because the standard is high and any deferred maintenance stands out quickly.
The Antares began life as a PDQ Antares 44, built in Canada, then transitioned to Argentine production under new ownership with the same designer and a closely matched standard of composite construction. Used boats from both eras circulate on the market, and prospective buyers should confirm which generation they are looking at, since the early Canadian-built hulls and the later Argentine-built 44i share the same design DNA but may differ in interior specification and systems integration.
Layouts on the Used Market
Owner three-cabin layouts are the more common configuration you will encounter, but the occasional two-cabin owner-suite arrangement does surface. The standard plan places the master suite in the entirety of the starboard hull — sleeping cabin aft, head and shower forward, dressing space between — while the port hull carries the galley amidships with guest cabins fore and aft sharing a single head. This arrangement gives a liveaboard couple genuine separation between private and guest zones without the forced symmetry of charter-style quad-cabin layouts.
The raised saloon with the galley positioned in the hull rather than at the bridgedeck level is a consistent feature across the used fleet. Some owners appreciate having the cook in a dedicated 15-foot workspace well supplied with storage; others find the separation from cockpit conversation a trade-off worth noting before you commit. The nav station sits opposite the dinette with forward-facing visibility, which offshore-oriented crews tend to value. All of this is baked into the design rather than an owner modification, so layout consistency across the used fleet is high.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
The Antares 44 was delivered with an unusually thorough standard-equipment list for a semi-custom bluewater boat, and used examples reflect that starting point. Solar panels integrated into the hardtop and substantial house battery banks are commonly fitted. A watermaker, propane stove with oven, microwave, and both refrigerator and separate freezer are frequently present. Electric winches and autopilot appear on most liveaboard-configured examples. A generator installed in a dedicated, well-insulated locker in the starboard hull is a near-universal fitment.
Where you will see variation is in how owners have extended the electrical and sail-handling systems over the years. Lithium battery upgrades are a frequent owner investment on boats that have passed through one or more owners. Furling mainsails — in-mast or on a boom furler — appear fairly often, replacing the standard high-roach fully-battened main for easier single-handed sail handling; note that this swap reduces sail area relative to the original plan. Asymmetric spinnakers and code zeros are often carried on cruising-configured boats, reflecting the screecher-friendly sail plan the designer built in from the start. An inverter is nearly standard on boats that have seen extended offshore use.
Among the more notable owner upgrades, Starlink satellite internet has made its way onto a growing segment of the used fleet, often alongside chart-plotter upgrades and AIS transponders. Air conditioning appears on some boats, particularly those that have spent extended time in tropical waters. Dinghy davits replacing or supplementing the original stainless arch are a common structural modification. Cockpit showers, radar, and EPIRB replacements round out the list of frequently encountered additions. Short-handed sailing setups — self-tacking jib arrangements, additional clutch banks, electric mainsheet — are a less common but meaningful upgrade to watch for if offshore passagemaking with a small crew is your intention.
What to Inspect
The Antares 44's cored composite construction is a core strength and a key inspection focus. The hulls use Corecell above the waterline turn of the bilge, and the interior panels, bulkheads, and furniture are honeycomb-cored sandwich structures. Moisture intrusion into any of these cores — particularly around deck hardware, chain plates, or any original penetrations that have been re-sealed over the years — warrants careful investigation. A competent surveyor should probe all deck surfaces and hull-to-deck joints.
The skegged rudder arrangement is a genuine offshore asset, but skeg attachment points and rudder bearings deserve close inspection on older hulls that have accumulated serious blue-water miles, which many of these boats have. The minimum bridgedeck clearance of 30 inches was a deliberate design decision to reduce slamming, but buyers should confirm that bridgedeck integrity and sealing are intact on any boat that has sailed in genuinely rough conditions. Bridgedeck drainage and the condition of the saloon floor structure above the bridgedeck are worth checking on pre-survey walk-throughs.
The twin Yanmar diesels — or in some cases twin Volvos on earlier Argentine production boats — are mounted amidships under the cabin sole forward of the aft cabins. Access for routine maintenance is generally good, but buyers should verify that service intervals have been observed and that the engine mounts, shaft seals, and cutless bearings are in sound condition. Engine compartments on the 44i were engineered for reasonable access and effective soundproofing, but an oil analysis and recent service records are the baseline for any pre-purchase evaluation. If a boat has had the hybrid electric propulsion system retrofitted or was built as the later Hybrid variant, engage a marine electrician familiar with lithium-based propulsion systems before committing.
Rigging inspection is especially important on boats configured with in-mast furling — the reduced sail area means the system was likely used hard, and any hesitation in furling or unfurling behavior is an early warning sign. On boats retaining the original high-roach fully-battened main, check batten pockets, cars, and the track condition. The bowsprit-mounted reacher or screecher furler is another area that frequently shows wear on actively cruised boats.
The cherry veneer interior is warm and elegant but requires attention. Check for any delamination of the honeycomb-backed panels, especially in the heads where moisture exposure is highest. Original teak-and-holly soles can develop softness if leaks from deck fittings or port frames have gone unaddressed.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The Antares 44 circulates most actively in the United States, the Eastern Mediterranean — particularly Greece — and in Southeast Asian cruising grounds including Thailand. Boats are also found in Mexico and throughout the Caribbean island chain, reflecting the bluewater itineraries their owners pursue. Global availability is thinner than for volume-production cats of similar vintage, and motivated buyers often need to be patient or willing to reposition a boat from a distant market.
Regional service support has improved as the liveaboard community grows, but owners on remote itineraries should expect to carry comprehensive spares and maintain familiarity with their own systems — a reality the boat was designed around from the outset.
Pre-purchase checklist:
- Confirm generation (Canadian PDQ-built vs. Argentine Antares-built) and verify designer continuity and any spec differences
- Commission a full moisture survey of cored deck and hull panels, especially around hardware penetrations and the bridgedeck
- Inspect skeg attachment, rudder bearings, shaft seals, and cutless bearings
- Pull engine service records; request oil analysis on both diesels and the generator
- Verify furling system condition (in-mast or boom furler if fitted; original high-roach main if retained)
- Check for delamination in head and galley panel linings; probe teak-and-holly sole for soft spots
- Evaluate lithium battery age and state-of-health documentation if present; engage a marine electrician for hybrid-equipped variants
- Confirm bridgedeck drainage and structural integrity of the saloon floor
- Assess electronics and safety gear currency (EPIRB registration, AIS, life raft service date)
- Review all added owner modifications — davits, arch modifications, Starlink installations — for quality of integration
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Antares 44. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 9 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 25 | 1 | $ 649,000 | — |
| May 25 | 3 | $ 600,000 | -7.6% |
| Jun 25 | 3 | $ 845,000 | +40.8% |
| Jul 25 | 2 | $ 495,000 | -41.4% |
| Aug 25 | 4 | $ 707,500 | +42.9% |
| Sep 25 | 1 | $ 557,000 | -21.3% |
| Feb 26 | 2 | $ 860,352 | +54.5% |
| Apr 26 | 12 | $ 711,500 | -17.3% |
| May 26 | 2 | $ 500,000 | -29.7% |
Where they're listed
Antares 44 listings appear across 8 countries. United States has the most listings with 12 (54.5%), followed by Panama and Greece.
Country view
22 listings · 8 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $ 570,000 | 12 | 1 | 54.5% |
| Panama | $ 1,150,000 | 3 | 1 | 13.6% |
| Greece | $ 547,852 | 2 | 1 | 9.1% |
| Germany | $ 640,468 | 1 | 0 | 4.5% |
| United Kingdom | $ 557,000 | 1 | 0 | 4.5% |
| Saint Lucia | $ 557,000 | 1 | 0 | 4.5% |
| Mexico | $ 775,000 | 1 | 0 | 4.5% |
| Thailand | $ 648,000 | 1 | 0 | 4.5% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robertson and Caine 44 | 42.58' | $ 381,991 | 112 | 25 |
| Nauticat 44 | 43.67' | $ 151,539 | 39 | 9 |
| PDQ 44You are here | — | $ 600,000 | 23 | 3 |
| Hallberg-Rassy 44 | 47.41' | $ 1,007,925 | 22 | 5 |
| Vision 444 | 43.04' | $ 1,150,000 | 19 | 12 |
| Elan Impression 444 | 45.44' | $ 122,375 | 19 | 6 |
| Sunbeam 44 | 43.96' | $ 182,991 | 11 | 4 |