Design and Construction
The hulls are foam-cored and vacuum-infused, with the fiberglass skin, deck, and bimini all built by vinylester infusion over a closed-cell PVC foam core rather than balsa. A chine sits about two feet off the water, and the hulls terminate in blunt ends that should ease boarding in Mediterranean mooring situations. At the base of each hull, fixed keels bolt into watertight recesses that double as gray-water holding tanks, a tidy integration of structure and plumbing. The saildrive units have been turned 180 degrees from conventional orientation. Most distinctive is the solid fiberglass nacelle forward, replacing the trampoline found between the bows of most cats with a rigid, cushioned platform, and the transom's lower panel drops to lengthen the cockpit by two feet.
Rig and Handling
The Bali 4.5 carries a Sparcraft mast with Elvström sails and a fractional sloop rig. A self-tacking solent on a Facnor furler simplifies short-handed close reaching, while a bowsprit serves as the attachment point for a Code 0 and can be put to use with a furlable downwind sail; an optional square-topped main was available. Two helm configurations were offered: a bulkhead helm to starboard with the boom sitting lower, accessible from the cockpit or side deck in front of a seat for two, or a flybridge helm amidships above the bimini with a bench for four and excellent forward visibility, though in that layout the boom must be raised to provide headroom for occupants. Under sail in 12 to 15 knots, testers recorded 7.2 knots at a 60-degree apparent wind angle, about 7.5 on a beam reach, and 5.1 fallen off to 120 degrees; closehauled in roughly 15 knots she made a little better than 6 knots. Motoring on flat water delivered 6.8 knots at 2,000 rpm and 8.6 wide open at 3,200 rpm, and underway the structure made not a squeak.
Accommodations
The forward nacelle is no mere net: it becomes a patio with two tables and forward-facing seating for eight, plus a nearly full-beam lounge for six sunbathers, with a Quick horizontal windlass tucked below the seating. A large glass center window in the saloon lowers at the flip of a switch to pass food and air between galley and bow, and rear sliding doors open the saloon to the aft cockpit, where a port-side dinette seats eight at a squeeze and a starboard lounge complements it. Below, the standard four-cabin charter layout pairs with four heads; a three-cabin, three-head version places the owner's suite in the port hull with a wide berth, sofa, desk, and his-and-hers sinks, leaving two cabins and two heads to starboard; a three-cabin, two-head option and a two-cabin, two-bath layout were also offered. The galley to port holds an Eno cooktop and eye-level oven, while to starboard sits a full-size side-by-side AC refrigerator with ice maker, and a forward-facing nav station serves the helm.
Equipment and Power
Auxiliary power came from two 40hp Nanni (Kubota) diesels, with the optional 50hp models fitted to some boats. An oversized 225-amp alternator on the port side feeds a 720Ah house bank, and an Aquabase engine-driven 50-gph watermaker sits to port. An 11kW Onan genset supports the AC refrigeration and other hotel loads, while stainless steel dinghy davits lower to the waterline for easy tender handling.
The Verdict
The Bali 4.5 is a thoughtfully engineered cruising cat that rejects the performance-charter clichés of daggerboards and knife bows in favor of a livable, rigid platform with genuine outdoor room. Her forward patio and folding transom create more usable social space than almost any peer, and the integration of keel recesses as gray-water tanks shows real design economy. She is no lightweight sprinter, but her sail numbers and motoring range are entirely respectable for a 44-foot cruiser, and the quiet, squeak-free structure speaks to careful infusion work.
Pros
- Solid forward nacelle and folding transom greatly expand usable cockpit and lounging space
- Foam-cored vinylester-infused construction with watertight keel recesses serving as gray-water tanks
- Multiple cabin layouts from charter four-four to owner's three-three with home-style touches
- Self-tacking solent, Code 0 bowsprit, and optional square-top main suit varied crew abilities
Cons
- Companionways in the hulls are a little tight for easy belowdeck movement
- Flybridge helm requires raised boom, reducing boom-low convenience of bulkhead option
- Blunt hulls and fixed keels trade upwind agility for load-carrying and boarding ease
