Design and Construction
The 4.8 uses integral construction in a closed-cell PVC foam sandwich, drawing on Catana’s multihull know-how. What separates it structurally from lesser production cats is that its bulkheads aren’t simply glued in place but laminated into the hulls—a detail the reviewing press cited as a guarantee of rigidity and longevity.
Instead of a trampoline, the signature rigid foredeck carries a sunken lounge and a full-width sunbathing area of some 160 square feet. Two L-shaped benches surround a table. A foredeck door, set slightly to starboard, and the 10-foot-wide saloon door reinforce the open-plan layout. Compared with earlier Balis, the exterior styling is more fluid and in step with the Catspace.
Rig, Helm, and Performance
The flybridge borrows from the flagship 5.4. Its main helm station is to starboard, with access from both side-decks, and the elevated position gives the helmsperson a view of all four corners.
A high boom is inherent in the flybridge layout. It keeps the mainsail clear of the lounge, but places the winches lower than one tester liked. Even so, all sail-trimming maneuvers are within reach of the wheel.
Under the 47-square-meter self-tacking jib, the boat struggled to top 6.5 knots in a 12-knot southerly. Cracking off a 90-square-meter Code 0 roughly doubled the foretriangle area and transformed its light-air performance. On a beam-ish 95-degree angle in 13 knots of wind, the 4.8 cruised at 8.5 knots—respectable for a pure cruising cat. Under engine at 2,400 rpm, it made eight knots and cleared the coast readily.
Accommodations
Bali offers five layouts, ranging from three to six cabins, and every cabin is en suite. The three-cabin arrangement gives the entire port hull to an owner’s suite, with a window-facing double berth aft and a desk. The five-cabin version adds a portside midships bunk cabin suited to children or non-couples.
The six-cabin layout provides six double cabins with heads—the first time a multihull under 50 feet has offered that number. Its aft cabins can be entered only through opening deck hatches, which also provide direct access from the transoms.
The saloon, galley, and chart table occupy about 290 square feet. The chart table faces forward, giving it a panoramic view. In the galley, there’s 8ft 6in of Corian worktop and a dedicated waste-sorting bin. A 615-litre fridge/freezer sits to port between the saloon and galley.
The flybridge supplies another social area, with a table, sofas, and a large sunbathing zone.
The Verdict
The Bali 4.8 is a volume-maximizing cruising cat that brings the marque’s rigid-foredeck, open-saloon formula to a sub-50-foot hull without obvious compromise in layout flexibility. Its laminated bulkheads and integral closed-cell PVC foam sandwich construction give it a structural seriousness above the class norm. The flybridge helm, with visibility to all four corners, is a genuine cruising asset.
Light-air speed under the standard jib is modest, but the large Code 0 option addresses that weakness. The six-cabin version stands out for charter use, while private owners are likely to value the three-cabin owner’s suite.
Pros
- Laminated rather than glued bulkheads, intended to provide rigidity and longevity
- Rigid foredeck with a lounge and full-width sunbathing area instead of a trampoline
- As many as six en-suite double cabins in a boat under 50 feet—a class first
- Flybridge helm with sight of all four corners and sail controls within reach
- About 290 square feet for the saloon, galley, and chart table, including a large forward-facing navigation station
Cons
- Struggles to top 6.5 knots under the self-tacking jib in 12 knots without the Code 0
- The high boom associated with the flybridge layout leaves the winches low relative to the helm
- In the six-cabin version, the aft cabins are accessible only through deck hatches, isolating them from the saloon
