Design and Construction
The Bahia 46 represents the quintessence of the cooperation between architects Joubert-Nivelt and designer Olivier Flahault, who together shaped a boat faithful to the stylistic trends of its era with rounded lines. It retained the coachroof and its extension along with the characteristic "pug-nosed" bows of the builder, yet adopted beamier hulls than previous Fountaine Pajot models. Those broader hulls, wider than those of many cats, allow a more generous passageway and easier movement past the heads. The 46 is large enough to maintain reasonable underwing clearance, an attribute that matters for a cruising catamaran's sea-kindly motion. Sculpted hull and deck lines add a touch of elegance to the overall composition, and writing in Cruising World, testers found the quality workmanship, layout, and use of space impressive.
Rig and Handling
The Bahia 46's rig combines a simple fractional headsail on a roller furler with a large, high-roach, full-batten mainsail fit with slides and lazy jacks, a configuration now common on cruising cats. Its deck-stepped mast is supported by the forestay, two swept-back side shrouds, and two sets of diamond shrouds with struts between the gooseneck and the upper mast region. The boat carries minikeels attached to its hulls, a feature one tester specifically praised for the reassurance it gives in grounding or drying-out situations. Generously canvassed with a sail-area-to-weight ratio of 11.71 square metres per tonne, the Bahia displays performance that would put a number of modern production multihulls to shame. The more protected central steering position behind the bridge-deck cabin better suits a cruiser than an exposed helm, as Cruising World noted in its review.
Accommodations and Deck Layout
Aboard the Bahia 46, the central steering position sits behind the bridge-deck cabin, keeping the helmsman sheltered while staying connected to the cockpit social space. The broad hulls facilitate interior passage and a layout that testers found impressive for its use of space. On deck, the six-post Bimini is clean in appearance yet strong, and the dinghy davit arrangement is excellent — both speak to a boat conceived for extended cruising rather than weekend coastal use.
Equipment and Mechanical
The Bahia 46 is powered by two 38-horsepower Yanmar diesel engines, and those engines are well isolated to reduce noise and smell in the accommodation. The redundancy is real: if one engine fails, a spare stands by, a meaningful advantage for offshore passages. Fuel capacity is 100 gallons with 220 gallons of water and a 20-gallon holding tank, figures that support long-range independent cruising.
The Verdict
The Bahia 46 is a thoughtfully engineered cruising catamaran that married French multihull design pedigree with genuine offshore usability. Its beamy hulls, protected central helm, and well-isolated twin engines mark it as a serious voyager's boat rather than a dock-side showpiece, and its sailing performance remains credible against far newer designs.
Pros
- Broad hulls with easier interior passage and reasonable underwing clearance
- Protected central steering behind the bridge-deck cabin
- Twin 38-hp Yanmars with isolation and engine redundancy
- High-roach full-batten main with fractional furling headsail
- Strong six-post Bimini and excellent dinghy davits
Cons
- Minikeel arrangement trades some windward agility for simplicity
- Moderate displacement limits absolute load-carrying versus heavier modern cruisers
