Design and Construction
The Orana’s hulls and major partitions are constructed using resin infusion, and the builder engaged Joubert-Nivelt to design a structure that pairs solid and cored laminate with a dry-laid, injected deck. Below the waterline the hull is solid-glass laminate, while from the waterline to the sheer it is foam-cored, and the entire hull is vacuum-bagged. The deck is balsa-cored glass laminate, laid up dry between two molds and then injected with resin, and the roof is made with Fountaine Pajot’s proprietary molding technology. Hull and deck are bolted and adhered together. A step in the hull profile at the stern brings the deck nearer dock height and to the same level as the aft deck, cockpit, and saloon, a move that flattens the vertical hierarchy of the typical cruising cat and eases movement between spaces.
Inside, the interior furniture is plywood with a sycamore veneer, and the joinery is of good production-boat standards. The hull liner is a foam-backed plastic fabric, and the feeling of the light-colored wood interior is modern, bright, and open, almost to the point of starkness. The floorboards all lift for easy bilge access to through-hull fittings and other systems, though they creak when walked on — a small but persistent reminder that utility was prioritized over silence underfoot.
Rig and Handling
The cabintop of the Orana 44 continues straight onto a hardtop over the cockpit, and the traveler is mounted on that hardtop. The helm, elevated to starboard at the bulkhead, has a bench seat wide enough for two and is easy to access through a cutout in the hardtop with its own sliding hatch. All sail-control lines except the halyards lead simply to a cluster at the helm, so a singlehander can reach everything while steering; there is also space for a crewmember to crank the winch while standing on the nearby starboard side deck. Visibility from the helm is excellent, and the helmsman enjoys a 360-degree view. The only thing that limits the helmsman’s control is a long reach to the traveler line stopper.
It is a big vertical distance from the foredeck onto the cabintop, and there are no steps, but the huge, high expanse offers a perfect platform for a lookout to see the route through coral or shoals. In a 10-to-12-knot breeze off Annapolis, period testing recorded 7 to 7.5 knots of boatspeed, tacked easily through about 90 degrees, and accelerated quickly coming out of the turns; tacking and gybing were simple with either one or two crew. Under power, the boat turned smoothly in about 1.5 boatlengths with both engines running at 1,500 RPM and within its own length using opposite thrust to the two props, like other twin-engine cats, though there was some kick to the rudders when backing down. A 2,800 RPM setting produced 74 dBA of noise in the saloon and 8 knots of boatspeed, and the top speed was 8.5 knots at the 3,000 RPM engine redline. The two 30-hp Volvo saildrives give her a modest but adequate punch for a 17,600-pound hull.
Accommodations
The cockpit flows easily into the cabin at the same level, through double sliding doors, and the dual-purpose saloon table mounts either inside or in the cockpit and flips over for a choice of wood or laminate surface. The nav station is forward, to starboard, while the galley is abaft that and faces aft; this puts the navigator in a spot with excellent visibility through the big saloon windows and a clear view toward the bows. The hull accommodations are offered with four cabins or with three; in the three-cabin arrangement the starboard hull is the owner’s suite, while the four-cabin version is best suited to charter service. There is ample headroom in all the cabins, and the bunks are low enough to be easy to enter and exit.
Known Issues
The documented shortcomings are minor and mostly ergonomic. The floorboards creak when walked on. The reach from the helm to the traveler line stopper limits the helmsman’s control. Test sailors felt the helm area needs better line-tail stowage, and one tester noted a slight springiness in the wheel from the steering cables. None of these rise to the level of structural or systems failure, but they are worth weighing against the boat’s otherwise clean control layout.
Refits and Ownership
Owners shopping a used Orana will find the lift-out floorboards a genuine advantage for inspecting through-hulls and systems, and the balsa-cored deck’s dry-laid injection method is a point of confidence in the structure. The CE Category A certification confirms the boat was rated for extended offshore passage-making, and the 395-Ah house bank plus 100-Ah per engine gives a clear baseline for any electrical refit. The creaking floorboards and helm-line stowage gaps are the most likely owner-level fixes.
The Verdict
The new hardtop design, improved helm station, pleasant interior, and good sailing qualities add up to make a comfortable, swift cruiser. She is an evolutionary Fountaine Pajot that refines the Belize 43 formula without abandoning it, and the Joubert-Nivelt hand shows in the balanced,b low-effort control plan.
Pros
- Vacuum-bagged, resin-infused hulls with solid glass below the waterline and foam core above
- Singlehanded-friendly sail-control cluster at the helm with excellent 360-degree visibility
- Level cockpit-to-saloon flow with lift-out floorboards for bilge access
- Three-cabin owner’s-suite layout or charter-oriented four-cabin version
- CE Category A certification and a 17,637-lb hull with 18.4 SA-D ratio
Cons
- Floorboards creak when walked on
- Long reach to traveler line stopper limits helmsman’s control
- Helm area needs better line-tail stowage; slight wheel springiness from steering cables
- Big step from foredeck to cabintop with no steps
