Salona 44 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The 44's structure is built around a load-bearing stainless steel frame laminated into the hull just abaft the main bulkhead, onto which the mast is stepped, the chainplates attach, and the keel is bolted through anchor. Forward of that bulkhead a molded strengthening grid is glassed into the hull floor, while a pair of full-length stringers stiffens the topsides and structural bulkheads are laminated to both hull and deck. The deck itself is glued and through-bolted to an inward-turned hull flange, with the hull laid up in a split mold to accept that joint. Above the waterline the laminate is blister-resistant vinylester resin infused into triaxial cloth over a PVC foam core; plumbing and electrical runs are installed with service points kept easy to reach. The racing "ibc" variant pushes the method further with vacuum-injected resin, basalt fiber, composite bulkheads, and a carbon rig and rudder.

Rig and Handling

The boat carries a keel-stepped triple-spreader fractional Seldén rig with a Harken furling drum concealed under the deck, and six Harken Radial winches—size 60s for the genoa sheets, 50s for the mainsheet and halyards. A dual-purpose German mainsheet system serves both modes: in cruising trim it runs as paired bridles on the cabintop clear of the crew, while in racing trim it leads to a full-width traveler recessed in the cockpit sole just ahead of the twin helms, concealed by drop-in infills when unused, with the sheet tails vanishing under the deck to dedicated winches by the wheels. Test sailors found her hard on the wind in 8 knots surging straight as an arrow with a perfectly balanced helm, instruments showing an easy 7-plus knots, building to 8-plus in puffs at 10–12 knots, and tracking equally well downwind; she tacked through a little over 80 degrees even with the short keel. Cruising World noted the feathery twin wheels and triple-spreader rig handling well up and downwind in any breeze and capable of double-digit speeds without sacrificing cruiser comfort anchor.

Accommodations

The standard three-cabin layout places mirror-image aft cabins and a full-width owner's stateroom forward, with an alternative fourth cabin using Pullman berths forward. The saloon carries 6-foot-6-inch headroom and seats six to eight at a dinette whose right-angled settee ends let you wedge into the corners; the port settee makes a fine seaberth, though the starboard one is too short for adults, and an optional table drops to form a double. Stowage is generous under and outboard of the settees and in overhead shelves. The galley sits to port with a two-burner stove, deep twin sinks, a brace point at sea, and a large top-opening Waeco fridge/freezer plus a smaller front-opening unit. Opposite, a generously proportioned nav table lacks only a concave seat to be fully sea-functional. The forward ensuite head has a separate shower stall; the aft crew head is a tighter fit. Interior styling is understated, with horizontally aligned teak veneer (ash or mahogany optional) against white moldings, lit by flush hatches and cabintop and hull ports.

Cockpit and Deck

Wide side decks carry inboard chainplates and genoa tracks hugging the cabintop, with long grabrails ending just short of the mast and low teak-capped bulwarks for foredeck security. A deep anchor well houses a Quick electric windlass and the furling drum, served by a single bow roller and well-sized mooring cleats bow, stern, and amidships. The cockpit footwell is split by a removable drop-leaf table and bounded by long, wide bench seats; coamings are well angled if a bit low for long comfort, and the shallow twin lockers still hold cruising essentials. The liferaft stows under the sole abaft the helms, the full-width helm bench lifts out as a passarelle, and the transom opens wide—but there is no drop-down swim platform, a possible drawback for cruising buyers.

Power and Known Quirks

The standard 54hp Yanmar diesel is regarded as plenty adequate, with the test boat's optional 75hp turbo unit and three-bladed Gori folder making an easy 8 knots; the installation is well soundproofed with all service points in view, and sea trials recorded 6 knots at 2,500 rpm and 8.6 at 3,600. One handling note from testing: the recessed-drum deck-sweeping genoa demands that the crew skirt the sail after each tack.

The Verdict

The Salona 44 is a thoughtfully engineered performance cruiser whose structural frame, infusion-built laminate, and convertible rig let it race on Saturday and cruise on Sunday without compromise to either role. The accommodations are practical and bright, the cockpit works well, and the build quality is evident in accessible systems.

Pros