SeaGlub

So why a Hylas 46?  Good question, and if you would've asked prior to shopping, I wouldn't even have been able to tell you that I knew of Hylas.  There wasn't one particular prerequisite or wish, I guess one thing I tried to consider was advice from a life long family liveaboard friend who simply said "buy the biggest boat you're going to be comfortable with, it's going to be your home after all".  Well, that's pretty open ended but at least a starting point.  I figured 50' seemed like too much boat for two people and under 40' seemed like not enough comfort.  I started by looking at Tayana, Tartan, Island Packet, Pacific Seacraft, Hallberg Rassy, Cheoy Lee, and several other blue water boats.  In the fall of 2011 I started to get more serious and hired a broker, Mik Maquire at Passage Yachts.  Couldn't have had a more willing participant, he never pushed and always just answered questions.  So when I asked about other types of boats he suggested looking at some on the east coast, where many more were for sale.  We took a visit out there in early 2012 and met Scott Duncombe at David Walters Yachts and again I was impressed with the professionalism and desire to help, not sell, us on buying our boat.  If anyone is looking for a Hylas in particular, other than scoping out the Hylas Yacht Owners Association site, be sure to check with DWY, they, more than anyone, know the Hylas market and will travel to make things work for you. 

At the end of the day, what I decided was that I loved the 2 stateroom, 2 head layout with the forward head in the V-cabin.  The alternative was a 3 stateroom layout for boats this size and I figured if I ever need that many beds for people they'd likely be drunk and willing to pass out just about anywhere.  This 2 stateroom layout just gives that much more space in each room, including the main salon.  46' was the right size, particularly with the center cockpit has a way of making the boat feel more manageable and allows you a giant aft master stateroom!

Below is an excerpt from a web review of many different offshore sailing boats:

Hylas 46 - I thought about swapping this out for the Swan 46, also a Frers design.  But I kept the Hylas for two reasons.  As a capable and very livable center-cockpit it hits the target for what most cruisers are looking for today.  Also, I have a good story about surviving Hurricane Mitch in a 46.  That was one heck of a blow and the 46 handled it well.  Like all Hylas models, the 46 is built like a rock with first rate gear.  The design is definitely more modern than the Hylas 44 and 49.  It's faster than either of those boats, but it doesn't always have the soft ride.  I have plenty of offshore miles on this model.  - John Kretschmer, accomplished offshore sailor, author of Sailing a Serious Ocean (which includes a mention of SeaGlub's maiden voyage through Hurricane Mitch)