Elan 43?

[mattypb15]

Does anyone have an opinion on the Elan 43?

I''ve searched all over for reviews and can''t seem to find much.

I know they are quite popular as charter boats.

Can any offer me any opinion on how an Elan 43 may handle ocean passages?

[h20ski]

looks nice- also check out the brand new ETAP 46 deck salon- very similiar and unsinkable
www.etapyachting.com

[shmangasarian]

The Elan 43 was built in the early 90''s primarily for the eastern European charter trade. You may recognize the name from snow skis which was their major business. Designed by J & J there were three interior options - - four cabin (charter), three cabin (family) and two cabin (America). Replaced in the mid nineties by the 431 just before Rob Humphries came aboard as designer and now resized as the Elan 45. They''ve tried to make some inroads on the east coast and were represented at the 2003 and ''04 Annapolis show. As far as the 1988-90 43''s are concerned they are generally regarded as a smaller (lighter) displacement version of a Beneteau; a capable coastal cruiser but suspect for any blue water work.

[WHOOSH]

Matty, I''d encourage you to consider how the marketplace works with a boat like an Elan. They are built in Slovenia and, much like other Eastern European, now-EU member countries, they may have a boat building industry but it has not had a national customer base. Rather, they have been building for dealers in areas of Europe and N America, and so their principal ''customer'' is a dealer network. As ''twofer'' suggests, they are marketed as a light displacement club racing product. In the absence of more local feedback (in their own language, from their own countrymen), they will have addressed build and design issues only as they primarily migrate back from the dealer network. What this tends to mean is that, while they may get better at producing a bendy spar, better deck layout and such, they probably get little feedback on the minimal size of their tankage or how their boats wear, long term, off shore.

Related to this, consider the Elan dealer in your area to be your source of product quality assurance. From what I hear (from British brokers who sell E European-build boats), these builders still have a relatively immature understanding of the business rationale for providing good customer support and QA/warranty coverage. I don''t know how true this is for Elan but that just means it''s worth checking out.

If any of the above sounds like small potatoes, consider how successful Catalina has been over 3 decades, given that they have a very loyal owner group which stems in part from direct factory support, good QA, good warranty support, and models being redesigned with much owner feedback. Now imagine Catalina building boats in Slovenia and ask how likely it is these attributes would still exist...

Jack

[Jeff_H]

Jack,

I have a very different view of Elan. The Elans that I have been on have been extremely well constructed with a lot of seemingly high quality, high labor details that you don''t see on the bigger production builders. That said, I have only been on later models built after the 43.

Elan has been working with Rob Humphries who I consider to be a well established and exceptionally competent designer. My experience with Humphries designed boats suggests that the Elans would be wholesome, reasonable performance, well engineered and detailed.

I was surprised by your experience with the European Elan dealers. Here in the States Elan chose to align themself with Annapolis Yacht Sales. Annapolis Yacht Sales is a well established brokerage with an associated a highly regarded yacht service company.

Regards,
Jeff

[lilian]

Dear Beloved,

I am Mrs Sarah JOHN from Ghana, presently staying in Germany. I am married to Mr. John Mike who worked with Ghana embassy in Lome-Togo for Ten years before he died in the year 2003. We were married for eleven years without a child. He died after a brief illness that lasted for only four days.Before his death we were both born again Christian.

Since his death I decided not to remarry or get a child outside my matrimonial home which the Bible is against. When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of $9.8Million (NINE Million Eight hundred thousan U.S.Dollars) with one security company in Europe. Presently,this money is still with the Security Company. Recently, my Doctor told me that I would not last for the next Eight months due to cancer problem. The one that disturbs me most is my stroke sickness. Having known my condition I decided to keep this fund in Europe.

I want an organization or an individual that will use this fund for orphanages, idows,propagating the word of God and to endeavor that the house of God is maintained.The Bible made us to understand that Blessed is the hand that giveth. I took this decision because I don''t have any child that will inherit this money and my husband relatives are not Christians and I don''t want my husbands efforts to be used by unbelievers.

I don''t want a situation where this money will be used in an ungodly way.This is why I am taking this decision. I am not afraid of death hence I know where I am going. I know that I am going to be in the bosom of the Lord.Exodus 14 VS 14 says that the lord will fight my case and I shall hold my peace. I don''t need any telephone communication in this regard because of my health hence the presence of my husband''s relatives around me always. I don''t want them to know about this development. With God all things are possible.

As soon as I receive your reply I shall inform the FINANCE HOUSE in Europe that you are the beneficiary of the said Fund in Europe. I will also issue you an authority letter that will prove you the present beneficiary of this fund. I want you and the organization to always pray for me because the lord is my shepherd. My happiness is that I lived a life of a worthy Christian.

Whoever that wants to serve the Lord must serve him in spirit and truth. Please always be prayerful all through your life. Any delay in your reply will give me room in sourcing another person for this same purpose. Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated herein.

Hoping to receive your reply and Remain blessed in the Lord.

Yours in Christ,
Mrs Sarah John

[carolinagirl]

Mrs. Sarah John,

I would enjoy speaking with you further about your future plans. Please e-mail me:

lgoodwin@bucklumber.com

Have a blessed day!
Carrie Lee Ann Goodwin

[SailinJay]

Here I am reading along this interesting thread when I abruptly run into one of those scam letters that usually involve someone in Africa with loads of money they are trying to get rid of, if only someone someowhere else would help them out. The fact that it does not belong here aside, these things have been out there on the Internet for so long that I am surprised that anyone would fall for one. But apparently someone has.

Carrie Lee Ann Goodwin, RUN--DOT NOT WALK--AWAY FROM THIS PROPOSITION!!!!

[kokopelli9]

I would like to believe that Carrie Lee Ann Goodwin is joking with her e-mail. As another Carolina woman, I know that we are much smarter than to fall for something so stupid and Mr. John''s scam mail.

[SailorMitch]

Dear Mrs. John,

I''m sure I speak for the 6 of us still on this BB that we send our deepest sympathies for the loss of your husband, and for your illness. We do hope and pray that a miracle will come your way.

Absent that, however, I suggest that you send that $9.8 mil to Mr. Denr right away while your hand can still sign your name. He can act as the agent for the rest of us to ensure, for a small handling fee I''m sure, that your money is well spent as you have directed. I was going to suggest that you give it to Sailnet, but apparently the only thing working at Sailnet right now is a server and it doesn''t care about money. The rest of us do.

I can assure you that my portion of the funds will go directly to support the poor, "idows", orphanages and general starving masses in Southwest Harbor, Maine at what I will now rename Morris Yachts and Shelter for the Huddled Masses. A Mr. Tom Morris makes a little 45 foot sailboat that will look real nice parked under me as I sip dark and stormies in the islands --assuming there is anything left from that $9.8 mil after Denr''s handling fee.

Sincerely,
SailorMitch