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Anila    (2017)

Key features.

• 3 Cabins & 3 Quiet Flush Electric Heads
• Convertible salon table
• Generator & Full Air Conditioning
• Classic Main with Stackpack and Lazy Jacks & Furling Genoa
• Raymarine Chartplotter, GPS, Autopilot & Wind Instrument
• Electric Winch at Helm & Electric Windlass
• CD player, stereo and cockpit speakers
• Separate Fridge & Freezer
• Additional Cockpit Fridge
• Dinghy & outbard plus Dinghy Davits w/ Electric Winch
• Hot deck shower
• Snorkeling & Safety Gear
• VHF & Cellular Phone

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Jul 10 - Nov 5  

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TECHNICAL DETAILS

• LOA: 43' 5"
• BEAM: 23' 3"
• DRAFT: 3' 8"
• ENGINES: 2x 55hp
• FUEL: 124 gal
• WATER: 198 gal

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SIMILAR YACHTS

KALM WATERS

• 4 double cabins + forepeak cabin
• Weekly rates $9,000 - $12,000
• Generator & Air-Conditioning

GOIN COASTAL

• 3 Cabins & 3 Electric Heads
• Weekly rates $7,000 - $10,000

TIME THIEF FP Astrea 42

• 4 Cabins & 4 Heads
• Weekly rates $8,000 - $11,000

MORE DETAILS ON ANILA

Anila is our 2017 Helia 44 Evolution catamaran. She is the owners version with 1 master cabin in the starboard hull with a large luxurious Italian-style bathroom with electric head  and 2 spacious cabins in the port hull. Each cabin has a queen size bed with private ensuite electric head and separate shower compartment. All 3 Cabins have excellent natural light and ventilation, a fan and ample storage space. She also offers a single bed in the port bow cabin that can be reached through a hatch for a child or small single adult. With the saloon table available to convert into an extra double bed, the Escape Artist can sleep up to 9 guests max.

The new Hélia 44 Evolution is designed for maximum living space and is elegant and luxurious. The panoramic 360° views in the saloon gives lots of light inside with extra large windows.

The captain will enjoy the protected steering station on the fly-bridge. The height provides excellent visibility and is connected directly to the cockpit for easy movement. The helmsman’s seat can accommodate three persons and just a few steps up takes you to the lounge deck. This is the perfect space sunning and enjoying the views. Electric winches at the helm make sailing a breeze. Additionally the spacious cockpit features a large dining table and bench seating for 8-10. Drop down sunshades surround the cockpit to protect your crew. Indoor and outdoor living spaces are well integrated with the galley opening onto the cockpit without a step between the two areas, creating a large space for entertaining. A handy cockpit fridge makes a convenient place to store drinks.

The saloon is modern, luminous and airy with wrap around windows offering a panoramic view. The forward facing navigation station is a great place for the captain to do his work. The U-shaped galley is well equipped with a three burner stove, oven, a modern two drawer stainless steel refrigerator, a separate freezer and generous storage. Sliding doors adjoin the galley and cockpit making it easy to pass food an drinks through.

Anila has a generator and full air-conditioning for your comfort.

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Which charter boat suits my needs?

Choosing the right boat for your crew can be daunting. There is such a great variety to choose from depending on your experience, passenger numbers, and the type of holiday you want to have. And we are more than happy to help you finalise your options!

Whitsunday Escape boasts the largest bareboat fleet in the Whitsundays. The fleet consists of Power Catamarans, Sailing Catamarans and Sailing Yachts ranging from 39 ft to 50 ft, that can take from 2 – 12 passengers. With a diverse fleet of 38 Whitsunday charter boats, we have a boat to suit everyone.

Did you know you can hire a sailing catamaran and not use the sails? The layout of the catamarans might suit you better so they make a great choice for most people. All of our catamarans have twin engines, and some have similar speeds to the power boats.

If we don’t have a sailing boat available for your dates, maybe try a power boat this time, the flybridge is a lovely spot to relax and watch the world go by.

Whitsunday Escape does not have any relationship with wholesalers or agents and you will only find our boats displayed on our website.

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• 5 Star Boats provide features and comforts for the discerning guest.
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Still unsure which boat to choose?

Contact the team at Whitsunday Escape. We are passionate about sailing and boating holidays in the Whitsundays.

Our team is here to help you find the perfect boat for your Whitsunday yacht charter holiday. Tell us about your group, experience and what kind of boating holiday you want to have and we can match you with the perfect bareboat.

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Tour of Lakes Escape by Personal Catamaran

TICKET PRICES STARTING FROM

Taxes and fees will be calculated at checkout

This isn’t your typical watercraft - and it isn't your typical lake cruise either: You'll be captaining your own personal catamaran across some of the cleanest waterways in all of Florida - pushing the throttle up to 30 MPH while enjoying some of the best scenery you can find during a 2 hour adventure out on the Clermont Chain of lakes.

Ticket Options

1 Option Available

Tour of Lakes Escape by Personal Catamaran : $112

Ticket Information

• Mobile or paper ticket accepted
• One per booking

What's Included

• You get to be captain! These boats are made in Central Florida and your guide will help take it places you never dreamt of.
• WEATHER GUARANTEE! If the weather conditions are unsafe, we will reschedule or refund your booking.
• Afterwards, lay in a hammock, order a drink, and enjoy the day at Cypress Cove Marina & Resort.
• Two way radio communication. Your personal guide will entertain you with stories about this unique waterway and the community that lives around it.

What's not Included

• Must be 18 years or older to drive with a valid drivers license.
• Must be 5 years old to ride.
• A Per PERSON weight limit of 250lbs. Anyone weighing more than 250lbs may not participate.

Cancellation Policy

• For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Additional Info

• Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
• Per PERSON manufacturers weight limit of 250 lbs. This activity is ONLY for people under 250lbs.
• Individuals must weigh under 250lbs.

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Smashing a Catamaran Escape Window

• August 23rd, 2023
• Product Test

It most certainly is one of the Top #1 nightmares for all of us: Sailing out on the high seas, a big storm is raging on for hours, ice-cold rain is battering off the skin of our blood-red freezing faces. We have sent our family down below already, closed the door to take the helm, running before a Force 10 wind. Waves, as high as a house, running up against our stern, intimidatingly high, growling and hollering, kicker our little catamaran around like a nutshell. Suddenly, a huge wave, higher than the others, comes in, breaking its dozen tons of greenish, boiling water over our stern, the boat is lifted, broaches, flips on its size and capsizes …

It is really a very frightening prospect. Going overboard and being lost at sea is one of the fearful fates, being trapped inside a capsized boat is another. There are many films depicting those incidents , some fictional, some reality, like Simon LeBon´s hair raising story aboard DRUM . The same way I am interested in codes of conduct how to behave in such situations, for example as I had tested a life jacket, a survival suit or how to capture and rescue a MOB I am also interested in this capsizing scenario.

Answering an open question

You may remember my article on “how to escape a capsized catamaran” from several months (oh boy, over two years in fact!) ago. In this I showed in a brand new Excess 11 cat how in the event of a capsizing the trapped crew inside the cat is supposed to leave the boat. It´s really a situation I hope nobody of us will find ourselves in, but as with all safety precautions, better be prepared than sorry. In this I lately discovered in our shipyard´s storage that we did have one escape hatch from an actual catamaran in stock. It´s an unused and never to be used again part, too precious to simply throw away, but never to be fitted a boat again.

Well, I thought, why not do a follow-up on my “escape”-article and really test it? I mean, when do we really get the chance to test things for real? In the case of a real emergency, you certainly will be overwhelmed by the specifics of the situation. Standard procedures therefor should be an automatism so that you can focus on solving the real bad things. Just as I suggest my freshly baked owners to real-life test their new life jackets in a drill or even train my own kids , why not use the chance to set up a test-rig with this catamaran emergency exit?

So we piled up some wooden pallets on top of which I placed the emergency exit. This is in fact a very heavy, rugged product. In our case made by Goiot. It consists of a heavy – steel? – frame, a number of thick screws which connect the hatch/window to the boat. The glass is tapered and adheres to safety standards. As the window is facing to the water an is not very far above it, it should be very, very strong to withstand the smashing of tons of violent water against it but also possible collisions with flotsam. On the one hand it must be very strong, on the other hand it should be “easy” to break it to leave the capsized cat and crawl onto the hull to reach for the life raft.

Downside up: Imagining a capsizing

First of all, when a boat capsizes, imagine the greatest turmoil and chaos aboard. Supposedly, your boat has already been beaten heavily by a storm, highest of waves and violent rocking. The mast hast gone in the course of a capsizing (many do). You, your family members – kids maybe -, the crew or your guests are already stressed to the limits or beyond, broken in the course of the long hours of that horror. During the storm and certainly in the course of the capsizing event there´s maximum violence inside. In a matter of seconds, the boat is harshly turned by a mighty wave.

You will be thrown about within the boat: Lucky who at this moment is in his cabin and not in a large, voluminous saloon. The distances to fall are greatest in the saloon – even more so in a catamaran where the lofty main decks resemble dancing halls. The adjoining galley does not make things easier: Cutlery, dishes, provisions, heavy pans or bottles will be thrown out of their stowage in the course of the turnover and flying around with you. Best chance to get seriously injured. A scenario of pure horror: More so if I imagine having my kids aboard and being separated from them in such an event.

Upside down: Get out fast!

Apart from the horrors of such a scenario, as a family man and father, this is something that breaks my heart. So, better be cool and cold-blooded and not thing too much of it. Let´s stay calm and look at the situation after the actual capsizing: Our boat is turned upside down. What used to be our former ceiling is now the deck. What was inside the cupboards and lockers is now scattered around. We find ourselves dizzy and disoriented – the violent shaking of the boat did not stop because the storm is raging on outside. Maybe we are injured, broken limbs or bleeding. In a catamaran, it is also likely that our kids are trapped alone in the opposite hull. Now, water is entering the boat, slowly maybe, but surely, we are sinking. Leaving the boat and getting to the life raft has number one priority. Smashing the escape windows is our only way out – take the hammer!

Catamarans are build so that the crew can leave the boat via escape hatches. The area between the two hulls – at least in the Excess 11 – has a non-skid surface and it is advised to fit a safety line to the loopeyes on either side of the hulls. From here, it´s just a few meters to the stern where the life raft is mounted to have it released and activated. But first you have to get outside. And this is what I wanted to test: How easy is it to literally crush such a safety window?

As the window will now be overhead , I kneel down underneath the glass, take the hammer and prepare myself to smash it. I´ve never done this before, smashing such a window. Let alone a tapered one with safety glass. Will it shatter? Will the broken glass explode down onto me? I don´t think so and that is why I take this a bit lighthearted (which is a mistake!) I neither wear safety glasses, nor gloves or protective clothing. On the contrary: I re-enact a sailing-situation: Shirt, shorts and I am literally on my bare feet. At least I wear a helmet. So please: Do not try this at home (or in your boat)!

Smashing the escape safety windows of the catamaran

Those hatches, which are in the closest sense of the word no hatches because they cannot be opened, are made of strong tempered glass. The adhere to the highest safety standards as they are mounted facing downwards in the catamaran and are subject to the open seas rolling and beating the hulls from below. So on the one hand these windows must be strong enough to withstand the rolling seas and maybe some flotsam to collide with, on the other hand they must apparently be opened with ease in the case of such a horrific event.

To ensure this, just near the emergency escape window of the Excess 11, to be precise, underneath the step of the entryway from saloon to the hulls, a hammer is provided. Since we cannot test this on a real catamaran, I´ve brought the emergency exit hammer from my car which is essentially the same, maybe a bit shorter and lighter. Now, what interests me most is the answer to the following question: If the catamaran has capsized and we are now standing or sitting on the former ceiling, the escape hatch will be above us. Smashing it with the hammer would mean – at least in my imagination – that the shattered glass will fall down. Fall down on the one shattering it. Or won´t it because the glass will not shatter into thousand pieces? Let´s find out!

Hard work …

The picture might convey a comical situation and to a certain degree it indeed was: At first I hit the glass pretty lousy, not putting too much energy into the hammering. I thought – conveyed by movies of all sorts – that the glass when hit with a hard spike may be shattering to pieces instantly. Well, it didn´t. I had to hit harder. Time and again. Nothing happened.

I interrupted the test and paused: Little, tiny bits and pieces had already come off the glass. Maybe it was the excitement, maybe the yelling of my two photographers (I couldn´t take pictures and hammer at the same time), but already my right hand was bleeding out of little cuts. Four cuts from splinters which had fallen down in the hammering hand. By firmly having the hammer in my hand, I grinded the splinters into my skin. Oh my. Now, why isn´t the glass shattering?!?

I resumed hammering and put in more efforts and energy into the hits. Suddenly the clear glass spung and the whole window turned milky. I had finally broken the glass! I paused again because I thought the whole window might fall out, onto me. So I took myself a bit away from exactly underneath the hatch. Being barefoot, this was a bad idea: I immediately received some cuts to my feet. Stupid guy! I hammered a dozen or so times more but essentially, apart from breaking up more splinters, nothing happened.

Wondering what could be wrong …

Now, maybe the problem was that – in the whole excitement of the test – I had put the window to test from the wrong side. Instead of hammering the inside part of the window, I had all the time tried to break into the boat, not out. I think that it should be working both ways, but I crawled back standing up from underneath the test rigging and at first got rid of the splinters which covered my body. I stood before the test-setup, flipped the hatch and again battered it with my hammer. This time from the right side.

But again, it did not break up, fall out nor, as my colleague suggested, became so “soft” that one could simply press it outward. Just more and more shards flew around, this time in a larger radius, making the whole test a lot more dangerous. No matter how hard or how often I hit the glass with my hammer, the window won´t break or fall out.

I stopped. My colleagues were a bit puzzled too. We never had expected this outcome: “Are we too stupid? Are we missing something here?” We asked ourselves. Sure, I did not use the original hammer, but a steel-spike is a steel spike, right? We looked closely onto the window if we had overlooked maybe a clear sign of a designated area – maybe the window must be hit at a precise location to make the window go? But we did not find such a mark. I raised my eyebrows. Well, that was it, I´d say.

Getting the big tools

But we weren´t finished yet. I went to the workshop and got a heavy duty (small) sledgehammer. Just to see if brute force can smash this safety glass once and for all. I started hitting the frame, at first a bit reluctant, then increasing the power. But to our astonishment, again, the already smashed glass held up pretty much all of the force, just letting go smaller fractions of splinters. What kind of material is that?!

Then, finally, after I feel having hit that poor window a hundred times, at last, the glass gave way and opened up. It took me five hard hits to blow out a hole. This whole wasn´t wider than maybe centimeters. Maybe a mouse could have escaped now – not a man. More and more bigger shards fell down, it was real hard work to widen the hole. Again, we all had expected the glass to come off in bigger chunks, but I had to work my way centimeter for centimeter.

I stopped the experiment as more and more splinters flew around and my fellow colleagues had already increased their distance to the test rigging. The thickness of the tapered window and the sturdy resistance is absolutely staggering! I mean, this window really took a violent beating from steel tools, yet it did not give in. Amazingly rugged!

After some twenty minutes I declared the experiment to be finished. The floor was covered with tiny to bigger-sized chunks of sharp splinters. I wore shoes now, but seeing the whole area sparkle so nicely made me stop: It was enough that my feet and the right hand was bleeding (well, it sounds more dramatic than it was, but still: Blood is red) and I guess we all had seen enough to draw some conclusions from this escape window experiment.

What I´ve learned

First of all, it is far, far, far more difficult, complicated and really tough work to get such a safety glass window to shatter. I still don´t know what we could have done different but the idea of “just hit it after a capsizing, press it outside and rescue yourself” is just not feasible. I´ve tried the normal escape hammer and a heavy-duty sledgehammer and yet the window just shows a little hole.

Secondly, if the worst case scenario of a capsizing event is taking place and you survive it, I find it difficult to imagine how you can smash the window above your head with shards falling down onto yourself whilst the boat subject to violent rocking, maybe you are barefoot, bleeding … my test now makes this horrific scenario even more frightening. Now that I know that the window simply won´t fall out of be crushed so easily. Let alone, imagining that children, even if briefed, could do this.

In this, the big, big learning is just this: Never capsize! Check the weather conditions, be alert, avoid storms at any cost and simply try everything to keep your boat upright!

To ease this a bit: Catamaran capsizing events are rare (thank God!) and I can confirm from my own experiences that those cats are far more stable than I initially thought. During my first ever delivery through the Bay of Biscay we met some pretty rough weather and impressive waves: The boat was rocking quite nicely making the whole crew hitting their bunks with severe seasickness . Being up for more than 30 hours in the dash through the Biscay during the storm I never had the feeling of losing control or being unsafe. So, I hope that the events portrayed here and the need to smash an escape window will never be reality!

If you have any input, also maybe on what we may have done “better” or where the trick is how a safety window is smashed, feel free to comment, I appreciate your input.

You might as well find interesting to read:

How to escape a capsized catamaran

Catamaran boost: Fast crossing the Bay of Biscay in a catamaran

The Race of Alderney : Catamaran trapped!

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what are the escape hatch requirements for catamarans?

Discussion in ' Boat Design ' started by riskmore , Apr 5, 2019 .

riskmore Junior Member

I want to modify the wave breaker under my bridge deck that would require eliminating 4 escape hatches. the boat was built in France in 1996 to what I think is a commercial standard similar to uscg inspection over 12 passengers. It is now US registered so can I operate private and be insured with this modification? Would this mod prohibit a uscg 12 pac inspection ? if I remove the 4 there are still 6 more escape hatches and I don't intend to race.  

gonzo Senior Member

Insurance coverage is a private contract, so the most the company may ask is to have a current survey and valuation. To get the vessel documented for 12 pac, or any other commercial use, it needs to be built in the USA. You can't get it documented since it was built in France.  

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Sailing With Charlie: The Escape Hatch on a Catamaran

You know you want it...

Mocka Jumbies and Rum...

Catamarans have become the charter yacht of choice in the Caribbean. Every year more and more cats join the crewed yacht fleet while the bareboat companies vie for these multi-hulls as demand increases. Charlie is often called upon to teach catamaran sailing to neophytes. One of the first questions from Joe and Sheila, sixty-something students-for-a-week, was, ‘ We’re thinking of buying a boat, which type would you advise; a mono hull or a catamaran ?’ The question is rather like, ‘I’m going for a walk, what kind of shoes should I wear?’ There are just so many variables it’s hard to come up with a definitive answer. Charlie usually postpones an answer until after the course is over.

To make a positive first impression Charlie extols the virtues of some of the cat’s features. Joe and Sheila seemed dead keen so he described the roominess of the cabins, main salon, foredeck trampoline and cockpit to the eager couple. He showed the nicely insulated generator locker accentuating the comfortable temperatures the air conditioning can provide. “The boat sails fast,” continued Charlie, “and with the shallow draft we’ll have the best spot in the anchorage, right next to the beach. Maneuvering and docking is a piece of cake too. Twin engines are your best friends.”

Before long they were out of the marina and sailing fast with all sails set on a close reach in 18 knots. It was exhilarating stuff with spray flying over the windward bow. But on about day four Joe was becoming less enamored by the heavy work of hoisting the fully battened mains’l. Then the 120% Genoa kept getting fouled on poorly positioned mast cleats especially when the sail was back winded to bring the boat through a tack. Sheeting in the Genoa for close hauled sailing was no cinch either. “You could always install electric winches,” explained Charlie, airily.

During happy hour all the talk was about the potential new boat the couple was going to buy. Their budget was one million and Charlie told them they could buy a pretty good midsize cat for that price. But Sheila had somehow become concerned about safety. On the trip to Anegada the wind had piped up to over 20 knots and the leeward shrouds had become loose; she was frightened. “Nothing to worry about” said Charlie cheerily, “ even if the worst comes to the worst and the boat capsizes there’s an escape hatch. ”

That was it! That was the death knell; the killer blow that ended the dream. Charlie quickly changed the subject when the look of horror on the lady’s face became apparent. “Escape hatches are never used – it’s a design feature,” explained Charlie in desperation, trying to cover his tracks. But the lady was adamant, “ I’ll never go on a catamaran again – very dangerous – I’ve seen them in the America’s Cup trials on TV. ”

There was nothing Charlie could do. Joe just shrugged with a look of resignation. It would either be her or the boat; one would have to go.

Charlie knew what his choice would be.

Julian Putley is the author of ‘The Drinking Man’s Guide to the BVI’, ‘Sunfun Calypso’, and ‘Sunfun Gospel’.

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