Balance 451. Catamaran built for speed with the comforts of home.

In this episode of Cruising Off Duty, we continue our series where we are checking out the Catamarans at the Annapolis Sailboat Show to see what we think would suit us as a full-time live-aboard catamaran as we circumnavigate the globe.
This episode we cover the Balance 451. This boat is clearly built for the owner that is interested in speed with its sleek lines and daggerboards. We like the interior craftsmanship but did it feel big enough inside to be our full-time live-aboard home?
Hopefully, you enjoyed this episode. If so, give it a thumbs up, share the link with friends that might enjoy this content and subscribe so you don't miss any future episodes.
If you enjoy the channel and would like to show your support so that we can replace equipment to keep making the best content possible, please check out our Patreon Page to find out more at: www.Patreaon.com/CruisingOffDuty. Camera Gear and drones break from constant use and need replacing. Unsurprisingly, they are NOT CHEAP! haha. Thanks for any support.
Here are the drones that I regularly use to film during most of my episodes:
Mavic 2 Pro or Mavic 2 Zoom can be found at this link:
click.dji.com/...
Mavic Pro can be found at this link: click.dji.com/...
The Fly More Package (saves over $200) can be found at this link: click.dji.com/...
ND filters for the Mavic 2:
Amazon.ca amzn.to/2yB7TEd
Amazon.com amzn.to/2q8mMt9
Camera gear that I use to film my channels:
Panasonic GH5 (Main Cinematic Camera)
Amazon.ca amzn.to/2qvEsNC
Amazon.com amzn.to/2rgzeJ0
Amazon.co.uk amzn.to/2rgFiBp
Panasonic GH4 (Back-up cinematic camera)
Amazon.ca amzn.to/2sUqxSY
Amazon.com amzn.to/2sfo2wL
Amazon.co.uk amzn.to/2s3gZFq
Canon G7X mark ii: (My Vlog and low light camera)
Amazon.ca amzn.to/2qvbmy8
Amazon.com amzn.to/2rgAGLv
Amazon.co.uk amzn.to/2ry99pF
GoPro Hero6 and Hero5 Black (used in rough or wet conditions)
Amazon.ca amzn.to/2sUiC86
Amazon.com amzn.to/2tdv9Tz
Amazon.co.uk amzn.to/2td2QEL
Azden SMX-30 Shotgun (Mono/Stereo) Mic
Amazon.ca amzn.to/2s2UeBd
Amazon.com amzn.to/2tdsn0C
Amazon.co.uk amzn.to/2s2VeoX
Mavic Pro Drone
Amazon.ca amzn.to/2DRAj1s
Amazon.com amzn.to/2E6Lxi4
Zhiyun Crane and Crane M
Amazon.ca: amzn.to/2F0YFBt
Amazon.com: amzn.to/2vvLfOw
DJI Osmo Mobile 2
Amazon.ca: amzn.to/2qJ27Mb
Amazon.com: amzn.to/2EZDuQn
Knock Off Action Cameras
Amazon.ca: amzn.to/2HiKCxm
Amazon.com: amzn.to/2Jf5YYG

[@williamwilkins8648]

Dagger boards - that a total positive!!

[@unclemuir]

Great looking boat. Does seem small for a 45 foot. I do like a fast cat that will give you a chance to run from the weather. The table coming down from the ceiling is a novel idea but I would be afraid it would come down on it's own. A boat that truly gets used needs to be as simple as you can make it. Love the barbecue setup, more boats should have that.

[@Bowmans-Woods]

I agree with everything you say. Too small for us for 45'. The table is nice but with a boat bouncing around all the time through the waves, I also could see that getting loose and coming down unexpectedly. I prefer a table that is just mounted there and stays there all the time. Janice seemed to like it more than I believe she really does now on reflection after looking at the footage because she had seen so many cheap interiors on boats before this that she was jus so happy to see rounded corners and real wood. She gave it a pass on a lot of things on that day because of that.

[@kellee6551]

Love the Balance...there is a 2014 for sale at this time with center console dingy and 1200 watts of solar at 500+K...the next size up with the adjustable helm is Wonderful....that's the used one I'm hoping for in a year or 2....Love the videos...keep em coming...Thanks

[@Bowmans-Woods]

Thanks KK. Yes, the 526 we saw was really nice. But way too expensive for what we could ever afford.

[@rustie4242]

It seems most people looking to buy a cat think that dagger boards are just for speed, pointing, and less leeway. But they are an important safety feature. In extreme conditions with the boards raised the cat can slide sideways when hit by heavy waves, such as a rouge wave. It is just a point to consider when choosing a cat for blue water cruising.

[@deibertmichael]

Dagger Boards are for pointing more upwind! Not only to go fast! Looks like it sails well! Not a box on the water!

[@drx1xym154]

its like a swing "keel" on a mono hull.... which is kind of awesome, since you can lower your draft. I wonder if you can beach this cat (or most cats).

[@jasonargonaut9112]

@@drx1xym154 Usually you cannot beach cats with dagger boards because: a) the dagger boards are not build to support the weight and b) the rudder and/or the propeller (which are deeper than the raised dagger boards) cannot support the weight either. If you are adventurous enough and plan for a new bottom paint soon, you probably can very carefully motor into a (fine) sand beach with a decent slope and "anchor" there for a while. It will not work in areas with high tides.

[@jasonargonaut9112]

+1! The tacking angle and the leeway are probably a bigger issue than the speed on the most modern cruising catamarans.

[@playb4work447]

@@jasonargonaut9112 This boat comes with small keels to protect the dagger boards and rudder. And yes you can beach this cat if you want.

[@Bowmans-Woods]

I realize what daggerboards are designed to help. Sideways slip and pointing. But, they only tend to put daggerboards on cats that have a focus on speed and performance vs interior space and comfort. So I stand by my statement "Daggerboards means the Cat is designed to focus on speed, not comfort" . (ie interior volume and storage).

[@Blazerade13]

Nice video! Thanks fr showing us this boat which I thought looked very good. I have owned a Lagoon and a performance centreboard cat. Centreboards are great! Yes, they really help upwind performance but they also help downwind performance by retracting them and removing the drag. Also they reduce the draft which allows you to get in really shallow, even nudging the beach. One more thing. Performance cats are not 'a little bit faster'. Ours was 30-40% faster than our Lagoon easily cruising at 10-12 knots, which meant easy 200 mile days. So each to their own but most cat owners have never sailed a responsive, agile cruising cat, which is a shame as the pleasure of sailing one is addictive.

[@Bowmans-Woods]

Thanks David. Glad to hear from someone who has sailed both types of Cats. I have nothing against fast cats. I totally see the value and excitement that people would get out of sailing a fast cat. Just not our thing because we want to take out time exploring the world and spending possibly weeks at each Island and spending 90+% of our time at anchor. So Slim hulls with little storage to get speed, is just not worth it to us. Like you said. To each their own. Speed fans seem so upset when we say that. It's funny to us that they keep trying to convince us that speed is better. It's like telling an Apple Fan that you prefer Android. They just can't stop telling you why we are wrong. PS. Probably a bad example because I am an Apple fan. But the point is I dont try and convince other of my choice. 😁

[@Blazerade13]

Cruising Off Duty I understand your thinking. After all we have made our decision and we now have the Lagoon and it is a good compromise for both myself and my wife. I still miss the other boat but my wife certainly doesn’t. 😁

[@Blazerade13]

For what it’s worth my favourite Lagoon is the old 470 owners version. Not as flash as the modern designs but still comfortable and much lighter and with higher bridgedeck clearance than the 46. Would sail better I have no doubt.

[@Bowmans-Woods]

Hey David. I had to laugh at the comment that your wife doesn't miss it. Janice is the same. She wants space and comfort. She is way more impressed with lots of wood cabinets and things like that then how fast a boat sails. I figure we will be in no big rush to get anywhere so I will side with her and go for comfort. If there was a Cat that could sail really fast, was beamy with lots of space in the cabins and salon areas and was reasonably priced, I'd clearly prefer that. But you can have it all.

[@Bowmans-Woods]

Should say "Can't have it all".

[@cartmanrlsusall]

For a performance cat it's nice. After 2 years onboard you will throw away most of the stuff you want all that storage space for.

[@Bowmans-Woods]

We will have to throw out a ton of stuff, for sure. Still, plan to have scuba tanks and compressor and inflatable SUPs and other things so I am sure we will never complain we have too much space. 😃

[@antonditt1661]

The outside galley is smart. I can tell from experience. The same that make massiv opening front windows in the bridge deck cabin a priority for me. You get roasted in there, if you are not American, running the AC 24/7 ;-) I could live with daggerboards, but only when they come with retractable rudders. Being the deepest part of the boat, they will be first to hit the ground or any obstacles.

[@playb4work447]

The boat comes with a small keel that will protect the rudder and dagger boards when retracted. This boat can be beached safely.

[@paulmorris6914]

@cruisingoffduty Just FYI, the Balance 451 is listed at base price of $395K for 2021...and you don't have to get daggerboards. You can get performance keels on this. I think for the price, it's a contender for my wife and I.

[@Bowmans-Woods]

That is reasonable. We saw that boat a few years ago. Can’t recall why we didn’t fall in love with it? Have to take another look at it.

[@Kelkschiz]

Beautifully build, I like it. Looks cool too. Nice episode guys!

[@Bowmans-Woods]

Thanks Kel

[@Eddybarrett84]

Seems dagger boards would also offer safety while in rough storms, i am not a engineer but I bet they recommend lowering them while in rough sea and in high winds

[@cliffordbradford8910]

no you raise them.

[@ozgold2575]

Yes has carbon fiber in stress load areas. Vinylester resins are infused throughout the deck and hulls, with carbon fiber in high-load areas, like the stringers and bulkheads, to ensure the stiffest, most durable structure possible at a competitive price point. In the interest of windward performance, the Balance 451 comes equipped with a pair of daggerboards and two shallow stub keels to protect the boat’s rudders and saildrives.

[@Bowmans-Woods]

Thanks for the info Boo

[@pioneer_1148]

The difference in liveability compared to their current designs (442 and 482) is staggering. This looks at least 5 or 6 feet smaller than either of those boats.

[@Bowmans-Woods]

Oh. Good to know. Have to check the newer ones out.

[@allensmith8953]

At 6:58 you mentioned that we'll see a bigger Balance later but there's no mention of a balance on your future episodes. I REALLY liked this boat, is there a larger Balance cat?

[@jmb1805]

Search for Balance 526 on KZbin. Much more modern design than this model.

[@allensmith8953]

@@jmb1805 thank you

[@Bowmans-Woods]

Yes. Later in the show we get a guided tour of the Balance 526. It is a really nice Cat but it is $1.6 or $1.7 million! Way way way out of our price range and therefore we do not mention it as a boat we like in future episodes. We will show it on our channel since we filmed it, but it is not in the realm of possibilities for us.

[@leosorbello7732]

This is a great example of a cruse @speed boat in production iv seen on the market,I would fail this in a dark night noproblom .

[@MrGstvsn]

I'm going to guess, before watching it, that if it doesn't have double sinks....Janice won't like it :) Love the videos and the series. Keep up the great work.

[@Bowmans-Woods]

Surprisingly even with just 1 sink and daggerboards (which she doesn't want) she actually seemed to like it. I think after all the cats with IKEA cheap interiors, she was so happy to see real wood she was willing to overlook a lot. :-)

[@rvhmon656]

@@Bowmans-Woods One LARGE sink is far more functional than twin rinky dinky sinks. I personally need room for CLEANING THE LARGE SOUP POT and lobster pot. Cleaning the LARGE SOUP POT in the shower...I'll pass on THAT experience, thank you. Right...but...then again...who actually makes a large pot of soup nowadays...ME!

[@rvhmon656]

...two HUGE sinks would get me salivating! Take that big single sink and put in second one witha really cool MOEN or Crane faucet.

[@Bowmans-Woods]

Yes. 2 big sinks would be our preference. I agree a second tiny sink is really not much help. The FP47 we just reviewed had 2 decent sized sinks. I believe the Knysna 50 we reviewed first had 2 good sized sinks. Im sure some of the boats in our future episodes have 2 large. So there are boats with 2 good ones. Just not Lagoons. For some reason, they have an aversion to ever putting in 2 sinks. Even in a 50'

[@cartmanrlsusall]

Now we are talking balance, gunboat,and wharram the best for sailing fast and reasonable comfort

[@Bowmans-Woods]

If you like speed. Outremer 5X is next. Probably no surprise to anyone. It's not our style of cat (Comfort and storage over speed) and is way too expensive for our budget, but we know there are a bunch of speed fans out there that would want to see it. Just ignore our lukewarm response. ha ha.

[@cartmanrlsusall]

@@Bowmans-Woods thanks if you are going to go you might as well go fast.

[@burddog0792]

Looks like a pretty dated model. Perhaps when (if) they make a new one it would have the option for high performance keels like on the awesome 526 you toured (and the new 482 model on their website). Hopefully share the beautiful looks of the new boats as well.

[@Bowmans-Woods]

Maybe. I don't know if they have plans to revamp it. I think it is their entry level Balance.

[@bowwave59]

Looks like a 2 person + 2 short term guests yacht. A yacht for people who want to get somewhere quick. Length for buoyancy not for comfort space. Slender hull = speed like you said. Be Interesting to hear what displacements these boats are.... weight = slow. 👍👍👍

[@Bowmans-Woods]

Hey Paul. Yes. Built for speed. Daggerboards. Slim hulls. Small for a 45'. I think Janice was happy to finally see a boat with real wood inside so she was giving it a ton of passes on things. We see better boats that match our needs better in the future.

[@bowwave59]

Cruising Off Duty I liked that one. Compromise between space and speed and a nice interior 👍 iam enjoying the window shopping too. The floating apartments are nice too. 👌

[@movieklump]

On a four day passage a yacht that is one knot slower will still have 96 nautical miles to go when the the yacht that is one knot faster is safely in port. Two knots and you are looking at 192 nautical miles. That is why people say speed is a safety consideration.

[@Bowmans-Woods]

That's if you are on a LONG passage. Most passages people do, especially where most people sail, in the Caribbean, is a couple of days at most. So 1 knot is not going to make a huge difference in total time. Maybe the faster boat gets there 2 hrs faster. It all depends what you want your boat to do for you. Be comfortable while sailing and while at anchor or be light and bouncy while sailing and be also more bouncy at anchor but save you a bit of time when you are doing a passage. I have interviewed people that own performance cats and they all agree that they are less comfortable while sailing than the cruising cats and they have to always have an eye on any possible squalls because they can flip their cats if the wind pick up and they have too much sail out. The heavier cruising cats will not flip so you can sleep well at night. You will hear the wind pick up and you can get up and shorten your sails to not over stress your rig, but you know you won't flip. Flipping over in the middle of the ocean is WAY WAY more dangerous to your survival, than shortening your trip by a bit. You are not going to convince me that a light performance cat that can tip over is "Safer" and we all know it is not more comfortable to live on.

[@movieklump]

@@Bowmans-Woods This is my very flawed and subjective opinion but I am talking about a knot. Not sailing at 20 knots as in an Outreemer or a Catana. That even though a knot does not seem much on two yachts of similar comfort level it makes a huge difference on any sort of passage. And is a safety consideration when choosing any yacht. Even on a two day passage it is 48 nautical miles. That is an extra eight hours you are vulnerable at sea. It could even be worth paying extra dollars for that one knot especially if it sails better in light winds.

[@glenpeters955]

As usual an interesting viewpoint on a production catamaran. A point you have never made before is headroom, I'm 6' 4" tall and some boats are just too low could you please make a comment on headroom if possible in future. As always stay safe.

[@tallakff7349]

Yes please, I am 6’ 8” and wonder if any catamaran has enough headroom.

[@playb4work447]

I'm 6'1" and I had to duck in every doorway, and I didn't have much headroom in the salon either. I can't imagine the head clearance issues you would have at 6'4".

[@sctenz]

I'm 6' 5''. We chartered a FP Lapari 41 back in June, and I was able to stand in the cockpit, saloon, and staterooms with a few inches to spare. Just watch your head in the companionways!

[@jasonargonaut9112]

The heads are always a pain if you are taller than 5'x". Especially on the owner version with shower completely in the front just don't try to use this shower. From the production cats it seems like the current Leopards (starting at ±45') have the biggest headroom.

[@Bowmans-Woods]

Glad to see a bunch of back and forth comments already answering the question. I'm 6' tall. In any of the open areas I have no headroom issues and I believe even at 6'4" you would never need to duck. But, as has been said the area where you may have to duck is going through doorways. They tend to be built into a support wall and the door is always shorter than the headroom in the rooms on either side. So unless you are crazy tall (like 6'8") you should be fine with headroom in almost all locations.

[@zzzxxzzz4797]

Craig , check out Wiley Sharp top 3cats under 600k for October ! There is the first exquisite X5 made for sale !

[@Bowmans-Woods]

OK thanks.

[@brianbuchanan5170]

Looks like the 451 model will be ending in 2021 for a new model to take it’s place. Prices of new (FOB Hong Kong are really good). US$395 base and $525 loaded. This is as of June 2020.

[@Bowmans-Woods]

OK. Good to know. Thanks.

[@aloisluond8894]

Hi Brian, I have been interested in the Balance 451 for a while. How could I find out more about a newer version.... New model? How much do you know?

[@paulgomm3157]

Great toy

[@Bowmans-Woods]

HaHa. If we had the money to call this a Toy, we just play on occasionally, life would be good.

[@playb4work447]

You'll be interested to know that you can opt out of the dagger boards if you wish.

[@Bowmans-Woods]

Yes, I just heard that. Thanks. Still too small for us for a 45'. Slim hulls and very sloped glass. Clearly it was designed for speed, which is fine. Just not what we are looking for.

[@Kazooka]

Although it was evident in the video, I didn't hear you mention the self-tacking jib. Just sayin'. :-)

[@Bowmans-Woods]

Yes. Well I said "There is no seating up here and I pointed at the self tacking jib taking up the entire area of the front deck, making it impossible to ever put seats or cushions out there while sailing, but didn't feel the need to say "Hey, look at the track for the self tacking jib". Figured the video spoke for itself. 😜

[@theogdirkdiggler]

one sink, deal breaker!

[@Bowmans-Woods]

haha. I'm surprised Janice didn't just turn around and walk off the boat as soon as she saw that. I think the shiny wood and round corners blinded her to that. haha

[@graeme-sailingskeptic]

as a liveaboard for 2 people it should be heaps big enough surely?

[@Bowmans-Woods]

Yes. It certainly would be. But we are not really looking for performance, but storage and comfort. Just seems a bit small considering it is 45'. We see boats in future episodes we like more.

[@andrewlabat9963]

Will y'all be reviewing any Leopards?

[@Bowmans-Woods]

Yep. Later in the series.

[@pearadisevlogs7467]

I think Phil must have bought the moulds for the Roger Hill designed Montebello 12.5, and added a few updates. The boats are pretty much identical. Phil is making a better run of it than Monebello, and I wish him luck! It looks like a nice, comfortable performance yacht. You can see the Montebello 12.5 inspiration for the 451 here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3qsdZt3jb12iZI

[@Bowmans-Woods]

OK. Great. Thanks for the info.

[@alohathaxted]

Balances seem well thought out too sail plan and helm station visibility. A good sailors boat keeps everyone from getting fatigued and stressed out on all points of sail.

[@Bowmans-Woods]

I agree. They seem well designed for sailing performance.

[@alohathaxted]

They are well design ergonomically. Design is not just comfort versus performance, just as not all helm response is tiller versus wheel steering. Ease of maintenance, longevity of materials, ethetics are all at play, not just how much storage, which by the way is moot in a multihull, which always needs to trim weight. KISS! books.google.com/books?id=LCxFAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1&source=kp_read_button#v=onepage&q&f=false

[@leosorbello7732]

Sorry ( sail this no problems in a dark night ).

[@RickSherman007]

Balance will build one with keils instead of dagger boards BTW you will NOT bring all your stuff, much of it you don't need onboard

[@Bowmans-Woods]

Good to know on the no daggerboard option. Still would be too small for us. I agree that we will need to throw out a TON of our stuff to live on a boat. Just want a boat that has a reasonable size to carry Scuba tanks and a bunch of other stuff we would want to have with us as we SLOWLY move around the world. Have I stressed enough to everyone that we don't care that much on speed? haha

[@Starmania_FR]

I don't like this boat, seems too small for 45 feet. And the front windows are too inclined and will heat the interior.

[@Bowmans-Woods]

I hear you. In reviewing the footage I was less impressed than Janice was. I think after seeing so many Cats prior to this, with the cheap "IKEA" furnishings, she was just so happy to see some real wood that she was willing to overlook a bunch of reasons it probably wasn't right for us. She actually said she liked a boat with Daggerboards? I have to write that one down. She always says "I dont want daggerboards".

[@snoopybluejeans]

The angles window will bake the interior, they also eliminate the forward facing nav station and you lose storage, plus views. Lagoons are still my fave, for this reason alone.

[@beachcomberz]

checked it out on their website - I wonder why they build this model in China and the 526 in S.A. I wonder if the quality suffers being built in China which is renowned for poor quality cheap etc

[@Bowmans-Woods]

hmmmm maybe. I was not aware this model was built in China. Good to know. Thanks.

[@shelbytomy07]

That's so not true. Has daggerboards doesn't mean it isn't comfort

[@paulwyand6204]

Daggerboards prevent the boat from sailing like a pig! It lets you go up wind, it makes the boat more controllable and comfortable. It is not a difference of 8 knots vs 10 it is 8 knots vs 25+ and being able to go the direction you want to go. There is a reason why you rarely see a charter catamaran with it's sails up, they don't sail well. I am not a fan of catamarans in general but I would never consider one without daggerboard, at least in your price range. And I am sure if you want a double sink they will put one in for your, this is not a big production company boat, so there is room for some customization. By the way any catamaran is going to suffer from being overloaded, so be careful of what you stuff on board or you may only be able to make 6 knots!

[@Bowmans-Woods]

OK Paul. Thanks. Each person values different characteristics. I sailed across the Ocean on a non-daggerboard beamy cat. It sailed pretty darn fast considering we had a low wind passage. I believe Performance Cat enthusiasts, like yourself, tend to way over exaggerate how slow cats without daggerboards sail. A recent ARC rally was actually won by a Lagoon. So clearly they or any non daggerboard cat are not pigs and can sail very respectably. Almost all the cats we see in North America were sailed here from places like France or South Africa. They can all sail and are not floading boxes, like people like you tend to spout off about. So please stop exaggerating.

[@helenbell1715]

Condomarans are slow and very heavy. They can’t point well. They do sail just not as efficiently as sleek light performance cats

[@coconutz247]

btw. why on earth would you want a double sink? where are you going to wash your pooch? haha

[@Bowmans-Woods]

Pooch? Dog? One thing we will NEVER have on our boat as we travel around the world is a dog or a cat. We don't need that hassle trying to check into countries and dealing with all the vaccines and vet bills that they require to ensure your furry friend doesn't have some disease. Plus taking it to shore over and over when at anchor to do its business? NO THANKS! Sorry pet lovers. No pooches on our sailing channel. haha

[@snoopybluejeans]

Didn't like the bathroom sinks either. They too take up horizontal space. I like them under counter style. More ridges to clean as well.

[@coconutz247]

@@snoopybluejeans lot to like about that boat but it does seem small for a 45. if you have money falling out of your pockets, go for the balance 526. that's a beauty. even has a double kitchen and under mount bath sink! unique helm wheel plus in boom furling. love cockpit, nav station, and the cushions at the trampoline. www.yachtworld.com/boats/2018/balance-526-3167313/?refSource=standard%20listing

[@Bowmans-Woods]

Yes, We saw it. But $1.7 million? No chance we could afford that. Unless we won a lottery. So not really on our wish list.

[@coconutz247]

@@Bowmans-Woods may i ask which cat are you leaning to?

[@jamielancaster01]

Honestly that design looks really old.

[@Bowmans-Woods]

A bit, I’d agree.