Nautitech 44 Open MackenSea - One year and 10,000nm review

Cheryl and I have been on MackenSea, our 2024 Nautitech 44, for just over a year now and have just clocked 10,000 nautical miles. Enough time for the (boat) honeymoon to be over and to form an opinion. And the result is — I love it. I’m so happy with the way this boat sails, the design inside and out, the two-cabin layout with the smartroom, and yes — I love the open helms. I think this boat was designed for us!

We had all our customizations done by Nautitech, so when we arrived, our boat was ready to “drive away.” A shout-out to Cédric (customization manager), who executed everything perfectly. Also, having Max from Yacht Sales West in Vancouver join us in La Rochelle for two weeks to do the shakedown was invaluable. We had no delays and set off exactly on the schedule we agreed to when we signed the purchase six months earlier.

I have to mention our skipper, David Prichard (Nautitech Dave). He was with us for what turned out to be a very lively Bay of Biscay crossing and a fast, sometimes bumpy run down the Portuguese coast. Lots of insights were gained in those 10 days.

We’ve been fortunate to have a very supportive broker in Yacht Sales West, Vancouver. Their post-sales support is second to none — they’ve been quick to respond to any issues we encountered and always advocated to get things done. I’m not sure they sleep, as I often received responses within minutes, even when we were in the Med and it was midnight in Vancouver! A big thanks to Max S. and David B.

Issues we have had with the boat to date and how they were handled:

1. Cristec Solar charge controllers were producing less than half the expected output. - Nautitech refused to replace them under warranty, Yacht Sales West stepped up and paid for Victron Replacement. The bonus here is that Victron Controllers have remote monitoring. Note to Nautitech, either get Cristec to update their design or replace them.

2. Flexible Solar Panels has water intrusion under the protective film - Replaced with a superior product by Nautitech under Warranty.

3. Sailsense, numerous issues - Sailsense support is exceptionally good: Hub has been replaced twice, new processors in the switching boxes, replaced faulty black water sensor. My feedback to Nautitech is that Sailsense does not belong on a owner operated boat. It introduces two points of failure (the Sailsense system and the cheap bypass connectors) for little value add to the owner. I can see how it might be useful on a chartered boat, but that is not Natitech's target market.

4. Rudder bearings had minor water seepage - Nautitech replaced these under warranty

5. Black water through hulls minor seepage - Nautitech replaced these with plastic ones under warranty

6. Autopilot ram connection to rudder quadrant bolt loosened wearing the hole. Nautitech fixed this under warranty. The solution was to swap the quadrants. This is holding so far and I now check it daily. This still seems to be a poor component with stainless bolt on a soft cast iron quadrant. I'd like to see something more robust on this most critical component.

7. Sheet block on roof misaligned - I did not notice this one, Nautitech proactively delivered a kit to fix this (a sign of Nautitech delivering on the promise to improve their post sales support)

8. Lewmar Mainsheet Traveler gave out. Nautitech upgrading under warranty, Second example of improving Nautitech post sales support.

9. Freezer coolant leak - repaired under warranty by Nautitech.

10. Elevstrom Code Zero torsion line came out of the crimp at the head (A nasty one as the sail ended up in the prop during North Atlantic Crossing). On inspection it was clear that the crimp was faulty. - Elvstrom acknowledged that they had an issue with their crimp tool in 2023 - 2024. They agreed to replace it under warranty. Other Nautitech owners have reported this failure. Here Nautitech should push Elvestrom into performing a mandatory inspection on all crimps that were done in this period. It is very easy to see the bad crimp.
    

Much of the warranty work mentioned above was done by Neo Marine in Martinique — super friendly, supportive, and dependable. A first-class crew.

Also, as you can see from my list above, all the issues we’ve had were addressed. For this, I must give credit to the Yacht Sales West crew — they’ve been strong advocates in getting things done. I’ve also noticed a big positive change in Nautitech’s post-sales support over the past year. If they continue to follow through, this will be a real differentiator for them. Owners notice, owners communicate, and buyers follow owners.

We’re currently halfway between Bermuda and the Azores, averaging around 8.6 knots, with a maximum speed of 19.4 knots — all of this in 3–4m following seas. The boat is loving these conditions. Not a single creak or squeak. While I, like all owners, complain about the small stuff (see above), the most important thing about this boat is its superb superstructure build quality and the speed and comfort it delivers.

As I write this, I know it may come across as overly rosy — but this has genuinely been our experience. Believe me, I’m a cynical Scot; if things hadn’t gone well, you’d be reading a very different story.