Thank you everyone for taking time to respond.  Can anyone tell how the hulls are constructed?  Are the solid glass or foam cored?  I'd be interested in anyone's point of view on benefits and downsides of the Santorin sloop versus the ketch?  What are the biggest headaches with Amel boats and the Santorin in general? 

Regards,

Elm

On Oct 1, 2015, at 1:17 PM, Siviero Attilio attilio.siviero@... [amelyachtowners] <amelyachtowners@...> wrote:

 

I have an Amel Santorin #84 (1993) “Sisila", now in Rhodes Marina, Greece, and I steered to it, rather than SM, because we planned (my wife and myself) cruising mostly in the Med, even if Santorin ketch is well suited for the “pond” (Atlantic Ocean), and any other “pond”.

We bought her in Le Lavandou, France, French Riviera, in the winter of 2009, and we crossed all the Med, to Genova, then Corse, Sardinia, Tunisia, Sicily, up to Venice, now Aegean sea and Turkey's Turquoise Coast: few thousands of miles since 2009, only during summers.

A friend of mine, Craig Briggs came from Florida on Sangaris, his Santorin Ketch, with few modifications, mostly domestic (freezer, air conditioning, bigger fridge, genset, watermaker). I only put solar panels, davits, aerogen, one more battery for the engine, bimini. We do not need freezer, washing machine, dishwasher, genset and watermaker in the Med (solar panels and aerogen feed sufficient power).

The choice was mostly due to economic reasons, maintenance and mooring fees, and 46feet are sufficiently safe for any sea, not much less than 53feet of SM. The difference from SM is mostly geometric, further to domestic features, probably SM can face safely harder seas, maybe more than Santorin, but in the Med has more problems to fit in the Marinas, and in many small bays where to take shelter during storms, apart cost matters.

Also, to change sails and rigging, that I made, was less expensive.

So maybe a good compromise, same safety in sailing, less costs, even if sometimes during summer I would like air conditioning (anyhow I made big canvas covering almost the whole boat at anchor, and this is less expensive, does not need genset, as Bernard Moitessier said: what is missing does not need to be fixed).

I think I would buy her again

Cheers

Attilio & Maria Siviero 

Amel Santorin#84 "Sisila"

Il giorno 01/ott/2015, alle ore 17:53, Germain Jean-Pierre jgermain@... [amelyachtowners] <amelyachtowners@...> ha scritto:

I’ve seen a sloop Santorin up close and my opinion is… don’t do it.  Too much a compromise on the Amel philosophy.

Welcome aboard

JEAN-PIERRE GERMAIN, 

SY Eleuthera, SM 007

On 1 Oct 2015, at 16:45, elmbrook@... [amelyachtowners] <amelyachtowners@...> wrote:

 

Well 1st off - Hello.  I've recently joined the group to become knowledgeable about Amel Santorin sailboats and Amel boats in general.  I've searched the web and specifically this forum to find information on construction, design philosophy and on the suitability of Amel Santorin for blue water cruising.  What little I've found so far is promising but I'd be grateful if anyone could point me in the direction of posts or web site data that presents Amel Sailboats and specifically the Santorin 46 (sloop and ketch).

From what little I've learned so far this may be the boat that fits my wife's and my need for a blue water cruiser.

Regards,

Elm(er)

Jean-Pierre Germain,

SY Eleuthera, Amel Super Maramu 007

Marina di Ragusa, Pontoon M15,

97100 Ragusa, Sicily, Italy
+44 7551 211 511
jp.germain@...

jp.germain45@...