Having owned an Outbound 44 for thirteen years, and experienced both coastal and bluewater sailing conditions, the first thought that comes to mind is the Outbound’s comfortable sea motion. Not only does it make for a more pleasant passage, but comfort at sea equates to safety. If you have a stable platform when on watch, and when you are able to really rest when off watch, prepare a decent meal, and survive the trip to the head when you are underway, you are much less likely to make mistakes than when tired, exhausted, and hungry.

My wife and I were generally the only two aboard (except for long passages) and we found the Outbound to be easily managed by one or two in most conditions. Yes, there have been times when we would have preferred to be anchored in a secure harbor rather than riding a steep sea, but you have to go, in order to get there!! On a couple of occasions, we elected to “heave too”, and found that the Outbound rode quite comfortably in the sea state we were experiencing.

Given the slippery lines of the Outbound hull, 7.5 to 8.5 knots were not unusual speeds to consistently expect under sail. I can remember many times seeing 9 to 9.2 knots, which is really exhilarating. Not being great at “sail trim”, I always enjoyed a beam reach. For those who trim well, the Outbound will sail to weather with the best, and runs before the wind, "wing on wing” at speed with an easy helm. The balance delivered by the spade rudder, low center of gravity (ballast), and the hull shape provides for a great ride in most every sea.

Having a vessel that keeps her feet is important. We found her to be comfortable and stiff in most conditions. When three friends and I sailed from Fort Lauderdale to Antigua, we experienced conditions ranging from flat to 10-12ft seas. We made the passage in nine days, with an average speed in the range of 7 to 7.5 knots. When not sailing, and motoring in semi-flat conditions, we made a steady 8 to 8.5 knots at 2,600 to 2,700 RPM’s, and when in a good open water chop, probably closer to 6.75 to 7.25 knots.

We had the first vertical-batten main to be fitted on an Outbound, and while we enjoyed good shape on our main and a sizable roach, I never found it to be as “user-friendly” as I had expected. The times we sailed on friend's Outbounds, who had the traditional roller-furling (without the battens), it was a much easier system to manage. On two occasions we sailed on Outbounds with boom-furling, and it appeared, that with it properly set-up, it was a good option. Our previous boat had a conventional rig with lazy-jacks, with the reefing lines lead to the cockpit, and it was quite manageable. Looking forward, and having reached the age where I don’t relish the thought of going forward in a boisterous sea, a conventional rig with “fore and aft reefing points” (lead to the cockpit), and a stack-pack with an extended catch cradle, would be a good rig option to consider as well.

While our experiences pale to many of the folks regularly posting on the Outbound Owners Forum, we all share several things in common: a great boat, the love of sailing, crossing over new horizons, and sharing our knowledge, joys, and experiences with one another. What great comradery there is within the Outbound family.