For sale is SV Carla, a Sunbeam 44 from 2001. Sunbeam is an Austrian shipyard known for building high quality and very seaworthy ships. The 44er-series has a total of 45 ships delivered, Carla is number 38. We have sailed Carla 4000 nautical miles in the Mediterranean Sea since purchasing her in late 2022 as 4th owners (no charter use). The boat is best described as a coastal cruiser (nominal hull speed of 8,28 knots and comfort ratio of 26,41 according to sailboatdata.com) with additional safety aspects such a thick fiberclass laminate, an encapsulated keel with the lower part made of lead, a center cockpit with 90% operationality from within, or a skeg. I would personally describe her as above average considering performance (we have held a cruising speed of roughly 7 kts on 900 nautical miles under sails and engine in spring 2026) and rather sporty than heavy considering her reaction to wind and waves. For an exclusive use in the Med I would not consider any additional refit works necessary or advisable, for an Atlantic crossing I would personally plan with an additional 1 month refit and costs of 2000 € or less. Gas has been banned from the ship (induction cooking field), but could be re-established without any efforts.
Carla has undergone an extensive refit in 2023 and 2024 before cruising for more than a year between the Adriatic Sea and the Turkish Coast. Nearly all works have been conducted DIY, contract works will be outlined in the further description. Due to the refit, Carla is now configured for an autonomous cruising and long stays in remote bays. Since we have sailed as a family with a small child and two dogs, we have modified the companionway to our needs.
Highlights and refit: - complete renewal of the underwater ship, copper coat application 2024 - keel encapsulated, lower part made of lead (relevant in grounding scenarios) - skeg - deep draught with 2.40 meters for better performance, no disadvantages with anchoring in the Med - Yanmar 4JH3-TE 55.2kW (75 PS), engine hours: roughly 2800 h - all through-hulls and sea cocks replaced 2024 (Truedesign) - extensive gelcoat polishing 2024/2025 (however dark blue faded again meanwhile) - teak deck removal and KiwiGrip application 2023/2024 - new standing rigging 2025(contract work), inner forestay (no furling), running rigging replaced when needed - in-boom furling main sail (2011) - furling genoa 110% (2016), furling genoa 130% (2025), storm sail on cutterstay with stayriders (2006), blister 100m² with recovery hose (2015) - 6 person life raft 2025 - EPIRB 2025 - MOBs 2023 and 2025 - LED anchor light 2026 - companionway and salon modification 2023, new upholstery front cabin and matrasses aft cabin 2024 - ceiling insulation with sheep wool 2025 - new electric system including 2 independent Winston 400 AH battery banks with modified JK-BMS, 2 AGM-batteries 110 Ah (bow and starter), Victron Multiplus 2, 2x Victron Orion battery charger (converting from the AGM starter to Lithium for the alternator, around 60 A), 6 independent Victron MPPT-controllers (different models), Phillipi control-panel, all fuses and busbars exchanged, SeaTalk-system renewed, new automatic bilge pump set-up, new sensors for fuel and water tanks - stern equipment carrier with davids 2024, hardcover for cockpit 2025 - 2,4 kWh peak solar installation 2025 (stern equipment carrier and hardcover cockpit) - instruments new in 2024: radar Raymarine Quantum 2 and chart plotter Axiom+ 7, spare autopilot Raymarine EV-400 plus linear arm, fog horn 2025, AIS-B Weatherdock easy TRX-3, VHF ICOM IC-M423GE plus ICOM Commandmic HM-195GB - complete rework of the fuel system (including transformation of a former water tank into a fuel tank, fuel distribution pump), day tank, fuel-pre filter, Separ duplex filters, new fuel sensors, 2025 - water tank rework (food-grade epoxy coating), hoses exchanged, 4-step filtration module for drinking water including UV-light treatment in 2024 - Quick water heater 15 l - watermaker Simplewater 70 l / h at roughly 110 A - Rocna 40 kg anchor (drop and sleep), Lofrans Kobra anchor windlass 1200 W - Webasto diesel heating - Technotherm electric heater 500 W - electronic winch for mainsail (disconnected) - blackwater tank estimated 50 l (disconnected) - bow thruster Vetus 5,7 kW - dinghy Caribe 9X with Yamaha 5PS 2-stroke outboard - washing machine 2024 - a lot of spare parts (fresh water pump, Jabsco toilet, spare BMS…)
Maintenance work planned for spring 2027 (haul out), work waiting for the buyer: - copper coat reactivation - rudder post seal exchange - new upholstery covers - teak fugues in the cockpit - engine room insulation
Things you should be OK with: - center cockpit (an advantage at sea or for sailing single-handed but less space on the anchorage) - in-boom furling advantages and disadvantages - modified companionway - headroom comfortable: 180 cm - complete DIY-refit - ship used by a family with a small kid and two dogs - fridge/freezer still working reliably enough but end of life
Buyer’s profile (from my point of view): I think Carla is probably best suited for a family with kids (and dogs) or a couple with dogs who want to start cruising the Med right away. Carla is now the boat I dreamt of 4 years ago, as she offers safety, comfort and equipment above the average. She should be especially appealing to someone who wants to start sailing right away without spending too much time on a refit. Our original plan was to cross the Atlantic and sail into the Pacific (barefoot route) but all of us (except the captain) would not be up for the trip. We need to give Carla away because a boat should be lived on full-time if possible (and moved a lot) and we cannot afford both a life on land and on the boat. I would like to have a short video call with potential buyers before meeting at the boat to disperse any wrong expectations. An expert’s report on the ship commissioned and conducted in 2022 can be made available after the video call. The ship is currently in Croatia (Istria) in the water, sea trials are possible at any time. Since I have paid for a yearly contract, there is no need to sell the ship very soon - so please just get in touch, if your expectations concerning price meet mine. Thanks!
