FAQ
Where are these boats built ?
In Belgium. Etap has been a niche builder of high end boats for over 35 years, with a production of just over 200 boats.
Why are they unsinkable ?
There is a closed cell foam injected in between two solid fiberglass hulls. (See also unsinkable)
Do I miss a lot of interior space because of the foam ?
The foam is engineered into the hull, and the thickness varies where you are in the boat. The only place where you will "miss" storage space is under the V-berth, which is a "crash box" filled with foam (and the watertank).
Who sails Etaps ?
Everybody who loves to sail ! Every yacht builder has to make thousands of compromises to come to a final design. Whenever a choice needs to be made between sailing and partying, Etap will favor the sailing characteristics. (See also testimonials)
What's with that special keel ?
If you live in an area where you can "afford" a deep keel, go for it. Deep is always better. However, some areas are better served with a shoal draft keel. For those sailors, Etap has developped the Etap Performance Tandem Keel. It consists of 2 keels one in front of the other, with a semibulb interconnecting them. The idea is based on the Collins keel of Americas' Cup fame, and uses the fact that leading edge will significantly contribute to lift. Two keels, one in front of the other, will provide upwind sailing performance similar to the deep keel (about 2 - 3 degrees apart) while stability ratios are essentially the same. The Etap tandem keel is an ocean proven concept.
Can I buy one second hand ?
The market in the US for second hand Etaps is very thin, since they were only imported since about 2000. There is a large European market (7000 Etaps produced so far), but that market is not very attractive to the US buyer for several reasons, the two most important ones being that there is VAT (Value Added Tax) in Europe of about 20 %. The initial buyer pays the VAT and wants to recoup part of it in the second hand sale. Some recent second hand boats in Europe are offered at the same price we can deliver a new for you ! The second raison is that an older boat, where the VAT is depreciated, will cost just a much to be cargoed over to the US as a new boat. The shipping cost, compared to the value of the boat, will become significant. If you don't have the budget (yet) for a new boat, check out our fractional sailing ownership program.
More FAQ's