Antares Yachts, the One-Model Catamaran Builder That Grew Out of PDQ

Two different Antares, and why listings mix them up

Search a US brokerage site for Antares and two unrelated families of boats appear. Beneteau uses the name for a line of its own monohull motorboats, from 7-meter outboard boats with fishing versions up to the Antares 12 in coupe and flybridge form. Antares Yachts, the subject of this page, is an American-run company that builds only owner-version sailing catamarans of about 44 to 46 feet for couples who live aboard and cross oceans.

Older boats add to the confusion, because PDQ Yachts of Whitby, Ontario, created the design and some are still advertised as a PDQ Antares. Two hulls, a hardtop over the helm and twin Yanmars mean the boat belongs on this page; a single hull or an outboard bracket means a Beneteau.

How a PDQ side project became a company

PDQ Yachts built sailing and power catamarans in Ontario. Its largest sailing model in 2002 was the Antares 42, which Cruising World described as tailored to private owners instead of charter. That thinking carried into a stretched 44-foot platform drawn by Ted Clements around 2004, sold from 2005 as the Antares 44i.

When PDQ chose to concentrate on power cats, two people close to the project kept the sailboat alive. In January 2008 Rob Poirier, a former PDQ vice president, and Clements bought the molds and launched Antares Yachts, moving production to San Fernando, on the Rio de la Plata outside Buenos Aires. By 2015 Cruising World described a South Carolina-based company led by co-presidents Poirier and Jeff Woodman, with a two to three year wait for a new hull.

One platform, refined rather than replaced

Most catamaran builders chase the charter market with a new model every few seasons. Antares has instead refined essentially one hull in steps chosen by its owners. The 44i, which we cover in depth, spans the Canadian and Argentine years. Later boats were sold as the 44 GS (Grand Salon) with a more open living area and the 44 GT (Grand Touring) with updated systems and finish. The current 44 Hybrid adds electric drive, lithium storage and solar, and a larger Antares 46, also offered as a hybrid, sits above it.

The recipe has not changed: a protected helm under a solid hardtop, shaft-driven diesels, skeg-hung rudders, a high bridgedeck and warm wood interiors laid out for a couple rather than four charter cabins. That is why a well-kept 44i still sells to the same kind of buyer as a new boat.

Resale, support and what to check on a used Antares

Antares sells direct rather than through dealers, and its owners form a close community, helped by Antares University, a factory course on sailing and systems, and a certified pre-owned program that reviews a boat before listing. Low production keeps values firm: we estimate most 44i boats ask roughly $375,000 to $650,000 in 2026, while a late 44 Hybrid has been offered above $1.1 million.

Routine service is easy to find in the US because the mechanicals are conventional.

• Pin down the generation and build site, since 44i, GS and GT boats look alike at the dock
• Have a mechanic check both shaft lines, cutless bearings and alignment
• Inspect skegs and rudders for grounding repairs
• Ask for the age of the battery bank and solar controllers
• Check hardtop and dinghy arch mounts for stress cracks