Bali 4.6 vs Fountaine Pajot Astrea 51

The two boats feel meaningfully different on board, even within the same nominal size class. Three specific differences worth knowing:

1. Saloon and deck space. The Bali 4.6 has a garage-door aft platform that opens the saloon directly to the sea; the Astrea 51 offers a more conventional enclosed saloon. The Bali 4.6 specifically targets open-space lovers — the indoor/outdoor flow is the headline feature.
2. Cabin configuration. Both boats offer 4 symmetrical guest cabins. What differs is cabin shape — the Bali typically uses a forward-galley / island-berth layout, while Fountaine Pajot often offsets the galley aft. Worth seeing both layouts before deciding for a couples-only trip.
3. Amenities & kit. Bali 4.6 comes with AC, generator, watermaker, solar, dinghy, garage door platform. Astrea 51 adds BBQ.

Neither boat is a racer; both are cruising catamarans. But the Astrea 51.

In light air (under 10 knots true wind), the heavier-displacement boat will feel slightly sluggish; in 15–20 knots trade-wind conditions both perform similarly. In big Med Meltemi/Mistral conditions (25+ knots) the Astrea 51's wider 8.1 m beam will initially feel more stable but pushes more water resistance.

For bareboat charters both behave predictably under sail and under power. We rarely see either one out-sail the other in normal charter conditions.

In current-season data, the Bali 4.6 starts at $11,500/week bareboat (low season, BVI or Greece) and the Astrea 51 starts at $18,000/week. At the high end (crewed, peak season) we see the Bali 4.6 reach $43,000/week and the Astrea 51 reach $44,000/week.

For most charterers the price difference is small (~$500–$1,500/week) compared to the total trip cost — meaning amenities, layout and your destination matter more than sticker price when choosing between two boats this similar.