Eric Macklin's quick factory tour highlights the lowered cockpit sole, reachable boom and a galley that owns the saloon.
Ahead of the Annapolis Boat Show, broker Eric Macklin shares a short factory-floor preview of the boat he’s most looking forward to seeing on display: the Bali 4.4. It isn’t a full walkthrough — he’s the first to say so — but the few minutes he spends aboard the 44-foot catamaran land on the details that actually matter when you’re living with a boat rather than admiring one.
A cockpit and flybridge designed to work together
The first thing Macklin points out is the cockpit floor, which has been lowered relative to the flybridge. The reason is practical: dropping the sole allowed the boom to come down too, so the sail handling stays within arm’s reach from the flybridge rather than requiring gymnastics. He demonstrates it himself, noting that at 5’4″ he can comfortably reach the top of the sail cover while standing at the boom — a genuinely useful reference point for shorter sailors evaluating a big cruising cat.
Back down in the cockpit, he checks the sightlines from the helm. He can see both the forward and aft corners on the port side clearly — visibility he calls fantastic — though he’s honest that the opposite side is blind and you’ll want crew directing you when docking that way. It’s the kind of candid note that makes a walkthrough worth watching.
Inside: nav station, galley, and a saloon that opens up
Through the signature Bali forward-opening cockpit door, the layout unfolds quickly. To port sits a large, forward-facing navigation station. Beyond it is the galley, which Macklin clearly rates: generous counter and work space, stovetop and oven, and separate fridge and freezer. The forward-opening window is the detail that ties it together, drawing air through the whole saloon.
The saloon table shown at the factory is the fixed charter-spec version; owners can instead specify a drop-down table that converts to a coffee table. Macklin also films the finished example alongside the in-build boat, and the difference is worth seeing — he singles out the new furnishings and the overall styling as a step forward.
Where the 4.4 sits in the market
The Bali 4.4 is still a thinly traded model, so context is useful for buyers weighing a 2026 build.
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Solds (last 24 months) | 1 |
| Median sold price | $650,000 |
| Median time to sell | ~206 days |
| Active listings | 3 |
| Asking range | $690,000 – $1,097,470 |
| Median asking | $725,000 |
Macklin promises a full, room-by-room tour after the Annapolis Boat Show. In the meantime, this preview is a useful first look at how S/V Bali 4.4 is put together — and at the ergonomic thinking behind the layout.