The Reliance 44 is a classic ketch-rigged sailboat designed by Pierre Meunier of Montréal, Quebec, in 1967. The first hull was launched in 1973. Originally, Meunier intended to build only a single hull for himself to operate as a charter vessel in the Caribbean. Instead, demand for the design grew and he went on to produce a total of 45 Reliance 44 hulls.

Although the Reliance 44 was designed as a ketch, some buyers requested a cutter-rig variation. As a result, 18 hulls were completed as cutter-rigs. The first cutter-rig was hull #8. The sailplan and chainplate locations were supplied by the customer. As a result, the mast stretched 8′ taller than the ketch design. Hulls #9, #20, and #22 would be built to this configuration. Hull #30 was completed as a cutter-rig, however the customer requested a mast 3′ shorter than the cutters that had been produced to this point. Almost all of the hulls completed after #30 were completed as cutter-rigs which would be completed to the same specs with the shorter mast.

Between 1987 and 1996, the Reliance 44 was produced by the Reliance Sailing Craft Co. Ltd. of Montréal, Canada, During this time, the company also introduced the Reliance 12, a daysailer designed by Steve Killing and styled with the same proportions as the renown 12-metre racing yachts of the 1980’s.

Construction

The Reliance 44 was notable for its robust construction.

Above the waterline, the Reliance 44 is cored with 1-inch balsa core sandwiched between between layers of Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP).

Below the Waterline the hull transitions to 3/4 inch thick solid fiberglass. Toward the bottom of the keel, the fiberglass increases in thickness to 1 1/2″.

Unlike many boats of the era, the Reliance 44 is not known to suffer from delamination issues. This is attributed to Meunier being one of the first builders to utilize temperature and humidity control during layup, a practice that set a high standard for quality.

Owner Completed Hulls

The Reliance 44 was made available in several stages of completion. Some were sold as bare hull and deck kits to be finished by their owners, while others left the factory in various degrees of readiness. In certain builds, bulkheads were only tacked in place during layup, while in others they were fully glassed in. Because of this, no two Reliance 44s are identical – each has a unique interior layout and finish that reflects the vision and craftsmanship of its owner.

Isola Naida

Isola Naida is hull #15. She was finished with Mahogany wood throughout and a teak and holly sole in the salon. Her layout shares some similarities with the drawings above, but is also unique to her.

Read more about Isola Naida here.

Read how we came to own Isola Naida here.