Elan · Sailing yacht

Elan Impression 45

The Impression 45 is a 13.85 m deck-saloon cruiser by Humphreys Yacht Design and the Elan design team, built by Elan in Begunje, Slovenia. Elan presented it as new in late 2014, when the Impression range got two-digit names, and replaced it in 2019 with the Impression 45.1, which has a new cockpit, transom and interior but the same main dimensions on Elan’s website; its dimensions, rig, ballast and tanks are also those Elan gave in 2012 for the Impression 444. It came with two to four cabins and always two heads, a single rudder with twin wheels, and a Volvo Penta D2-55 on a saildrive as standard (D2-75 as an option); on its 2018–2019 website Elan listed a 50 hp Volvo or a 57 hp Yanmar instead. Elan’s current Impression 45 page shows a different boat: since 2024 the name belongs to the lengthened Impression 43.

Manuals & documents

The links go to Elan’s own documents — some as archived copies of pages the maker has since taken down. We host no manuals or drawings.

Equipment & its manuals

Standard equipment as the builder’s documents list it. Boats were ordered with options and refitted since — check what is actually aboard.

ItemModelManual / pageNote
EngineVolvo Penta D2-551,2,3,4,5Standard in Elan’s owner’s manual of April 2017 (saildrive version); the brochures and web pages of 2014 to 2017 give 55 hp standard and 75 hp as an optionVolvo Penta D2-55 Parts & service pageAccess from the front by lifting the companionway steps, and through the engine covers in the aft cabins or the head. Engine panel with on/off, start, stop and alarm buttons. Elan asks you to stop the engine when heeling more than 20° and to keep the tank over 10 % full, since not all the fuel can be used. Volvo ended D2-55 production in December 2016 (see our D2-55 page), so check the plate on later boats.
EngineVolvo Penta D2-751,4,6,3,7Option: named in the owner’s manual of April 2017; a 75 hp option appears in every Elan brochure and web page from 2014 to 2019Volvo Penta D2-50, D2-60 & D2-75 Parts & service pageThe owner’s manual gives 59 kW (80 hp) as the maximum engine power. Cruising World’s test boat of 2016 had the 75 hp upgrade.
EngineVolvo Penta 50 hp (37 kW)8,6Standard on Elan’s website in 2018 and 2019, next to the 57 hp Yanmar; Elan gives only the power—Volvo Penta’s 50 hp sailboat diesel of that time is the D2-50, the successor of the D2-55 (see our D2-50/60/75 page), but Elan does not name it: read the engine plate before ordering parts.
EngineYanmar 57 hp (42 kW)8,6Alternative standard engine on Elan’s website in 2018 and 2019; Elan gives only the power—Yanmar’s 57 hp engine of those years is the 4JH57 (see our 4JH45/4JH57 page), but Elan does not name it: check the engine plate.
SaildriveVolvo Penta saildrive1,5Saildrive version of the D2-55 in the owner’s manual of April 2017; Elan gives no leg type, so read the plate on the leg—When the boat is lifted, keep the slings clear of the propeller and saildrive (marks on the hull show where they go). Elan’s manual: replace the zinc anodes when they are worn to half their length.
Propeller—2,3,5Not specified by Elan; Flexofold was Elan’s partner for folding propellers in the 2015 and 2017 brochures, and Trade-A-Boat’s test boat (2015) had a folding propeller—
Winches—2,3,5,7,1Elan names no winch models; Harken and Lewmar are its deck-equipment partners in the 2015 and 2017 brochures. The boats tested in 2015 and 2016 had Harken winches: H46 sheet and H40 halyard winches (Trade-A-Boat), electric primaries as an option (Cruising World)—Check the size on the drum before ordering parts. Elan’s manual: clean and check the winches before sailing and keep their mounting bolts tight.
WindlassElectric (option)2,3,1,5,7Optional in Elan’s feature tables of 2015 and 2017; Quick was Elan’s partner for windlasses and thrusters. Trade-A-Boat’s test boat had a Quick vertical windlass with foot switches; Cruising World’s had windlass, anchor and 50 m of chain as upgrades—The windlass has its own main switch in the aft port cabin. Elan’s manual: rinse the windlass and chain locker with fresh water and grease the moving parts at least once a season; the internals need no service for at least three seasons.
Bow thrusterOption2,3,1,5Optional in the feature tables of 2015 and 2017; Elan’s thruster partner was Quick. Trade-A-Boat’s test boat had a Quick bow thruster with its own battery bank forward—
ToiletManual toilet × 21,2Two heads in every layout, each with a toilet flushed by its built-in hand pump (owner’s manual 2017); an electric toilet in the aft head was an option (brochures)—Holding tank optional: 100 l in the manual’s data table, 130 l with a macerator pump and deck pump-out in its drawing. Elan’s manual: use only thin toilet paper, never pump with the outlet seacock closed, and rinse the system with fresh water.
StoveGas cooker1Owner’s manual 2017; maker not named—The gas bottle sits in a locker under the starboard helm seat, with a pressure gauge on its valve; copper pipe to the galley, where a second, labelled shut-off valve is fitted. Elan’s manual: test for leaks with the gauge for 3 minutes before each use and inspect the hoses at least once a year.
FridgeFront-opening fridge4,2,1In every layout, in the L-shaped galley (Elan website and brochures); the 12 V panel also has a circuit for a freezer; maker not named—Elan’s manual: clean it before each trip and leave it open when you leave the boat.
Water pumpElectric pressure pump1Owner’s manual 2017: electric pump in the galley that cuts out at 1.5 bar; a sea-water foot pump at the galley sink was optional—The three tanks are linked (two of 183 l and one of 150 l, plus an optional 272 l bow tank); close the tank connection valve when sailing.
Water heaterEngine heat exchanger + 230 V1Owner’s manual 2017: heated by the engine coolant and, on shore power, by an electric element; capacity and maker not given—Never switch it on with the fresh-water system empty.
Bilge pumpElectric 48 l/min + manual 60 l/min1Owner’s manual 2017: electric pump with float switch (manual or automatic at the panel) and a hand pump on deck—Strainer under the floorboards in front of the companionway; the shower drains through its own pump. Test the automatic mode by lifting the float by hand.
HeaterWebasto Air Top 5500 (option)1Optional diesel hot-air heating; the annex of the April 2017 owner’s manual shows an Air Top 5500 as “version 1”—Elan gives only this name; check the heater’s plate before ordering parts. The fuel tank has its own outlet for the heater.
Batteries12 V AGM/gel: 95 Ah + 95 Ah1Owner’s manual 2017: one 95 Ah engine battery and one 95 Ah service battery as standard, a second 95 Ah service battery as an option—Three main switches in the aft port cabin (engine, windlass, other consumers). Elan recommends replacing a failed battery with a similar gel battery; a wet lead-acid battery must go in an acid-proof box.
Shore power230 V (option)1Owner’s manual 2017: optional 230 V circuit with a shore-power socket in the cockpit, battery charger and 230 V outlets; AC panel in the locker at the chart table—Connect the cable on board first, then ashore; disconnect in the reverse order.
Remote monitoringPhilippi TCM1Tank and battery monitor in the 12 V panel, described in the owner’s manual of April 2017—The manual lists Elan’s settings for this boat: water 516 & 272 l (type 05, compensation 17), fuel 270 l (type 06, 36), waste water 100 l (type 22, 44).
Instruments—1,2,3,5,7Elan names no instruments; the hull has through-hulls for depth and speed transducers (owner’s manual). Elan’s navigation partners were Raymarine and Garmin (2015 brochure), then Raymarine and B&G (2017); Trade-A-Boat’s test boat had Garmin instruments, plotter and autopilot, and Cruising World notes that its test boat still needed electronics—Don’t paint antifouling on the transducers (Elan’s manual).
SteeringTwin wheels, single rudder2,3,1,5Standard in Elan’s feature tables of 2015 and 2017; wheels linked to the quadrant by chain and wire (owner’s manual). Elan’s partners were Jefa for steering systems and Carbonautica for wheels; Trade-A-Boat’s test boat had Carbonautica composite wheels and Lewmar steering gear—Elan’s manual: take the steering apart every two years to grease it and check the rudder blade. The emergency tiller is in a cockpit locker and fits through the cover between the helm seats. Hold the wheel firmly when going astern and stay below 2 knots.
Mast & riggingAluminium, deck-stepped1,2,3,5,7Mast step on deck in the owner’s manual; Seldén was Elan’s rigging partner (2015 and 2017 brochures), and both test boats had a Seldén in-mast furling mast, an option on the Impression 45—Inboard wire shrouds, tied to the hull grid by rods, and twin backstays (Trade-A-Boat). Elan’s manual: rinse and lightly grease the turnbuckles each season and check that the furler turns freely.
SailsFull-batten main + furling genoa7,1,2,3,5Standard: full-batten mainsail and overlapping genoa on a furler (Cruising World, owner’s manual); 39.75 m² mainsail with in-mast furling; no self-tacking jib for this model in Elan’s feature tables. OneSails was Elan’s partner for sails and lazy bags; Trade-A-Boat’s test boat had OneSails Dacron sails—Elan’s manual: rinse the sails with fresh water, dry them fully before folding, cover the mainsail on the boom, and never let them flog while drying.
Swim platformFolding, two sizes2,3,1Small folding platform standard; a large one that closes the cockpit under way as an option (feature tables 2015 and 2017); integrated telescopic swim ladder—Elan’s manual: load the platform only when fully open, with at most 250 kg or 3 people. The swim ladder is stowed in the transom locker; boats with the high platform also have an emergency ladder on the pushpit.
Deck coveringTeak in cockpit and on platform2,3,1Standard in the feature tables of 2015 and 2017, with a teak toerail; a full teak deck was an option (2015 brochure)—Elan’s manual recommends the SIKA teak deck maintenance system; no pressure washer, no water hotter than 50 °C and no aggressive cleaners on the seams.
Fuel systemTank under the galley floor1,2,3,8270 l in the owner’s manual’s data table and drawing and in the brochures of 2015 to 2017 (the manual’s text says 230 l); 215 l on Elan’s website in 2018 and 2019—Reached by lifting the saloon floorboards; separate outlets for engine, generator and heater, a fuel filter, and a deck filler marked DIESEL that opens with a winch handle.
GeneratorOption1,7Prepared as an option in the 2017 owner’s manual (exhaust outlet, cooling-water inlet, its own fuel-tank outlet, generator light on the panel); Cruising World’s test boat had an 8 kW Fischer Panda—
Air conditioningOption1,7Through-hulls for an air-conditioning inlet and outlet as options in the 2017 owner’s manual; Cruising World’s test boat had Frigomar reverse-cycle air conditioning—
Fire extinguishers1 kg × 31Owner’s manual 2017: beside the companionway, in the starboard cockpit locker and under the saloon seat behind the mast support—For an engine-room fire, use the fire port in the companionway.

Specifications

Years builtPresented as new in December 2014 (Impression Yachts website); on Elan’s website until March 2019, when the Impression 45.1 replaced it4,6,9
VersionsSold under the Impression Yachts brand from late 2014, later again as the Elan Impression 45; four layouts: 2 cabins, two 3-cabin versions (owner’s aft cabin, or en-suite owner’s forward cabin with twin aft cabins) and 4 cabins, all with 2 heads; deep or shallow keel; classic or in-mast furling mainsail10,4,6,2
DesignerHumphreys Yacht Design (Rob Humphreys) & Elan Design Team4,1,2
BuilderElan d.o.o., Begunje na Gorenjskem (Slovenia)1
Length overall13.85 m (45’5″) in Elan’s brochures and web pages; the 2017 owner’s manual gives 13.37 m as maximum length8,2,1
Hull length13.00 m (42’8″)8,1
Waterline length11.44 m (37’6″)8,1
Beam4.18 m (13’9″)8,1
Draft1.90 m (6’3″) standard keel; 1.60 m (5’3″) shallow keel8,1,2
KeelL-shaped cast-iron keel, standard or shallow; after a grounding check the keel bolts from the saloon floor2,3,1
Displacement10900 kg light displacement (mLCC) in the brochures and web pages of 2014 to 2017; 10419 kg in the owner’s manual of April 2017 and 10420 kg on the website in 2018 and 20194,2,3,1,8
Max boat displacement13717 kg fully loaded (mLDC); manufacturer’s recommended load 3298 kg, of which 2183 kg for persons and luggage (owner’s manual 2017)1
Ballast3310 kg or 3450 kg depending on the keel; the owner’s manual gives 3310 kg or 3460 kg8,2,1
Mainsail46.79 m² (504 sq ft); 39.75 m² with in-mast furling; Elan’s 2014 page gave 46.47 m²8,2,4
Genoa52.47 m² (565 sq ft)8,2,1
Gennaker / Code 0135.45 m² (option, with a gennaker bowsprit); the owner’s manual calls it a spinnaker8,2,1
Rig dimensions (I, J, P, E)I 15.90 m · J 4.78 m · P 14.80 m · E 5.37 m8,1
Air draft19.50 m including the 1 m antenna8,1
Engine options2014–2017: 55 hp standard, 75 hp option (Volvo Penta D2-55 / D2-75 in the 2017 owner’s manual); 2018–2019: Volvo 37 kW (50 hp) or Yanmar 42 kW (57 hp) standard, Volvo 55 kW (75 hp) option; maximum 59 kW (80 hp)4,1,8,6
Fuel tank270 l (brochures of 2015 to 2017 and the 2017 owner’s manual); 215 l (56 US gal) on Elan’s website in 2018 and 20192,1,8
Water tank516 l standard (2 × 183 l + 150 l); 788 l with the optional 272 l bow tank1,8
Holding tankOptional: 100 l in the data table or 130 l in the drawing of the 2017 owner’s manual, with deck pump-out1
Cabins2, 3 or 4, always with 2 heads, one with a separate shower; the 2017 owner’s manual shows the 4-cabin layout as version 16,2,1
Berths4 to 8 + 2 (website 2014–2016); 8 + 3 in the 4-cabin version (owner’s manual); an optional drop-down saloon table makes an extra double berth4,1,2
CE categoryA; maximum 11 people; EC type examination (modules B+C) by DNV GL1,4
HullGRP; hull laminated by vacuum-assisted infusion (VAIL); Elan cites Germanischer Lloyd certification for its yachts2,3,11
SuccessorImpression 45.1 (announced 1 March 2019): new deck and cockpit with a vertical transom, open or closed stern, an extra hull window aft, galley moved forward, iroko interior9
PredecessorNot named by Elan; the Impression 444 on Elan’s 2012 website has the same dimensions, rig, ballast and tanks12,13

Good to know

  • Elan’s owner’s manual for the Impression 45 (edition of 5 April 2017) is online as a PDF on the website of Aquatoria Yachting, a distributor on Elan’s dealer list. For other editions, ask an Elan dealer or Elan’s nautical division in Begunje (sail@elan.si, the contact the manual gives owners).1,14
  • Quote the WIN when you order parts or documents: it is moulded into the starboard side of the transom (SI-ELA45 followed by serial number, month and year of build and model year), with a duplicate plate on the rudder-stock support to starboard. The builder’s plate with design category and loads is in the cockpit.1
  • Check which engine a used Impression 45 really has before ordering parts: Elan’s 2017 manual names a Volvo Penta D2-55 with saildrive (D2-75 as an option), while Elan’s website of 2018–2019 lists a 50 hp Volvo or a 57 hp Yanmar as standard. Filters, impellers and saildrive parts follow the engine plate, not the model year.1,8,6
  • Don’t mix it up with the newer Impression 45: in 2024 Elan gave the name to the Impression 43 lengthened with a fixed bowsprit (13.60 m, 4.25 m beam, Yanmar 4JH45 as standard), and Elan’s current model page describes that boat. The Impression 45.1 of 2019 sits between the two; its successor was the Impression 43.15,16,9
  • After a grounding, Elan’s manual says to lift the inspection covers in the saloon floor at once and check the keel bolts for leaks, to look at the steering installation through the cockpit locker, and to have the boat lifted out as soon as possible. On a used boat, the keel-bolt area is worth the same look.1
  • Elan recommends lifting the boat out every year so the hull can dry. Clean the underwater hull only with fresh water, a brush and, for stubborn stains, alcohol: no hot water or detergents under pressure and no scraper; keep the pressure washer at least 0.5 m away, and keep antifouling off the transducers and anodes.1

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Sources

  1. en.aquatoria-yachting.com/f/i45_owners_manual_05042017.pdf
  2. web.archive.org/web/20150515072844/http://www.impressionyachts.com/modules/uploader/uploa…
  3. web.archive.org/web/20170609144538/http://www.elan-yachts.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/…
  4. web.archive.org/web/20141203061201/http://www.impressionyachts.com:80/impression-45.html
  5. tradeaboat.com.au/news-reviews/7923-boat-review-elan-impression-45
  6. web.archive.org/web/20190303155400/http://www.elan-yachts.com:80/en/yacht-lines/impressio…
  7. cruisingworld.com/elan-impression-45-0/
  8. web.archive.org/web/20180504081245/http://www.elan-yachts.com:80/yacht-lines/impression-l…
  9. elan-yachts.com/en/news/elan-impression-451-evolution-modern-classic
  10. web.archive.org/web/20141122075756/http://www.elan-yachts.com:80/news/impression-yachts-a…
  11. web.archive.org/web/20141203061217/http://www.impressionyachts.com:80/technology.2.html
  12. web.archive.org/web/20120819002227/http://www.elan-yachts.com:80/en/cruiser/impression-44…
  13. web.archive.org/web/20120923193444/http://elan-yachts.com/img/yachts/i444/Impression_444_…
  14. elan-yachts.com/en/distributors
  15. elan-yachts.com/en/news/elan-impression-43-gets-longer-and-becomes-elan-impression-45
  16. elan-yachts.com/en/yacht-lines/impression-line/elan-impression-45

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