Fly Bridge pro and con

[Edfest2020]

I'm in the process of buying a boat in the 33 - 40 foot range. I've looked at both cruisers and fly bridge style. Though it seems like personal preference more than anything, I'm looking for pros and cons for each. I understand a fly bridge provides a bigger salon or floating condo feel, but what else? Anyone with experience going from one to the other I'd love your thoughts. Thanks.

 

[Hooligan]

I have a flybridge and although have never had a boat without one it would take a lot to persuade me to stray away from the fly ridge side of the debate. There are a number of variables though. Size of boat and the flybridge and of course kids ie if you have a very small child you may feel less inclined. For me it is the sheer living space and we spend almost all of our time there and I have never piloted there boat from anywhere but the flybridge. Good luck, whatever you choose I am sure you won’t be wrong

 

[Bandit]

You really need to add in another category ie Hardtop, no flybridge rather than a sports boat with a canvas cover.

 

[Momac]

We spent months looking at sports cruisers and eventually bought a flybridge boat and pleased we did.
I almost always drive from the flybridge helm - engine noise is less than a sports cruiser , better all round visibility . Cosy interior helm for those wet days.
The saloon has a far superior outlook compared to the cave of a sports cruiser . This is a major advantage if you want to spend time on board when moored. People with sports cruisers want to share our saloon space but they never invite us into their cave.
Having two helms tends to lead to greater expense on equipment. Also there is the flybridge canvas which is a bit tedious but may be left off if the weather is relatively fine.

A sports cruiser is probably the better choice if you are a dog owner and want to take the dog boating.
I dare say a sports cruiser would be faster given the same engines and would be a little less susceptible to the wind.

A semi hard top arrangement has the advantage of less canvas and some may have a similar saloon up layout but without the flybridge.

 

[rafiki_]

We went from a Sunline 31 sports cruiser to an Azimut 39 fly. The fly gives you so many more options. We always helmed from the fly. Visibility is incredible compared to a sports or hard top boat. When moored, we had 3 options to lounge, the fly in the best weather, the cockpit as the weather closed in and the saloon in the evenings. We had 2 permanent cabins below decks, both with en-suite heads/showers. Plenty of storage, and great sea keeping. No contest for us.

 

[jrudge]

I have had 2 sports boats and 2 fly.

Your size range is 33-40.my view is the very small fly bridges don’t look right so if a fly I would make 40 the minimum.

we had a great time on our Targa 40 but a fly gives a lot more space and flexibility for summer / winter use. We are in Mallorca and even in the day coming into an air con saloon is nice.

if you want day trips buy a sports boat. If you want to spend real time on it I would get a fly. The space does matter. As above do bear in mind if you are with other boats people all migrate to the biggest boat !

 

[Greg2]

A debate that rears its head periodically and can sometimes engender strong views!

We have had six boats - three what you might describe as sports cruisers, two Broom aft cabin boats with a cockpit/helm above the aft cabin under a canopy and our current boat, which is our first flybridge but with an aft cabin so no cockpit.

For us the cockpit has been at the heart of our boating - very sociable and used in all weathers as they have had heating outlets. In reality our saloons, even on the aft cabin boats, have been used a lot less than the cockpit so I have never really wanted a flybridge boat. A factor in this has been that the flybridge can be a wet and miserable place in the U.K. (very different in the Med of course) and the interior helms are often a compromise with a poor view due to windscreen design following form rather than function. That said, I get the benefit of a saloon opening into an aft cockpit.

Having said all this our current choice of boat (an aft cabin flybridge ‘trawler’) goes against our preference for a cockpit as we now don’t have one! We do, though, have plenty of different places to sit outside, the internal helm is very much a functional affair and a great place to helm from and the two side doors connect the saloon with outside so it has, to a certain extent, replaced our cockpit. A big plus is that we are finding the flybridge to be a great place in good conditions - a completely unobstructed view and no canopy to deal with. It will be not so good in wet/cold conditions but the internal helm will take care of that. We are, though, in the honeymoon period and liking what other boats haven’t provided so what we think in a year or two might be more relevant ?

In reality every boat is a compromise and it comes down to personal choice. A sports cruiser will give a great sociable sheltered space with the option to take the canopy down to enjoy the good weather or leave it up for warmth / shelter. They often have a cabin under the cockpit so guests are separated from you by the saloon. Downside can be visibility from the helm when the canopy is up. An aft cockpit flybridge boat will give that great combination of indoor / outdoor space but being on the fly can leave you detached when others are below and all the cabins are up front so privacy can be compromised.

Whichever way you go won’t be perfect but will hopefully suit the majority of your needs.
.

 

[Momac]

I can only write from experience that the view from the lower helm of my flybridge boat is okay . In fact better than my previous sports cruiser in that the glass area is much taller than in the sports cruiser. For boat handling in the marina the flybridge is however the better option.
We have learned to retreat indoors before getting too wet on the flybridge - a remarkably rare event. It was a bit nippy today after a 4 hour journey - my fault for not putting a coat on.

 

[girlofwight]

We gave a Hardy 42, obviously a fly.

Pros - excellent manoeuvring visibility, good sunny day space on fly

Cons - rear visibility from inside helm, which is obvious rear camera helps but it’s still counterintuitive manoeuvring from inside. Less obvious poor ventilation inside if driving inside on a warm but wet day.

We have a tented aft deck which gives a happy medium lounging space.

Most the time I drive from the fly and retreat inside if weather gods are against us.

 

[Richard.C]

We spent months looking at sports cruisers and eventually bought a flybridge boat and pleased we did.
I almost always drive from the flybridge helm - engine noise is less than a sports cruiser , better all round visibility . Cosy interior helm for those wet days.
The saloon has a far superior outlook compared to the cave of a sports cruiser . This is a major advantage if you want to spend time on board when moored. People with sports cruisers want to share our saloon space but they never invite us into their cave.
Having two helms tends to lead to greater expense on equipment. Also there is the flybridge canvas which is a bit tedious but may be left off if the weather is relatively fine.

A sports cruiser is probably the better choice if you are a dog owner and want to take the dog boating.
I dare say a sports cruiser would be faster given the same engines and would be a little less susceptible to the wind.

A semi hard top arrangement has the advantage of less canvas and some may have a similar saloon up layout but without the flybridge.

If the OP is dog owner I would recommend a flybridge, mostly one level from bathing platform to saloon the just a few steps down to cabins. Some sports cruisers have 4 or 5 almost vertical steps down to accommodation which can be a challenge for some dogs.

 

[Sneds]

We went from a 28’ sports cruiser to a F36 fly
The sports cruiser was more fun to drive, like a sports car compared to the more staid flybridge
Allways drive from up top as view from inside is compromised by the angle of the screen
Sports cruiser looks better
Space is better on the fly, inside and out
SMWBO loves the flybridge
Happy wife!

 

[Chris H]

We are new to boating but wifey ruled out fly bridges on our first viewing, no way was she going to cart food, drinks, etc up two lots of stairs.

 

[PlanB]

Apart from the pros mentioned above (I didn't find any cons with my 435), look at the flybridge access. My 435 had steps, as opposed to a ladder, and that made a big difference both in terms of my knees/balance and moving about in rough seas.
I always flew from the flybridge, in all weathers, as I found I got nauseous peering out from the lower helm.

 

[Sneds]

Good point about stairs rather than a ladder

 

[ShaneAtSea]

Im buying a fly bridge boat because i want to be outside and enjoy the ocean. the air and the view.

if you want to be cooped up in a box all day then buy a caravan

 

[Portofino]

As others have said it’s too simplistic for either or .
like cars depends what you are gonna do , your proposed use age pattern .
Perfectly happy in either a Ferrari or Bentley or Range Rover but there times when one is more appropriate than the other .Or one is completely inappropriate, useless ,wrong decision to have come out in it .

So where is the proposed cruising ground ?
Dogs or toddlers or both ?
Intended use ......is it moored at the bottom of the garden ? Or near as dam it .
How much sun pad area is required ?

Cant really say either way until we know the above answers .Surprised how folks have dived in ?

Having said that with a 40 ft cut off FB s tend to have limited out door space seating dining areas .
60 ftrs + are inho better at doing FB s .


Anyhow left of field what about engine access and ease of maintenance.?
What ever it is, if it’s continually lurching from one issue ( engine / machinery related ) then it’s gonna not move much anyhow and basically morph into a expensive money pit floating caravan .

Some of the responses like ^^ Shane’s have lost sight of the 40 ft limit requirement , this Q is very length sensitive and imho evolves into a different answer as the L increases .
But like cars , depending on the number proposed to transport , 2 , 4 , 5 or seats the answer evolves

 

[Portofino]

We are new to boating but wifey ruled out fly bridges on our first viewing, no way was she going to cart food, drinks, etc up two lots of stairs.

Interesting , my wife thought the same too Also quipped “ they look like floating caravans “ that was me told.

Helps if it looks nice and gets admiration.

A guy in a 43 FB in Italy came up and started a conversation in quite good Eng the other day as we moored up and secured lines .
” Itama is Amarti the builders name reversed - very beautiful boats , the Ferrari of the sea “

If only i got a € every time somebody ( usually a Italian ) said that ......

 

[jrudge]

I can only write from experience that the view from the lower helm of my flybridge boat is okay . In fact better than my previous sports cruiser in that the glass area is much taller than in the sports cruiser. For boat handling in the marina the flybridge is however the better option.
We have learned to retreat indoors before getting too wet on the flybridge - a remarkably rare event. It was a bit nippy today after a 4 hour journey - my fault for not putting a coat on.

I suspect depends as with many things on the cruising ground.

I have Squadron 58 and have moored it med style once form the lower helm as the boat needed moving and the upper helm was simply not there as I had removed the dash.

I wont recount the storey but never again! If you berth along side or on a pontoon etc it would probably be fine, but berthing from below med style on a decent size boat gives you a letterbox type view.

As porto says at the end of the day what do you want to do with the boat?

 

[NoviceRod]

We went through the debate when buying our latest boat, and came down in favour of the FB. Initially we felt that the FB was incompatible with UK climate, but we have found this is not the case, and we can always fall back on the lower helm for cold or wet weather. We do go out in winter.

The pros are: extra space for family, the overall outdoor experience.
The cons are: increased windage, increased costs of the duplicate helm, need to dress warmly on some days.

We have the Nimbus 405 flybridge, which is the same as the 405 Coupé, but with a flybridge on top. Thus the lower helm, with its side door, has good visibility, and as we berth starboard to, I usually drive from there for berthing. The flybridge does not impact on any lower deck features, and there is a good sized cockpit.

I note that at 13.3M (43ft), it may be larger than you want.

Access to the flybridge is via a ladder/step combo with alternate left and right hand steps, so you need to be well coordinated to ascend and descend. We had the cockpit hatches modified to facilitate engine access. The Swedes, apparently, do not think his necessary as they ‘rely on the dials’!

I hope this helps

 

[Micke_W]

i am in the same position. Deciding what to look more. Have looked att Princess V39/V40 for the sporttop, or Sealince C390 for harddtop, and for FB sealine F380, Bavaria R40. We live in sweden so I guess the weather is like in the UK FB sounds like good option but our kids are 5 and 7 and when they start to play they can be quite lively so I am al litte worried for the flybridge. Want to be out for a week ore two bu also a boat that is little fun and work for daytrips with sunbathing.