Fly Bridge pro and con

[Portofino]

Was @ Port Cros once a Mistral blew through so we hung around while it eased .
A woman on a Azi 39 or 42 ? next door on the jetty fell down her steps and fractured her upper arm and clavical .
Slipped down carrying a food try .
No where to land the chopper and the wind was such couldn’t really get a boat out to evacuate her until it eased a bit , the following day , as all the tripper boats cancelled off .

Was in a S/Sker at the time ....did not sell the FB thing to the wife .She keeps reaping that up every time I stop and look at one !
Guy stayed with the boat ( it was still blowing , needed hourly fender / line phaffing ) while she had a bouncy trip to the mainland .
He had a clothing factory in Mauritius, and came back to Fr for the summer .....used the boat as floating apartment .
His geny packed up ( no shore power on Port Cros ) , we could not fix it no spares so we ended up cooking + brewing up for him , charging up his mob etc .
Our crappy tiny Fisher Panda held on for 4 days .
We then broke out and literally surfed all the way back down wind to La Nap , As we got past Agay the mountains it went pan cake flat calm as is the way with proper Mistrals .
He was based further W was stuck really .

 

[Restoration man]

We have had both ,fly bridge and no fly , and I’ve enjoyed both , but I don’t like driving our current boat from indoors , the visibility is not good , especially from behind you can’t see a thing , so end up driving from the fly all the time , if it’s raining I will think twice about going out in the boat as don’t want drive from inside and don’t want to get wet , and it’s hard work getting the fly bridge cover back on ,

 

[MapisM]

We spend a huge amount of time on our open sports boat , in a normal year cruise extensively, I recall last year popping o cross to see Bouba ....turned out 12 days touring about

Well, I guess I could also tolerate spending 12 days onboard an Itama like yours.
Just, and if I really wouldn't have an alternative.
But 6 to 8 months every year, as I am doing since 2009? You gotta be kidding.
I wouldn't swap my humble 56' flybridge (and neither my 53' old lady, with her timber construction and 8 to 9 kts cruise speed!) with a 75' Itama, even if I could at no additional cost.

In fact, you are talking of boats whose conception was specifically meant for day cruising, from the ground up.
Did you see "The Great Beauty"? The folks described in that movie were EXACTLY Amati's target, back in the 70s.
Forget the myth that he didn't build a boat for you unless he thought that you "deserved" it.
90% of his clients were bored Romans, with time to kill and money to waste.
Folks who only wanted a toy for those days when, after waking up in the morning, felt like driving to San Felice Circeo, turn the keys, and reach Ponza in less than one hour.
Have a swim there, a lunch at Eea restaurant, and back to Rome in time for dinner.

THAT is what Itamas were designed for, essentially. And boys, were they good at that!
But not much more I'm afraid, no matter how hard you can try to twist the nature of the beast.

 

[jrudge]

The op has never replied so I guess we will never know his needs

there are some polarised replies on her. I had a Cranchi Endurance 33 loved it. Then a t40. Loved that. Then a squadron 65 followed by a squadron 58 loved those.

I spend months on board. Fly bridges simply have more space and you can’t get away from that. If you have lots of people my 58 can swallow 8 people and they all can have privacy. Bow. Fly. Cockpit saloon. So back to the original answers of many. Where is it and what do you want to use it for. Can 2 people and2 kids spend weeks on a targa 40. Yes. I used to do it. Is it more comfortable on a fly and more suited To guests. Yes.

does not mean either is wrong or right

 

[Jsu]

Also think about what it's like when it is cold and/or wet and you're moored. In a flybridge you'll have a nice sized cabin from which you can actually see out. Sportscruisers seem to me to be cramped and with thpse small wndows, rather like a cell

Do not forget the in between option. Not having a fly bridge does not mean the alternative is a completely open sports cruiser.

It could also be a Coupe/cabin boat. Even more light in the salon than a fly bridge as they often have windows on top and some of them you can open up quite a bit - with sliding roofs and doors, but also close easily - they are not tent boats (on the contrary not even a flybrdige cover to deal with). And many have a galley up design and offers comfortable single level living.

The Sealine C series and some of the Scandinavian designs are good examples of non-fly bridge - but very long term liveable designs.

 

[Switch]

If you boat alone and can put up with Hobbit interiors,tent boats are fine, you also need a penchant for zips and Dzus fasteners.
If at some point in your life you actually get some friends or a family its " fly" all the way.

I watched a chap battle for 30 mins yesterday putting his flybridge cover on and another 20 mins fitting the back canvas on - canvas covers aren't just a pain for 'open' sports cruisers.

 

[Rocksteadee]

One aspect that has just been touched on:
A sports cruiser stern is like a tent, that is your saloon, dinette, seating area, cold in the winter;
A FB cruiser have some sort of patio door, can shut away the ‘conservator’

I often see the hard or soft top cruisers going up and down the river standing up with the head out the sunroof, staring to see where they are going

 

[Edfest2020]

Thank you all very much for the feedback. I read every response. I'm leaning right now to going for a Regal 3860. Overall it's a 40 foot boat and it just feels right to me. Like someone said early on, I don't feel like there's a bad choice. Again, thanks to everyone for your input. Putting my offer in on Tuesday!

 

[Seastoke]

Thank you all very much for the feedback. I read every response. I'm leaning right now to going for a Regal 3860. Overall it's a 40 foot boat and it just feels right to me. Like someone said early on, I don't feel like there's a bad choice. Again, thanks to everyone for your input. Putting my offer in on Tuesday!

Does it have petrol engines .

 

[Edfest2020]

Does it have petrol engines .

Yes. Two volvo penta 8.1 GXI, 420 HP, with 462 hours

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Does it have petrol engines .

Yes. Two volvo penta 8.1 GXI, 420 HP, with 462 hours

Are you in the US? Petrol might make sense. Europe, hell no.

 

[Edfest2020]

Yes, I'm in the US.