Flybridge vs Open vs Hardtop and why ........

[John100156]

P45 is a great boat, T34 though was also a great boat. Go for what you want and don't look back!

Soco2: Windage, higher cost to polish, dual helm controls/bow/stern thrusters and navigation add to cost and complexity, but other than that I do agree, I much prefer a FB if you intend long(er) stays....!

 

[Soco2]

If it was me the flybridge would be a good bet, hot sunny days on the fly sun bed or rear cockpit and if your a bit warm head into the air conditioned lounge, it was lovely on the hottest days of summer.
generally you get more space on a fly.
best thing to do is go and see the options and visualise your time on it in Greece and the pros you get from each boat.

 

[Soco2]

P45 is a great boat, T34 though was also a great boat. Go for what you want and don't look back!

Soco2: Windage, higher cost to polish, dual helm controls/bow/stern thrusters and navigation add to cost and complexity, but other than that I do agree, I much prefer a FB if you intend long(er) stays....!

I’ve not had any issues with windage and the engines and thrusters are powerful So no issue in my mind.
cost wise yes, the bigger it is the more it costs but that’s just the way it is, but it is a consideration yes.
depends how handy you are, and how much you like to polish ?

 

[MapisM]

eg this little open is appropriate if that’s your house on Como.

Not sure of who took that pic, but influence peddling pops to mind, sort of.
The villa is called Balbianello, owned by FAI (=Italian National Trust).
And I know for sure, 'cause I'm a member, that the property doesn't include any Rivas.

Besides, as much as I have a soft spot for those masterpieces, I believe that whoever suggested George Clooney a boat to keep in his villa Oleandra pointed him towards the truly best choice, as per photo below which I made the last time I was around my first boating playground.
Not exactly open, but open enough.
And built by a local yard whose boats were good enough for Diana and Dody, so not a Riva, but not too shabby either.
Just perfect!

PS: waterski aside, 'cause she's too big for that.
But proper skiboats are available, also with pro drivers, if that's your thing.
Therefore yes, in a nutshell, horses for courses is the short answer to the OP question, I reckon.

 

[Offshore57]

we have a P415 FB which we both live on and take out for trips away and holidays, but to satisfy the sporty bits we also have a 7.4 Ribtec for sunny days out and watersports with the grandkids, they love it. We even took it shopping once to Cowes instead of grinding through traffic to tescos on the roads. Cos we could. Happy days.
So much space and beam on the FB so loads of choices where to be.

 

[thejonesey]

UK - flybridge with deep sides to you can get out of the wind or large sliding roof and big windscreen to hide out of the wind. Would like to try Coupe style ie large opening sportsboat with patio doors but just too big and pricey!

PS Did I mention the need to get out of the wind??
Med - open boat for me so you can enjoy the wind in the hair!? (Actually any boat in the Med when the sun shines!)

 

[ari]

It depends where you're boating. For the UK, we prefer a sportscruiser style. Everyone's together in the cockpit underway and you've got far more shelter from the windscreen than on a flybridge. With a flybridge, you end up sat there on your own with people getting out of the wind in the cockpit and you always need a coat on. Also a sportscruiser tends to be faster and a bit more fun.

Our experience in the Med is totally different. Everyone wants to be up on the flybridge because the cold wind has turned into a cooling breeze and the view is better, and it really doesn't matter if you're going a little slower.

Agree that if your priority is accommodation (a floating holiday home) a flybridge wins in the UK too. That said, we quite like to sit outside in the 'tent' with the windward 'wall' in and the leeward 'wall' out. And then as it gets dark, there's something very cozy about heading down below.

 

[gravygraham]

The thing that always made me uneasy when we had our flybridge was when peeps disappeared off downstairs and I couldn’t see them (had a camera in the engine room but nowhere else). That said, those special moments when the weather is conducive to helming up top with WOT are what memories are made for.
I‘ve had open, fly and wheelhouse boats, all good for what they’re designed for, and my next vessel will be a (planing) wheelhouse with side-door access to the decks, largely because I believe that enables much safer single handing.

 

[DAKA]

Moved from sports cruiser to flybride, love the space miss the sports boat handling

I have done a lot of miles in sports boats and even more in Flybridges.
Flybridges win on almost all respects.

If you move to a Flybridge the only downside some find is the sports boat handling but if you miss it that much just stand up at the helm on the Flybridge and get one of the kids to Chuck a bucketful of icy salt water in your face every few minutes

 

[oldgit]

Sporty handling ?
Do not many popular tent boats ie Fairline Targas around 40 feet use the exactly the same hull profile and dimensions as the flybridge version ?

 

[Switch]

I've seen many flybridge boats in the Solent. Quite often you'll see a single person helming from the flybridge whilst their crew/guests keep warm down below.

 

[petem]

Sporty handling ?
Do not many popular tent boats ie Fairline Targas around 40 feet use the exactly the same hull profile and dimensions as the flybridge version ?

There's some similarities but all Fairline flybridges have been on shafts for at least the last 25 years (apart from any recent IPS abominations).

 

[petem]

Sporty handling ?
Do not many popular tent boats ie Fairline Targas around 40 feet use the exactly the same hull profile and dimensions as the flybridge version ?

I don't get that 'tenty' mentality. Flybridges have a rear cockpit curtain that needs to be removed.

Rolling up the centre section of our windscreen cover and removing the side panels takes all of 10 minutes and only needs to be done at the start of the holiday,

Nobody ever removes the bimini.

Hardly a 'gamechanger' for choosing a flybridge IMO.

 

[Portofino]

I don't get that 'tenty' mentality. Flybridges have a rear cockpit curtain that needs to be removed.

Rolling up the centre section of our windscreen cover and removing the side panels takes all of 10 minutes and only needs to be done at the start of the holiday,

Nobody ever removes the bimini.

Hardly a 'gamechanger' for choosing a flybridge IMO.

In the Med turning this around an open is not a green house .
They sit outside in the cockpits all day much smaller cockpits than eq boat size full open “ tent “ boat .

They can sit upstairs but they seem to like down stairs outside I guess accessing fridges , phone chargers and gen socialising .You know clambering up and down “ where’s my glasses ? “ I do not see that the living up top often they prefer the aft open cockpit with .
C pose those with contact lenses or certain dermatological issues find sat inside an air conditioned tiny space problematic ?
So the aft cockpit is , the easy useable outside naturally free flowing air space at the marina is where they congregate mostly .

 

[DavidJ]

SWMBO decided for me.
There was no way I was going to be lording it upstairs while she ran around downstairs with ropes and fenders.…….also no way would I reverse the roles

 

[petem]

In the Med turning this around an open is not a green house .
They sit outside in the cockpits all day much smaller cockpits than eq boat size full open “ tent “ boat .

They can sit upstairs but they seem to like down stairs outside I guess accessing fridges , phone chargers and gen socialising .You know clambering up and down “ where’s my glasses ? “ I do not see that the living up top often they prefer the aft open cockpit with .
C pose those with contact lenses or certain dermatological issues find sat inside an air conditioned tiny space problematic ?
So the aft cockpit is , the easy useable outside naturally free flowing air space at the marina is where they congregate mostly .

I agree !

 

[DAW]

In the Med turning this around an open is not a green house .
They sit outside in the cockpits all day much smaller cockpits than eq boat size full open “ tent “ boat .

They can sit upstairs but they seem to like down stairs outside I guess accessing fridges , phone chargers and gen socialising .You know clambering up and down “ where’s my glasses ? “ I do not see that the living up top often they prefer the aft open cockpit with .
C pose those with contact lenses or certain dermatological issues find sat inside an air conditioned tiny space problematic ?
So the aft cockpit is , the easy useable outside naturally free flowing air space at the marina is where they congregate mostly .

Agree with most of this!

We spend a lot time in anchorages in the SoF and based on my experience people on flybridges seem to spend most of their time in the cockpit or on the bathing platform ... we rarely see groups sitting on the flybridge. They want to be close to the water and in the shade ... and in anchorages which often have a lot of swell due to passing boats, as low to the water as possible.

When making the comparison, I think it makes a big difference what age of boat you are considering. Look at the more recent 50-70 ft sport cruisers (e.g. Sunseeker Predator 57, 60, 74, Princess "S" equivalents, Rivas, Azimuts, etc.) and you usually have a sun pad, big cockpit seating area, large indoor saloon with big windows, easy access to the galley and an opening hard top to provide sun or shade (or an inside area with a/c if you want it). In no way is this a "camping" experience. You have a tender garage and usually a bigger engine room, so you generally have one less cabin than an equivalent sized flybridge ... but for many people this doesn't matter.

I totally accept that the flybridge gives you more space in absolute terms, and entertaining options that you don't have on a sports cruiser ... but for me the comparison is not so black and white as "camping" v "hotel".

 

[petem]

Agree with most of this!

We spend a lot time in anchorages in the SoF and based on my experience people on flybridges seem to spend most of their time in the cockpit or on the bathing platform ... we rarely see groups sitting on the flybridge. They want to be close to the water and in the shade ... and in anchorages which often have a lot of swell due to passing boats, as low to the water as possible.

When making the comparison, I think it makes a big difference what age of boat you are considering. Look at the more recent 50-70 ft sport cruisers (e.g. Sunseeker Predator 57, 60, 74, Princess "S" equivalents, Rivas, Azimuts, etc.) and you usually have a sun pad, big cockpit seating area, large indoor saloon with big windows, easy access to the galley and an opening hard top to provide sun or shade (or an inside area with a/c if you want it). In no way is this a "camping" experience. You have a tender garage and usually a bigger engine room, so you generally have one less cabin than an equivalent sized flybridge ... but for many people this doesn't matter.

I totally accept that the flybridge gives you more space in absolute terms, and entertaining options that you don't have on a sports cruiser ... but for me the comparison is not so black and white as "camping" v "hotel".

Herein lies an issue for me. If I move from my Targa 34 to a Targa 43 all I get is a sunpad at the rear (that I can use instead of the bow one) and a tender garage (there aren't many places to land where we are). I could probably go out in marginally worse weather if I so wished at the expense of consuming a load more fuel per hour.

 

[DavidJ]

Herein lies an issue for me. If I move from my Targa 34 to a Targa 43 all I get is a sunpad at the rear (that I can use instead of the bow one) and a tender garage (there aren't many places to land where we are). I could probably go out in marginally worse weather if I so wished at the expense of consuming a load more fuel per hour.

….but your guests have a much better cabin.
Interesting point re the tender. When we first started boating we would go to a bay and then take the tender to the beach (often crowded and sand in your sandwiches)
Now the tender (roll up Bombard) hasn’t been used for years, we stay on the boat.