How much time do you spend on your flybridge?

[Kawasaki]

99.9%

100% Debs agrees with that

 

[hlb]

The point is, there is a choice, it's not about right or wrong. With FB you have downstairs all comfortable and warm. Upstairs you have far more vision. So you decide which is best at the time. Dont understand much about helping crew?? If you stick to one method, they only have one thing to do. They should not need any help or any more advice. A twin engined boat can deal with most anything..

 

[hlb]

100% Debs agrees with that

............................................

Yep Debs agrees. Crossed the Bristol channel with a good F8 on the beam. MF dont seem to bothered about beam seas or following seas. I'm talking about stuff higher than the radar arch. She just goes over it.


I know that there is worse weather, it dont seem to bother her that much. Just settle down to 8 knots If it gets bad. The raggies are doing 4.

 

[PlanB]

All the time, in any weather, as we found we get seasick at the lower helm!

 

[rickp]

I think I have the best of both worlds - raised helm position so good visibility, massive sunroof for the odd warm day, but good solid hard top for when bashing upwind, or a british summer....

 

[hlb]

I think I have the best of both worlds - raised helm position so good visibility, massive sunroof for the odd warm day, but good solid hard top for when bashing upwind, or a british summer....

Me old P33 was like that, where does the navigator sit.

We had to lash a deck chair down, faceing forwards, so she could see where we were going and not get sea sick.

Whats the point in a hard top. Do you have a garden or a tennis court up there. Or is it just some wasted space where the fly bridge should be.

 

[AndieMac]

My preference is a flybridge, and for all the reasons stated above, except helming in rough weather.

Large confused seas, slightly forward of the beam particuarly, the motion is accentuated by moving upstairs. I prefer to be low and centred....and hanging on!

 

[MapisM]

Dont understand much about helping crew?? If you stick to one method, they only have one thing to do. They should not need any help or any more advice. A twin engined boat can deal with most anything..

Yep, that's actually a problem which is very specific to stern to mooring, med style.
Imagine this: mooring stern to in strong xwind, twin shafts, no thrusters, no other boats moored downwind.
In these conditions, there's more than one thing swmbo must do: throw the upwind stern line to the dock hand, grab from him the bow line, bring it to the bow and secure it to a cleat.
This last part is the trickier, because it must be done double quick: once the bow begins to move with the wind, there's close to nothing you can do with the engines (also because the ground line could be very close to the props).
You just have to hold tight the bow line, and secure it.
And trust me, with a heavy boat and strong xwind, that's not trivial at all.
Swmbo wouldn't be impressed if I'd stay on the flybridge doing nothing...

 

[Renegade_Master]

All the time, in any weather, as we found we get seasick at the lower helm!

sea sick? Paa whatsamatterwivyer

PS Xmas Eve Jollies Clive plus guest in the shape of Phil

 

[Renegade_Master]

Mapis, if there is a boat next to yours on upwind berth, why not get the crew to tie on a midships cleat to said boat, gives you time then

 

[Medskipper]

I can't remember the last time that I helmed from below! even in England. You have an all round view up top and I would never bring the boat into its mooring helming from below, you just can't see enough!

Barry

 

[Renegade_Master]

Up on the flybridge all the time except when big head seas create water over fly or heavy rain, the latter being most unlikely here.

Always more from flybridge as said by others you get far better idea of the windage, and the view is far better.

My crew know their stations. As for helming inside so one can then help the crew,
well that could only be the crew aft I guess, (bow is a long way of) and even then by the time I got from the inner helm seat out the saloon doors to the cockpit, they would have sorted it I imagine. Moreover one should not leave the helm at such a time IMHO

 

[AllanJ]

Not sure whether this contributes much towhat has already been said. I have only had a boat (Sealine F33) for a month. I am in the Firth of Clyde, not best known for its great weather!
I thought when I bought the boat that I would spend all of my time inside. Reverse is true. I love the flybridge for the view, the feeling, and I can see the waves coming in a swell which makes it somehow better than being below with llimited visibility and react AFTER being thrown around like a cork. I have come down to speak to the guests of course as any captain mut ) ) but straight back up to my perch after. It would have to be really bad to get me off of there.
May change my mind in a few years, but not for the foreseeable future. Get good clothes and it is great.

 

[Renegade_Master]

To illustrate my point about getting from inner helm to cockpit

 

[Hurricane]

In the UK it used to be about 50/50
We DID tend to use the boat and as a result quite a lot of the time in miserable weather.

However, in the Med its about 90% of the time on the FB
But there are still times when its more comfortable inside.

 

[MapisM]

if there is a boat next to yours on upwind berth, why not get the crew to tie on a midships cleat to said boat

Yes of course, but there might be no boat also upwind, or no crew onboard.
I only mentioned "no boat downwind" because that's the only situation where you can safely assume that your boat will stop, when lying along the other one.

Re.being able to help the crew only astern, aside from the fact that it's in any case quicker to reach the bow if you don't have a ladder in between, that's why I said "particularly if there's also a side door".
Unfortunately, that's pretty rare in boats below 50' or so.
Which is a shame, becaue it's very handy also in other respects.

 

[hlb]

My view is, you need to stay at the helm, to abort and try again when necessary. I try to find a one stop method that suits all situations. There's the odd time it wont work, but I ain't found many. The main thing being, every one knows what there doing and you don't get into arguments and shouting, which only ends in grief.

 

[Nick_H]

Upper helm in good weather, lower helm in poor weather, so in the UK was maybe 70/30 and in SoF more like 95/5. I can't see why anyone would don the wet weather gear or winter woolies to drive from up top though, may as well have an open boat if you never drive from downstairs.

 

[hlb]

Upper helm in good weather, lower helm in poor weather, so in the UK was maybe 70/30 and in SoF more like 95/5. I can't see why anyone would don the wet weather gear or winter woolies to drive from up top though, may as well have an open boat if you never drive from downstairs.

..................................................................................................

Because if the suns shining it's nice, if it's rough, you need to see what your doing, if it gets to rough, it's not safe to go down.

 

[MapisM]

if it gets to rough, it's not safe to go down.

I must strongly disagree on this one.
As I said, you should blame the arrangement of your internal helm if it doesn't allow you to safely control the boat from there in any condition.There are good reasons why the boats designed to operate under the most extreme conditions have safety belts on the helm seats and self-righting capability!...