$75,000 depending on the
boat and the accommoda-
tions included above. On
some boats, an upper station
can make them resell faster
and sometimes for a higher
price than without one. That
is particularly so if the boat’s
upper station isn’t the sole
station. That higher resale
price, though, may be o set
by the cost of maintaining
helm hydraulics, throttle and
shift controls, and navigation
equipment in both stations.STORMY LIABILITIES
On a beautiful day, nothing is
better than skippering from
above. On a stormy day, noth-
ing is worse. An upper sta-
tion is high above the vessel’s
center of gravity, and the only
thing worse than lunging for-
ward through rough seas is
wobbling sideways through
them with each wave attempt-
ing to slingshot you abeam.
Trying to come through a
sloppy inlet in stormy weather
will make you kick yourselffor not investing in a second
lower station.
You’ll fi nd lots of options in
fl ybridge boats and designs for
many tastes and wallets. The
designs range from pockettrawlers to luxury cruisers
and sport-fi shers. Here are
some top examples, along with
some assets and some — let’s
just call them trade-o s — in
the bargain.VIKING 44CC
It’s unclear who built the
first flybridge, but it’s easy
to argue sport-fishing con-
vertibles would be among
the first. Nobody benefits
from that lofty view like
fishermen. In fact, Viking
doesn’t offer the 44C with a
lower helm, which perfectly
illustrates an angler’s com-
mitment to that view. Viking
will protect the bridge with
acrylic side curtains, and
when air conditioning and
heating are added, there’s
no weather short of rough
seas to keep you from
having fun.
We’ve already dis-
cussed the docking advan-
tages, and no offshore
skipper is going to wink
at a 20-minute wait for a
bridge — he’ll just get his
crew up that much earlier.
Because offshore anglers
are long-range fishermen,
the Viking 44CC doesn’t
pull punches on comfort-
able accommodations.Two main staterooms
offer queen beds, and the
amidships berth includesa private head. Add a
single bunk forward and
convertible settees, andthere is plenty of sleep-
ing space on board for
comfort.BENETEAU SWIFT TRAWLER 30
Beneteau proves you
don’t have to go large to
get the fun of a flybridge.
Its Swift Trawler is a
semidisplacement hull
capable of exceeding
30 mph. Its fuel capac-
ity gives a range beyond
most owners’ expecta-
tions. The easy-to-handle,
compact trawler is a
true voyager for a jaunt
to Block Island, or even
crossing from Miami totour the Bahamas.
The boatbuilder wisely
makes standard both an
upper and lower station,
which means a short crew,
or even a single-handed
skipper at the lower helm,
can dock and secure the
vessel at port. Also stan-
dard is a Volvo Penta D6
370 hp engine, powerful,
fuel efficient, and ready
for reliable long-range
cruising or just weekendovernighting at a quiet
anchorage.
Access to the bridge is
via a ladder-way through
an upper-deck hatch.
The landing below does
take cockpit space, but
Beneteau compensates
by opening the cockpit
to the salon via a large
sliding door. The effect is
attractive and practical,
and cruisers won’t regret
the trade-offs.SPECS
· LOA: 45'1" · BEAM: 16'4" · FUEL CAPACITY: 825 gal. · HORSEPOWER: Dual MAN 16 800 CRM diesels · UPPER STATION: Standard · LOWER STATION: Not available · BASE PRICE: $1,474,000
SPECS
· LOA: 32'9" · BEAM: 11'7" · FUEL CAPACITY: 185 gal. · HORSEPOWER: 370 · UPPER STATION: Standard · LOWER STATION: Standard · BASE PRICE: $284,800
The Future of Flying: Five modern flybridge boats
PHOTOS: (FROM TOP) COURTESY RANGER TUGS , COURTESY VIKING YACHT COMPANY, COURTESY BENETEAU78 | BOATINGMAG.COM | JULY/AUGUST 2018