My Perfect Boat & the Fly Bridge
Snip from From: Jim McCorison <jim@starfishmarine.com...."During the
warmer
seasons, the flybridge can serve this purpose. But at night, or in the
wind, cold, or rain, it no longer is an option. "
Ah not so Jim. My flybridge has a hardtop, 40 mil Strataglass screens
make it quite waterproof and it is heated with ducted heaters - by
exchanger underway or by the Hurricane heater when anchored. Makes a
completely livable space in almost all weathers - in fact it gets a
little too hot if both heaters are running even when it is Newfoundland
outside.
Ron Barr
Lady Brookhaven Hatteras LRC 42
Presently lying New Bern, NC
KB1LFX
At 10:15 PM 2/13/2005 -0500, ron barr wrote:
Ah not so Jim. My flybridge has a hardtop, 40 mil Strataglass screens
make it quite waterproof and it is heated with ducted heaters - by
exchanger underway or by the Hurricane heater when anchored.
I know a lot of people create a completely enclosed flybridge. But I prefer
to avoid the considerable windage that this creates, both in storm
conditions, and when trying to dock in a cross wind situations. It's all a
matter of choices I guess.
Jim
Jim McCorison
Starfish Marine
(619) 337-5370
http://manana.mccorison.com - Our Travels with Maqana
http://www.starfishmarine.com - My Business
I don't like fly bridges. I don't like the motion or the exposure up there.
My last boat had a fly bridge and I always felt like the boat was going to
turn turtle. Last summer I got a sunburned lip from the fly bridge...ouch!
My 2 Chris Craft Roamers 35' and 56', only had a pilot house and I could see
everything I wanted to see...and had a great 360 view. I was closer to the
water, I felt like I had a better sense of stability and could read the
water better from there. The boat I am building will not have one either
but it will have a raised pilot house with a 360 view. I single hand mostly
and being on the lower deck when docking is a must. I like hearing the
engine and being close to the head and galley. I like open windows with
screens when the weather is good but when it turns bad I have the comforts
of the boats interior. I like having all of my electronics and gauges in
one place.
I feel a part of the boat when I am driving and stand as much as I can.
Being on top feels like sitting on a roof to me.
Am I the only one??
Bob Clinkenbeard
Custom Roughwater 41' Trawler
"Bobbin Along"
http://www.dreamwater.org/captainbob/
My twins eliminate the wind problem with my flybridge and allow me to use it
year around. Never thought about a single engine boat cutting down the
usable area of a boat. Guess that's another consideration on twin vs single
on a coastal cruising boat.
Dick Schroder
Gulstar 43 trawler PanHandler
Great American Marina #44
Jim McCorison
Sent: Sunday, February 13, 2005 10:42 PM
To: trawlers-and-trawlering@lists.samurai.com
I know a lot of people create a completely enclosed
flybridge. But I prefer
to avoid the considerable windage that this creates, both in storm
conditions, and when trying to dock in a cross wind
situations. It's all a
matter of choices I guess.
Jim
Jim McCorison
Starfish Marine
(619) 337-5370
http://manana.mccorison.com - Our Travels with Maqana
http://www.starfishmarine.com - My Business
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At 11:10 PM 2/13/2005 -0500, Bob Clinkenbeard wrote:
Am I the only one??
For us, it depends on the conditions. When its calm or gentle breezes and
sunny and warm, being up on the flybridge is wonderful. You can sit in the
shade of the bimini or lounge in the sun. We've even set out the deck
chairs on the aft end of the flybridge and relaxed while watching over the
autopilot with the remote in hand (This was offshore and clear conditions,
no dangers.)
But once it turns cold or windy, or at night, and definitely once the waves
start to build, we're down at the lower helm. It is much more comfortable
down there. We once tried the flybridge in 5' to 6' conditions crossing the
Straits of Juan de Fuca in our prior boat. Never again. Felt like a
carnival thrill ride. Why would you want to be further from the roll center
of the boat in inclement conditions?
Down here in SoCal you see a lot of flybridge only boats. Not just
sportfishers, but trawlers which are either never driven from down below,
or have even had the lower helms removed.
So when it's sunny and nice weather, we think a flybridge is grand. But
once it turns ugly we run for cover of the lower helm.
Jim
Jim McCorison
Starfish Marine
(619) 337-5370
http://manana.mccorison.com - Our Travels with Maqana
http://www.starfishmarine.com - My Business
At 11:16 PM 2/13/2005 -0500, Dick Schroder wrote:
My twins eliminate the wind problem with my flybridge and allow me to use it
year around.
Twins will help, some, maybe, in docking. The underwater profile of the
hull matters more than the number of engines. We always get free
entertainment watching people with multi-story boats and nothing below the
water line (boats like a Carver) try and dock in a cross wind. A deeper
draft sure helps in that area.
But in open water in bad conditions, the more windage you have higher up
the worse it's going to be, single engine or twin. It won't matter.
Jim
Jim McCorison
Starfish Marine
(619) 337-5370
http://manana.mccorison.com - Our Travels with Maqana
http://www.starfishmarine.com - My Business
Bob, you are not the only one.
I dont like the look weeding cake on a boat. But in beautiful weather, the
fly bridge is a really nice place to hagn out.
Sylvain Sirois
http://www.plongeess.com
I don't like fly bridges.
Am I the only one??
Bob Clinkenbeard
Custom Roughwater 41' Trawler
"Bobbin Along"
here in south florida I find myself running the boat from the flybridge
probably 95% of the time. the only time I run it from the lower helm is when
it rains or when docking since I singlehand most of the time. or
occasionally in summer when it's hot, the suns gets low and breeze is
light...
why ? i don't know! i like the view, the breeze, the sound of the water...
from the fb I hear mostly water noise,not engine... maybe I shoudl have
gotten a sailboat :-) visibility from the lower helm is very good so
it's not an issue. Less noise too although i usually come down every hour
or so to make sure eveything sounds right.
Despite the extra windage, the hull shape makes it easy to handle in a
Xwind...
i don't know... maybe some of us who like to run the boat from a flybridge
suffed from the same ego need as soccer moms who need a ladder to climb in
their SUVs :-)
pascal
miami, fl
70 hatteras 53my
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob Clinkenbeard" captainbobc@comcast.net
I feel a part of the boat when I am driving and stand as much as I can.
Being on top feels like sitting on a roof to me.
Am I the only one??
I agree with Clink but for those that like exposed flybridges, its fine with
me.
I have seen some reference made to a flybridge compared to a lower station
like a pilothouse is a lower station.
Not to we pilothouse aficionados. No comparision!
Bill