Nordhavn 47 Flybridge vs non-flybridge

A cruising home needs to be many things. Everyone will build their list of big issues and Ranger exceeds in every one of the big issue areas. Looking for a new boat involves checking off the list of must have features that accommodate sea worthiness, engine reliability, the best navigation and communication gear, roomy interior, a shore boat to go exploring, easy serviceability and access for all the electro-mechanical stuff and on and on….

And, of course, with the n47 there is the flybridge vs. the non-flybridge consideration.

We intentionally selected the non-flybridge version for our 47. The Great Loop was only one of many reasons where we believe the non-flybridge N47 to be superior to the flybridge version. I hate to start this piece with the negatives, but the flybridge model has a lot of them and a model decision based on just one factor misses out on so many more important factors than just air draft and you lose so much in the pilot house that has actual value for the cruising couple. 

1. The fly bridge on the 47 is not large. Let’s be honest, it’s small. Two people can sit side by side but it is not the venue for a party – we save that for the aft boat deck! At one point in our life, we had a Grand Banks Motor Yacht. She had a large flybridge and was great place to have a cocktail hour. The Nordhavn 47 flybridge is basically a place for two people to sit. You’re a long way from anything and unless you can convince a spouse or really good friend to share the solitude, you will be alone a lot of the time.
2. But what about docking? The person at the helm is pretty much stuck there during docking maneuvers.  Docking from the inside station at least puts you on the same level so you can talk to crew.  What has worked incredibly well for us is the Yacht Controller!  For over 8 years one of us has the remote around our neck. The remote has an outline of bow and stern displayed and you have the ability to hang the remote based on whether you are docking ahead into a slip or in reverse backing in. Easy!  Using thrusters and transmission control, moving forward, aft or swinging the bow or stern left or right , the boat is precisely handled and maneuvered under your control.
3. I’ve been aboard 47s with a flybridge.  A very significant amount of room was lost in the pilot house.  The reality is that with a small crew, having the off watch an arm’s length away sleeping in a large bed beats going to find them because the pilot house berth was uncomfortably small for an adult to actually sleep. My wife and I share watches throughout the night. If one us sees something or has a chart question, the other is just a few feet away . Getting around the settee and behind the Stidd chair is also easy on our non-flybridge model..
4. The fly bridge adds weight up high and helm control complexity.  More throttle, transmission complexity. More steering complexity. More nav/com expense. More maintenance and more boat to wash.
5. The non-pilot house berth opens up the Great Loop.  Our dry stack exhaust is on a hinge and the exhaust pipe has a flange so it can be disconnected. Not interested in the loop? Still nice to know you can get under low bridges if you have to.
6. While it is not a operational feature, the so much cleaner lines of the non-flybridge model makes this trawler look really good. Side by side with a flybridge model there is no comparison. 

Finally, the mandatory “It must have a fly bridge” most often doesn’t hold up in the real world.  We have sat many times on our boat watching the boat traffic return at the end of the day.  Recently, we were in Spa Creek (Annapolis, MD) and 19 out of 20 fly bridge equipped boats were commanded from the inside.  Whether it was needing to be handy when docking, or it was just the end of the day and concern over melanoma had won over sun tanning, inside was better.  Shade, air conditioning and socializing won out. 

And someday, when it is time to sell Ranger, a Great Loop boat will be a definite advantage. Having said that, it’s the day-to-day little things that are every bit as mandatory and we have over the last four decades pulled together all these little enhancements that make life (almost unknowingly) better.