Here is a totally different approach to a pilot house layout, the concept for which was suggested by one of the folks we have worked with to develop the the FPB 115 into what it is today.
The question was asked “Why do guests always sit behind the helm? They cannot converse with the helmsperson face to face, and their view forward is impaired.”
Why indeed.
This got us to noodling the result of which you see above. Guests can sit facing forward, sideways, or aft as whim dictates. If you are cruising as a family, with youngsters aboard (either progeny or grandkids), the younger generation has room to play while parents helm, stand watch, or just relax and enjoy the scenery.
There is room for five at the table as drawn (it could be larger).
If you are passaging short-handed there the off watch can stretch out and sleep close at hand.
Of course there is a fridge, ice maker, microwave, sink for cleaning up, with lots of storage and counter space.
The negative is slightly impaired vision forward when the windows are wet or dirty. Based on the view in this situation from the middle of the great room on Wind Horse this would not be a major impediment for us.
We like this layout, a lot.
Posted by Steve Dashew (July 8, 2011)
July 8th, 2011 at 6:27 pm
Very nice. Create a walk around area/sitting area between the windows and the seating/sink/food area in addition. Best of all worlds. Enough room?
July 11th, 2011 at 11:04 am
Paul:
Interesting idea, and might work, but you do cramp the seating and floor space. Keeping the furniture out against the structure as shown is the most efficient layout. But then efficient and pleasing are norm always congruent.
July 9th, 2011 at 10:24 pm
Very nice! This would definitely be a draw for cruising with guests. Although I can add no practical cruising input: would it be possible to raise the floor of the pilot house 12 – 18 inches above the forward area or sink the forward area to resolve the line of sight issues?
July 11th, 2011 at 10:59 am
Michael:
Almost anything is possible, but in this case there would be a series of adverse issues raised, starting with the lines of the house.
July 11th, 2011 at 2:33 pm
Looks good. One question – why not add forward seating in the front section using the helm/monitor stand as the back? It seems that may people would be interested in looking forward much of the time – and as it is setup now, thats not many of the passengers can do.
July 11th, 2011 at 9:32 pm
The concept, Brian, is that the passengers have the option of facing forward, sideways, or aft. But these drawings are just to show the potential. We are happy to customize.
July 12th, 2011 at 5:00 pm
That setup looks great for 99% of the time spent cruising, but the sight lines would be difficult for me. I don’t know if I’d want to try to pull into a slip or conduct a man-overboard drill when the controls are 6ft+ from the nearest window. But then I have no experience on a boat even half this size.
July 13th, 2011 at 9:58 am
Hi Adam:
Normally you would dock from outside on the flying bridge. In any event, most owners would choose a remote that controls engines pilot, and thrusters so you can walk to the side windows.
July 13th, 2011 at 10:44 am
This is really a very good concept. I liked something similar on the PDQ32/34 power cat and on my own MC 41 sailing catamaran. Being some distance aft of the window is not a problem whatsoever in my 5+ years of sailing a similar arrangement. Too often, the watch and off watch are separated with no good place to spend time together while one is ‘working’ and one is ‘relaxing’.
July 14th, 2011 at 8:19 pm
maybe a remote control module would be handy for moving to a better visibility spot for docking and manouvering?
This could also be utilised on some of the other formats. Just a thought.
July 16th, 2011 at 9:54 am
Hi Scott:
Most owners will request a remote for the flying bridge and pilot house.
July 15th, 2011 at 8:13 am
The requirement for most conversation is eye contact or at least face to face contact. A rear view mirror, perhaps of the wide angle type, mounted either on the overhead or on the helm itself to the port side would permit the helms person to see those behind and permit those behind to see the eyes/face of the person at the helm. That should be enough to enable casual conversation with having to move the helm.
September 18th, 2011 at 8:51 pm
Hi Steve,
Have you considered running the companionway steps in the opposite direction in the ‘big sister’ (cruising/family version). Perhaps if the steps commenced their descent adjacent to the external door in the pilot house it would improve foot-traffic flow and create a more snug area for ship’s operations. The implicatons are of course that the steps would also enter the lower deck in the opposite direction. However, this seems ok because an open ‘passage’ could reverse from the steps past the freezer doors and into the main corridor. This layout would also provide access from the corridor to the high side of the stairway for storage underneath. Its true you would lose the ironing surface but its probably a job that would be much nicer to do in the greatroom anyway.
September 29th, 2011 at 5:04 pm
Hello Steve:
The problem with reversing the stairs comes between the lower deck and main deck. The hull shape is narrower at the lower level and this forces a much steeper set of stairs.