The saloon is at the forward end of this raised area, adjacent to the galley and the office. We’ve got 7-foot (2.15m) settees on each side, plus room for two more folding chairs around the table.

We can sit six comfortably for dinner at the table – more if we have some folks eating on edges or the starboard settee (although we’ll normally eat outside on the fly bridge when weather allows).

More important is that we have a couple of very comfortable seats on which to lounge while we’re underway, along with a “Captain’s” chair in the “bridge” area forward.

The sight lines looking forward are very good while sitting with our feet up. When we’re well offshore, away from navigational hazards and traffic, we can read a book, and check the horizon and radar every few minutes from these settees.

They also work well for napping.