I have a 34 Tollycraft sedan/fly and am looking for a 48 Sabre. Love being able to see everything from up top but also love the Sabre sedans w/out fly for their sleek look and to be able to be part of the action with my guests down below. I also am tired of the heavy pitch I get because of the flybridge. The question is will i miss the fly terribly or is the non-fly Sabre setup high enough so that I'll have no problem seeing over the bow, even in heavy seas? Also, how does the 48 fly handle? Will I get that same roll that I do with my Tolly?
To me the ideal setup is duel station. upper and lower. Visibility isn't as good from the lower but it's a lot more comfortable in rough weather. Like J says though you lose a lot of interior space with a lower helm.
It would help to know where you are as weather is a big factor. If you re up in New England or the Pacific Northwest you will not get as much use out of the FB as you would in Florida or the Bahamas as much as I love the looks of a non FB boat, I woudl never not have a FB.
Not only location, but where you are going to boat. Specifically, if you are along the ICW, you should look at the number of bridges you would need to wait for if you have a Fly Bridge. But then again, we are partial to the Sabre salon express like ours.
Thanks fellow boaters. We're in Southern California- no bridges and great weather. As far as losing space Sabre doesn't have an option without a 'down station' so there's literally no space gained down below from having a fly. I guess i'm just concerned about the pendulum effect we get from the taller boat but also concerned that without the fly we'll lose precious visibility. There are certainly more used Sabre 48's w/out a fly so that's also a factor.
The space that is gained is the Flybridge itself. On my boat it's the most popular spot to sit for view and breeze. And on a square foot basis it adds a ton of space. If you don't like the ride from up top you can always just drive from the lower station. I agree the lines are not as nice as the 48 express but it's still a nice looking boat. And I agree with Pascal, I could never be without the flybridge.