Here’s an interesting thing about flybridge boats. Almost nobody drives from the lower helm, ever! Cold, rain, wind – owners are still up on top keeping a good lookout. And here’s something even more intriguing. Quite a few years ago, one or two manufacturers, upon canvassing their customers to discern exactly how they were using their boats and realising this, started offering flybridge boats without the lower helm, increasing the saloon area. Inexplicably, the result of doing so was that no-one bought them, because there was no lower helm.
All of which brings us to all-season, all-weather boats because it appears that if you want a boat that people will actually drive from inside, you’d better make it a dedicated internal helm only.
Add a seriously capable hull to deal with more inclement winter sea conditions and you’ll likely end up with something like this month’s quartet of used boats chosen specifically for year-round all-season boating.
PRICE: £65,000
BOAT: Seaward 29
DATE: 2000
LYING: Burnham-on-Crouch
CONTACT: BH Boat Sales www.bhboatsales.com
PRICE: £345,000
BOAT: Dale Classic 35
DATE: 2014
Beaulieu River
