8 People on Fly Bridge?

[hfoster]

Originally Posted by Art

Perhaps I'm incorrect with this thought... but, in a general engineering sense... it seems to me:

Regarding same length boat...


Fairly wide waterline berth, hard chine planning hull shape would have less "roll-over" tendency that a more narrow waterline berth, soft chine full displacement hull shape.

Art me Irish Bro. I would agree with that.

Cheers Mate.

H.

[koliver]

Originally Posted by Oldersalt

My GB 32 weighs, all up, close to 20,000 pounds. Next month, during the SF Fleet Week air show, I will have a total of 8 people on the boat, including me.
SF Bay can get a bit windy and bumpy, and I remember reading of a few cases where powerboats capsized, apparently due to top-heavy overloading. 8 adult Americans probably weigh a total of over 1,500 pounds

So, may have your knowledge and/or thoughts about whether or not I need to limit the number of people on the fly bridge?

Thanks in advance.
Oldersalt

Your GB 32 is 11.0 ft wide. You have wide side decks, so your FB is ~8 ft wide. You will feel crowded with 8 avg size Americans up top. Let that feeling of a crowd be your guide.

With your wide side decks, there is less danger of having too much weight too close to one side, but the same narrow side decks prevent getting some of the weight far enough from the low side to compensate.

[Art]

Originally Posted by hfoster

Art me Irish Bro. I would agree with that.

Cheers Mate.

H.

H me Irish Bud!

Of course you would! Being that we're Irish, nearly always on plane, gots wide berth arm reach and hard as heck to tip over. Besides... we're 100% self righting! - LOL

Double Cheers! - Art

[refugio]

How much permanent seating did the manufacture install? If this were a USCG inspected boat that would come into play. It’s not, but it’s still a clue. Non-permanent seating on the flying bridge seems inadvisable in a seaway.

[Ski in NC]

None of us know without doing the stab calcs and knowing weights and sea conditions.

Gut feel is queasy with 8 up there. And crowded to boot. Keep half in cockpit or on foredeck.

[FlyWright]

I was there at the SF Fleet Week last year when the boat capsized with ~20 people aboard. Capsizing is a real risk and over- or misloading is a prime cause.

Somewhere I have a photo of Markpierce on my 34 LRC flybridge at the SF Fleet Week 2012. It must have been a traumatic experience for him to feel the way he says he feels. It was rolly that day on the bay.

My general rule with children is no FB access in the bay due to my concern for their safety while traversing the ladder and the exaggerated rolling motion up there. I would limit adults to 3-4 at the most under benign bay conditions.

Ask yourself, "What are the risks and what are the benefits? Do the benefits outweigh the risks?" If not, don't do it.

[Art]

Rolly Polly! 3 on bridge!

[Chrisjs]

Apart from other safety considerations already discussed, do not under estimate the risk from wakes thrown up by inconsiderate go-fast boats in your vicinity. This sounds like a boat "party" environment with drinking and horse play involved. Best be safety focused.

[Dawdler]

i'm in the minority here, but back in the day i had 8 on the bridge of my 32 GB many times on SF bay without a problem. you could be sure your fuel and water tanks are topped off for added stability.

[Art]

2009 I was honored to take a small film crew into SF Bay... for a film-report preview about the then news worthy item of illegally harvesting shark fins.

We left San Rafael and went to East Brother Island area. They had 5 persons with film equipment. We spent a few hours all on the fly bridge of my 31' Uniflite.

Weather was calm. Didn't experience any tippy feeling.

[Benthic2]

What is your role in this trip ? Are you working to provide your passengers enjoyment, or are you hoping to have a good time yourself ?? Will 8 people on the FB impact your enjoyment ? I could not relax if I had any lingering doubts about my passengers or my boat.

Will the passengers have a good time if they are restricted to 4 people at a time up there ? I suspect they'll be thrilled to be out on the harbor, enjoying the moment, whether on the foredeck, cockpit or bridge.

It seems there is very little downside to erring on the side of caution, with the upside being your passengers safety and your enjoyment.

You could always just play it by ear. Perhaps not everyone will want to go up there and it won't be an issue.

[Benthic2]

You could also post these all around the boat.....

[Art]

Originally Posted by Benthic2

You could also post these all around the boat.....

8760 a year = Ouch!!

[Lepke]

It's not only stability, but the weight the upper deck was engineered to support. My boat was licensed for charter and could carry 50 day passengers. Nearly every upper deck beam had cracks or separations. PO was lucky the beams were old, tight grain grain fir or they would have had a failure. Flaws were all painted over, usual sell tricks.
I've seen newer construction. Typical new, loose grain wood. Putting 1500 pounds on the fly bridge is like putting one of my Detroit mains up there. You wouldn't do that even in port. How much stress is added when pounding across other wakes or the waves put up by the afternoon winds?

[Art]

Originally Posted by Lepke

It's not only stability, but the weight the upper deck was engineered to support. My boat was licensed for charter and could carry 50 day passengers. Nearly every upper deck beam had cracks or separations. PO was lucky the beams were old, tight grain grain fir or they would have had a failure. Flaws were all painted over, usual sell tricks.
I've seen newer construction. Typical new, loose grain wood. Putting 1500 pounds on the fly bridge is like putting one of my Detroit mains up there. You wouldn't do that even in port. How much stress is added when pounding across other wakes or the waves put up by the afternoon winds?

Really good point[s]!

[markpierce]

Originally Posted by FlyWright

...
Somewhere I have a photo of Markpierce on my 34 LRC flybridge at the SF Fleet Week 2012. It must have been a traumatic experience for him to feel the way he says he feels. It was rolly that day on the bay. ...

That day a jet fighter went absolutely vertical directly above us. Fortunately, we were in the uncovered cockpit, so had a completely unobstructed view.

[BruceK]

Originally Posted by WesK

....Other than the sticker, it's a judgement call...

Who affixed the faded sticker? What was the research for it? What is its validity when an issue arises?
Anyone with a "sticker" would be unwise to rely on it as such.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by BruceK

Who affixed the faded sticker? What was the research for it? What is its validity when an issue arises?
Anyone with a "sticker" would be unwise to rely on it as such.

Seriously?

It was original to the boat. Just like the ones on new smaller boats explaining that a spinning propeller is dangerous.

It matches the remains of the stickers designating where slings are to be placed to lift the boat out of the water.

Sometimes, things are just what they seem to be.

[BandB]

Originally Posted by Oldersalt

My GB 32 weighs, all up, close to 20,000 pounds. Next month, during the SF Fleet Week air show, I will have a total of 8 people on the boat, including me.
SF Bay can get a bit windy and bumpy, and I remember reading of a few cases where powerboats capsized, apparently due to top-heavy overloading. 8 adult Americans probably weigh a total of over 1,500 pounds

So, may have your knowledge and/or thoughts about whether or not I need to limit the number of people on the fly bridge?

Thanks in advance.
Oldersalt

Wifey B: I love love love flybridges, but....

How many can you seat on the flybridge? I'm betting no more than 4 or 6 max.

I wouldn't have more than I have seats for in case rolling starts. My guess is that the most I would be comfortable having on it in totally benign conditions would be 6 and in other sea conditions would be 4.

[Oldersalt]

I'm the OP. Thanks for all the responses! Since the 'back porch' on my GB 32 is covered by hard-to-remove canvas, I was hoping to fit everybody on the fly bridge. Technically, there is built-in seating for 8 up there, if people squeeze a bit (4 bench seats that could fit 2 people each). And there is room for at least a couple of folding chairs. 8 adults COULD fit up there and not feel too crowded.

However, I am typically a pretty cautious skipper and, as one response put it (more or less), "if you have to ask the question you already know the answer." So, 4 people max upstairs at any one time. The others can look out from under the aft cockpit bimini or head up to the bow (wearing pfds, of course). Or, I can anchor a bit further away from the action so little if any of the good stuff happens directly overhead.

Thanks again for all your thoughtful and helpful replies.

Oldersalt