By way of additional Tolly 44 vs 4788 - we’ve had both, back-to-back. We like both for different reasons.
Tolly is more “seaworthy” IMO, more stabile in a beam sea but suffers from “snap roll”
Never used Tolly lower helm; FB was two sets of stairs; because of the aft deck “landing” the trek never seemed to be a problem. Our FB was ¾ enclosed. We bundled up during the winter.
The Tolly galley never seemed like it was a “down galley” since it had front windshield “skylights” overhead.
Covered aft deck was great, could fish the boat - good sight lines from FB helm.
Walk around side decks were nice; but,
Two small 20 gal holding tanks, cramped (for me) aft cabin, some boats might need a lot of interior redecorating and monkey fur replacement, older boats might have raw water heads, lots of t-nuts that could be problematic, side decks reduce width of salon, decent but not great storage, salon comfy but not “large.
4788 solidly built, good quality components. Decently kept boats don’t show their 20+ year Age.
Typically fresh water heads, 40 gal black water, 200 gal water, 440 gal fuel. Lots of range in both running time and days away from the dock.
Storage everywhere (look under the mid cabin berth and the forward lower bunk, create easy access to the “attic” under the pilothouse helm).
Easy soft ride, no pounding, moderately “wet”
Huge amount of living space; if you’re not marina hopping you never miss the side decks. We don’t anyway (get a pair of Eartech radios)
Option to pilot from either helm - both offer great visibility.
Salon/gallery seems huge. After 2.5 years I’m still amazed. Keeps us from “trading down” to a 3988
Did I mention storage? (Convert old tube tv cabinet and old stereo cabinet to shelving for even more storage.)
BOC - probably the most active and informative “user group” of all brands - a true resource for brand/model-specific help
Truly livable layout; lots of glass to make those not-so-brochure-worthy-weather days no big deal. It lives like a 450sf small apartment with a 200 sf patio (upper deck)
Very fuel efficient at 1350-1500 (hull speed) rpm and 2300-2500 rpm planing).
On the other hand
Soft chines mean rolly in a beam sea. Add time to your journey by tacking.
A lot of service access is tight, very tight and running cable is a challenge. I’m 72 and large framed (e.g. overweight) and I’ve come close to selling as a result. Then I sit in one of the barrel chairs, look past the sizable salon through the large windows and those frustrations disappear (usually with visions of my VISA card).
A boat that has its own “sticky thread” devoted to leaks.
An awkward layout/access to the v-berth because of shelving/useless cabinets.
If it seems that I miss our Tolly, I do. But all things considered the 4788 is one heck of a great coastal cruiser *for the money*. They offer great value in both initial cost and operating cost (except service if you have to hire out a lot). Our retirement cruising model is 2-4 weeks or more per cruise, not marina dependent, not sunshine dependent, room for our own space, easy to take family or friends for up to a week, etc. The only boat I’d rather have is an Ocean Alexander 48 Classico pilothouse, but given their pricing it ain’t gonna happen plus production stopped mid-1990s IIRC. Like others have offered, feel free to PM me to exchange contact info or a call. I have yet to come across a BOC member who won’t gladly share the great, good, bad, and ugly with candor.
