For me, an opening from the helm station directly onto the side deck is important. Which side could depend on where your helm is located, but all else being equal my own preference is for the helm to be on the starboard side and a door right next to it. When docking or locking, that allows me to step outside and be useful handling lines and fenders.
When docking a boat that has two helm stations, upper and lower, I believe it's safer to operate from the lower station, for the same reason as above. The helmsman can become an extra deckhand in about two seconds, instead of climbing down a ladder and moving to a new position. If you have crew who know what they're doing, I guess it matters less. Ditto when you're always leaving from and returning to the same dock every time - lines can be pre-positioned and every move choreographed in advance.
Even when running boats with the helm on the centerline, if conditions allow, my habit is to dock starboard-side-to. Can't explain why, so I guess it's just another old habit that has worked for decades. But I'm an ambidextrous docker, and can lay alongside to port just as well!
Being able to open a door right next to the helm also makes me feel a bit more connected to the conditions outside, such as smells and sounds. When running in heavy fog, for example, even with radar, I really prefer to keep doors or windows open, so that I can hear any noises outside the boat.
For some time now I've been searching for a Downeast-style cruiser in the 30' - 40' range, with a strong single engine / protected running gear. The Mainship Pilot series, 30' or 34', are good examples of what I like. Don't care about a flybridge, but it's hard to find any boat that checks the rest of my boxes and has a door at the helm station. The MS Pilots do not, so for a singlehanded skipper to reach the side deck or the bow requires moving aft first, then climbing onto a narrow side deck and going forward again. Same with the very handsome little Cape Dory 28, or the beautiful Legacy 28 Express. Same issue with the 32' Grand Banks. All of those are boats that I like a lot and that would fit into my life circumstances, as someone still working full-time +. The 25' Rosboroughs do have a door next to the helm, but those boats are a bit small for what I need.
The Zimmerman 36' has what I'm looking for, as do the bigger Legacys, but those listings seem to hover beyond the upper-end of my humble budget. Feels like like I'm wandering around in no-boat land, which is frustrating. Apologies for the thread drift, here.
