Why is a Pilot House a Pilot House?

[Boulton20]

I have been on Yatchworld.com and Boats.com and Boatrader. One of the catagories is pilot house style boats, what makes a pilot house a pilot house?If you choose to fill in the blanks on other types, please feel free!

 

[Frosty]

I have no idea what the official definition is. Here is what I think of when I see "pilothouse."

1) An area that is mostly dedicated to helming. Big spaces for all the instruments, charts, and what-have-you, with no attempt to conceal them (since it's not the "living room").

2) There are places for people in addition to the helmsperson to sit facing forward with a good view.

3) Maybe a lazy bench and a watch berth, in a larger pilothouse.

4) Doors to the sidedecks, preferably on both sides.

5) Lots of windows with good visibility (although windows facing aft might be a bit smaller, they are there).

6) Usually somewhat raised in relation to the saloon.

An easy example of a pilothouse to visualize would be a Nordic Tug.

You asked about other types. There are so many: "convertibles," "sundecks," "sportfishes," "motoryachts," "double (tri) cabins," and more. I won't drone on, so will just mention one other type (because I like it), which is the "sedan."

Sedan says to me that the saloon is on the main level, with no other "indoor" living space above it (there may be a flybridge up above though). There is usually a cockpit aft, and that is basically on the same level as the saloon and more or less at water level. The helm (only or lower) is in a forward corner of the saloon. Galley may be up or down.

Think of something like a Grand Banks 32, or a Europa 36 or 42 (which is the layout of a sedan but with covered sidedecks).

 

[mvweebles]

PH boats have at least a couple steps up to the nav area. You could further refine style by where the raised station is located - it was once popular to have the "Wheelhouse" over the aft stateroom, more or less the sundeck (Hatt 43 and Lowland 46 are examples). On the west coast, ive seen raised aft-placed PHs called "Schooner" style and harken to crab boats to allow captain to better see the work deck. A Nordhavn 62 is an example. But I don't know how universal that terminology is.

Given YW doesn't do a great job on filtering, suppose should be happy there is even a PH filter at all.

Peter

 

[Frosty]

Given YW doesn't do a great job on filtering, suppose should be happy there is even a PH filter at all.

We're just lucky they still even let us look at boats for sale. Don't get uppity and want photos that can be clicked to enlarge, or other fancy features that help you see the available boats

 

[O C Diver]

I would say my boat is a pretty good example of a pilothouse. A raised helm area, separate from the saloon, designed to optimize piloting of the vessel. Windows provide about 270 degree vision and elevation of the helm provides unobstructed views for navigation.

Ted

 

[HiDHo]

A dedicated navigation space, ours has 360 degrees of visibility.

 

[menzies]

A dedicated navigation space, ours has 360 degrees of visibility.

Now see, some would call yours a Fly(ing) Bridge, or on much larger boats a sky lounge.

 

[rslifkin]

Now see, some would call yours a Fly(ing) Bridge, or on much larger boats a sky lounge.

I think the distinction between a flybridge and a very tall pilothouse is whether it's enclosed, has proper windshields, etc.

 

[mvweebles]

We're just lucky they still even let us look at boats for sale. Don't get uppity and want photos that can be clicked to enlarge, or other fancy features that help you see the available boats

Maybe it's because I use android, but trying to pull up pictures is difficult. There's a huge top and lower banner that make the pictures tiny and impossible to zoom. Amazing that they do not regression test better.

BoatTrader isn't much better for me.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Pilot house sedan where the helm is on the same level as the saloon but separated by a bulkhead.

 

[Shrew]

Now see, some would call yours a Fly(ing) Bridge, or on much larger boats a sky lounge.

I would consider a flybridge anything where the upper helm is sitting ON the roof of the saloon. A Pilot House would seem to typically be IN the boat. As in, you can walk from the saloon to the pilot house. The flybridge seems to be outside of the boat.

In your case, Menzies, you really have both. The pilot house AND the flybridge.

 

[HiDHo]

Insulated fiberglass hardtop, tempered glass windshield, tinted Lexan sliders fully enclosed, heated and air conditioned with port and starboard doors.
Not a Sky Lounge no bar.
Definition: A wheelhouse will have the vessels the main steering controls.

 

[Pack Mule]

Insulated fiberglass hardtop, tempered glass windshield, tinted Lexan sliders fully enclosed, heated and air conditioned with port and starboard doors.
Not a Sky Lounge no bar.

Very nice addition to your Manatee!

 

[Ka_sea_ta]

Insulated fiberglass hardtop, tempered glass windshield, tinted Lexan sliders fully enclosed, heated and air conditioned with port and starboard doors.
Not a Sky Lounge no bar.
Definition: A wheelhouse will have the vessels the main steering controls.

nice looking boat, commercial fishermen around here and Alaska would call that a "tophouse"