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Old 12-31-2018, 01:24 PM   #14
Crusty Chief
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City: Pahrump, NV
Vessel Name: Pairadice
Vessel Model: Sold Selene 47
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 1,967
You should probably take a hard look at where you are going to pilot the boat the majority of the time. Design of the boat dictates this.
We have a raised pilot house and that is where we pilot the boat most of the time. When the weather dictates we do enjoy piloting the boat from the flybridge especially in warmer climates.
But other designs may not allow you to pilot the boat from anywhere else than the fly bridge. Cruising buddies of ours, ASD, has this issue as the piloting station down below has limited visibility. So the enclosure up above, which is there primary navigation station is needed for protection, especially in colder climates.
When we purchased our boat, it was in dire need of new canvas. We decided to not incorporate a fly bridge enclosure, just a Bimini. A hardtop would be our first choice, and may look into this option down the road.
Instead we chose to enclose the aft Cockpit as that was the area we felt we would use the most during inclement weather. It also has a vent to allow us to heat the aft cockpit from the hydronic heater, and has worked out well for us. But to be fair, the aft enclosure is seldom on while cruising.
As a side note we also made shade curtains for the upcoming trip down south next year.
Another item you may want to take into consideration is the additional windage with enclosing the flybridge, most noticeable during docking procedures.

Cheers
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John & Tracey
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https://mvpairadice.blogspot.com/
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