Full Beam Salon In 40-50 Foot Class

In researching various boat designs, the full beam salon (full width side to side) looks interesting. It gives you extra living space. I realize that you give up full walk around side decks, and that you have to adjust docking procedures. So far, the only boats I've seen with this design are Helmsman and North Pacific.

Know of others?

Greetings,
Welcome aboard. Marine Trader 50' was offered in full beam saloon.

Nordhavn 46 is halfway! Saloon is squished over on the port side. However, I can’t imagine my wife and I not having full walk-around decks.

Lots of boats have full with saloons. You must have other criteria that fave limited you to just the two makes.

I wouldn't trade my walk around decks for anything. Many Silvertons have that feature. One owners wife told me she has to open a window to adjust a fender.

Not for me

pete

Welcome aboard. It is like anything else on a boat, it is a trade off. Nothing wrong wit no side walkways if you like it, and accept what the limitations are. You can still handle lines just may take a bit more planning. Go aboard a few and see how you like them. You can’t tell from photos. We looked a a very nice boat today but decided that it didn’t work for us due to awkward access to the engine room and a very tight, for us, stairs from the pilothouse to the flybridge. It looked good on paper and photos but not in real life. OTOH. Looked at a boat 9’ longer and it was great, but would have to store it for the winter 4 hours away each way vice 1 mile for our current boat.

I own a North Pacific and have been very happy with it. I have seen other full width salon boats beyond the Helmsman and NP but can't think of specific makes at this time.



When I started looking to move from sail to power, walk-around decks were a "must have". A sailboat is the ultimate walk around deck. You can walk around, over, through, you name it. You can get to the dock from any part of the boat (granted my last sailboat had quite a bit of freeboard but...).



However, when I looked at what I wanted to use the boat for, I decided that I could get along without walk-around decks. I bought the North Pacific and it has been great.


I think most of those who say they would never own a boat without walk-around decks are folks who have never owned a boat without them. Just as I initially felt I needed them.

dhays said:

I think most of those who say they would never own a boat without walk-around decks are folks who have never owned a boat without them. Just as I initially felt I needed them.

Click to expand...

Yup.

Hi munchcolo,

Pacific Trawler comes to mind. Various Nordic Tugs.

Posted by dhays:

I think most of those who say they would never own a boat without walk-around decks are folks who have never owned a boat without them. Just as I initially felt I needed them.

Click to expand...

Yup.

Regards,

Pete

Bayliner 4788 & 4588.

Krogen 48 Whaleback. We travelled with one through many of Canadian Trent-Severn locks. Those folks seemed not to have any problems handling their boat with no side decks.

Navigator 51

The Cherubini Independence 45 and 50 have full beam saloons. Mine has a stern docking station which helps to offset no side decks.

The Hans Christian Independence 45 also is full beam.

Ted

I was warned against not having side decks when we bought our Krogen Manatee (full beam saloon), but so far the only evident disadvantage we’ve noticed is when we need to use the pier to wax the sides of the saloon. Line & fender handling hasn’t been an issue, nor has using spring lines on floating docks.

Again, Bayliner 4788. I used to have the same opinion re gotta have em. We have adequate line and fender handling without full side decks. Even less of an issue if you aren’t doing a lot of docking/marina hopping. Sitting in my barrel chair in the aft port corner of our full width salon, well, that’s one thing that keeps me from selling.... there is just so much interior volume!

Walk around decks were a "must have" in our selection of a full time cruising boat. They serve so many useful functions beyond line handling. Though admittedly I do have a fondness for the Manatees and Whalebacks.

For one thing you can get from stem or helm to stern in an instant without having to weave your way through the salon or up and down stairs. They are a great place to watch the dolphins and other sea life up close. You can fish from them. You can hose down the boat much easier. Our particular boat had a fiberglass "awnings" over the side decks which provided some shade for the salon and helm areas and a modicum of rain protection whilst going to and fro.

Then again, we did buy a boat with 18'2" beam.... but other than watching TV at night or taking a nap, the salon was not used very much at all: the aft deck and flying bridge were the venues of choice.

Navigator/Californian

Many of the Navigator/Californian models were built w/o side decks. There is a small ledge that you can walk around w/ hand holds. Also their wide beam makes the salon and pilot station very roomy.

Most full width salons have doors so you can walk through instead of around. With a nice wood floor cleanup of any water from wet ropes, shoes etc is easy.

I had a 44' with full side decks and full width salon. The makers simply allowed enough room under the deck for chair backs and other furniture. The beam of the boat makes a big difference mine was 15'.
There is no substitute for interior space if you intend to spend a lot of time on the boat.

munchcolo said:

In researching various boat designs, the full beam salon (full width side to side) looks interesting. It gives you extra living space. I realize that you give up full walk around side decks, and that you have to adjust docking procedures. So far, the only boats I've seen with this design are Helmsman and North Pacific.



Know of others?

Click to expand...

My Willard 40 was a wide body model. No side decks, never missed them. Most single screw boats will “walk” to starboard so we Never docked to port. Adds lots to interior space!

Got to say we have had both and probably will never move to side decks unless we plan on blue water cruising and even then maybe

Sandpiper, a Bluewater 40 Pilothouse Trawler has a full width saloon. The amount of space in the saloon would be cramped with one or two side decks. I would rather have a large saloon, which is used constantly, than side decks, which might only be used while docking.

Fenders are deployed from the boat deck and Portugese Bridge sides, lines from cockpit, PB and bow. I can get to the cockpit quickly through the saloon or onto the dock by climbing down from the PB side. I single hand often and have not had difficulty due to not having side decks.

Neither of the two trawlers owned has or had side decks so I don't know what I'm missing. Sailor, our deceased cat, would have loved a full walk around side decks for his patrolling duties.

I was new to pleasure boating, when I purchased my trawler. First it was a real challenge to handle the lines running back and forth through the salon. I still have difficult time going through the locks alone. Single screw, single handed full time, heavy steel boat 32T. Luckily the lock guys are very understanding most of the time.
On the other hand, the wide salon of 14’ beam is very nice for this sailboat hull. Bruce Roberts must have known something I don’t.
Here is the salon, before I moved in:

I can certainly see that if you have a boat without a usable aft deck, and no (or a very small) flying bridge, the salon becomes much more important. Personally, side decks or no, I couldn't see myself cooped up in such a boat for any extended period of time. Some of the boats we happily chartered , Mainship 430, Grand Banks 46 classic, 49 classic and 49MY, the salon space seemed fine for four people because we weren't in there very often, I suppose, and none had the large covered and enclose-able aft deck. But we were only on them a week or two at a time, to be sure.

Another Opinion

As mentioned previously boats include trade offs. We are fans of full beam salons for their extra interior space and more boat for the money while not incurring additional monthly costs of ownership driven by LOA. Look at how you will use the 90%of the time and let that weigh heavily into your decision process.

John T
Nordhavn 4050, 4061, 3522 former owner
Helmsman 38E current owner

It’s even worse in a 30’ boat.
We’ve had walk-around decks for years and would rather have the cabin space. The full width Willard 30 has a smaller aft deck. That would not be good. But I’d rather have the full width cabin. For anchoring solo it’s nice to be able to reach in the helmsman’s window and use the controls. In the picture you can see how narrow the cabin is.

Look on Yacht world for a 1990 45’ Aquarius motor yacht. It might be what you are looking for

Great Harbour GH37 and GH47 have full beam saloons.
Similar set ups to KK Manatees and Whalebacks.
I dock my GH37, backing in, solo, in winds <10kts without difficulty.
Is it more difficult that walk-around decks? Sure, a little.
Would I trade the full beam saloon for decks? No way.

There's no perfect boat, every boat is a compromise.
Bayliner 47, 45 PH, Selene & Sea horse are wide body asymmetrical design.
Tollycraft has made many widebody models.
I'm hunting for a Tollycraft 53 widebody.

Full beam salon

The Kadey Krogen Whaleback is full beam. We had one for 5 years and completed the loop on it. We loved it. As far as no walk around deck, you get used to it. I wish I had the boat back.

Clarke Gillespie

We own the NP 43, also, and we agree.