Sedan Bridge vs. Cruiser , 40-50 footer discussion

I'm really sold on the CPMY especially one where you don't have to walk up and over the aft deck to get to the cockpit. Our Chris Craft has wide, railed side decks that step down to the small cockpit. I don't have to worry about my wife while she's handling lines. I can see her anywhere except when she's in the cockpit. Back there she would have to try hard to fall overboard.

We traded up from a 30 foot express. Never regretted it. What we have is better for us in every way except speed. We have more room on the flybridge than we did in the express cockpit. Then you can add the 10x10 sun deck into the space consideration and it's no contest. We couldn't have lived aboard in the cave even if it had been 45 feet. About the only thing I feel we've lost is speed but the view from the flybridge is much more enjoyable at hull speed.
 
Charlie, we plan to be in Kiawah for our annual vacation next month. Perhaps we can meet up and take a look at The Shop.
 
i second the comments that sedans are easily docked single handed. My wife is always with the kids when we dock so i literally dock ours solo every time and i've never had a problem. My silverton is actually easier to dock than my 33' express and the same goes for tight manuvering around marinas, etc. Windage has never been a problem. The added weight of a larger boat seems to make a huge difference in handling, not to mention inboards dig in great when i want to turn, etc. Very, very easy and much easier than my express was. My 33' express was actually much more prone to being impacted by cross winds than my silverton is.

Also, re: being disconnected from guests. Our guests almost always sit with us on the bridge while underway or just lounging while on the hook. Our cockpit is relatively small but our bridge is large and the view nice so I am not disconnected from everyone else. Granted, if you get a convertable I think that could be a concern since the bridge on a convertable is going to be smaller than a sport bridge/sedan. We can seat about 10 people on our flybridge, plus more on the sunpad/bow, the cockpit, and the salon.

One theme I think you will find as you hash this issue out is that if you talk to people who have owned an express and a sedan...pretty much all of them will tell you they wouldn't go back to an express. That's not an attempt to knock express cruisers- we had an absolute ball in ours and loved every minute of it. But, a lot of it boils down to what kind of boating you want to do. We spend every weekend on the boat and then some so livability and space was key. heck- we want so much space my wife is wanting a house boat now!!!
 
Well a nice compromise is Cruiser's Yachts 4450 or 455's which are aft cabin motor yachts but also have express cruiser seating up top. I have a 2001 4450 and it cruises at 26 knots and has 3 staterooms down below with plenty of room, windows and no cave effect. I prefer the aft cabin design as having the master stateroom seperate from the other 2 is a advantage for me as we have young children. Visability is very good from the helm even when docking unlike most motor yachts.
 
quote:
Originally posted by MrsRobinson

Miss Morgain is a Mainship if I recall and she is huge and beautiful inside but she rolls like a sailboat even on the calmest days.

Click to expand...

I am not familiar with that Mainship if it is a trawler they are known for rolling. I have a Sedan Bridge and there is little to no roll in mine.
Take care. Bill & Jan Wireless One
 
I was looking at the Cruisers Yachts 4450's last night on line. Good looking boats.
 
We also went from an express to a convertible a couple of years ago and would never go back. As others have said, livable space is greatly increased, guests can comfortably ride inside while underway (my 2-year old grandson loves to take his nap while underway) and what I like most is the variety of spaces you have to enjoy. In an express you are typically outside (cockpit) or in the cave. On a sedan or convertible you can be inside and still enjoy the views, sit in the cockpit and be close to the water, the bridge makes a wonderful "balcony" for a different perspective and lastly our Silverton has a large flat foredeck where 4+ people can lounge comfortably. When you stay out for the weekend being able to occasionally move a round for a change of scenery makes a big difference. The one draw back is that the cockpit can get hot because there is no breeze going through, which you do have on an express. Then it's time to enjoy the bridge where the breeze does flow nicely.

Also agree with other posts that handling is much easier than on the express. I typically handle the boat by myself as well without a problem.

Luis
 
Yes I am very impressed with Cruisers quality also. I have some close friends of many years and they have the following, an 42 Ocean Convertible, 52 SeaRay Sundancer, Silverton 362 Sedan and a SeaRay 54 Sedan Bridge. I have driven and been on all these boats many times and they all have their Pro's and Con's. The 2 SeaRays are lovely boats but my Cruisers has more space inside then the bigger Sundancer and I prefer the aft cabin layout to the Sedan Bridge. Again the 2 SeaRays are also much larger boats and more expensive so I feel I got a great deal since my 45 footer is matching up to them in interior size, space and speed. As a family man I don't prefer the convertibles as I really don't need a large fishing cockpit. The Silverton is nice for a older boat and comes with 2 cabins but it doesn't compare with the Cruisers from a speed and interior volume perspective But it all depends on what you want to use it for. I need 3 staterooms and wanted a faster cruising boat so the Cruisers fits me perfectly. Good luck with your search!
 
"One theme I think you will find as you hash this issue out is that if you talk to people who have owned an express and a sedan...pretty much all of them will tell you they wouldn't go back to an express."

I agree with Woodsong on this.
IMO, the cruiser is the boat you want if you want to get to places fast. It is also the boat you want if you do most of your hanging out outdoors. As Hogan and others said, the choice really depends on your style of boating and what you like. I also don't think that 40 to 50 foot boats have the "cave" feeling in the cabin. I have seen some pretty nice feeling cabins in this range.

The Sedan Bridge or Sport Bridge models can be argued they give you the best of both worlds (outdoor space and indoor space). I tend to disagree with this and the reason is most of these fly bridge boats have a full enclosure (canvas top with strata glass all around). Granted many of these have roll up windows and panels that you can remove, but it is not the same as an open express cruiser (I call it the "bubble effect"). Although most of these tops can be removed you will find this not practical, it is a bear in most cases to do and then you need a place to store the top and the panels. I had covers made for my seats and dashboard so I could keep my top down and that works for weekends, but when I take extended cruises I need to have the top on in case we hit bad weather. If you have a second helm in the boat then this may not be a problem. The only problem with a second helm in the boat is it eats up a lot of real estate in the salon.

The Sedan, Sport Fish and Sport Bridge boats have almost twice as much room compared to a cruiser the same size, you are comparing a ranch to a two story home.

Happy Hunting

Walter
 
As a current "cave-dweller" express owner I can add one advantage I enjoy with the express cruiser. I sleep better on my boat than anywhere. Now that might be attributable to being on the water, tired from a day of sun, cold drinks, etc. but I am convinced that it is in no small part due to the dark and quiet you get in the "cave" of an express cruiser. All that said the sedan bridges are beginning to catch my eye. Seems my need for speed is eroding in direct relationship to my aging process!
 
i think as many expresses have full enclosures than FB boats, don't you ?

hardtops are becoming increasingly popular too on expresses, look at the new regal 52 for instance, with fully enclosed side windows. Same with the large Sundancers and so many others. Even on expreses with biminis and soft enclosures, most stay up all the time.
 
Walter,
I gotta disagree with you on express having more outdoor space. We spend 90% of our time outside on our sport bridge and endjoy it more than our outside time in our express. As previously mentioned it is great to be able to change scenary...sit in the cockpit some, go up to the bridge, relax on the bow, hop in the water, or, go in the salon and kickback on the couch. A convertable doesn't appeal to us though as the bridge seating is very limited until you get into the 50+ range.
On the stratoglass enclosure...we do keep ours installed 100% of the time. However, the panels all basically roll up out of the way. To me that is the best of both worlds...we can open it up with less fuss than my express did (no roll up panels...had to physically take them all down) and when the rains come, just undo a couple of snaps and zip it up. I worry a lot less about changes in weather in my sedan than I did with my express. With my express if it started raining I would be scrambling to install the enclosure and spend 20 minutes sweating and fussing with it. Now I spend 2 minutes and no fuss and the rest of the time we get as much breeze on the bridge (if not more) than we did with our express.
But definitely...if speed is what you want express is the obvious answer.
 
ghostjwm, you forgot to mention the 4450 is a $400,000 boat, which is double our budget. Oh well, nice looking boat. I have been looking at Carvers and Silvertons on-line too. They ALL look nice to me at this point! Going to the Annapolis boat show in Oct, that should give us an idea on what we want and like.
 
I went from a 27' Sea Ray Sundancer to a 34' Silverton convertible. I know I picked up over 2' in beam and 7' in length, making any comparison pretty worthless, but to just go down to the marina to hang around is so much more enjoyable. I no longer have that in the "cave" feeling down below, no vast amounts of canvas to remove/install, comfortable salon, etc, etc. I feel like I went from a basement apartment to a 2 story home with a deck, and with at least 4 times the room, and a lot less work needed to enjoy it. I did meet one person this year that went from a 37' flybridge to a 34' express so he could be where most of the action was while under way. As Woodsong says the view and ease of rollup smilies in the bridge's glass/vinyl makes for great 360* viewing whether underway or docked/anchored/moored.

It may be a lot more valuable if someone, if that person exists, can compare their experiences with similar sized boats of the 2 types (sedan/convert vs express).
 
I don't know, but the more I think about it-- the lack of being able to look outward is getting more and more frustrating to me anytime I'm on a friend's express . A few weeks ago, I had a friend come from his marina to meet up with us. He has an '02 Formula 34'. Anyway it was raining and we were waiting for some people, so he tied up at an empty sailboat spot on the end of the dock. I really didn't want to have the sailboat return and have us down below and not even know he was there. I couldn't find a suitable place to look out, so I had to keep opening the cabin door to look out. That really highlighted my desire to be able to look outward. Simple? Yes. Easily accomplished on most ECs? Not for the most part.

Paul
 
I went from a 27 express(1998 sundancer) to a 31 express(1991 sundancer) and finally a 37 express(1995 sundancer). Big improvement in room space with the 37 express, we don't have a problem with the cave effect. The color of the cabin (light "beige") does make a difference also. The admiral has problem with steps and too much movement of a boat and enjoy the one level of the cockpit and the stability of the express(lower center of gravity plays here). We are able to enjoy the cockpit anytime including on rainy or colder days since we have a camper canvas.

However I believe a SB would be nicer to live , especially for long period.
 
My wife and I had a lot of these same discussions. One other issue is, you really can't find a bridge boat under 38' or with a beam under 13'. What happened to all the small bridges? We're limited to a 12 x 38 slip and that pretty much forces an express.
 
quote:
Originally posted by PascalG

i think as many expresses have full enclosures than FB boats, don't you ?

hardtops are becoming increasingly popular too on expresses, look at the new regal 52 for instance, with fully enclosed side windows. Same with the large Sundancers and so many others. Even on expreses with biminis and soft enclosures, most stay up all the time.

Click to expand...


I was going to suggest the same thing. Look at the Tiara Sovrans, Riveria, Silverton, Cruisers ( I believe their new 38 has a fully enclosed hardtop), and others that come with a hardtop. We added a polycarbonate "Alaska (or drop) curtain" and spend most of our time in the upper cockpit. If the suns out the lower cockpit is a step away.
 
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