Pilothouses

[bob perry]

I like a well proportioned pilot house. The problem is that on most boats uder 40' they can look a bit awkward.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by bob perry

I like a well proportioned pilot house. The problem is that on most boats uder 40' they can look a bit awkward.

Not to be argumentative, I consider the Baba 35 PH to be an exception to that rule.

[bob perry]

Bash:
Me too. Absolutely. One of the best.

[James S]

Lovely

[hummingway]

but it is really nice when it's cold to be able to go below and still see. I crossed Georgia Straight recently with an air temp of 9C. Not bad but during a 5 hour crossing chilly enough. Visibility is excellent from the Cooper 416's pilothouse so I feel quite comfortable going below and warming up, making a sandwich and a cup of tea. I sail all winter and usually single handed so the pilothouse is a real bonus. When I was living aboard, the light and the high cabin roof, where the galley transitions to salon, was invaluable.

As an added bonus for Canadians we can maintain our traditional polite distance and still watch our new neighbors attempts at getting the anchor down

[Redcoat]

I like my Cooper 416 for all the reasons you stated.But with my Solar Bronze storm windows the heat in Mexico dosen't seem to be a problem either.

[hummingway]

Do they attach to the inside of the existing windows or are they a replacement?

[Pelagic]

As others have said, pilothouse boats generally need to be larger to elegantly carry the right proportions that will give you comfortable ergonomics in visibility and livability.

You can see from this inside elevation sketch the floor heights needed for

Good headroom inside aft… yet she still has a walk in cockpit

Decent engine room under the pilothouse… although a high crouch…not stand up, it is a good place to work!

Step downs as you go forward to keep the foredeck looking clean yet I have 6’ 4” headroom all the way to the chain locker.

Maximum 4 comfortable steps going aft so I know that this boat will not be a problem if and when my knees start to go out.

The sailing shot shows good visibility from the cockpit and the inside steering.

….. and the sunset shot…. well that just makes me feel good!

[Brent Swain]

A pilot house looks absolutely beautiful, from inside , in a snowstorm, or a gale at sea. In these conditions , lack of a pilothouse looks abysmally, dense and foolishly pretentious, a suckers game.
There is no reason a pilot house on a 30 footer or less, can't be attractive.
Style over substance designs are a form of torture, and a violation of basic human rights. They are a tragedy waiting to happen.

[Blue Stocking]

Originally Posted by James S

She is just gorgeous Steve.

X 2

[Southern Star]

My last boat was a Cartright 36 Pilothouse Cutter and I can echo the positives of such a design, especially in bad weather. My personal preference is for a flush deck with an elevated house: it eliminates the 'wedding-cake' look that can occur when a pilothouse is elevated above a coachouse and, of greater importance, it provides for proper visibility from the cockpit (with pilothouse above coachouse designs, one often has to stand in order to helm from the cockpit).

Yes there is some increase in windage, but less than many believe, as:

1. non-pilothouse designs with a coachouse typically have a dodger;
2. from in front, the only increase in windage is along the side-decks;
3. from abeam, the only increase is typically in the area in front of the coachouse and, to the extent (if at all) that the topsides are higher than the cockpit coamings in other designs.

Another boat that you may wish to consider is the Corbin 39, most of which were fitted with inside steering stations. IMO attractive with very solid construction, good performance and a strong offshore pedigree.

Brad

[Brent Swain]

There is a lot of windage in a crew sitting in an open cockpit with a dodger in front of them. Their combined weigh is much higher than it would be in a wheelhouse.
Anything can look ugly, if it is done wrong. Simple solution , do it right.
The buoyancy in the trunk cabin and the wheelhouse combined on my 36 footer, is around 10,000 lbs , the equivalent of adding 10,000 lbs to her keel, when it comes to ultimate stability. Makes a huge difference in ultimate stability

[hpeer]

We are considering adding a pilot house to our 44' Alan Pape steel center cockpit. But I don't know what to do about the winches. The cockpit is relatively small as it is and the whole point would be to have an internal steering station for when it is dirty.

What do other folks do?

[hummingway]

I'm afraid I can't imagine a pilothouse centre cockpit. I can't wrap my brain around it unless the cockpit is big enough to allow you divide it in half?

I just got back in from an afternoon sail. 9 degrees and sunny (Celcius) and moderate winds. Fabulous. When I got hungry and chilled I went below and rummaged around the cupboards (not as well stocked now I'm not living aboard) and warmed up while still being able to see at least 300 degrees of the horizon. I can even see enough of the heads'l to be sure I'm sailing well!

[jkleins]

Originally Posted by Brent Swain

A pilot house looks absolutely beautiful, from inside , in a snowstorm, or a gale at sea. In these conditions , lack of a pilothouse looks abysmally, dense and foolishly pretentious, a suckers game.
There is no reason a pilot house on a 30 footer or less, can't be attractive.
Style over substance designs are a form of torture, and a violation of basic human rights. They are a tragedy waiting to happen.

I find your contradictory statements interesting. In the first paragraph you make an excellent case that the pilothouse is useful or "has substance."

In the second you say they are ugly (no style) on smaller boats so you don't recommend them.

In the third you call your previous statement (that the fact that being ugly on small boats trumps their substance) as "a violation of human rights."

I guess you are of "two minds" over this issue.

I tend to think that the substance will still be there even on the little boats although I agree that they pretty ugly at times.

Jim