While a cockpit is good for boarding and water sports, a "Florida" room or a second salon that is mostly hard enclosed from the weather is a nice feature.

CMY = cockpit motor yacht

MY = motor yacht (no cockpit)

What do you think would suit your needs best in a bigger boat?

I remember the "Florida Room" at my grandparents' house in Tampa.

Was it "enclosed inside space" like the livingroom in that home or "almost a livingroom grade finish" space, but seamingly alittle less finished in one way or another?

Out here, we'd call it a patio enclosure... Basically a patio cover with low walls and screened window openings.

Roomy flybridge, then the cockpit can be modest. And I do >>> NOT <<< approve of the trend to enclose the flybridge to make an upper deck. A big hardtop, Ok, full enclosure, no thanks.

Kelly

i'm with kelly and would prefer a larger bridge. i would love to have the extra space that comes with the "florida" type salons, but to me most look like a silly add-on that just doesn't belong.

There are usually a couple of areas on a boat where people tend to gather while docked or cruising. Which one gets used depends somewhat on what the weather is. If it's nice, people tend to go to the flybridge. If it's not so nice, they either go to the helm area (while cruising) or the salon while docked.
IMHO those are the areas that should be bigger, at the sacrifice of space in the galley and cockpit. In our area it's nice to have strataglass windows for winter and screens for summer use. Those additions really extend the cruising seasons.

Here's the flybridge on one I wish we could afford....


And here are two shots of the flybridge on one that has made our short list.




Here's a shot from another boat that's on the short list...

CMY = cockpit motor yacht photo.

Yeah, ummmm that's just way too big, I mean it's gotta stink for skiing and tubing, although the wake is probably pretty good for boarding!!lol

GFC - I like the flybridge in your bottom photo a lot better than the one above it.

seabuddy - That aft cockpit has a low elevation. So is it mainly for fishing?

Kelly

Sorry SB, kinda got carried away with that one. Here's the boat that bottom shot came from...


unfortunately there's no pic of the cockpit on that one....

For some reason my brain just has a hard time accepting a "cockpit" that doesn't have a steering wheel in it!

MY = no cockpit to access the water, just a straight, full height transom to the swim platform.