On a recent weekend we were invited to review a Galeon 460 Fly at MarineMax’s facility in Baltimore Harbor. Due to a combination of weather and scheduling problems we were unable to leave the dock, but we did have the opportunity to review the boat’s accommodations and features. The Galeon line of premium motor yachts is not very well known yet in American yachting circles. MarineMax, with around 60 locations, hopes to change that, and soon.
Bob Burke, Galeon Yachts brand manager for MarineMax explains, “Since its founding in 1982, Galeon has served the European market, primarily in Germany, where they sold most of their boats. That speaks volumes for the quality of the product, in that the Germans are quality conscious people… and their choice is Galeon over all the other European brands. We introduced the product last year at the Miami show. The market has received the product extremely well, and quickly people are learning about Galeon.”
Well known in European yachting circles as a major builder of high quality motor yachts, Galeon’s Gdanzk, Poland, facility has a workforce of more than 1000 engineers, craftsmen, and technicians and employs the most modern and up-to-date project management and production methods to produce yachts which meet the standards of the most demanding owners. Nearly everything that goes into a Galeon yacht, from the hull to the cabinetry, is made on site in the factory to exacting old world standards of craftsmanship.
Even at rest in her slip the 460 looks fast. Her gentle reverse sheer, accented by a PVC rub rail with a stainless steel insert, streamlined deck house with a sharply raked windshield, and large flying bridge with a raked radar arch combine to produce a harmonious whole with a definite “Euro” flavor. One of her most noticeable exterior features is the large flying bridge, which stretches nearly half the length of the boat, extending all the way to the after end of the cabin top. The radar arch is mounted all the way aft where it is out of the way, but easily accessible if needed. The upper control station is on the port side of the bridge with a double wide helm seat, complete engine controls and instrumentation.
Aft of the helm seat is a wet bar in a fiberglass cabinet complete with storage, a sink with a retractable faucet, and a 1.7-cubic-foot refrigerator. On the starboard side aft is a C-shaped settee with storage below and an optional fiberglass table that uses about half the length of the bridge. The remaining space on the bridge is equipped with cushions for lounging or sun bathing. The bridge is equipped with a Plexiglas venturi wind deflector and is enclosed by stainless steel rails port and starboard, as well as forward. All of this luxury is accessed by a stairway from the cockpit.
In addition to the flying bridge stairs, the self-draining cockpit has an L-shaped settee, handrails, the engine room access hatch, and lots of storage. The swim platform is large and boasts a hot and cold shower, molded-in access stairs to the cockpit port and starboard, a three-step swim ladder, the entrance to the lazarette, side lockers, and the 240V shore power hook up.
The 460’s major domestic systems are impressive. Electricity is provided by a Fischer panda 12kw 240 volt generator with a sound shield. A battery charger/converter supplies 24 volt DC power as well as 120 and 240 volt AC. There is LED overhead as well as LED accent lighting throughout the boat. Hundred-and-twenty-volt outlets in the galley and heads are GFI protected, and there are carbon monoxide detectors in each cabin.
Air conditioning is provided by a 240-volt Condaria 54,000 BTU chilled water system. Hot water is supplied by a 16-gallon water heater. There is an onboard grey-water system, as well as a black-water system with dockside pump-out connections so that no overboard discharge is required. There is carpeting throughout, molded non-skid in the heads, and a wooden floor in the galley.
Entering the main salon from the cockpit, the floor is level, no step up or down. The first impression is of a spacious and airy room. The cabinetry is light wood, and the cushions, overhead, and carpeting all are light complementary hues as well. The large windows flood the salon with natural light.
The galley is on the port side aft and boasts a two-burner electric induction cook top, a Corian worktop with a serving shelf, an exhaust fan, a microwave, a 4.8-cubic-foot refrigerator with a freezer compartment, a twin stainless steel sink, and under-counter and overhead storage cabinets. On the starboard side is a settee with more storage and a storage/entertainment center. The galley is open to the U-shaped dinette table which converts easily to a cocktail table or a lounge or an extra double berth. The arrangement will certainly encourage conversation and prevent the galley slave from feeling left out.
The double-wide helm seat and the lower control station seat are opposite the dinette on the starboard side. With the large sloping windshield and large windows, visibility from the helm is excellent. Between the dinette and the helm is the passageway to the lower deck. A short stairway leads to a hallway with doors to the owner’s cabin and the two guest cabins.
The owner’s cabin is amidships and uses the full beam of the yacht. It has a queen-size centerline bed with a headboard and reading lamps, a private, en suite head and shower with a full length mirror as well as dressers and a lighted wardrobe and a dressing table. There is private access to the guest head from the forward cabin and hall access from the side guest cabin. Both heads are luxuriously equipped with electric macerator toilets, Corian Counter tops with ceramic bowls and chrome faucets, mirrored cabinets and storage, separate shower areas with hinged fiberglass doors, and exhaust fans.
The bow guest cabin has a queen size centerline bed with a headboard and reading lamps, a large skylight with blinds, and an opening foredeck hatch. There is storage overhead and in wardrobes, port and starboard. The side guest cabin has two twin size bunk beds, a single wardrobe and reading lights. All the cabins come equipped with polyurethane high resilience foam mattresses with bedcovers.
Back on deck, it is obvious that the 460’s designers spent some time on boats. There are always times when you have to get forward (or aft) in a hurry. The 460 has uncluttered side decks with stainless steel rails going all the way to the bow. Even more important there are grab rails on the sides of the main cabintop and in the cockpit, and the steps up to the side decks are molded in and non-skid. The deck has eight big, beefy, open based stainless cleats located in the right places; two on the bow, two amidships on each side, in the perfect location for spring lines and fenders, and two on the quarters. The stern cleats each have large stainless fairleads to help protect the hull.
Also on the foredeck is a recessed, self-draining chain locker, an electric anchor winch with a foot switch and a helm station controller, and a galvanized plough anchor and an all-chain rode. The forward cabin top is equipped with a U-shaped settee with cushions, ideal for sightseeing or sun bathing.
All of this is pushed through the water by two Volvo Penta D8-550 diesels, generating a combined 1100-hp turning stainless steel shafts and bronze propellers through V drive transmissions. The bronze rudders are controlled by a hydraulic steering system. The 460 is so well equipped with standard features, one of the few available extras to possibly consider is a bow thruster.
Stainless steel fuel tanks hold 396 gallons. MarineMax supplied performance data that indicated the 460 cruises at 29 mph. At cruising speed the Volvos drink 40 gallons per hour giving a respectable cruising range of around 360 miles. At wide open throttle the speed tops out at 33 mph, and the fuel consumption goes up to 52 gallons per hour.
In reply to my question as to how the Galeon line compared to the competition, Bob Burke said, “Based on the fact that in Poland labor rates are relatively cheap, we are able to bring it in at a value price point. The product measures up against any premium brand out there, and from a price perspective I think it is the best value, hands down, out there anywhere in the world.”
by Captain Rick Franke