NEW BELIZE 54 HARDTOP  

The Hardtop owner could well be new to boating and just wants it to be as easy and simple as possible. But they could just as easily be a veteran cruiser who has owned Flybridge vessels but no longer wants split-levels and stairs, either in their boat, or their living quarters on terra firma.

Unlike many of today's leisure vessels that developed as 'game boats' and come with bridge decks either fully enclosed or with all-around clears, this boat's primary purpose is less about chasing lunch as more social pursuits. Not so much about catching fish, as catching up.

Back in the classic era this configuration was often called a 'sedan', where double doors opened directly on to the cockpit area, making one big holiday space. Today, this style is generally termed a Sport Yacht.

The advantages of such a layout are many but the main one is the convenience of every activity being available on one single, flowing level. Everything is right to hand: helm, galley, saloon, dining, bar, entertainment systems; all within the comfort and protection of a roomy weatherproof space.

But this style can also provide the best of both worlds; with a lift-away glass bulkhead making way to the large cockpit and extending the entertaining out to the open air. It also offers another way to bring the outdoors in, either while under way or at anchor, when, with the press of a button, a giant sunroof slides open to the clouds and the stars. In cooler months, with the roof snugged shut, there's the option to open the internal thermal blind beneath, to stream sunlight into the saloon via the e-glass panels that, in high summer, filter fierce heat and glare.