If you're in the market for a 40 to 45 foot flybridge there are plenty of options - the
Greenline 45, Prestige 420, the Sealine F430, Bavaria R40, the Princess F45, but none of them
can do this. The balconies are a cost option, but the UK dealer now includes them as standard,
such as their popularity. Talking of costs, this particular 400 had a huge spec on it costing
£710,000, but a more restrained UK spec boat with twin D6 440s would cost in the region of £560,000.
Now then let's have a closer look at this pocket transformer and where else do you start but back
here in this spectacular cockpit, we'll start right here on the transom, you have a high low
bathing platform here as an option, nice addition is you have steps built in, so as the platform
goes down that becomes a nice run of steps to help you get between the cockpit and the platform
itself. Back here, if we lift that up, it's more than a wet bar really, it's a proper galley, back
here you've got a chopping board, grille obviously with sink and then you have a top-loading fridge
here as well or cooler, that's just quite useful, it's got a drain in it as well so it'll drain off,
and then we really see the effect of these amazing balconies,
they fold down really pretty quickly, the touch of a button, then you have to put in
these bars, I imagine a lot of people just leave those off, and you can jump off and
use it for snorkelling and swimming and things, but they just make such a great effect back here,
and it's almost the smaller the boat, because Galeon obviously do this on a lot of their models,
the smaller the boat the greater the effect. We come over this way that they've set up a table and
chairs, it's really nice, it genuinely gives you extra usable space that you simply wouldn't have,
and when they fold up they fold up in line with the side deck, so you still have a nice amount of
room to walk up forward to the foredeck. Some more clever stuff in this cockpit as well the table
folds out into an l shape so that falls like that this one folds like this
and then this is a two-way seat so if we just move this cushion this folds back that way like
that so that two people can sit facing out and they have some access to the table but this chair
has another neat trick because it will actually come all the way around so if i pull this back
this edge comes around to here so it nearly meets the sitting here there's still enough space to
walk through if you want to but then you have this seat sort of across the threshold inside outside
another nice addition so more people can sit here in the cockpit and there's some clever stuff here
as well so this section here flips down to make a little perch putting flippers on something
like that gives you somewhere to to sit and then this area here lift up this cushion and do this
gives you a little raised back rest the table then folds down you have
an infill cushion here so you can make a sun pad up here as well if you want
despite the show stealing cockpit we mustn't forget that there's a really good fly bridge
to enjoy aboard the 400 as well seating is comfortable arranged around a substantial
teat table there's a twin home station and a wet bar and though there's no hardtop option
there is a bimini that folds away in front of the home station when not in use
the doors slide right across the port side to really open up the saloon to the cockpit of
course they'll also slide over this way they close this area off and you just have the opening door
on the port hand side but this makes it feel very open and there's a real good connection between
the cockpit and the saloon now this being a galleon there's huge amount of choice
when it comes to the finish on the inside of the boat this one's got the high gloss
mahogany wood ivory leather and you have this nice sort of marble effect corian which looks
really smart it's quite a classic finish but it's executed really nicely there's loads of light in
here from these floor-to-ceiling windows that seem sort of disappear down behind the furniture get
lots of natural light in here and the finish is to a really high standard lovely woodwork
the galley hairs forward on the main deck you have a twin induction hob you have an isotherm fridge
down here under the counter again the finish is really good really nice tap here and the way that
this comes out the sink cover and it slides in there it's always hard to store those things they
can be quite annoying to store so it's good that it's got a dedicated slot and it also work works
as a bit of a splashback so when you're washing up you're not going to get water everywhere
another standout feature of this part of the boat is this enormous side door i mean there are side
doors and then there are side doors and this one is just gigantic you can lock it in various places
but with it right open it really really opens this area up and you get lovely natural breeze
coming in through here and because you've got an opening electric window on the port side as well
you do get a nice through breeze and it just feels very open and very bright especially
because the windscreen is so big and as i said it's single piece as well so sitting here at
the lower helm it's really bright excellent communication you can get out easy to help out
and crew it's a nice helm as well it's stylish it's ergonomically very smart i like the fact
that you've got full digital twin mfds in front of you we've also got your analog dials for quick
references and of course a nice simple bank of rocker switches here for the controls that you're
going to use very often it's even nice to see a proper rudder indicator on a twin shaft drive
boat like this it's nice to know where the rudders are pointing before you begin slow speed maneuvers
the weather's coming we can see the saloon in more of a cozy mode
pop the tv up that's done by our control pops up from behind the sofa here
but the point is it's raining but you still get a lot of light in here if you were
stuck in here on a rainy day having to stick a film on or play a board game
you've still got great views you're still at a good level and you've still got lots of glass so
yes the weather's a bit miserable but it's still a nice place to sit and while away the hours
we head down to the lower deck with this run of steps here from the main deck you notice this
really nice substantial banister here well located to help you up and down the stairs
and if we turn back on ourselves this is what galion would describe as the master cabin however
it's a little bit compromised if i stand here in the doorway i can stand absolutely fine but
once you're into the cabin proper you are stooped over kneeling crouching you know something that
you don't have on some of this boats rivals like the prestige for 20 for example however that is
just something you have to factor into this boat so you have got this compromised headroom here in
this midship's cabin however it is still finished to a really high standard the wood works lovely
got a flat screen television down here i love the detailing the bendy reading lights on either side
you've got this nice backlit bed head here as well and sockets both sides so people can
charge their phones you have individual heated controls for this cabin as well and this nice
little vanity area here as well pop-out stool a bit of storage and a bureau here with a mirror
and then you have a hanging locker here that actually auto illuminates
cushions in there of course i like the strip lighting as well
that's quite nice and actually when you get to the ensuite head room improves massively
so you can come inside here and stand up straight even if you're six footer over head room's good
in here and know how you've got rain shower heads which is quite a nice touch and again all of this
these fittings are really classy and of a high standard you have tecma toilets
and back under behind the door so you find the sink and if i were the owner of this boat even
though this is supposedly the master cabin i think i'd be using this forward cabin normally the vip
for using regularly i think this is the better space because you've got the headroom in here it's
really easy to stand up you've got good storage in here you've got hanging wardrobes on both sides
storage dotted all the way around both sides sockets here either side of the bed and you've
got repeaters for light so you can control all the cabin lighting from the bed so you don't
have to get out of bed to use them and again you have control for the heating in here as well and
really nice lighting again i keep talking about the lighting but they do do it really well you've
got subtle back lighting here you've got the strip lighting so you can set the mood in here
doesn't have to be as bright as it is now you've got nice big windows you know they're nearly the
same size as the ones in the mast cabin so you do get good amounts of natural light in here and
you've got an opening port and you've got these big the skylight's overhead as well you haven't
got the cushions on the floor deck and you do get a nice dollop of natural light coming in through
these and of course this opens for ventilation or or is an escape patch as standard you get split
berth so you just remove this center section and then this birth slides this way this burst lies
this way and within a matter of seconds you've got a double so you've got a couple staying in here
they can share the same bed if it's two people you can have two singles like this so it does make
it a bit more versatile and you've got a bit of storage underneath each one as well and this cabin
is on suite to the day heads and that's a really good size actually if i just close this door
we'll go back out this is the day heads access so you can get to it in the day without having to go
into the cabin and there you can see it's well specced it's just as nicely finished
a bit of storage under the sink here and again a good shower cubicle and another rain shower head
now this boat is available with twin stern drives ips or shaft drives this particular boat has got
shaft drives actually v drives and it's got the largest power with volvo penta d6 440 horsepower
engines for top speed a day of just over 30 knots and the most comfortable cruising
speed is between 22 and 25 knots there it's got a nice running attitude though you do want a bit of
trim tap it's quite heavy this boat it's only the stern if you've got a hydraulic waving platform
obviously you've got the folding balconies and you may add a tender or jet ski to that so it
does like a bit of chimp tab about half tab does just keep the bow down a bit and means
your view forward is good and it also means that the sharpest part of the hull is cutting
through the water but it gets up and goes nice and quickly and as i said tops out comfortably over
30 knots now there are some fly bridges of this size where you would really avoid having to drive
downstairs you'd only do if you really had to whereas on this boat it's actually a real pleasure
to drive the boat from the lower helm because it's so bright you have this huge one-piece windscreen
and then you have this massive side door which in good conditions you can open and give you nice
ventilation it just feels really bright and airy and you have a fantastic all-around view as well
single-piece wintergreen music you do have thicker mullions but they have at least put in some
water windows here so you can see things that are coming from the starboard side
and of course you have the side door too so you can pop your head out of there and have a look
around there's very few obstructions behind you too so you've got a nice all-around view from down
here i really like the ergonomics of the lower helm as well it's got a twin bench but it slides
so i can get myself nice and close to the helm and the presentation's great you've got a mix of
the twin mfds but you have analog dials as well so for a quick glance at revs temperatures they're
there right in your eye line you don't have to be flicking through menus but of course you can
calibrate these two screens to display whatever you want so you have some flexibility there
everything falls to hand really easily the wheels in a composition is nice and close
to the throttles it's a bit short on storage space you've got one cup holder so where you put loose
items like mobile phones and handheld vhf i don't really know they could improve that but really the
helmsman's lot is pretty good for me i think this is the drivetrain and engine options to go for
the largest engines on shaft drives i just think that you're not going to lose out much in terms
of performance okay maneuverability if you're more comfortable with the joystick then ips is the one
but this is still a nice boat to drive and there's not much penalty when it comes to performance and
also it's going to be easy to maintain you haven't got to service the pods you've just
got a pair of shafts to to look after but i do think you won the highest horsepower because
if you've got a heavily optioned boat like this one with the hydraulic platform the platforms
you chuck a tender on cruising gear i feel like the smaller engines may be struggling mid-season
when you've got you know a full cruising load and maybe a bit of growth on the whole
to really shift the boat's weight especially in the bigger sea so for me i think it pays to
the extra outlay for the larger energy is probably worth it if you can stretch to it
for a boat that is quite wide and quite heavy the hull actually cuts through the water
really nicely the ride is solid it's gentle it's forgiving it doesn't slam it doesn't
judder there's no squeaking or rattling coming from this interior it feels very solid it feels
like it would be comfortable if it really did kick up we haven't had it in huge seas
today but we've been through a fair amount of wash and there was a chop out in the soil
and dealt with everything really well i was impressed with how comfortable it felt
ordinarily on an old school flybridge boat you'd never burst it from the lower helm but because
you've got this side door here you've got a good connection to your crew you've got a great view
it's not really a problem i'm actually when you're birthing starboard 2 on this boat
this is where i'd rather be
when considering the 400 it comes down to a simple question does its
best-in-class main deck compensate for the lack of standing headroom in the imageship's cabin
if you prize cabin comfort over everything then there are better options but if you
cherish deck space and enjoy life at anchor nothing in the sector can touch the galleon
thank you very much for watching our review of the galleon 400
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