Silverton 38 Sport Bridge

Have you ever been behind the wheel of a flybridge cruiser with a decent crowd aboard? I have, many times, and know the inevitable results during those inevitable sightseeing cruises and blatts to the Sunday anchorage. Everyone clambers up the ladder and crowds the bridge to claim the box seat on the boat.

Next thing you're fighting for views as the vinyl seats are snapped up and the party shifts up a gear. The music gets louder, the laughter more boisterous, and the drinks and nibbles appear. Then come the uninvited backseat driving and button pushing and the greasy mitts that mess up your otherwise clean curtains and leave their prints on your shiny stainless steel rails.

The American-made Silverton 38 Sport Bridge makes a concerted effort to address these things and turns the overcrowded bridge into a more accommodating and accessible entertaining area. But this boat goes one better, too, adding forward walkways with the intention of creating a more crew and family-friendly boat.

Proving there's more than one way to skin a cat, the Silverton 38 Sport Bridge takes a less-travelled path to reach the let-it-all-hangout anchorages. While it's a flybridge cruiser with an upper helm station, which is something Australians like to have to maximise their views, it's a very different kind of bridge.

 With a super-sized floor space ratio, the sport bridge is the heart and soul of Silverton 38. It's a lofty lifestyle centre pitched high in the sky, a rooftop terrace as well as a driving station, where you can do your entertaining and cruise with the crowd (subject to maritime loading rules, of course).

Though it may appear unconventional to the Australian eye, the Silverton Sport Bridge follows a familiar theme in North America, where walkthrough flybridge boats are popular for Great Lakes boating. An established boatbuilder, Silverton also makes boats for bluewater cruising and fishing applications, plus a few high-volume aft cabin motoryachts.

The Sport Bridge boats are more your family chariots. In respect of that flybridge and the accommodation plan, this is an especially spacious 38-footer that will be in its element on a big bay, deep harbour, and big river.

An exceptionally dry-riding hull, with propeller tunnels and underwater exhausts to improve performance, the 38 Sport Bridge felt capable in the teeth of some testing harbour winds and galloping white horses. But given the big bridge and high centre of gravity, it mightn't be so comfortable on the deep blue in decent beam-on seas. Doubly so if you have that crowd up top.

SERVICEABLE SILVERTON
By my reckoning, the engineering is pretty decent, with solid GRP running surfaces, industry-standard bronze seacocks, and double hose clips. The engine room, accessed via a hatch in the saloon floor, is an accommodating space housing the latest (and first in Australia) fully-electronic 380hp Yanmar diesel motors.

I could make at-a-glance inspections of the sea strainers and coolant reservoirs forward of the motors, the Racor fuel filters aft, and dip the oil on the centreline. The boat's 416lt of fresh water is carried in wing tanks – but where is the water gauge? – and it should be enough for a week if you're careful.

 The 151lt holding tank, which is big for this size boat, caters for the likely crowd aboard. I wasn't so keen on the battery charger being in the engine room. Generally, they don't like it too hot. The 1408lt fuel supply will give a safe cruising range of around 250 nautical miles at 22kts.

ON THE FLY
An inviting moulded stairwell leads to the flybridge, where the forward helm position ensures no one will block your view. The dash housed a spread of electronics, including a Raymarine C80 combo GPS chartplotter, engine-monitoring panels for the twin 380hp Yanmar motors, and electronic fingertip, feather-light gearshifts.

The 38 Sport Bridge came with a bowthruster, of course, which added to the driver-friendliness of this high-volume boat. As with most American boats, drinkholders are in abundance. Better still, storage space for stowing holiday must-haves like watertoys, fishing gear and eskies is also in plentiful supply.

Guests have a choice of forward or rear-facing lounges, one of which doubles as a daybed. Altogether, subject to maritime laws, the boat can seat eight up top, according to Silverton. This would, by my reckoning, be fine only in flat water.

Amenities range from a sink to a dedicated mounting spot for an optional fridge, factory-fitted clear curtains to a bimini top for all-weather protection. This is essential since the 38 Sport Bridge does not have a lower helm station. The moulded stairwell will make serving drinks and snacks from the galley that much easier.

ON THE SIDEWALK
Silverton calls its access to the bow a 'Sidewalk'. Port and starboard doors lead from amidships on the flybridge to moulded, non-skid walkways that range forward. Thus, you can berth this boat and duck forward to secure the bowline. However, you need to keep your wits about you when you step out to the side decks in a pitching sea.

The vision from the helm back down the aft stairwell includes a glimpse of the boarding platform, which will also assist with berthing. And without a ladder to contend with, crew can duck down to secure the sternline in a flash. By any measure, it's an all-over accessible boat.

Conversely, by Australian standards, the cockpit of the 38 Sport Bridge is modestly sized, with room for a couple of deck chairs but not much else. A liftout, infloor fish/drinks box adds to the storage that also exists in the sidepockets, a transom boot, and the lazarette.

There was a decent swim platform, but with a cold-water-only deck shower. Due to the aforesaid Sidewalks and full-beam saloon, there is no walkaround access from the cockpit to the bow. Up and over is the only route.

INDOOR LIVING
Silverton takes a different design approach indoors. Where most flybridge cruisers have side decks tracing the saloon, this 38 Sport Bridge has the Sidewalks and the saloon is full-width. That makes it exceptionally accommodating and, with the aft doors open, it flows to the cockpit. Below is a big two-cabin accommodation plan. The finish was popular American cherrywood with burl tabletops, caramel carpets and latte-coloured upholstery. The natural hues were timeless, though the cherry was somewhat heavy. With a satin finish and Amtico flooring in the galley, this will, at least, be an easy saloon to maintain.

 The clever three-seater lounge to starboard that converts to a spare double bed at the press of a button is a highlight. The lounge looks across to the boat's flatscreen TV with Bose Lifestyle system. The dinette forward is massive and capable of sitting six adults. It's also raised to maximise the views out the various saloon windows. Nearby, the starboard galley boasts Corian counters, hardwearing Amtico flooring, a two-burner cooktop, small microwave oven and counter-height fridge with side freezer. Nice to find there are opening windows in the saloon, plus hatches and exhaust fans for ventilation.

The 38 has the perfect layout for heading away with another couple or for a family of four – that is, a two-cabin/two-head layout – and there's that instant sofa bed in the saloon, should the grandkids want to stay over. Guests get the portside cabin with twin, big, single berths that convert to an even bigger double bed. There's room to swing the clobber in a cedar-lined hanging locker. A door leads to a communal shower and head with Vacuflush loo. The forward stateroom has plenty of head room around the island double bed, his and hers hanging lockers, and drawers for storage. The ensuite includes a split head and dedicated moulded shower cubicle. And the boat comes with supplied bedding, bathware, and a second LCD TV.

A 9kW Kohler generator, located in the boat's lazarette, powers the air-conditioning systems, which you can crank up all summer long, while the hatches have insect screens. There are extractor fans in the heads, thank heavens. Sound insulation seemed reasonable when cruising and, with that generator running aft, also at rest.

ON THE HOP
The test day wasn't the brightest for boating. But the Silverton 38 Sport Bridge has a decent hull, with a fine entry that sluices through choppy water, a very dry ride, and a flat run aft to carry the weight of the boat. Its wide beam and high volume means it does buck and pitch a bit.

With full trim tabs the boat planed at 17kts at 2600rpm; however, the twin Yanmar 380hp diesel engines gave a more efficient cruise of 22.3kts at 3020rpm, where they consumed about 110lt/h for a range of about 250 nautical miles. And 22kts is just a nice, family-friendly speed on any boat.

Top speed was clocked at 25.2kts on the day, which isn't quite as fast as I expected, perhaps as a result of dirty props. But the Yanmars sure were smooth, perky and clean.

Besides, with all that living space up top and below, the family won't be in as much of a hurry to head home.

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