Great thread. When I originally chose our boat, i liked the lines of the boat without the FB. Now, after almost 2 years of boating with only the PH, I long for a FB, especially during warm weather when I want to be outside underway. During the warm months of summer, I find the PH stuffy and hot. Often , Ill program a route i. The nav system and sit up there for a bit to enjoy the sun and breeze, but I never relax much as I am not comfortable being away from the helm controls, especially the throttle. I find myself sitting down for a minute or do then traversing back and forth from the foredeck into the PH to check everything is in order. If there is a next boat in our future, it will definitely have a FB.
Speaking of the Seattle Boat Show, 3 boats really stood out for me regarding use of interior space for our family needs. Our favorite was the kk48, the others were the seahorse marine 46 (i think it was 46) and the Selene 40ish offered by NW explorations.