THE LIGHT FANTASTIC
GALEON YACHTS BRINGS THE OUTDOORS IN WITH THE 680 FLY
one is to look at a photograph and the other is to stand in the salon. ¶ When I first looked at the image of the 680 Fly, taken at dusk with all of the yacht’s lights on, I was startled. It seemed as though the yacht glowed, with light pouring from multiple windows on all decks. ¶ Later, standing in the salon, I was surrounded by windows that drop down electrically, just as in a car. Want to feel the breeze and smell the sea air? Push a button. As Bob Burke, brand manager for Galeon importer MarineMax, says, “It feels like a giant dayboat.” ¶ That sense of openness is a noteworthy achievement aboard a 68-foot vessel. The 680 Fly is indeed Galeon’s largest Fly model. The only bigger boats that Galeon builds are the 700 Skydeck and 780 Crystal. The 680 Fly is a fourth-generation design for the builder, which has learned to maximize not only the feeling of space but also creature comforts on board. ¶ One of the best examples of Galeon opening up the interior is next to the helm seat: a door to the side deck floats in a onepiece, sole-to-ceiling glass window. The whole interior concept takes cues from waves, with rounded design elements in the fiberglass and woodwork. ¶ The salon’s dining table to port stretches 7 feet, 1 inch, creating family-size eating space. A couch on the opposite side adds to the comfort quotient. ¶ Aft, the U-shaped galley keeps the chef out of any traffic flow. An island counter is sized for a buffet. Don’t expect the chef to get anything done quickly, though; the window over the counter is mightily distracting. Opposite the galley is a choice of arrangements, with a pair of seats and a table for snacks tied in popularity with a pair of bar stools and a countertop. ¶ Forward, for the skipper and a companion, are high-backed pedestal seats with footrests. They’re abaft a dashboard with twin Raymarine multifunction displays and Boening monitors for the engines. Galeon’s Integrated Man