Galeon 420 Fly Review (2018 Edition) by NautiStyles

On Deck

You start out on the hydraulic swim step, and it has the swim ladder plus the cable reel for the shore power cable. There’s a solid structure running around, and then a bench actually slides back and forth on tracks. On the port side Galeon has that staircase I’m such a fan of - when the platform is down it turns into proper steps into the water. Very cool feature on a 42 footer.

Coming forward, there’s storage for lines and even a little boarding door you can lift closed. Handy if you’ve got kids or dogs on board. Normally, when you slide the cockpit bench back into position the backrests line up and the door closes tight. What’s nice is that the bench can become a sunpad. The cushion is doubled, so when you lift both up at the same time you see the supports underneath. Slide it into place and suddenly it’s a lounge. Pretty awesome entertainment space for the size.

This hatch on the deck leads into the aft compartment behind the engines. You can reach the engine room from there too. On this model the engines sit midship under the salon - not all the way back.

Going forward, Galeon squeezed in a side boarding gate which is really cool on a 42. The way the bow flares out makes it feel bigger than the length. Underneath the forward cushion you’ve got skylights and an openable hatch that brings light down below. The sunpad up here is huge for the size. There’s also a search light on the port bow, foot switches for the windlass, and locker access right up front.

The flybridge feels surprisingly big. Comfortable seating wraps around the table and you can easily fit six, or even eight if you add chairs. Tons of storage under the seats. Perfect if you want to take friends out for a weekend cruise or just hang on the intercoastal. There’s a wetbar with a sink, storage with a trash bin, a fridge with freezer compartment, and a little grill. Cup holders everywhere, including slim ones.

The helm is laid out nicely. Volvo Penta controls, VHF, trim tab control, bilge alarms, chartplotter, autopilot, fusion stereo, bow thruster, nav lights, engine start and stop, and the Sea-Fire fire suppression indicator. There are even cup holders right at the helm - always comes in handy. The whole panel flips open on hinges so you can service what’s underneath. Visibility from up here is insane - you can see the entire sideline of the boat.

Overhead there’s a proper bimini top with radar, nav lights, TV antenna, and twin VHF antennas. Galeon even thought through how it folds down - stainless brackets catch everything neatly if you want to lower the bridge clearance.  

In true Galeon fashion there are plenty of convertible features inside. The aft door folds accordion style so the whole side opens up, but with the AC running it’s nice to keep it shut. What’s cool is that the cockpit bench unlocks and swivels around to become one long bench. Even if you don’t swivel it all the way, the backrest flips so you can face either direction. It doubles the usable cockpit space and makes the layout really flexible. Add a bit of shade over it and it even becomes a great napping spot.

Step into the salon and it feels bright with all the blinds up. Lots of windows make it open and airy. There’s a small settee, and the salon table is high-low and folds out into a much larger table. You can spin it and open it up for dining. There’s another little seating area as well. It’s not a huge salon - definitely compact - but because Galeon gives you the option to open the whole side, it feels much larger than it is.

To port, right as you enter, are the light switches, AC control, breaker panel for both high and low voltage, fusion stereo, battery monitor, and all the main battery switches. Engine, anchor, thruster - everything is right there by the door, convenient to reach as you come and go. There’s also the generator control hidden in the cabinetry. A pop-up TV sits in the corner, giving you entertainment without taking up permanent space.

Access to the engine room is below the salon. Two hatches lift up to give light and working access to the engines.

The lower helm is set just a step up, with the galley a couple of steps down. Visibility from the helm is fantastic, something you don’t always get on a boat this size. Electric windows on both port and starboard let you open the space up for cross-breeze, so you don’t always need to run the air conditioning.

The helm mirrors the flybridge setup - shift and throttle for the Volvo Penta diesels, trim tabs, ignition, autopilot, chartplotter, engine monitor, bow thruster, and the yard controller on/off. That controller lets you dock the boat with a remote, engaging the engines and thrusters while you stand on deck. All the main switches for freshwater pump, engine room blowers, anchor winch and lights are grouped together. And of course, there’s another cup holder.  

The galley is compact but laid out smartly and open to the salon. It’s more of a one-person galley, but it works. Storage is tucked into every available spot. There’s a double sink with covers to create counter space, a two-burner cooktop that could easily be upgraded to four, and a convection microwave oven. The fridge is a good size, with an additional drawer unit.  

Owner's Cabin

Going forward brings you into the owner’s cabin.  If you like a bright cabin it’s perfect, as there are lots of windows to let the light in.

On the starboard side there’s a hanging locker, plus a TV mounted on the bulkhead. Just forward of that sits a little desk space where you could set up a laptop and do some work in the evening. There’s more storage tucked into shelves and cabinets along the outboard side. To port it’s mostly matching storage, though instead of another hanging locker you get cabinets and a small locker with a shelf inside. Lower drawers give even more stowage, including one that’s surprisingly deep.

The ensuite has a full-size mirror and more storage under the sink as well as in sliding cabinets. The sink itself is large, set on top of the counter to save space below. The shower is a one-person size, workable for most people, though if you’re really tall or broad it might feel tight. The benefit is that the day head forward is also available and offers extra space, so you’re not limited to just one shower.

Guest Accommodation

The Galeon 420 is laid out with two cabins and two heads. To starboard is the twin cabin. Headroom is lower here because it sits under the helm, but for sleeping it works fine. If you’re 2m tall it’s going to feel short, but for kids or average-size adults it’s totally comfortable. There’s a hatch overhead for ventilation, so you can get some cross-breeze. It’s a great overflow cabin for a couple with kids or guests coming along. Storage includes a hanging locker, shelves, and an air conditioning outlet built in.

The head for this cabin doubles as the day head. It’s a wet head with a sink, storage underneath, toilet, and a curtain to keep the shower water contained. It’s not bad at all for the size and makes the starboard cabin fully functional on its own.

Forward of the guest cabin is the owner’s cabin, which carries its own ensuite. Together they give the Galeon 420 a true two-cabin, two-head setup that works well for a family or for cruising with another couple.

The engine space is accessed through the cockpit hatches and it’s definitely on the smaller side, not the kind of full walk-in rooms you get used to on bigger yachts. First thing you see is the Fischer Panda generator, basically right there when you climb in. Headroom is fairly limited.

The two main engines sit amidship under the salon, with the seacock for the starboard engine and the seastrainer close by. Port side mirrors the same setup. Fuel tanks are outboard, transmissions just aft and straight shafts running out. Forward in the compartment is the fire suppression system.

Two hatches in the salon floor lift out to give you service access and light down into the engines. At the aft end of the space you can see the rudder posts and tie rod, plus the actuator for the hydraulic steering. Batteries are mounted aft as well, with the hydraulic pack for the swim platform on the port side. A water heater is tucked back here too, along with the house bank and port engine batteries. The exhaust system has a mixing muffler where water and exhaust gas are combined before going overboard.

Performance is straightforward. Power comes from twin Volvo Penta D6 diesels at 435hp each. Cruising speed is around 26 knots, with a top speed of 30 knots. At 6 knots the range stretches to about 1,150 nautical miles.

The Galeon 420 Fly really falls into that affordable yacht category. On the market you’ll see them averaging around €539k, usually between €511k and €567k depending on the year and condition. They were built from 2011 through 2022, so something like a 2018 model is only a few years old and still feels fresh without paying brand-new pricing.

At 42ft (12.8m) long with a 13ft 8in (4.16m) beam and a 6ft 3in (1.9m) draft, it’s a very manageable size for an owner-operator. The bridge clearance is 14ft 6in (4.42m), and if you fold the bimini down you can get under a lot of bridges. That makes it a real contender for something like the Great Loop. Dockage fees and running costs also stay in check because it’s still a compact flybridge boat, not a 60-footer that eats up fuel and mooring fees.

Fuel capacity is 1,100 liters or 291 gallons. If you drop down to 6 knots you can stretch the range to around 1,150 nautical miles. That means you can do long legs at displacement speed if you want to save fuel, but you still have the performance to get places quickly when you need to. Servicing the D6s is straightforward, parts are widely available, and they’re known for being reliable engines in this size bracket.

Day-to-day, it’s not a boat that will bleed you dry. Systems are right-sized so power draw and maintenance costs are lower. Docking and haul-out are simpler too, and you can actually get into slips that a bigger yacht couldn’t.

The two-cabin, two-head layout works for a couple with kids, or another couple on board. And all the Galeon convertible tricks make it feel like more boat than the numbers suggest.

If you’re shopping in this size range, rivals to think about would be the Princess F43 and the Riviera 39 Open Flybridge. 

A few things to keep in mind first. The engine room is tight with limited headroom, so you’re not getting a full walk-in. The starboard twin cabin sits under the helm, which means less headroom there too. And the galley is definitely a one-person space. None of that is a dealbreaker, but it’s worth noting. 

Now for the good stuff. The flybridge is huge for a 42 footer, with proper seating, a wetbar, and insane visibility from the helm. Inside, the convertible furniture and opening salon doors make it feel far more open than the dimensions suggest. Twin cabins with two heads give you flexibility for family or guests.. Add in all of this and the Galeon 420 Fly is a pretty awesome starter yacht - affordable, practical, and a lot of fun to use.