Galeon 640 Fly (2020-)

Brief Summary

The Galeon 640 Fly is a yacht for those who like to cruise with a crowd. She has three dedicated entertainment areas — the flybridge, the cockpit and the salon. All of them are designed with keeping lots of people happy in mind.

Belowdecks, she can be laid out with three or four cabins plus crew quarters that would be more than adequate for more guests. On the water, she’s a capable cruiser that acquitted herself well during our trials.

Key Features

• Opening side decks
• Extra-large fly bridge
• Hydraulic swim platform
• A choice of belowdecks layouts
• Optional separate washer and dryer
• Upper and lower helms

Test Results

Specifications

Length Overall	68' 3" 20.8 m
Beam	16' 5" 5 m
Dry Weight	68,343 lbs. 31,000 kg
Tested Weight	73,692 lbs. 33,426 kg
Draft	4' 10" 1.47 m
Bridge Clearance	24' 9" 7.54 m
Fuel Capacity	900 gal. 3,406 L
Water Capacity	211 gal. 800 L
Total Weight	73,692 lbs. 33,426 kg

Acceleration Times & Conditions

Load	5 persons, 4/5 fuel, no water, 50 lbs. of gear
Climate	81 deg., 78 humid; wind: 5-10 mph; seas: <1

Engine Options

Tested Engine	2 x 1,000-hp Volvo Penta D13
Std. Power	2 x 1,000-hp Volvo Penta D13

By Capt. Martin Frobisher

Mission Statement

The Galeon 640 Fly is designed to entertain with features such as fold-out side decks, windows and doors that link the cockpit and salon and an opening center section of the windshield that leads to bow seating. Passengers can move from the cockpit to the bow via a center companionway instead of taking the side decks. Accommodations can include a full-beam master and a VIP in the bow that rivals the master on most boats in this size range plus a choice of one or two guest cabins and accommodating crew quarters.

Major Features

• A fiberglass gate to close the cockpit passageway
• Opening center section of the windshield leads to bow
• Salon windows that extend below the furniture
• Aft-facing TV in the cabin entertains passengers in the cockpit
• One of the largest flybridge areas in class
• Choice of helm stations

Features Inspection

The Cockpit. Walk into the display for a MarineMax dealership at virtually any boat show and the Galeon yachts will be exhibited with their fold-out side decks open. It’s a great draw — and for good reason. On the 640 Fly, when the hinged side sections of the gunwales are folded down in what Galeon calls “Beach Mode,” the boat’s beam extends from 16’5” (5.0 m) to 23’3” (7.09 m), which makes the cockpit even more inviting and the area is already loaded with accommodations.

Ropes and stainless-steel stanchions plug in on both sides along with stools to create an al fresco bar. The cockpit itself is fully shaded beneath the aft extension of the flybridge and there’s 6’5” (1.96 m) of headroom. A horseshoe-shaped lounge fills the stern and wraps around a fiberglass table on two sturdy stainless-steel legs. Forward to port is a smaller loveseat-style lounge. There’s storage in the seat bases and in a larger under-deck hatch. A second hatch opens to access the forward port section of the engine room.

The Swim Platform. Stairs to starboard in the cockpit lead aft to the 640 Fly’s swim platform. It can be lowered with a standard hydraulic system and to starboard, stairs automatically deploy into the water making it easier to enter and exit the water. The platform also has a collapsible three-step stainless-steel ladder. Showing the attention to detail we’ve come to expect from Galeon, on each side of the transom there are custom stainless-steel engine vents that have chocks integrated on the top. To starboard on the transom are a freshwater shower and a complement of other accessories, each beneath its own hatch. Entry to the crew’s quarters is also from the stern and we’ll cover that in detail later in the report.

The Bow. We’ll talk more about the access to the bow from the salon later. From the cockpit, the side decks are protected by 40” (1.02 m) tall bulwarks that lower to 34” (.86 m) tall amidships. They drop down farther as we head forward, but there are thick stainless-steel rails for added security. All forward in the bow, the stainless-steel rails are 29” (73.66 cm) tall and there’s a 3” (7.72 cm) toerail for crew members to lean against when tending bowlines or the grounding tackle.

The bow has lounges on each side with tables that can be lowered to create sun pads and backrests fold into storage compartments on each side. In the forepeak beneath two large hatches are a Lewmar windlass with a chain stopper. A stainless-steel roller and chute support the Delta-style anchor. Foot controls for the windlass are to starboard and there is open access to the rode locker on each side.

The Fly Bridge. Back in the cockpit, stairs to starboard lead to the 640 Fly’s fly bridge. Our test boat had the optional Comfort Package with the extended cockpit and aft section of the fly bridge. A lounge starts abaft the stairs and wraps all the way around the port, providing seating for about 20 people. A fiberglass table with fold-out sections can fill in the length of the table or be left open to make it easier to enter and leave the seating area. The lounge shares a backrest with another one that’s forward to port. At its leading edge, there’s a convertible backrest.

All the way forward is a spacious flat sun pad alongside and ahead of the fly bridge helm. Overhead, a hardtop with 6’5” (1.96 m) of headroom covers the forward half of the area and has an opening soft sunroof. To starboard, a wet bar has two stools, a dual-level Corian countertop and a standard sink with a retractable faucet, a 2.23 cu.-ft. (62 L) refrigerator, and storage. Our test boat had the icemaker and Kenyon grill that is part of the optional Luxury Package. Forward to starboard, to port on the upper helm are the Volvo Penta EVC screen and a Fusion stereo remote control. Twin 12” (30.48 cm) Raymarine multifunction displays are ahead of the tilt steering wheel and the digital controls, Humphree tab switches and Side Power bow and stern thruster joysticks.

Interior Features

The Galley. A doublewide stainless-steel framed sliding glass door opens to provide entry into the 640 Fly’s galley. A window at the aft end of the galley folds up and aft, and when it and the door are open, there’s seamless passage between the cockpit and the galley. Our test boat had the optional 40” (101.6 cm) TV that rises out of the aft galley countertop to entertain passengers in the cockpit. The C-shaped counter has a vent over the two-burner stove, a convection microwave oven in the base and plentiful storage. A dishwasher is an option as is the full-size refrigerator that was on our test boat. Smaller under-counter refrigerators come standard. There are two barstools and a serving area to starboard. To port in an overhead galley cabinet are controls for the air conditioning, the generator, and the voltage readouts.

The Salon. It’s a 5” (12.7 cm) step up to the 640 Fly’s salon. The headroom transitions from 6’5” (1.96 m) to 6’10” (2.08 cm). Forward is a horseshoe-shaped lounge around a table that can be lowered to create an extra berth. The salon windows extend well below the furniture backs to let in as much natural light as possible. Owners have a choice of colors including gloss or matte walnut for traditionalists or a Beachwood gray that gives the salon a contemporary look. Accents in the overhead include air conditioning valances that make it easy to miss them altogether.

The salon TV rises out of a cabinet to starboard. Forward to port are the stairs to the accommodations deck. In the center is a small wet bar with a cooler and sink under hinged hatches and for easy access to the bow, the center section of the windshield opens with the push of a button. Galeon made sure it provided a child-safety switch to keep a little one from opening the window accidentally. For added safety, a gate closes the passageway to the bow.

The Lower Helm. To starboard, the lower helm has two richly upholstered high-backed bucket seats that raise and lower and slide fore and aft and recline with the push of a button. The extra glass in the windshield means plenty of warmth on a sunny day so we appreciated the four air conditioning outlets in the upper section of the helm. They flank the Volvo Penta EVC screen. In the main vertical section of the dash, the Seakeeper control is to port with the twin 16” (40.64 cm) Raymarine MFDs in the center above the tilt steering wheel and the Humphree tab controls are to starboard. Down low, the windlass buttons are to port with the bow and optional stern thruster joysticks and the Volvo Penta digital engine levers to starboard. Galeon upgraded from the stock steering to a Seastar adjustable system. The lock-to-lock at low speeds around the docks is only three turns and it expands to five turns lock to lock when running. The 12-volt distribution panel is in its own locker in the passageway to the bow.

Accommodations

 

The Master Stateroom The stairs to starboard aft in the salon lead below to the 640 Fly’s accommodations level. Our test boat had the three-cabin layout with the master aft. The full-beam stateroom has large hullside windows that let in ample natural light and have opening ports. Headroom is 6’7” (2.0 m) with 4’8” (1.42 m) of space above the berth that’s mounted on the centerline. The mattress measures 78” long by 63” wide (198.12 cm x 160.02 cm) and the TV on the aft bulkhead is a 40” (101.6 cm) model. It’s part of the optional Comfort Package.To port are a dinette-style lounge and table with a small vanity and stool on the aft bulkhead. The ensuite head has a walk-in shower with mosaic tile, an electric flush toilet, a vessel-style sink on the Corian counter and a hullside window with an opening port. Throughout the stateroom and head, storage is plentiful, including drawers under the berth and a hanging locker.

The Guest Cabin. Moving forward, the guest cabin is to port and has two single berths that measure 78” (198.12 cm) long and 28” (71.12 cm) wide with 12” (30.48 cm) in between. We found a similar vanity and stool that we saw in the master and there’s a mirrored bulkhead with storage overhead. There’s private entry to the day head that has a vessel sink, Corian counter, a shower stall with a seat, and rainfall-style head and an electric flush toilet.

VIP Quarters. Moving into the 640 Fly’s bow, it could easily be the master on a similarly sized boat. It has 6’4” (1.93 m) of headroom with 3’6” (1.07 m) above the berth. There are steps on each side of the island berth and overhead skylights provide an escape route in an emergency and can be darkened with blackout shades. Hullside windows have opening ports. There’s a large mirror at the foot of the berth and just above the vanity and stool, our test boat had the optional 40” (101.6 cm) TV. The ensuite head is nearly identical to the master’s with a separate shower, vessel sink on a Corian countertop, and an electric-flush toilet. Throughout the cabin and head, there’s ample storage to keep the area uncluttered during an extended cruise.

Crew Quarters. Entry to the 640 Fly’s crew quarters is via the swim platform. Inside, we found over-under berths, a galley with a sink, microwave oven, refrigerator, and storage. Large windows look out over the transom. The wet head has a pull-up faucet, an electric toilet and sink and alongside on our test boat were the optional separate washer and dryer.

The Engine Room. To starboard of the laundry is the watertight door to enter the 640 Fly’s engine room. Like the rest of the boat, it’s spacious and thoughtfully laid out with 6’ (1.83 m) of headroom and 2’ (.61 m) of space between the twin 1000-hp Volvo Penta D1300 inboard engines. All the electrical panels and charging systems are on the forward bulkhead. Fuel filters and sea strainers are easily accessed and the Cummins Onan 29 kW generator is aft with the air conditioning system alongside.

Performance

The Numbers. The 640 Fly measured 68’3” (20.80 m) long with a beam of 16’5” (5.00 m) and a draft of 4’10” (1.47 m). Empty weight is listed at 68,343 lbs. (31,000 kg). With 729 gallons (2,760 L) of fuel, three people and test equipment onboard, we had an estimated test weight of 73,692 lbs. (33,426 kg).

Speed and Range. Our test boat was powered by twin 1,000-hp Volvo Penta D13 straight-shaft inboards. At 2350 rpm, we hit a top speed of 30.3 knots. Best cruise came at 1750 rpm where we measured 19.9 knots and burned 49.5 gph. This gave us .4 nmpg and a range of 325.1 nautical miles with 10 percent of the boat’s 900-gallon (3,407 L) fuel capacity in reserve. At 600 rpm, the boat ran 6.2 knots and burned 3.1 gph, giving the boat a rating of 2.0 nmpg. Bump up to 1000 rpm and the speed goes up to 8.8 knots with a fuel burn of 12.0 gph and 0.7 nmpg.

Handling and Docking. In maneuvers, the Galeon 640 Fly handled well. She crossed boat wakes with nimble agility and flattened chop that was whipped up by 10-knot winds. Around the docks, the optional stern thruster made it easy for our captain to put the boat wherever he wanted it to go.

Observations

With the 640 Fly, Galeon said it set out to make a boat that feels bigger than her length. Based on our experience, the Polish builder succeeded.

But many of the features that enhanced the boat’s size are options, including the fold-out gunwales and extra length on the fly bridge and cockpit. This is so all U.S. boats are ordered with all specifications from the Comfort and Luxury pack.

Having the MarineMax dealer network behind the boats should help the manufacturer build its brand in the United States.