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Silverton 38 Sport Bridge
by Tom Thompson
Attention to detail, quality mean great value
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When it comes to building sedan bridge cruisers, Silverton Marine has an impressive track record that spans more than three decades. The company recently released the third version in its Sport Bridge series of boats that feature extended flybridge space. The new 38 Sport Bridge fills the gap between the existing 33- and 41-foot models. It’s not only spacious and comfortable, but also nicely appointed. The performance numbers are nice, too. But the best feature could be the bottom line: It doesn’t come with a seven-figure price tag.
Silverton’s Sport Bridge series features an upper deck that is larger than most boats in its size range. Proportionally speaking, you’ll usually find this amount of space on larger motoryachts. The helm has three-abreast seating and there’s room for five more behind it. An aft-facing bench seat backs up the helm seat, and another bench along the aft bridge rail faces forward. Whether at anchor or under way, there’s a great view for anyone aboard. The aft bench has a backrest on the port side, probably making it the most desirable seat in the house to stretch out and enjoy the ride.
Also on the port side of the bridge deck, there’s a wet bar with a sink and space for an optional refrigerator or ice-maker. An electronics arch is standard on the boat; a Bimini top with side enclosures is an option.
Space is abundant at the helm, too. There are panels on either side of the instruments and controls that will accommodate large-screen electronics such as a radar or a chart plotter. Several factory-installed Raymarine electronics packages are available as options. As with most of Silverton’s newer model boats, the 38 Sport Bridge features the SideWalk to access the foredeck. Easy-to-traverse stairways lead down each side of the boat from the bridge to get to the sunpad or handle lines forward.
For those times when you want to get out of the sun but still be outside, the bridge overhang shades the 38’s cockpit. The deck space will accommodate a couple of deck chairs and a cocktail table. A large, removable storage bin in the cockpit sole can be a fishbox, if you’re inclined to wet a line occasionally. When you take it out, you’ll have access to the aft mechanical space that holds, among other things, an optional generator.
Farther aft, the integrated swim platform has a folding, three-step boarding ladder. The platform is deep enough to hold an inflatable boat on its side.
Let Us Entertain You
The most striking feature of the 38 Sport Bridge cabin is the amount of daylight that fills it. There are floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors with a screened panel at the entrance from the cockpit. Windows run the length of both sides. One on each side opens for cross ventilation. Across the front, the angle of the windshield works as a skylight to flood the space no matter what time of day. The light plays on the elegant appointments that combine the textures of high-gloss cherry wood, thick-pile carpeting, Ultraleather and accent fabric.
As you face forward from the cockpit entrance, there’s an L-shaped seating group with a solid cherry table as its focus built on a pedestal in the forward port corner. Along the starboard side, there’s a sofa that converts to a double berth. A cabinet in the aft port corner holds the boat’s main electrical panels and the entertainment center.
The AC and DC panels are hidden behind solid cherry wood doors. Above them, a 20-inch flat-screen TV hangs for all to see. But wait, here’s the clever part: Give a slight tug to the TV’s frame and the wood panel on which it’s mounted moves toward you to reveal a drawer. Inside are storage racks for music CDs and DVDs, plus a place to keep audiovisual odds and ends such as the remote controls. The TV along with a Bose 3-2-1 AM/FM CD/DVD player with MP3 capability comes with the boat.
What’s Cookin’?
The 38 Sport Bridge galley, at the forward starboard corner, is a step down from the saloon level yet completely open to it. The space is defined by a large expanse of Corian countertops. All the “fixin’s” are there to make all the “fixin’s” -- a two-burner range, a microwave oven, a coffeemaker and an under-counter refrigerator with a separate freezer compartment.
There’s plenty of cabinet storage space, and an Amtico wood floor complements the cherry wood motif.
Kick Off Your Shoes
The lower deck has two staterooms -- a master forward and one for guests on the port side. The shower portion of the split head is located between the two staterooms and can be accessed from either. The toilet and vanity compartment is on the starboard side and has a door from the companionway and another from the master suite.
The master suite has a pedestal berth with an innerspring mattress. A cedar-lined floor-to-ceiling hanging locker is in the aft port corner and there are storage drawers in the berth base. The twin beds in the guest stateroom can be converted to a queen-size berth with a filler cushion. The forward part of the cabin has stand-up headroom.
Little Things Mean a Lot
It’s quite evident on this boat that Silverton continues to place considerable emphasis on the quality of the interior appointments. All passageway and cabinet doors are solid cherry, not veneer-covered. Drawers operate very smoothly thanks to epoxy-coated hardware. Even the mirrored panels at the head of the master berth have beveled edges.
These are the little details that are the beauty of the boat. They’re touches you might not notice right away, but they give the 38 Sport Bridge a special quality.
There’s nothing better than a sloppy day for a sea trial. Mother Ocean obliged us with a good -- or should we say, bad one -- when we took the 38 Sport Bridge for a spin. We slugged through seas that were running 3 to 5 feet, doing about 13 knots. The ride was far from pleasant, but it wasn’t uncomfortable.
Considering the size of the flybridge, the 38’s roll stability was good. Pushing the throttles of the Cummins Diesels forward to 2,700 rpm, we maintained 18 knots for a short stretch, cutting smoothly into the oncoming waves, then turned around to check tracking in following seas. In both directions, the boat handled the weather well.
Not that you’d want to do this all the time -- but it’s good to know that you can.
CONTACT: Silverton Marine, Millville, NJ; (856) 825-4117; www.silverton.com
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This article first appeared in the April 2005 issue of Sea Magazine. All or parts of the information contained in this article might be outdated. |
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