Your Boat: Galeon 405 HTS

Victorious Versatility Takes the Day

April 2018 Feature Heather Magda Serrano

“It’s truly the best boat I’ve ever had,” shared Brad Black.

Black has been boating the Great Lakes for the past 31 years and has owned more than a dozen boats, but his new Galeon yacht stands apart from the rest.

The thing Black loves most about his Galeon 485 HTS is the unparalleled quality the brand instills in all its products. The high standards he admires transfer to all the models, including Galeon’s new model: the 405 HTS.

The Galeon 405 HTS is a force to be reckoned with. Its impressive size is complemented by making the best use of space, and the vessel also comes with remarkable power and stability. It was made for offshore waters like the Great Lakes and Black affirmed that his own Galeon loves rough waters.

The 405 has so much power that it can go up to 42 mph at full throttle. In addition to superb stability and performance, the boat comes with all the comforts fit for royalty.

Unquestionable Quality

The 405 unites refined elegance, stunning performance and functional design together in one handsome package; not an idle thought went into the realization of this remarkable vessel. Galeon is one of Europe’s leading boat manufacturers with over 30 years of experience, so they know what they’re doing when it comes to building gorgeous, livable boats.

“They’re good looking, they ride well and the quality in fit and finish is exceptional,” said MarineMax’s Senior Sales Executive Chris Voss. “The customers just love them.”

Such statements aren’t difficult to believe when dedicated Great Lakes boaters like Black and his wife Pam describe their new Galeon model as the best quality boat they’ve ever owned.

The Blacks started boating on Lake Erie in 1987 and since that year, they’ve never missed a weekend between May 15 and Sept. 15.

“We’ve made everybody we know mad at us,” laughed Black, “because we’ve missed a lot of weddings, graduations and things like that.”

The Blacks bought their Galeon 485 HTS last May at the MarineMax store in Port Clinton, Ohio, and it’s clear this happy couple can’t get enough of their favorite pastime. Black just recently retired and sold his business, so he now has even more time to spend with his wife on their beloved Galeon.

They’ve created tons of memories together out on Lake Erie and they love the Western Basin, which offers so many things to do. One of their favorite places to take their boat is Put-In-Bay, but they’ve explored the Great Lakes all the way up to Lake Michigan and back.

Since they purchased their Galeon 485, the boat has continued to impress them. Black said he loves everything from the stainless steel to the woodwork to the way the boat rides. In short, Galeon yachts are some of the best crafts for avid boaters like the Blacks.

There isn’t much doubt that the possibilities accompanying Galeon’s new 405 will draw in many Great Lakes boaters.

Vast Versatility

In the 405, there are TVs in both the v-berth and the salon with full entertainment systems. There are also fully functioning galleys in the salon as well as the cockpit. Additionally, the cockpit hosts a grill and a refrigerator, so you’ll never be too far from a cool beverage while you’re barbequing. But that’s not all the cockpit has to offer.

Galeon Brand Manager Bob Burke explained how unique the cockpit area is because of how the dining table can be collapsed into a sun-bed by opening up the leaves of the table and allowing it to drop down. Then not only will you have a large sitting area, but the choice of a dining table or a sun-bed to going alongside it.

The helm station has plenty of room and features a retractable roof to keep you safe from the elements if the weather isn’t cooperating. The cockpit is also protected from the sun and rain thanks to a marquise that can open and close automatically.

There is also climate control in this area, which is wonderful because it can extend your season, and if you’re anything like the Blacks, there’s a good chance you’re always looking to extend your season.

The boat features air conditioning vents in the helm and above the bar, which makes it so that if you didn’t install an enclosure, you still have reverse cycle heating and cooling to fall back on. Since the 405 has a retractable sun roof, it provides some good air flow along with the side windows, giving you the option to use the heating and cooling in conjunction with these openings.

Room To Spare

Everything about the 405 is generously luxurious, and there isn’t a confined area on the boat. The swim platform is enormous and there’s a garage that you can fit bikes, toys or anything else you may want. The aft cabin is yet another unique feature on the craft because it has two full cabins, complete with doors.

“Some boats in this sort of size class will have sort of a cave-with-a-curtain kind of thing in the aft end,” described Burke, “and some of them even have a curtain for the forward berth where this is really a two-stateroom yacht with on-suite heads in both.”

The beds in the aft cabin can also slide together to form a queen-sized bed, making it so you can have an additional couple. The lucky couple would have privacy as well as their own head and shower.

To go along with the spaciousness, the vantage points throughout the boat are phenomenal. The single-piece glass windshield gives you fantastic visibility out the front, but it’s down below where Burke feels the boat really shines against most anything in the market.

Vivacious Visibility

The sky lighting comes through the dashboard and illuminates the entire salon. Additionally, through the large windshield, you get natural light straight down into the center of the boat.

“Wherever you are in the boat, you’re not feeling like you’re in a cave, so to speak,” added Burke, “with a lot of boats in this sort of size range, you do.”

There are full-length windows as well, so there isn’t any shortage of natural light in the salon area and forward cabin. Even the v-berth has a skylight that runs the length of the ceiling, which is yet another source of natural light along with the hull-length window.

The Galeon 405 is the kind of boat that gives you the best of both worlds. On the one hand you have an impressively versatile day-boat, capable of having every sort of fun in the sun; on the other hand you also have a weekend or traveling boat because of the two separate cabins. This makes it not only easy, but enjoyable to travel with kids or other couples. It’s hard to beat such versatile quality.

The Blacks love their Galeon yacht so far and said the spaciousness and features have made it one of the most livable boats they’ve ever been on. They couldn’t be more pleased with their decision to purchase the boat and it’s with great anticipation that they await the upcoming boating season so they can get back out on the water again with their exceptional Galeon vessel.