Galeon 560 Fly Review (2023 Edition)

Around the Marina

There isn't an IPS engine option available with the 560 Fly, it's good old shafts with either Volvo Penta D13 800hp or 900hp and proportional thrusters as a cost option. Our test boat had larger engines and bow and stern thrusters and these give excellent levels of control in the marina environment. It's a tall boat with what appears a fair bit of windage but it doesn't get blown off course when tracking down the fairways.

It says quite a lot about the lower helm that this, to me, felt like the more natural position to berth the boat from. The combination of the connection to the crew, excellent sight lines and the big door side door make this a great position to perform this type of work; the only improvement would be the boarding gate aligning with the side door so you don't have to talk aft to get off the boat. 

You can't spot the end of the bathing platform from either helm, so a camera mounted on the aft end of the flybridge would be a useful addition so you can spot the stern via the suite of MFDs at either dashboard.

From a crewing perspective, the boat is easy to move around with safe side decks and a flat foredeck that is simple to negotiate. Deck storage is limited but the crew space (which is a storage space as standard) is easily accessed via the bathing platform and there's a deep anchor locker, though a lack of somewhere to tie lines compromises its usefulness as a space to stow ropes and fenders. 

At Sea

The 560 Fly is, principally, a big comfortable cruiser. It's not as engaging to drive as the highly polished Princess F55 or the Ferretti 580 but at 25 knots it's a refined cruising machine and at that speed, you can expect a cruising range of around 250nm. Its top speed is a similarly relaxed 27 knots so a speed machine this is not, but sit at 22-25 knots and it's happy. It's quiet, too, with sound levels of around 70 decibels even at higher rpm cruising speeds. 

The bow sections are relatively full and I was expecting it to throw a fair bit of spray over the decks in the sharp chop and high winds we experienced during the test. But those bulges that the hull windows sit within also act as spray rails to deflect water away from the boat and they're very effective. Protection from the breeze isn't great at the flybridge helm but it would have to be rough for water to find its way onto the top deck.

It feels solid through the chop, too, the hull is especially robust and from the lower helm, where you would usually pick up squeaks and rattles coming from the structure it stays resolutely quiet. The handling isn't very exciting. The steering is light and well-judged but it provokes very little lean from the hull and if you dial in too much lock you begin to get some resonance through the rudder. It's as if the boat is saying: "Don't treat me like a sportsboat, because I'm not one". 

From the lower helm, the view is generally pretty good as long as you dial in a bit of trim tab to keep the bow down. The one-piece windscreen provides a brilliant view over the foredeck but it does make for a couple of very large windscreen mullions and some chunky blind spots, especially on the starboard side closest to the helm. 

Fun and dynamic? No. But it's a consummate cruising machine. 

The 560 may share an underwater profile with the outgoing 550 but from there upwards it's very different. There is a new 'shovel nose' design, which creates a flatter deck area around the anchor and mooring gear and boosts the volume of the VIP cabin, forward. It gives the 560 a distinctive look but soon gives way to an explosion of glazing that splits almost down to the waterline and neatly pushes up into the flybridge coaming. The glazed area of this boat is absolutely vast.

What's also noticeable is that some of the gadgetry has been toned down here and there. The foredeck, for example, has a much more simple arrangement than, say, the 500 Fly, which has the option of sliding seat modules that can raise up and down. For now, the 560 is only available with L-shaped seating in the cockpit and a storage room/crew cabin, not the rotating seating with a tender garage that we've seen elsewhere in the range. That could well be an option further down the line, however.

Still in place are the balconies and they have been improved on this latest model. They have glass inset within, and Galeon has even managed to incorporate boarding gates into both of them. These terraces still work so well, especially when teamed with the sliding doors on either side of the salon that create unrivaled indoor/outdoor living space in this sector. 

With every Galeon I go aboard quality seems to be better each time. The use of materials, quality of the woodwork, and general solidity of this boat's interior oozes class. Gone are the days of Galeon interiors being all shiny and glitzy, the 560's is refined, classy, and, in terms of finish, right up there with the best in the sector. Consider that the boat we saw at Miami was hull number one and fresh off a ship and it's all the more impressive. 

Unlike others in the range, there isn't an IPS pod drive engine option on the 560 Fly. Of course, there is the option to have a joystick with all three of the shaft drive engine options. 

I don't think there's another boat in the sector where you'd spend so much time on the main deck as opposed to the flybridge. But so good is the space between the aft end of the salon and the cockpit that it's inevitable that this area will become the focal point. Galeon's cockpit doors, which are designed and made in-house, are brilliant. They split and then slide all the way over to port to leave an unbroken link between the two areas and this is what makes the connection between the decks and interior so good. With the windows on either side open, there's a good amount of natural breeze running through the boat so unless it's a really hot, stuffy day, you may not need the air-con running.

The galley is a really good shape and thanks to the pop-up counter section outboard it transforms into a big bar within seconds. Slot in the pair of bar stools and you have one of the best spots on the boat. Just inside the cockpit door, there's a full-height fridge/freezer that has a pair of deep freezer draws at its base.

Opposite, the designers have tweaked this area to improve the two-way bench seen elsewhere in the range that could face into the salon or over the starboard balcony. The 560 has a breakfast dinette with drop-down backrests that create a twin perch and table on the outside of the boat. It's a better arrangement than the bench and a very clever use of the available space.

Forward, the dinette to port is mounted on an adjustable leg so it can shift between the coffee table and dining table height and the TV pops up from behind the twin sofa opposite.

There is a vast selection of wood colors and finishes but the satin walnut of the showboat teamed with cream upholstery looked really classy and there's detail to enjoy all over. The softly rounded edges of the cabinetry, the subtle integration of air-con vents, the ceiling detail, and the strips of LED lighting overhead. It's a lovely place to be.

Bed Time

The layout of the three-cabin accommodation is par for the course in a sector where only the Absolute 52 Fly stands out with its owner's cabin forward.  Here, the owner's suite is amidships where it has a centrally mounted island berth with a flat floor around it and well over 1.82m (6ft) of headroom throughout.

The use of materials stands out once again, especially in the ensuite where faux marble and tiled detailing give the space a touch of panache. The windows bulge to their widest part around the ensuite so the view out from the shower is lovely. There are opening ports in the ensuite but not in the cabin itself, which is a bit of a shame. That aside it's a great space with some clever thinking like tucking the identical wardrobes in the aft corners of the cabin. 

The VIP cabin is the one that benefits most from the new design. The flatter, broader bow boosts the volume in this area and the design team has pushed this cabin to the very edges of the 560's 4.82m (15ft 8in) beam. It's a great space with towering headroom and really good levels of natural light. It's a shame that the hull windows also miss out on opening ports but they do a fine job of bathing the area in natural light.

Guests to Impress

It's clear that lots of effort has gone into ensuring every panel and section is working hard in this cabin and it feels special. The deep shelves tucked into the forward corners, for example, and the use of lighting once again. The little bureau on the port side has a stool that swings out on a chunky stainless steel arm. It's all good stuff. The ensuite isn't private as it is also the day head and shared with the third twin cabin but it's a really good size, very well appointed and endowed with plentiful natural light. 

Speaking of the third cabin, it too is apportioned a good chunk of hull window and is another bright space with plenty of headroom. The berths are fixed, unlike on the Princess F55 and Absolute 52 Fly, but they're well proportioned and storage is abundant. No ensuite, of course, but that's rare at this size, and the day head is only across the lobby. 

But is that the last guest cabin aboard the 560? Possibly not. The crew cabin is so well designed it could well be a part-time fourth cabin if called upon and where better to sleep than right by the waterline in a private spot away from other guests? Yes, it only has bunks but it also has some basic amenities like a sink, storage, and a fridge plus a separate bathroom. It's quite comfortably the best crew accommodation in class. 

From here there is also direct access to the engine room, which is a crouching room only but it's spacious and very well-engineered. There's good access around the engines and the major components and there's a quick access hatch in the cockpit deck that you can use for quick checks. It's very neat, very well-lit, and, given the owner-run nature of this boat, an easy space to work in.

I have complained before about the ergonomics of Galeon's upper helms, specifically how far away the MFDs are, but there are no such issues on the 560 Fly. The twin bench may be fixed but the wheel and throttle are well positioned and all of the screens and controls are much closer.

Swiping around on the screens is an easy lean forward and on passage, it's easy to sit back with the full support of the seat and grab the adjustable wheel and throttle. It's a clean dash design too, with most information confined to the two large Raymarine MFDs and the smaller Volvo Penta one. A run of proper switches takes care of lights, pumps, etc.

The lower helm design is new for the 560 and, like upstairs, it's the cleanliness and uniformity of the dash that stands out. There aren't lots of different buttons and screen styles and any buttons it does have are backlit metal switches with their function neatly etched above. The flat part of the dash uses quite shiny material but the fabric used on the lower dash looks and feels lovely and stitching the Galeon logo into the material is a classy touch. It could do with a bit more storage as there are only a couple of small cupholders as it stands.

The view from the lower helm is very good. The boat has a single-piece windscreen, which generally leads to thicker mullions, but by including deep side windows Galeon has negated what would be a pretty sizeable blind spot. 

Not all of this boat's rivals have side doors at the lower helm and it's a desirable addition. If you tend to run the boat as a couple then the side door makes a big difference to how easy it is for the skipper to help out with crewing. One improvement would be adding a boarding gate amidships, as Absolute has done on its 52 Fly. 

There's no doubt about it, the 560 Fly has the best deck spaces in the class. We've seen the cockpit terraces many times but they work so well and have been enhanced on the 560 with the use of glass, boarding gates, and built-in guardrails. We won't go over again how well the salon and cockpit blend together but there's nothing like it in this market.

Our understanding is that, for now, the rotating seating with a tender garage isn't an option on the 560 but we can only hope Galeon introduces it here because it's another brilliant bit of design that the competition can't match. 

The foredeck is one of the more simple designs for a Galeon. Other models have seat modules that slide, raise, and lower at the touch of a button but everything is fixed here, except for slot-in backrests that turn the sun pad into an aft-facing bench. Some will miss the functionality of the old system, no doubt, others will see it as less to potentially go wrong after hours and hours of use. This is still a good space, though, and it supplements the other outdoor living spaces nicely. 

The flybridge is neatly split between free-standing furniture aft and fixed seating amidships. The showboat had some smart Galeon-branded sun loungers but this area could easily host a table and chairs if needed. The wet bar is split across two sections with one unit at the top of the steps and an L-shaped module to starboard, which is home to the grill, sink, and fridge. 

Forward, there are two identical U-shaped seating areas, bisected by the walkway. The clever bit is that the tables open to meet in the middle so you have one enormous dinette if you want to serve a meal on the flybridge. Alternatively, one table can be opened and the other left closed. The flexibility here is superb and the two-way backrests fitted to the forward benches only add to this. 

The exterior tables were GRP on the showboat, which doesn't look as classy as teak (though they are beautifully solid and well-finished) but they will wear better in sunnier climes than their timber counterparts. A hard top is an option, though I don't see many boats being built without it; it's a shame there isn't a sunroof option, however. 

The starting price for the 560 Fly with the smaller engines is around €1.28 million ex VAT but our test boat was specified to a very high standard with all of the key cost options ticked, including the D13 900hp upgrade (€142,611), Beach Mode (€70,418), Seakeeper 9 (€157,421), crew cabin (€34,407), 500kg hydraulic platform (€50,012), proportional bow and stern thrusters (€33,072), air-con upgrade (€61,756), 20.5kw generator (€31,715), passerelle (€39,348) and 3 x Raymarine Axiom XL (€54,599). The price as tested was €2,186,863 ex VAT.

There isn't much you'd need to add to this spec but if the boat is going to live in the UK (or colder climes) you could save some money by removing the bigger generator, air-con and passerelle. The Seakeeper is a costly option, too. The one thing to add could be the sunroof in the hardtop, which isn't standard and adds some flexibility to the top deck. And given you can't see the bathing platform from either helm, a rear-facing camera would be helpful. 

The 560 probably is a little pricier than most people expect but the quality, attention to detail and fit and finish justify the price tag. With beach mode, you quite literally get more boat for your money, too, and a cockpit that is significantly larger than its rivals.