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boat exterior picture

Bridge cabin outside

Bridge Cabin

You enter COMPADRE through double doors on either side of the bridge cabin, also called the wheelhouse. Inside there is plenty of room, and this is the natural place for people to congregate, especially while underway. The helmsman usually stands at the wheel or sits in one of the tall director's chairs. Upholstered seats at the aft end of the bridge cabin provide a comfortable spot for guests and crew. Visibility is great in all directions, with large windows all around.

boat interior picture

Bridge cabin looking forward

All Stephens boats of this era were either custom or semi-custom built, meaning that owners could select from a variety of pre-existing plans and add modifications to suit their particular needs and tastes. Thus no two Stephens boats were quite the same. In COMPADRE'S case the original owner, Leland Adams, specified that the bridge cabin be 18 inches longer than the dimensions shown on the standard plan. This extra length makes COMPADRE 43 1/2 ft overall, rather than the standard 42 ft.

It is unclear why Mr. Adams ordered the extra length in the bridge cabin section. He also specified twin Lathrop engines instead of the standard twin Scripps engines, so perhaps the Lathrops required more length in the engine room, which is immediately beneath the bridge cabin. Or maybe he just wanted more space to accomodate guests. In any event, the large bridge cabin is one of COMPADRE'S distinctive features, and her current owners enjoy having the extra space.

boat interior picture

Bridge cabin looking aft

To the left of the wheel, steps lead down to the galley and saloon. At the aft end of the bridge cabin, steps lead down to the stateroom and head.

Visit the galley

Visit the stateroom

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