Take a good look at motoryachts these days, particularly ones being built in Europe, and you'll notice boat builders are trying to give owners better views from below decks. A good example on display at the boat show is the C46 from Sessa Marine. Check out these triple vertical windows in the master stateroom. If this doesn't give you the feeling of being close to the sea while cruising, then nothing will.

Why are builders seemingly obsessed with installing windows just above the wave tops, and in styles that are anything but traditional round ports? There are multiple reasons, with the most common probably being the desire to bolster life aboard. If you take a look at some older cruising boats, regardless of the manufacturer, the windows are pretty tiny. Yes, boats invite us to spend most of our waking hours out on deck, but who doesn't want to wake up to a beautiful anchorage? Besides, megayacht builders have been installing larger and larger windows on all decks for the past several years, so there's no reason production builders can't get into the act, right?

-- Diane M. Byrne