Jeanneau Merry Fisher 1295 Fly

The New Jeanneau NC 1295 Fly Takes the Flybridge to the Next Level

The dream of the small flybridge yacht is clear: these boats are designed to be the ultimate modern cabin cruisers. With the amenities and layouts once reserved for large, slow trawlers, modern outboards can propel these vessels at planing speeds. New features like swim terraces, improved visibility, and joystick steering sweeten the deal.

Innovative features abound on the NC 1295 Fly, making it one of the most modern and unique boats on the market. It’s powered by three reliable and efficient Yamaha F300 outboard motors. The engines feature digital control and a Helm Master EX joystick controller, making close-quarters maneuvering easy. Combined with the bow thruster, this boat can spin within its waterline length.

But sadly, there just aren’t very many boats like this out there. The number of boaters looking for a comfortable cabin cruiser is small, and the number of companies making them is even smaller. This all makes the Merry Fisher 1295 Fly all the more impressive. Here’s a boat with three cabins, two heads, and enough storage to carry a family of four or more people on a long journey.

Layout and Functionality

At about 40 feet long, the NC 1295 Fly is just about the perfect size for serious cruising boaters. As the largest boat in the Merry Fisher/NC Weekender lineups, it’s got the space you need to load it up and spend a few months cruising The Bahamas or perhaps embarking on the Great Loop adventure. And with triple outboards, it’s fast and reliable with tons of interior volume and storage space.

This is essentially a three-level yacht. The upper flybridge is open, with great visibility from the high helm and a U-shaped settee around a pedestal table. The forward part of the U has a reversible backrest, allowing it to be used as the copilot’s seat when underway. Forward of the helm area is a large padded sun lounge. There’s also a small galley area with a sink and room for a grill and drawer refrigerator. Access to the upper flybridge is through a ladder from the lower cockpit.

The midlevel is a large and spacious deck salon with a pilothouse helm. The open aft cockpit features another settee with a pedestal table. Large sliding glass doors lead into the salon, which open completely and blend the interior seamlessly with the exterior entertainment area. The large and functional galley is mounted in the aft part of the pilot house, meaning you can easily keep the chef together with the guests for dinner time.

Views out of the expansive salon windows are nearly perfect 360-degree panoramas. The swiveling helm seat sits opposite yet another settee with a table for sitting inside when the weather demands it. The table lowers, and this area can be converted to a sleeping berth with filler cushions.

Down below, the boat boasts a true three-cabin, two-bath layout. The master stateroom is forward, with a queen-sized island berth that can be accessed from three sides. The aft two staterooms are mirrored, each sporting two single berths that can be converted into queen-sized berths. Both heads feature separate showers with glass doors, vessel sinks, and standing headroom well over six feet.

Comfort, Features, and Amenities

The Merry Fisher 1295 Fly is billed as the flagship of the Jeanneau powerboat lineup. It doesn’t disappoint; it has features and amenities to keep you and your family comfortable for long trips.

One stand-out feature of the 1295 is the amount of storage. With outboard power, the area below the aft cockpit, salon, and galley is a full-beam storage area. There’s good access to electronics and plenty of room for spare cushions or those big water toys you want to keep onboard. If you opt for the generator, it lives in the large compartment under the cockpit. But there’s also plenty more room for electronics and accessories, like the three onboard air conditioning systems or an optional watermaker.

The full galley has large storage cabinets overhead, plus a huge storage area under the double sink. Large drawer refrigerators and freezers sit opposite on the starboard side. There’s a convection oven, cooktop (either propane or electric), and plenty of counter space. A swing-up bar expands the counter into the cockpit when the sliding doors are open.

Likewise, the master stateroom has tons of storage for long-term stays aboard. There are overhead lockers, a large hanging locker, and cubbies for small items. Large hanging lockers are also found in each aft cabin.

Overall, living space is maximized on the 1295. One example is evident in the aft cockpit. The rear seating bench slides fore and aft, allowing the engines to be tilted up for storage. That means the cockpit expands greatly when you’re running, with the bench slid aft. The cockpit features a swinging dock entry door to port and a large, fold-down swim terrace to starboard.

Heading forward from the cockpit is made easy by a wide, deep walkway on the vessel’s starboard side. Handholds are readily available, and the skipper’s door leads directly from the pilothouse helm to the midship cleat. Forward, you’ll find an immense triple chaise lounge with armrests, more seating on the bow, and space for a removable table.

Performance and Versatility

The triple Yamaha 300-horsepower outboards propel all 9 tons of the 1295 Fly with no trouble. It gets on plane in under ten seconds. While it’s not winning any races, it’s more than enough power for a cruising family out for a day on the water or a long trip.

The boat’s top speed is around 40 knots, with an economical and comfortable cruise found between 25 and 30 knots. The boat burns about 35 gallons per hour at this speed and gets about 0.74 nautical miles per gallon.

The Yamaha powerplant’s standout feature is undoubtedly the Helm Master EX joystick control system. Combined with the boat’s bow thruster, anyone can maneuver this boat in the tightest docking situations. The control includes a stay point feature, which keeps the boat stationary regardless of wind or current.

Both the flybridge and pilothouse helm offers outstanding visibility and comfortable seating. All controls are well-thought-out and placed, with fingertip access to all features. A single 12-inch Garmin MFD is mounted on the flybridge, while the pilothouse has dual displays. Both positions have full Yamaha controls, including digital engine displays.

Jeanneau Merry Fisher Price/Quality

There aren’t a lot of boats on the market that match the space, features, and amenities of the 1295 Fly. One is from Regal Boats, makers of the Regal 42 Fly, available with either inboard or outboard power. Another is the Tiarra 43 LE, although this boat focuses much more on being a performance dayboat with very limited amenities for staying onboard. 

However, if there’s one standout thing to discuss with Jeanneau boats, it is their overall build quality. These boats are appointed well and have outstanding features, but they are built and designed to be manufactured quickly. As a result, fit and finish ultimately suffers. The difference is evident compared to top-end brands like Grand Banks, Sea Ray, or Tiara. Most owners have multiple warranty claims to get all the little things right after they take delivery.

In addition to that, these are lightweight boats. This is good for performance and efficiency but bad when you put it to sea on a rough day. A light boat will never ride as comfortably in a chop as a heavier boat, and Jeanneaus are lightly built for a boat this size.

But, for those seriously considering a new boat of this size, these are small prices to pay. Overall, the Merry Fisher/NC line are solid vessels that will keep your family comfortable. And, with a base price of $660,000, the NC 1295 Fly gets you a lot more boat than you could afford from the top-tier brands.

Financing over several years is more manageable thes days, but if you want to save a little money and don’t need as much space, the older NC 1095 Fly offers many of the same features in a slightly smaller package.