Galeon 550 Fly Buyer's Guide, Prices and Specs

Why the Galeon 550 Fly is a smart used buy

Most of the attention Galeon gets today is about fold-out balconies and transforming furniture. The Galeon 550 Fly predates all of that. Introduced in 2013 and nominated for European Powerboat of the Year in the above 45 feet class, it is a conventional three-deck flybridge drawn by Tony Castro, and its appeal is simple: a lot of volume for the money, solid construction and a choice of a crew cabin or a garage aft.

YachtBuyer dates production from 2013 to 2022, after which the 560 Fly took its place. That ten-year run means you can find a Galeon 55 or 550 Fly for sale anywhere from the low $500,000s for an early European boat to about $1.4 million for one of the last, which makes it one of the more accessible ways into a 58-foot flybridge with crew quarters.

Space on three decks, without the gimmicks

Lakeland Boating's Craig Ritchie led with the 550's interior volume, and it is the boat's strongest suit. The main deck is split-level: the galley sits aft by the cockpit doors, so the cook serves both inside and out, and the lounge steps up forward with a U-shaped dinette to port, a sofa to starboard and a double helm seat ahead. On At Ease, the 2018 boat featured by Yachting, the galley had marble counters, a two-burner cooktop, a convection microwave and a full-height fridge-freezer.

Retractable glass doors separate cockpit and saloon, and a wet bar is shared between the two zones. Big side windows keep the interior bright, which matters because many 550s were finished in dark joinery with white upholstery, a combination that looks smart but shows wear.

A flybridge that seats eight for dinner

Up top, the 550 has a large sundeck, a working bar and a dining table for eight, with the helm to starboard and a lounge pad next to it. Galeon offered a bimini or an optional hardtop with a retractable sunroof; in Florida and the Gulf, a boat with the hardtop is worth paying more for, because it makes the bridge usable at midday.

Forward, twin sun pads sit either side of the centerline on the foredeck. The cockpit is mostly shaded by the bridge overhang and carries an L-shaped transom bench with a fixed folding table, a layout that suits lunch rather than lounging in the sun.

Crew quarters for two or a tender garage

Behind the cockpit and beneath the oversized swim platform, Galeon offered either crew accommodation for two with its own head, or a sizable tender garage. That choice shapes who the boat suits. A crew cabin makes the 550 Fly attractive to owners who employ a captain, especially for Great Lakes or Bahamas seasons, while a garage keeps a RIB or personal watercraft out of sight and frees the hydraulic platform for swimming.

In the US, where most 58-footers are owner-run, garage boats are easier to resell, but crew-cabin boats appeal to charter-minded buyers and families who want a bunk for an older child. Confirm which configuration a listing has before you travel; photos of the transom alone can be misleading.

The guest accommodation

Below, the full-beam owner's suite amidships has a queen berth, a makeup station, a chaise and an en suite with a separate shower. The forward VIP has a centerline queen and access to the second head, which also serves as the day head and has its own shower stall. The third cabin, between them, uses twin beds that slide together into a queen, so it works for children or a second couple.

Every cabin gets natural light through hull windows, and Galeon's literature promised privacy and sufficient headroom in all of them. With six guest berths plus two in the crew cabin, the 550 sleeps eight, which is generous for the class.

• Owner: full beam, queen, makeup station, chaise, en suite shower
• VIP: forepeak queen, shares the day head with separate shower
• Guest: sliding twins that form a queen

D11, D13 or IPS: choosing the power

The standard engines were twin Volvo Penta D11-725s on shafts. YachtBuyer also lists Cummins QSM11s rated at 715 mhp, Volvo D13-800s and D13-900s on shafts, and IPS900 pods driven by D13s. Galeon's figures for the D11-725 boat are 30 knots flat out and a 25-knot cruise at 2,000 rpm burning 40 gph, good for 363 nautical miles from 581 gallons; treat those as builder numbers, since no independent fuel test was published. MarineMax's brand manager told Lakeland Boating the resin-infused, over-built hull gives a smooth, quiet ride and pitched the boat at Great Lakes owners.

Our view: D11-725 shafts are the sensible US choice, with simple servicing and adequate speed. D13-900 boats are worth a premium if you want to cruise in the high 20s fully loaded. IPS900 adds joystick docking, but also pod service costs; check records carefully.

Ownership costs and the inspection that matters

Budget roughly $85,000 to $150,000 a year in the US, excluding depreciation, for a 60-foot slip, insurance, twin diesel services, generator and air conditioning upkeep, hydraulics, bottom paint and a part-time captain if you use one. Fuel at a 25-knot cruise is around 40 gph by Galeon's numbers, though real-world figures with a full load will be higher.

Older boats are now a decade old, so focus the survey on engine hours and maintenance, exhaust elbows and aftercoolers on the Volvos, the hydraulic platform, the condition of the dark wood floors and upholstery, and any water ingress around the large hull windows. The 550 Fly's sister, the 560 Skydeck built from 2014 to 2023, shares the same 58-foot 1-inch length and is worth considering if you prefer a sportbridge profile.