One of the bigger decisions when building a Targa 32 for yourself is how to configure the bow section of the boat?  Do you do the Bow Seating option or what Targa calls the Comfort Forward Cabin (CFC).  In this article we identify 5 different categories to think about when making the decision and pride additional details so you can make an educated decision on what’s best for your boating lifestyle.  In the end it comes down to a decision on priorities, do you want more exterior seating for family and guests, or do you want to have a more spacious sleeping accommodation forward?

While both Bow seating and CFC offer ways to enjoy the boat of the boat, the CFC’s exterior forward area offers an optional sunbed for lounging.  The Bow Seating is optimized for hosting people in a surround style seating arrangement for up to 8 people.  Each offers an additional “social zone” up on the bow, but promotes different social environments.  If most of your time aboard is day boating with friends and family, BS creates a second “social zone” up front. If your forward deck use is mainly relaxing for one or two people, CFC’s sunbed may be the cleaner fit.

• Sunbed forward that can fit two people.
• Sun shade option that can deploy over the forward area.

• U-shaped seating and bench that can fit up to 8 people
• Stowable teak bow table
• Bow table can lower with a filler to offer a sun lounger
• Sun shade option for the bow seating area.

When considering the sleeping accommodations between the two options there is a meaningful difference in overall volume here.  If the CFC is chosen with the island berth it makes it so you have a really hard choice on which sleeping area (forward or aft) is the preferred space.  When the bow seating arrangement is selected then the aft sleeping accommodation is the preferred space given the size and volume aft.  Here are the further bullet points to think about:

• Forward berth options: island berth or V-berth.
• Large opening overhead hatch with bug screen and blackout shade in the forward cabin, in addition to the front window.
• Storage gained under the island berth and along the hull sides

• Forward berth: V-berth with optional filler or full beam berth.
• Opening front window.
• Storage in two aft lockers.

Something that’s easy to overlook is how access to the bow from the side-decks change between the two options.  For the CFC, in order to create the extra volume Targa introduces two small steps just forward of the side door.  Targa also includes a bow rail in order to maintain safety and security while up on the bow.  For the Bow Seating, there are no steps to go up to the bow area and the safety rail remains low on the boat.

• Higher safety rail around the outside perimeter of the bow area.
• Two-step transition up onto the forward bow portion of the boat.

• Lower safety rail around the outside perimeter of the bow area.
• Bow deck is flush with the rest of the side decks (no two-step transition).

Both layouts retain an anchor locker, but the big difference is where your utility options live and how many you can select. CFC keeps the bow area simpler and only allows for utility in the stern lockers, while BS builds a utility/storage zone into the bow seating modules and allows for more options.

• Anchor locker forward.
• Propane, livewell, and fridge/freezer options are still available, but located in the aft locker (typically only one selected option rather than multiple at the bow).

• Anchor locker forward.
• Three large storage compartments under the bow seating, or the ability to configure compartments for propane, livewell, and/or fridge/freezer (multiple utility choices in the bow area).

There is a price difference between these options, with the CFC configuration typically coming in a few thousand dollars higher than the Bow Seating configuration. In the context of the overall cost of a Targa 32, however, that difference is usually small and often represents less than one percent of the total purchase price.

CFC and Bow Seating are two genuinely different experiences on the same hull. CFC prioritizes forward-cabin comfort, storage, and ventilation, while Bow Seating prioritizes exterior seating capacity and forward utility space. The best choice is the one that matches your real-life use-case, how you plan to use the boat 80% of the time.