A Townhouse on the Water

By Capt. John B. Wenz

The thought of cruising means different things to different people. Some like to socialize, others enjoy solitude; still others are active, spending their time playing with water toys. The average 41 foot motor yacht would require compromising if your crew wanted to do all those things out on deck at once. Not any more. Carver and their design group have created a platform with enough room for every group to have their own deck space: the 41 Cockpit Motor Yacht.

Deck Space for Everybody

The first thing one notices when approaching the 41 from the dock are three separate deck areas- the bridge, the aft deck, and the cockpit. Backed into a slip she’s reminiscent of a townhouse with a couple of terraces. It allows for all kinds of possibilities alongside or on the hook- the quiet members of the crew can be relaxing on the bridge, the social crowd can be mixing it up on the aft deck, while the kids are having fun in the cockpit and on the swim platform. No doubt about it; this is a boat that lends itself to family fun. But that’s not all there is. After all, Carver is recognized for their long list of standard equipment and the 41 is no exception. The flying bridge sports a stylish curved console, trimmed with classy black leather, and brushed aluminum trim. Here you’ll find a complete complement of instrumentation as standard equipment. For example a synchronizer, a rudder angle indicator, and the Carver Docking System are part of the basic package.

Comfortable seating, stainless steel handrails, and storage compartments seem to be everywhere, and the wet bar is standard equipment. On the aft deck your guests can enjoy the comfort of a huge, six-person athwartship lounge. Stairways both to the cockpit and to the bridge are integral and the construction of the wing doors is rugged and high-quality.

Down Below- Style and Luxury

The master cabin which is located aft of the salon, has a private entrance out into the cockpit. I love this idea. It’s like having a private terrace outside the bedroom of your condo. An early morning swim or a place for the morning coffee and a newspaper are right outside your cabin door. Man, that’s living! I only hope that those kids playing in the cockpit don’t shortcut through and use the master head! A double innerspring island berth will provide a good night sleep and the head, which is private and is equipped with a separate stall shower, makes it complete. Three steps lead forward and up to the salon. It’s not a really big room but, after all, this boat is about deck space. The entertainment package is what you’d expect to find on a yacht in this class and the sofa opens up to sleep two more. Once again the décor and finish is tasteful and classy. Engine access is through the carpeted deck, which is something I have never cared for, but is nonetheless very popular.

The galley and dinette are just forward which seats four, and they help to open up the main living area. The guest cabin is forward with an offset berth and a second head. The separation between master and guest cabins provides maximum privacy once you and your guests are settled in for the night.

Quality and Craftsmanship, From Stem to Stern

The people I’ve met from Carver seem to be part of one big family. After all, many of them have spent their entire working lives at this company. From fiberglass lay-up to seamstress work, it’s all done in-house. The commitment to quality and craftsmanship is clear. But the care that goes into the fit and finish of what you see on the outside is only an indication of what you can’t see. Construction and engineering features include a solid hull bottom and no structural wood below the waterline. Fabricated aluminum floor frames, aluminum truss window systems, a molded fiberglass stringer system, and a vinylester barrier coat are all part of the Carver Advanced Structural Technology system.

Lots of construction details indicate a product with a long, trouble-free life expectancy. Their transferable warranty is evidence of Carver’s confidence in their product.

Our Test

The Carver 41 Cockpit Motor Yacht measures 42’11” in overall length, 13’5” abeam and draws 31”. Crusader 5.7 MPI’s are standard, providing 330 horsepower each, and six optional gas or diesel configurations range up to 385 horsepower apiece. With 360 gallons of fuel and 81 gallons of water, she weighs 26,000 pounds.

Our test boat was equipped with Crusader 8.1 MPI’s which generate 385-hp on each side.

We went out on a day that was a little choppy out on Sturgeon Bay; the wind was at about 15 knots with a 2 foot chop. We were on plane in 7.8 seconds from a stop, and we made zero to thirty in 16.4 seconds. Our optimal cruising speed, 20.6 knots or 23.7 mph, resulted in a range of 222 miles. We reached a top speed of 29.1 knots or 33.5 mph on the speed runs. Despite the electronics arch and the aft deck hardtop structure, I was pleased at the lack of racking and rattling underway.

My overall assessment of the Carver 41 Cockpit Motor was very positive. I liked the solid feel and the understated elegance of the décor and the finish detail. As far as boat-building execution and systems installation, it’s clear that these guys are familiar with and adhere to the ABYC standards.

• Top speed for the Carver 41 Cockpit Motor Yacht (2007-) is 33.5 mph (53.9 kph), burning 54.0 gallons per hour (gph) or 204.39 liters per hour (lph).


• Best cruise for the Carver 41 Cockpit Motor Yacht (2007-) is 23.7 mph (38.1 kph), and the boat gets 0.79 miles per gallon (mpg) or 0.34 kilometers per liter (kpl), giving the boat a cruising range of 255 miles (410.38 kilometers).


• Tested power is 2 x 325-hp Crusader 8.1 MPI.