43 Carver Hybrid Motor Yacht

Boat Review

Source: Holly Simpson, Sea Magazine.com

Carver 43 Hybrid Motoryacht

Calling out the words “gift with purchase” in the middle of a busy department store is usually enough to incite a near riot, depending on which makeup counter is offering the giveaway. So imagine the pandemonium that would ensue if the “gift” weren’t a lipstick or a set of makeup brushes, but a BMW 5 Series. I know I’d get busy plotting my Pacific Coast Highway adventure!

Well, it’s not exactly a “gift with purchase” in the traditional sense, but those who ante up the purchase price for Carver’s stunning new 43 Hybrid Motoryacht will need to make room in the driveway for one of those shiny “B-mers.”

Why is that, you ask? Wait’ll you hear this one …

Pairing Up
As an industry leader in the 35- to 65-foot motoryacht market, Carver is often on the cutting edge when it comes to style, amenities and creativity in boat design. Part of the reason the company has managed to stay ahead in the competitive marketplace is because it remains focused on this exact segment and seeks out customer feedback to work toward improving its boat lines. But in recent years, it took another tack: Why not ask people outside the boating industry what they think of our product?

The end result was a partnership with BMW DesignworksUSA, and the 43 Hybrid Motoryacht is the first incarnation of what could be a long-term arrangement.

“The benefits (of the partnership) are two-fold,” said J.R. Means III, president of Newport Beach-based Bayport Yachts. “Number one, it’s a partnership with the leading automaker on the planet, and number two, (BMW) is bringing a perspective to the vessel and to boats in general that has not been explored before.” Specifically, the car giant examined space allocation and interior accents, as well as exterior styling, and did what it does best: made it edgier. This doesn’t mean the new features are impractical though, which certainly might be your first thought when it comes to some of the flashier members of BMW’s vehicle fleet. Rather, “the biggest twist is that this is a fresh look, with fresh storage ideas,” Means explained.

Indeed, this was evident throughout the vessel.

Drama on Deck
Despite the “duh, why didn’t we think of that before” elements mentioned above, the 43 Hybrid’s exterior is what happens when “we might not have thought of that … ever.”

My first glance at the boat, as I walked down the dock, was, “Wow. A white fiberglass motoryacht.” But that was until I got a little closer and could observe the details that make her unique. Just stepping aboard is an experience unto itself, as the boat features a barn-door entry — wide, dual-swing doors. The enormous swim step (which normally would hold your dinghy) is operated by a remote control and hydraulically lowers the step 2 feet into the water, allowing you essentially to drive your dinghy onto it. It’s also convenient for the divers on board, who will have a much easier time heaving themselves and their heavy equipment up onto the deck.

Like many aft-cabin arrangements, the 43 Hybrid has a sweeping, tri-level exterior layout: You board via the swim step; take a few stairs up to the aft deck; then a few more stairs up to the helm station. Everything but the swim step has full zippered enclosures, so even without an interior steering station, this boat maintains a practical approach to enjoying her even when the weather isn’t cooperating.

If for no other reason (not even for the 5-Series), I’d buy the 43 Hybrid for the aft deck. Let’s just say it’s pure party perfection. A settee runs almost the entire width of the deck, stopping at that portside stairway to the swim step; a table can be customized to go in front of it if you want one there (but I perfer the open space). A few feet forward of this settee is a full wet bar (complete with bottle storage, an ice-maker, a stainless steel sink and a mini-refrigerator), and you can mount a barbecue to rails on either side of the deck.

But the coolest thing is that behind cabinet doors above the sink is a flat-screen TV. No more sitting in the salon on a nice day to watch the game! Means told me this aft-deck TV feature existed on board Carver Californians, which were built from the late 1980s through 1991. The feature was not carried forward into future Carver designs, but BMW latched onto it and suggested reintroducing the concept to this new 43 Hybrid. Talk about doing some homework. (By the way, for those of you who do prefer the comfort of the great indoors, there are flat-screen TVs throughout, including in the salon and the staterooms, so you haven’t been neglected.)

This boat has an aggressive appearance, which was especially noticeable to me when I made my way to the bow (and speaking of the bow, the sidedecks were wider, and the railings were higher than what I expected to find on a vessel like this; I felt comfortable slightly bracing myself against them to pull up the fenders as we made our way through Newport Harbor).

My onboard guides, Lee Scheele and Jerry Wheeler, are longtime associates from Bayport, and as Wheeler steered, Scheele pointed out the 43’s finer points. When Scheele walked me to the forward deck sunpads, he coached me to turn and observe the way the vessel angles up toward the flybridge. It was dramatic without being severe. There are also some cool “extras” out here, such as drink holders for the sun worshipers in your crew.

Bright Lights, Big Boat
We made our way to the aft-cabin entrance, a door similar to what you’d find on a submarine — it opened easily but sealed itself perfectly with a turn of the handle. A window fills up most of this aft entry space, and it’s tinted on one side for privacy so that people on the transom can’t see in but you can see out. Better yet, it helps to brighten up what might otherwise be a traditionally dark space in this kind of layout.

In fact, it’s in this space that another bright idea from BMW is immediately evident: lower third-tier windows. From the outside, you might almost mistake this element as a white racing stripe or some other sharp (yet useless) design feature. But it’s actually a ribbon of privacy-tinted windows that weaves nearly the entire length of the boat, improving natural light in key places such as the staterooms and the heads.

The aft master stateroom itself was spacious, with a queen-size berth, plenty of drawer and locker storage, a private head and a combination washer/dryer.

“I wish you could see this at night,” Scheele told me, as he pointed out some of the features in the salon. It was almost high noon, and the bright sun should have been cooking that space by then, but it might as well have been a cool evening for how comfortable the interior was behind those tinted windows. Cherry wood throughout the boat gave her a classic and warm ambience, and there was ample seating and floor space in the full-beam salon — the windows are structurally bonded in the 43 Hybrid, which allows the company to build all the way out to the edge.

I took the two steps down into the portside galley (which, despite being a “down” galley, was still completely open to the salon, and was located just across from a dining table). I was struck right away by the galley flooring (what can I say; my mother taught me to scrub floors on my hands and knees, so I take notice of a quality floor). Instead of the usual teak, Carver used bamboo. It’s a lighter color, easy to maintain and quite striking. The galley features high-quality appliances, such as a stainless steel three-quarter-size refrigerator, a dishwasher, a microwave and all the other trimmings you’d want to access on a long trip.

The table I mentioned across from the galley is also a clever element. It can be removed, creating a new seating area (complete, once again with drink holders on the side) if you’re just hanging out on the boat as opposed to enjoying a meal. Once again, storage throughout is abundant; the biggest problem you’ll have is remembering which locker, drawer or cabinet you put something in.

Walking forward toward the cozy VIP stateroom, there’s a day head to starboard with dual entrances for general as well as private stateroom access. The best surprise feature here is that if you enter the forward stateroom and shut the door, you’ll find another door just behind it that leads to a separate shower compartment. This is ideal when you have a full house (e.g., occupants in all staterooms as well as on the pull-out berth in the salon), because guests can shower and still use the facilities at the same time.

The stateroom features basic guest accommodations and stowage, an overhead hatch for light and ventilation, plus a slice of those lower-tier windows.

Running
We met Wheeler back up on the flybridge, cranked up the kickin’ stereo system a few notches to test it out and hit the throttle once we were safely beyond the no-wake zone. No doubt we would have caused quite a commotion, as she was on plane within eight seconds. The helm station itself is a single-seater, with a second seat to port for company; a bow thruster comes standard while a stern thruster is available as an option. Raymarine’s E-Series electronics package is also standard.

Sea conditions during our test included 2- to 3-foot waves and a 12- to 15-knot wind; the ride from the flybridge was pretty smooth — no sudden jolts or shuddery slaps onto the water, not even when we slopped things up a bit performing some turns and bashed headlong into solid 3-foot swells. The 43 Hybrid’s top speed was about 30 knots, and the average cruising speed was 25 knots. And, not to sound cheesy or clichéd, but I can’t help it (Wheeler, Scheele and I thought it was funny at the time): The Carver literally carved her path through the messes we left for her, taking each in stride as if to ask, “Having fun, children?”

Conclusion
I know from my experience as an editor that staring at the same thing — like a sentence — repeatedly is a certain way to overlook mistakes. I also know that each one of us has a micro-manager lurking within, anxious to nitpick and hassle over the little things that aren’t done the way we’d do them ourselves (the “right” way).

Quoting the Disney film “Madagascar,” Means said that the zebra character had it right when he advised his companions to “keep it fresh.”

“I know I’m quoting a kid’s show, but it’s the essence of what Carver is doing,” Means explained. “It’s taking the influence of the boat guys and (blending) it with someone who can take a fresh look.”

That said, I think Carver deserves a “shout-out” for recognizing that the path to a better product is sometimes dependent upon loosening your grip a little and listening to others.