44 Carver Sojourn

Source: Capt. Tom Serio, Sea Magazine

Your Final Destination

In the early days, the main purpose of a boat was transportation. Fast forward a few hundred years and you’ll see that the new Carver 44 Sojourn is not only a means of transportation, but also the destination.

Why a destination? The Carver 44 Sojourn is a fun boat, with many areas to congregate, easy access inside and out and with the Volvo IPS power package, very quiet and easy to handle.

Getting its style from the Carver Mariner model pedigree, which has been around since the 1970s and it’s Carver’s most sold line, the new Sojourn takes the entertainment quotient to the next level.

The bridge has seating for 12 in a large, open area. The helm is to starboard with a barrel-type seat for the captain, and keeps all controls and switches within easy reach.

To port is a bench seat, with a storage compartment forward and a flush area to lay out paper charts if desired. A handy grabrail is on the front of the dash, for balancing during choppy seas or for kids to hold onto.

Our test boat had the Volvo IPS system, which includes joystick control for close- quarters handling. If you have never experienced grabbing a joystick to maneuver a vessel, get on a test drive and check it out. It’s great but it will put some of us captains out of work, since it’s intuitively easy to use. This boat also had a joystick station to port, for easy port-side docking and backing down.

There is bench seating, or you can slide the backrest from the port bench forward to make this a comfortable lounge seat that faces aft. Another bench is located to the starboard behind the helm seat. Across the aft section is another bench seat, and aft of that is a large sunpad, ringed by a stainless steel railing. Enjoy the sun and sights from the low-profile bridge that is also equipped with a hardtop, complete with dual hatches to let the breeze in. Fit out the area with the refrigerator/grill/wet bar option and you may never have to go below. I like the hardtop, especially if you are going to install an enclosure. And it provides a place to mount extra lights or speakers, too.

Below there is another full area for get-togethers. Entering the salon from the aft doors, you go down three steps to the single-level interior accommodations. This means no more steps to trip over or fall down, from the salon all the way to the forward stateroom.

The salon offers an open feeling and plenty of outside light, thanks to the large upper side windows and lower port-sized windows (larger than portholes, rectangular in shape) as well as the sliding doors with an interior screen. A high ceiling, unobtrusive countertops and a full-sized refrigerator tucked forward, so you can see all around and outside from any location.

Carver has creatively eliminated any claustrophobic, cave-dwelling feeling one might expect in a step-down salon.

The use of lighter fabrics, materials and wood add to the overall ambiance, too. Cabinets are made of elegant nutmeg wood, with trim in a deeper walnut reveal. This allows for accents and gives some depth to the fixtures while breaking up the lighter color scheme. Granite-style countertops add a classic look while the tufted cut-pile carpet adds comfort underfoot.

The dinette is aft to starboard, with a U-shaped settee around a movable table to access storage underneath. You can also convert the dinette to a sleep area for two by lowering the table and inserting the extra cushions.

On the port side of the salon an L-shaped settee is an inviting place to relax, while the entertainment center forward offers a 26-inch TV, DVD/CD/MP3 player and AM/FM stereo.

On the starboard side just forward of the dinette is the L-shaped galley. Flooring is African Wenge to help facilitate drips and spills. A flush-mounted two-burner stove and built-in Dometic convection microwave oven will assist with your cooking needs. A 6.8-cubic-foot Nova-Kool upright refrigerator/freezer is a nice feature that eliminates the constant bending for under-counter fridge or the need for extra coolers. Storage is ample with a number of drawers including two deep ones for pots and pans, and nine cabinets. The standard DeLonghi black and stainless steel coffee maker is a nice touch.

The Carver 44 Sojourn offers two staterooms with a VIP to port and the master forward.

VIP accommodations include twin berths, a hanging locker, cabinets and drawers and a screened porthole. An en suite head shares access via a second door from the companionway. The medicine cabinet, exhaust fan, VacuFlush toilet and robe hook make this feel a bit like home. The nonskid sole helps ensure footing in the showering, which is contained within the head. No separate stall here.

Forward is the master, with its step-up queen-size berth, hanging lockers with automatic lights, cabinets and drawers, and two screened portholes and a screened overhead hatch. Accent lighting, reading lights and an optional 15-inch drop-down television round out the comforts in this room. This en-suite head includes a separate shower stall with built-in seat, removable shower head and a bi-fold shower door for space savings.

But how does it run and handle? We took the 44 Sojourn out for a sea trial and it was impressive.

First, visibility is great from the helm seat. A full view of the bridge and forward deck allows the skipper to keep an eye on guests. And you can see the aft corners or peer over the sides for backing down into a slip or coming alongside.

Handling was a breeze with the hydraulic steering. The Sojourn leans well into the turns, giving a race-car feeling. The ride was like velvet, soft entry into seas, with virtually no slamming. When on plane in calm waters, the Carver 44 Sojourn’s forward third of the hull is mostly out of the water, keeping the bridge dry and the spray flying outward. And there was no wallowing as we headed into other vessels’ wakes and churn.

Most noticeable was what was missing; engine noise. The twin 370 hp Volvo engines connected to the IPS drive system barely made a whisper on the bridge. The only way you knew they were on was the RPM gauges and the frothy wake left behind. Volvo IPS (Inboard Performance System) is a viable option to standard engine/running gear. An IPS system has a forward facing propeller on a pod, and it’s the rotation of the pod that gives steering and maneuverability. No rudders or struts to get hung up. And if you do strike an underwater obstruction, Volvo claims the pod can break off without holing the vessel.

IPS is a more efficient system with better fuel economy, higher top-end speeds, faster acceleration and improved vessel performance.

Carver’s Sojourn has the engines mounted aft, regardless of power options (V-drives are used with conventional engines). Access to the powerplants is from under the cockpit deck, or an easier access is via the flip-up salon steps for access to battery switches, dipsticks and other maintenance items.

From cockpit to bridge is via wide stairways on either side. Molded into the superstructure, these steps do not make the salon any narrower. Access to the forward deck where a generous sunpad is located is via wide sidedecks, all the safer thanks to the beefy, double-welded railing and stanchions.

Holding all this together is CAST Construction: Carver Advanced Structural Technology. Carver uses an all-glass stringer system that is installed in the hull while still in the mold, ensuring proper fit and form after the hull is released. All-glass stringers will not rot, absorb water or corrode. Adding rigidity to the hull is a fiberglass structural liner and an aluminum sole system that helps to eliminate creaking and warping.

Looking at the list of standard items, the Carver 44 Sojourn is ready straight from the factory. Add in a few options, and the 44 Sojourn is be the place to be: your new destination