Italy for architecture, France for fashion,
England for literature, and America for truth,
justice and, well, the pleasure-cruising way.
Buoyed by a raging Wall Street and a liquid
economy, America has suddenly become a
confident, creative, brave new artisan of
powerboats... Boats that dare to be different.
Rather than rest on their laurels, US
production-boat houses are searching for new
ways to provide functionality, spaciousness and
convenience onboard. Directions for boating
aboard a new-age cruiser these days are simply
'add water, turn key, cast the lines and advance
the throttles'.
But driven by the power of the greenback, some
high-rolling American boatbuilders have decided
to turn out a few new cruisers that will, well,
rock the establishment.
Carver's 350 Mariner pleasure cruiser is a good
example. Though its radical looks have come
under some criticism from conservatives, this
boat's adventurous styling grows on you. Unlike
many boats with a nip and tuck purely for good
looks, the Carver combines its new-millennium
looks with a new level of passenger comfort.
THE FLIGHT DECK
The upper deck is what makes Carver Mariner 350
different. Giving the boat not only a fresh new
face to complement your waterfront apartment,
the modern-day marina, or harbourside
restaurant, it also offers a great big stage for
entertaining on the water.
Best termed a flightdeck - for it is neither a
flybridge or a pilothouse - the upper deck has
been designed to seat up to 10 guests.
Rather than split them up between a small
flybridge and a big cockpit, on this boat you
can sit them together and share the views as you
cruise.
Access to the flight deck isn't by troublesome
ladder, either. There are two moulded staircases
either side of the cockpit which, like the
flight deck itself, are finished in a safe,
shoe-stopping antiskid.
And although the cockpit itself isn't huge, the
flight deck more than makes up for it. Outdoor
floor space stretches for about one third of the
length of the boat and indeed, includes seating
for at least 10.
And (only in America) I counted 18 drink holders
(!), saw a remote control pad for the stereo,
and noted a sink and a lunch table ready to
roll.
HEAD NORTH FOR A LOUNGE
Even more innovation can be found in the
foredeck, as Carver has made it a desirable
place to lounge around with friends. Just a
canter along a flat walkway either side of the
helm - with high rails to ensure you stay on
deck as you move about - the foredeck
incorporates a two-person sun lounge with
built-in armrests. Lift the cushions and the
base folds out to create a sun pad.
Piece all this together and the Carver 350 is,
by my reckoning, an ideal vehicle for touring
the harbour. What other 35-footer can pack 10
people on an upper deck and offer them such
comforts, views and music as they cruise.
INTERIOR GLOSS
But the Carver 350 is the kind of cruiser you
will want to keep to yourself after the party's
over. Overnighting facilities aren't so much
suited to accommodating a crowd as sleeping a
boat-owning husband-and-wife team.
Unlike most flybridge boats, you actually step
down into the saloon. The only downside is that
the ceiling appears lower that in a traditional
flybridge cruiser, but this is only a passing
concern and once inside the boat opens up.
Though there's just one cabin, it's a mighty
cabin in the bow with an offset double berth to
create lots of dressing room.
As
you walk in through the oval doorway, you'll
notice built-in cupboards to port (with hanging
space) and cupboards under the bed for packing
away your weekend wear.
A
hatch and two portholes, buff-coloured headliner
and camel-coloured furniture pull together to
create a stylish interior, while drawing and
reflecting plenty of light. There's also
standing headroom and enough room to read in
bed.
The bathroom (just the one) doubles as the en
suite. It has a full-height shower stall,
mirrored vanity and sink with storage space.
Surfaces are moulded fibreglass for wipe-down
cleaning and the floor space is bigger than in
most 35-footer's bathrooms.
Just aft of the cabin and en suite is a small,
open-plan galley. It's reminiscent of a small
kitchen in a modern apartment, with a two-burner
gas stove and sink, fridge and freezer, and
facility for a microwave.
American maple wood facades on the overhead
cupboards add a touch of style, while the
laminated kitchen cupboards and bench tops need
only a spray-and-wipe at the end of the day.
Natural light streams through the opening
porthole nearby and the bench space appears at
least big enough to assemble a summer lunch of
baguettes and barbecue chicken... (Ed: what is
it about you and baguettes, Lockwood?)
Adjoining the galley is the saloon, finished in
lots of maple-wood joinery, camel-coloured
carpet and coffee-coloured leather-like
upholstery. Furnishings include a dinette to
port with a U-shaped lounge (converting to a
spare double berth) and an L-shaped lounge on
the starboard side.
For lounge lizards, there's a full 50cm of
television screen and a VCR.
Alongside them is a ladder leading to a hatch
which opens out into the flightdeck above. You
could use this as a dumb waiter and send up
lunch from the galley.
DRIVING PLEASURE
The saloon is shaded by a small but stylish
moulded sunshade. Step from under its cover and
the cockpit has enough room for up to half a
dozen guests. There's an integrated swim
platform with a stow-away ladder in case you get
the urge to swim.
But for my money the place to be is up on the
flightdeck, recumbent on one of the lounges,
playing co-pilot or driving from the skipper's
seat behind the big wraparound windscreen.
The view forward from here is superb and, with
the wheel in hand, it's almost as though you are
driving an over-sized runabout.
However, the view aft isn't so good, offering
just a small portion of the transom to direct
the boat for berthing. You will need to bear in
mind the amount of boat you have behind you when
manoeuvring in close quarters.
Fitted with twin 5.7lt MerCruiser inboard
shaft-driven petrol engines, the wide hull
slides onto the plane and comes up very level.
This is all the better for maintaining the view
ahead as you break from displacement to cruising
speeds.
Top speed with the twin 260hp powerplants is
around 28kt. This isn't fast compared with a
sportscruiser, but for a chariot it's just fine.
And at all times the hull seemed dry.
You could go for more speed in the Carver, but I
think it's just fine the way it is. The idea is
to cruise for views.
After all, there's no point flying along, losing
the nibblies and spilling drinks... Not that
your guests will, with 18 drink holders!
|
CARVER 350 MARINER EXPRESS BRIDGE
|
|
Priced from $ (w/twin 260hp MerCruiser inboards) |
|
Price as tested $ |
|
Factory options fitted: |
|
Bridge bimini top with clears, exterior
snap-in carpets, spotlight with remote
operation, decorator pillows, electric head
with holding tank, windlass, deck shower
with H/C water, LPG oven/stove. |
|
|
|
HULL |
|
Material: GRP |
|
Type: Moderate-vee mono |
|
Deadrise at transom: n/a |
|
Length: 11.15m |
|
Beam: 3.89m |
|
Draft: 0.94m |
|
Displacement: 7,899kg (laden) |
|
Fuel capacity: 931lt |
|
Water capacity: 284lt |
|
|
|
ENGINES (as tested) |
|
Make: Twin MerCruiser |
|
Model: 5.7L |
|
Type: Inboard V-eight petrol |
|
Rated hp (each): 260 hp |
|
Displacement (ea): 5700cc |
|
Weight (ea): 400kg |
|
|
|
* Prices & data correct at time of
publication |
Heading: V-eight - Pure and Simple
'M' is for mid-range, mumble and MerCruiser. And
that's what the Mariner 350 from Carver had
under its bonnet, a pair of archetypal petrol
inboard engines producing 260hp each from
traditional pushrod V-eight packages.
The 5.7L displaces just under 5700cc (hence the
name!), has a twin-barrel carburetor (no
fuel-injection), revs out to 4200-4600rpm (we
managed about 4500rpm) and has few bells and
whistles. It weighs about 400kg and responds
like a V-eight should.
Typical of all MerCruiser inboard motors, it's
also backed by a three-year anti-corrosion
warranty, has audio alarms warning of
overheating, built-in knock control in case of
dud fuel and is equipped with a water/fuel
separator. The alternator is a reasonable 55
amps strong.
Other than that, there's not much else to say
about the 5.7L. If you want an entry-level,
reliable, V-eight inboard that runs on petrol,
this is it.
It's a fine motor for a boat intended for
cruising the harbour and, in that sense at
least, it's a worthy match for the Carver.
