Review: Carver 65' Marquis

Carver's 65' Marquis Series​

Making a Mark and Defining a Brand...​

by Capt. Chuck Gnaegy​

Setting its course for the top quality megayacht market, Carver has taken a step calculated to reach for the royalty of midsize luxury yacht owners. Its Marquis 65 yacht reflects a breakthrough in that direction. ​

Designed by renowned naval architect Donald Blount, with the Venetian design team of Carlo Nuvolari, and Dan Leonard for exterior styling, Ft. Lauderdale’s A La Mer for interiors; Carver chose highly respected Ward’s Marine Electric for navigational electronics and control systems. Not the usual cadre for a 65’ production yacht.

The Marquis 65 presents first of all, attention to detail, and refined, artistic styling that could rival any yacht this size produced in Italy, so famous for its up to the minute flair. Yet it is a unique look amongst its peers. It could easily be mistaken for a 75-footer, and while it may sport an Italianesque panache, it is strictly American for its dedication to roominess, accessibility, and comfort. Example, M-65 boasts 6’8” headroom throughout, and an even 6’ in the engine room. Carver claims that spaciousness to be the result of its engineers’ ingenious CAD 3D design program.

In spite of being spawned in Pulaski, Wisconsin, which the average person might not mark as a mariner’s haven, Carver’s history goes back a half century, to 1954. Then, a couple of ambitious men named Charlie Carter and George Verhagen, dreamed up a combination of their names and decided to build a boat. So Carver Boat Corp. became a reality, beginning in Milwaukee. Their first projects were wood – mahogany runabouts, but by the 60s they had graduated to cabin and flybridge models. Fiberglass came next, in the 70s, and they were building customer loyalty as well.

The Marquis Class is built by Carver’s elite teams of crafts people in a unique “plant within a plant,” in their Wisconsin headquarters. As a U.S.-built yacht, Carver is able to the maintain high standards it has established for this class, but also meets the European Community’s Classification “A” Standard, as one of only a few domestic-built yachts to claim that distinction.

Carver hews to “U.S. Navy-style” construction, with the hull and deck plate as a structural unit, while the superstructure is self-supporting. These are solid fiberglass hull bottoms which incorporate Kyntex substrates for maximum strength-to-weight and strength-to-thickness. Cored-hull sides, with closed cellular urethane foam below the waterline and end-grain balsa above, are tenets of strength and rigidity.

Molded fiberglass stringers and engine-room members are cored with high-density urethane foam to absorb noise and vibration. All bulkheads are 1” thick, triple-bonded on circumferences, creating boxed beams that reinforce the hull/deck plate unit. Deck plates comprised of fiberglass encapsulating 1-3/4” aluminum tubular core members, inset with end-grain balsa coring, provide maximum strength and rigidity. The deck plate is mechanically fastened to the hull and reinforced with fiberglass laminate around the entire circumference. This self-supporting fiberglass superstructure boasts an integral aluminum truss framework to create a strong monocoque system.

Far forward, the Stidd helm chair is centered, with a slight elevation to give the an Captain even better forward view. The helm is centered on state of the art navigational screens, with full scope monitors of systems. Starboard is a large chart area, with storage. At port, a curved deep-cushioned couch allows the passengers to applaud the captain’s stellar performance.

With a matching complete helm high up on the flybridge, there is also ample room for day or evening parties, with a fully functioning bar, tables and couches for full amenities entertaining.

Beam wide, the aft deck is perfect for outdoor gatherings, any time. Large weather-proof couches and a long table are complemented by a full surround-sound system. The entertainment center, centered in the salon, features a 30” plasma TV/DVD. Boarding can be accomplished either via its wide swim platform, which again provokes a sort of wonder because of its size, or its side bulwark gate. The platform, by the way, can be utilized from two levels, hydraulically actuated, one for swimming, and slightly lower for launching the tender.

A visual plus – frameless windows – allows architectural treatments to harmonize with the sculpted fiberglass surfaces, while tempered safety glass is joined to aluminum-reinforced superstructure components with high-performance adhesive sealants.

A fender locker is neatly integrated into the forward deckhousing for quick access and stowage.

No unsightly stainless clutter here. The anchor windlass is contained within its own locker...

From the stern, the main deck’s visual scope reaches all the way forward, through the salon, dining room, galley, and pilothouse to the seascape ahead. With large windows along each side, the effect is airy, expansive, with the unencumbered feel of roomy volume. Accounting for some of its lush physical comfort zones, Carver’s engineers, in creating the living spaces, used the CAD 3D programs to fashion full-scale plywood models of all major traffic and relaxational areas, and to preserve the dedication to 6’8” headroom. Walking around these mock-ups revealed information even to those experienced yacht designers.

Earthy, warm colors earmark the interior décor, with expanses of a light, creamy tan accented by cherry woodwork throughout, including wall coverings and overhead, which features fine-finished wood valences. The spacious salon seems even larger than it is, owing to the openness of view, and seeming casual placement of furniture, plus the windows lining both beams. Deeply cushioned couches, easy chairs, coffee tables and cabinetry line the bulkheads, providing storage areas as well as visually cordoning off the living room from the dining area and galley. Carver doesn’t extend custom design to its buyers, but does have a broad list of “owner preference” décor items.

On the starboard side, the dining room holds an oval table for six, done in modern Danish style, while at port, the fully furnished galley presents complete food-prep equipment, including stainless steel appliances, convection/microwave oven and Ceran cooktop. Imported granite countertops and floors highlight the upscale galley. Exotic sapele pommele inlaid cabinet tops sport an impact resistant high-gloss finish. Plumbing and fixtures are imported from Italy. As the Marquis is a production yacht, color schemes are standard, as is furniture.

To the far left of this picture, a uniquely designed glass circular staircase, amidships just at the dining room, offers easy access to the night-time living area on the lower deck. The staircase, molded glass, presents no sharp corners, as all the edges and joinery on the yacht are smoothed and finished to offer ultimate safe passage, even in rough seas.

On the Lower Deck, living up to its billing, the master stateroom is fit for the Marquis himself, sporting an athwartships king size berth, walk-in armoire/closet, plus his/hers baths/heads, with a centered tub. Cleverly, Carver has armed the clear glass enclosure with an instant “opaque” switch. Italian marble vanity tops and floors add to the sumptuous display. A settee and vanity, with warmly accented wood coverings, complete the furnishings.

His Head...

Her Head...

Forward on the Lower Deck, the VIP stateroom is almost as lush as the master, with its queen size berth, private head/shower, and ample closet space.

Between the two large staterooms lies a twin-berth third, with bed tables and hanging locker, plus head/shower.

Crews Quarters...

Driving this magnificent Marquis, optional power choices include 2x 1,361 hp MTU 12V2000s, 2x 814 hp MTU 12V2000s, or 2x 705 hp Volvo D12s. The engine room with its “lower” headroom of an even 6’ offers walk-around space, well organized, with the full complement of systems displayed, and a marvelous lack of scattered components.

Long known as a fine production yacht company, its owners’ gatherings show the loyalty generated among its buyers, many of whom have graduated from one size to the next several times. And perhaps, with its new Marquis series, management is counting on the next move by its admirers, upward to its Royal Class. The Marquis 65 is certainly an upgrade, even from the Marquis 59, debuted last year, which I had the pleasure of reviewing after the Miami Boat Show. A splendid yacht, so finely finished and well thought out, it should be a stretch to say the 65 is a far leap ahead from that. Yet, it is.

Story by Chuck Gnaegy

SPECIFICATIONS:

LOA: 69’11”
Beam: 17’11”
Draft: 4’10”
Transom Deadrise: 13 degrees
Displacement: 94,000 lbs.
Fuel: 1,200 gals
Water: 200 gals.
Naval Architect: Carver/Nuvolari &Lenard/Donald L. Blount
Interior Deisgner: Carver/Nuvolari/A La Mer
Engines as tested: 2x 1,361 hp MTU 12V2000s

Optional Power:
2x 705 hp Volvo D12s
2x 814 hp MTU Series 60s
2x 1,480 hp MTU 12V2000s

Transmission: ZF
Gear Ratio: 2,467:1
Props: 38” x 461/2” 5-blade ZF Faster
Generator: 1x 19kW Kohler (standard) and 1x 23kW Kohler (optional)
Engine Controls: MTU/Sturdy electronic
Steering: BCS Twin Disc hydraulic power-assist
Base Price: $2,273,060

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