The Carver 44 Sojourn is a 44-foot luxury sports cruiser that was produced by the award-winning Wisconsin-based yacht-building company Carver Yachts between the years of 2009 and 2014. Bullet-like aerodynamics, a sleek and sporty profile and aggressive curves promise plenty of adrenalin-fueled fun out on the water, while a laid-back open-air, split-level deck combines with a surprising amount of space below the waterline for overnight voyages.
Lay flat out on the foredeck double sunpad with headrests and integrated cup-holders to absorb the summer rays, or head back into the deceptively spacious main-deck cockpit via side-decks that are lined by high and secure guardrails. Up here there will be nothing but a floating hard-top separating you from the marine air, with a non-slip seagrass or teak sole underfoot. An L-shaped leather sofa hugs a bespoke dining table to port, a love-seat welcomes a couple of guests to starboard, while another sofa to transom connects with a floating aft-sunpad for dizzying, elevated sunbathing. There’s also a fully-equipped wet-bar station on this level with options including an outdoor grill, chilled storage, a sink and an ice-chipper, perfect for keeping guests fed and refreshed. Up front there is a centrally positioned helm station with a piloting chair and a twin bench seat, with a sloping, tinted windscreen protecting captains from spray. At the ergonomic dashboard you will find high-tech amenities like a Penta joystick, a Volvo SeaKey system, Raymarine display screens, Bennett trim-tab switches, power-steering, VHF radio and a mounted compass. Uniquely there’s also a water-level cockpit to stern with room for sun-loungers or a dining table, as well as a vast swimming platform with a telescoping ladder.
A climate-controlled lower-deck doesn’t just offer an array of overnight cabins but a lower-salon with live-aboard dimensions, two tiers of hull glazing, cherrywood surrounds, lavish carpeting and full-height sliding glass doors out to the lower-cockpit. There’s an L-shaped sofa and a U-shaped dining sofa with a timber table back here, along with a walk-in galley boasting a two-zone Princess hob, Nova Kool refrigeration, a Dometic combination oven, a steel sink, plenty of storage and pale granite-effect countertops. Two staterooms for up to four overnight guests sit towards the front of the hull, with a twin cabin to port and a VIP double stateroom by the bow featuring full-height cedar-lined lockers and plenty of natural light. Each cabin boasts direct access to its own en-suite bathroom with vanity mirrors, molded sinks, granite and wood surrounds and enclosed shower stalls.
In an unusual move you can pick between gasoline or diesel powered 370HP Volvo Penta IPS500 pod-drives to propel this yacht to top speeds that will edge past the 24-knot mark. Find your cruising sweet-spot while gliding along at 19 knots, meanwhile, and you will enjoy a horizon-busting range of approximately 294 nautical miles.