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The Long Island, New York, marina where I keep my boat has many slips occupied by Carvers. Some are sedans and others are motoryachts, but all have something in common: owners who desire all the amenities of home as well as comfort for family cruising. It’s a blend that Carver has mixed well for many years. But even so, the builder is always upgrading and revamping its boats. Carver’s latest launch, the 560 Voyager, which comes from the same hull mold as her 570 Voyager sistership, takes the builder’s pilothouse series to a higher level of layout, functionality, and finish. After recently testing the 560, I figure it won’t be long before I see one in my marina.
Heading down the docks at the Ship And Sail dealership in Kemah, Texas, I immediately noticed the 560’s full-height, curved, sliding cockpit door. It was a nice look, but the layout behind the door was even sweeter. Unlike the 570, which features barrel chairs and a TV cabinet immediately to port, the 560 sports a U-shape dinette here that could easily seat eight. There’s an additional lounge directly across for a few more guests. Both the lounge and dinette seating are made of buttery-soft, caramel-tone Ultraleather. A retractable 32-inch Panasonic plasma TV replaces the bulky cabinet-style one from the 570; additionally, on the 560 it’s just forward of the amidships galley.
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That galley has received some noteworthy upgrades, too. The countertops on earlier Voyagers were made of Karadon, according to Dave Foulkrod, president of Ship And Sail, who added that granite is now standard on the 560. Black galaxy granite (other colors are available) is also used for the galley sole and provides an upscale look.
Like the countertops here, the appliances also received an upgrade. The 570’s refrigerator and freezer have cherrywood faces, while the 560’s Sub-Zeros have a more contemporary-looking brushed stainless steel look. Your guests will admire the galley’s appearance, but it’s functional, too, equipped with a standard three-burner Ceran cooktop, a Panasonic microwave/convection oven, a Cuisinart coffee maker, and an optional Broan trash compactor.
Obviously much has changed in the saloon and galley from the 570 to the 560. However, the three-stateroom, two-head layout below decks remains the same. There’s a full-beam (15’4”) master stateroom and en suite head amidships, a forepeak VIP, and a third stateroom aft to port of the VIP. Kids and/or adult guests can share the second/day head to starboard, just aft of the VIP. One aesthetic upgrade is Carver’s use of sapele pommele inlays on the cherrywood doors, dressers, and countertops. The inlays pleasantly accent the high-gloss cherrywood.
But the 560’s interior wasn’t the only area to get a makeover. Some of the exterior modifications included switching the swim platform from an integral one to a hydraulically operated system, enabling you to easily launch a tender or PWC. A davit on the flying bridge is optional. Carver also added two feet to the 560’s cockpit, which resulted in a 69-square-foot space that allows room for transom seating. It has additionally allowed designers to reduce the angle of the stairway leading to the flying bridge. And don’t worry about sun-sensitive guests, because the flying bridge has been extended a couple of feet, so the added overhang will keep most of this area shaded.
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