MERVE is a proper tri deck motor yacht, and that is what gives her the one thing charter groups never regret paying for: room. Built by the respected American yard Broward in 1991 and refitted in 2022, this 40.5 metre yacht spreads her living across three full exterior deck levels, so a group of ten can be together when they want to be and genuinely apart when they do not. For a week in the eastern Mediterranean, that volume is the whole point.
Her decks read like a sequence of outdoor rooms. The sun deck is the headline, with a shaded lounge aft under a soft bimini and a jacuzzi set forward beneath its own canopy, the natural place to spend the warm middle of the day. One level down, the bridge deck is given over to alfresco dining, its large table able to shelter under the overhang or sit out in full sun, while the main deck aft carries a second dining setting with steps down to the swim platform and the water. Sunbeds, a tender and a selection of jet skis and toys complete the picture.
Inside, MERVE is classic in the best sense: warm, comfortable and generous rather than fashionable. The main salon is a wide, elegant room with deep sofas, large windows and a calm palette, a place to gather after dinner or settle in out of the afternoon heat. A separate dining salon seats the group in proper comfort, and a dedicated breakfast or games table gives the room a second, more relaxed use. Up on the bridge deck, a sky lounge offers a quieter retreat with its own views, a genuine second living space that larger groups come to value.
Accommodation is arranged across five cabins for ten guests, led by a main deck master that makes the most of the yacht’s beam and natural light. The guest cabins are a sensible mix below, each finished in warm timber with its own facilities, which makes MERVE easy to place for families or groups of friends sharing. A crew of six runs her, enough to keep the service attentive across three decks without ever feeling present when it is not wanted.
Powered by three Caterpillar engines, she is an unhurried, steady cruiser at around ten knots, which suits the way she is meant to be used: short hops between the bays and harbour towns of the Turkish coast and the nearby Greek islands, with the real time spent at anchor. Based around Bodrum, she is perfectly placed for the Gulf of Gokova, the Dodecanese and the string of anchorages that make this one of the finest cruising grounds anywhere.
For a group that puts space, shade and easy outdoor living first, and that likes the warmth of a classic yacht over the gloss of a new one, MERVE is a comfortable and sensible charter. She offers a lot of yacht for the money, and a lot of room to enjoy it. Few yachts of her size give a group this many places to spread out, and that is what brings guests back to a boat like her season after season.
