with the addition of a custom filler cushion. A cedar-lined hanging locker helps keep the cabin free of clutter.
The master cabin has teak strips flanking a queen-size
island berth with an 8-inch custom innerspring mattress.
Two opening portlights add natural light and ventilation,
and there is an overhead opening escape hatch for safety.
As befits the master, there is more storage and a larger
cedar-lined locker, plus a private entrance to the head
compartment. The aft bulkhead is curved slightly to
allow more room at the foot of the berth.
The head, appropriately sized for adults, has a
standard electric toilet or an optional VacuFlush toilet,
both served by a 55-gallon holding tank with deck
discharge. An overhead hatch and opening portlights
promote natural ventilation, but there’s also a standard
fan extraction system to help reduce humidity. Above-counter lockers behind sliding mirrors and another
locker beneath the counter provide plenty of storage.
THE SEA TRIAL
Leaving Sentosa Island on the southern tip of
Singapore behind us, I turned the boat east and put the
Above: The head compartment has human dimensions,
a separate shower stall with seat, and lots of storage.
Left: Teak ceiling strips in the spacious master stateroom
recall wood boat interiors, a Grand Banks tradition.
Photos courtesy of Grand Banks
41 Heritage EU through her paces. The steering was not
overly sensitive, as some fly-by-wire systems can be, and
the throttles had a positive feel. For power, we had a pair
of 425hp Cummins MerCruiser Diesel QSB5.9 Zeus
drives, the optional engine package available beyond
the standard 380hp CMD QSB5.9 Zeus drives. We
had seven people aboard, half a load of fuel, and no
fresh water or black water.
I observed the speed in knots on a handheld
Garmin GPS, the sound levels on a Realistic digital
sound meter, and the engine speed and fuel burn on
the SmartCraft displays. From an idle speed of 4. 4
knots, I ran the throttles up gradually, by 300-rpm
increments, and took notes.
At a comfortable 8. 6 knots and 1500 rpm, the twin
engines burned a combined 8.1gph. The sound meter
read 68dBA at the flybridge helm and 67dBA in the
saloon. I must mention that there was a missing gasket
on the aft saloon door, and I would expect much lower
sound readings with that in place. Range at this speed
was 477.8 nautical miles, based on 90 percent tankage
and leaving a 10 percent reserve (as with all range figures
provided here). Pushing the throttles up to 1800 rpm
produced a speed of 10 knots and a combined fuel burn
of 13.4gph. Sound readings climbed to 69dBA at both
stations, and range was 336 nautical miles.
Pushed to the max, the GB 41 achieved a top speed
of 23. 6 knots, burning a combined 45.7gph with a range
of 232.4 nautical miles. Having that kind of speed
available made sense when we saw a fast-moving front
bearing down on us, and we were able to seek shelter
before high winds and limited visibility overtook us.
Handling was superb; there’s no other way to describe
it. Coming suddenly upon a large weed patch clustered
around a floating plank, I made a quick turn and avoided
