Monte Carlo Yachts MCY 105 Review (2017 Edition) by Aquaholic

On Deck

The aft tender garage takes a tender up to 4.5 metres plus a jet ski stowed alongside. The boat shown carries a smaller tender of about 3 metres, which leaves extra space for stowage in the garage.

Aft deck seating runs across the back, with more seating around a table, but the weather cover stays on. The main deck aft end uses bi fold doors that fold flat against the sides when open. With the doors shut for the rain, the deck still reads clearly as a social deck with dining aft rather than the usual aft lounge. That swap frees up room for a large bar to starboard, plus storage lockers set into the structure for deck gear and supplies.

Side decks lead forward to a foredeck lounge with sunshades and a proper bow hangout over the owner cabin. A hot tub sits up forward, with seating around it and more seating along the bow, all under covers on this tour. A drop balcony sits on the side, with hinges visible and a door beside it, so you can open up the side shell when conditions suit.

Flybridge access comes from the exterior stair. Up top, a hardtop gives real shelter in bad weather. A dedicated cigar lounge sits up here with a big ashtray set at the centre, designed as a snug spot after dinner. Aft, the flybridge adds more seating and a table, plus a life raft stowed up here. The table design matches the hull window shapes, a neat detail you notice once you clock it. Bars wrap around the flybridge so crew can run service without trekking back and forth. Dining sits centrally under the hardtop, with a large opening roof section that slides back so you can eat outside on better days. Storage lockers hide the supporting kit, with an ice maker confirmed in one locker and likely more cold stowage and cooking gear under the remaining covers. A second helm sits forward on the flybridge with twin seats, plus extra seating nearby, so the owner can drive from up top when the weather plays ball.

The main deck saloon uses an unusual but sensible plan: dining aft, lounge and cinema zone forward, plus that large main deck bar. The bar includes stemware storage and a wine cooler, with lighting that gives the space a warm feel even on a dark day. Forward in the saloon, the lounge becomes a cinema zone with a large TV, set up as a proper chill out area. Side doors open from this space when conditions allow, which gives cross flow and an indoor outdoor feel without moving furniture around.

Access moves up to the wheelhouse from the main deck, and down into crew and service spaces from a discreet door on the main deck. Day heads sit near the side door area on the way to the wheelhouse, handy for guests without sending them into cabin zones.

The galley sits down in the crew area, which gives the crew mess more space than many boats of this size manage. The galley includes the expected cooking kit and a dishwasher. A camera monitoring display sits down here too, so crew can keep eyes on key areas while they work. A TV also sits in the space, and yes, there is a Dyson on board. Refrigeration lives aft in this zone with a large fridge on one side and a large freezer next to it.

Laundry provision goes beyond the basics with multiple machines fitted, with units located in more than one position rather than a single stacked pair.

Owner's Cabin

The owner cabin is on the main deck, and it's genuinely huge for a 105 foot boat. The cabin has a large footprint with plenty of storage built in. Large hull windows sit to the sides, which would transform the room on a bright day, even though the view does not do much in the rain.

A dressing area leads forward with large wardrobes on both sides. The ensuite uses a split arrangement with a toilet on each side, and a central vanity zone with a large basin and twin taps. The shower stands out: it is a big compartment with twin rainfall showers, so two people can shower without the usual cold corner problem. The space also uses split levels and layered lighting, which helps it feel like a proper suite rather than a box with a bed.

Guest Accommodation

On the MCY 105 there are four guest cabins on the lower deck. Two VIP cabins are aft, arranged on an angle rather than square to the corridor. That angled layout gives extra usable corner space and makes the cabins feel bigger than the footprint suggests. These VIP cabins feature the signature Monte Carlo style hull windows, with smaller opening ports set within the glazing for ventilation. Each VIP has hanging locker space and shelving.

Ensuites for the VIP cabins include a large shower with rainfall head, and the toilet sits tucked behind a door. The port and starboard VIPs mirror each other closely.

Forward, two more guest cabins complete the lower deck. One cabin includes a third permanent berth rather than a pullman. Because the berth sits set back where the hull rises, it avoids the usual bunk bed feel and reads as a real bed rather than an afterthought. Hanging locker space sits in the cabin, and an ensuite serves it. The ensuite is smaller than the VIP bathrooms but still full size in practical terms.

The forward twin cabin offers a flexible layout. The beds can run as twins, or convert to a double by removing the bedside table and sliding one bed across, then placing the table back in the new position. The tour shows the cabin with that conversion in place, and explains how to reverse it for twin berths. This cabin also has hanging locker space and its own ensuite.

Crew Accommodation

Crew access stays separate from guest circulation. The crew stair drops from the main deck and also links to a dedicated exterior door onto the side deck, so crew can move fore and aft without cutting through the saloon if the owner prefers privacy.

Down below, the crew zone includes the galley and a generous crew mess, helped by the decision to place the galley on this level. Laundry sits in this area, with multiple machines installed rather than a single set.

A proper captain cabin sits in the crew area with its own ensuite, including a separate shower. Two crew cabins sit further in, each laid out with twin berths. The crew cabins share facilities arranged as a shower room plus a separate toilet compartment.

Engine room access is off the crew and service area, with systems grouped sensibly near the entry. Switch panels sit low, with side power thruster hydraulics, chargers, and related electrical kit close by. Emergency steering sits here too, providing rudder control in the event of steering failure, with the assumption that helm direction would come via radio guidance.

The boat runs twin MTU 16V2000 engines, V16 units. Reported performance figures put top speed at about 22 knots, fast cruise at 16 knots, and an economical cruise at 10 knots. At 10 knots, range is described at about 1,000 miles. A Seakeeper gyro stabiliser sits aft in the machinery space.

The driveline uses V drives. The engines sit well aft, with power taken forward from the engine, down a shaft, through a gearbox that changes direction, then back along the main shaft line under the engine and out through the hull. This arrangement moves the engines aft compared to a conventional straight shaft line and helps protect living space forward, especially with the galley above in the adjacent zone. It also allows the boat to use the same vertical stack of volume twice, with the tender garage above the machinery space.

The engine room also includes power converters to handle shore power differences around the world, plus twin generators, one on each side. Watermakers sit in the space as well. Despite the garage overhead and the lowered sole needed to create that garage volume, access around the engines remains workable, with room to move around the back and along the sides.

Ownership of a Monte Carlo 105 comes with the reassurance of scale behind the badge. Monte Carlo Yachts is an Italian builder based in Monfalcone, under the Beneteau Group umbrella. You still get Italian styling and layout thinking, but with the financial backing and global reach of one of the largest boatbuilding groups in the world. 

Warranty support follows Beneteau Group norms. New MCY builds typically carry a long structural warranty, commonly quoted at up to ten years, with a shorter period for systems, parts, and labour, often around three years. Exact terms vary by market, delivery country, and dealer agreement, so buyers should confirm the specifics at handover rather than rely on headline figures. 

Servicing on a yacht of this size is layered rather than centralised. The dealer usually coordinates warranty issues and general support, but major systems sit with their own service ecosystems. MTU engines, generators, stabiliser, watermakers, hydraulics, and power management all follow manufacturer service schedules based on hours and calendar time. Owners who cruise widely often appoint a captain or service agent familiar with MCY builds to manage yard periods, parts ordering, and warranty claims, rather than trying to coordinate everything themselves.

Two rivals worth considering versus the MCY 105 are the Sanlorenzo SL106 Asymmetric and the Ocean Alexander 32L.

This is a 2017 Monte Carlo 105ft (32m)  that leans hard into usable social space, with dining aft on the main deck, a proper bar, and a forward cinema style lounge that links to side doors for fresh air when the covers come off. The main deck owner cabin is the headline act for volume and layout, backed up by four lower deck guest cabins with two angled VIPs and flexible twin arrangements forward, including a genuine third permanent berth in one cabin. Crew space stays generous for the size, with a full galley down, a larger mess, proper captain cabin with ensuite, two crew cabins, and laundry provision that looks ready for real use. Performance and systems read like a serious cruising package with twin MTU 16V2000s, V drives, a Seakeeper, decent range at 10 knots, plus the practical win of a tender garage sized for a 4.5m (14.7ft) tender and a jet ski.