Carver 36 Mariner - Thoughts?

C

ChefJunk

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exMember
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Hello,

I am in the process of selling my current Carver, a 32 Montego. There is a short list of boats I am interested in. I stopped to look at one of those boats, and just for kicks, I checked out a 36 Mariner. I had made preconceived thoughts about the boat based on the exterior (no offense to current owners). However, what I found was an incredibly spacious, well laid out vessel that happens to not have the most attractive lines. Low and behold, the model has caught my interest and I am going to be looking at a couple and would consider making an offer on one when my boat sells. Honestly, my biggest hesitation would be the fact that I will have to sell the boat some day and I don't think it will get any prettier.

I am curious if any past or present owners can offer any information to help my decision/search. Some areas I am curious about:

*How long did it take to sell?
*How is the fuel consumption/speed?
*Has anyone had any luck in "trawler" mode?
*Any areas prone to issues?
*Is the cockpit hardtop hard to find?
*Is the vessel easy to maintain?
*Is the vessel tender when there are 4-5 people up top?
*Any other info is most appreciated!

Thanks,

Jim

PS, would some graphics like this on the front help turn onlookers jeers into cheers?

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We have ours for 4 seasons. We love it. We had a 33 a while back and swore the day we sold it no more mariners. Rich from Jack Regan Yacht Sales convinced me 5 yrs ago to look at this 1986 36, and we are glad we did, this one has a keel and handles the water plus it had 454's and cruise 19 kts without any stress.The room inside is great (she uses the galley without cursing).The 2nd stateroom small but hey you're only sleeping. The room up on the bridge has everyone together without bumping into each other. Down side is getting use to looking around the stagecoach seat when docking but no big deal. Another upside is the the walk around to the bow,best ever. Good luck hope you find yours.
 
FM,

Thanks for the info! I looked at my third one today, finally, a clean one!

Can you answer these questions for me? Do you use it much at lower speeds? Can it really be a "bi mode" boat or is this just marketing fluff? Any data on fuel consumption?

Thanks,

Jim

quote:
Originally posted by fmradio

We have ours for 4 seasons. We love it. We had a 33 a while back and swore the day we sold it no more mariners. Rich from Jack Regan Yacht Sales convinced me 5 yrs ago to look at this 1986 36, and we are glad we did, this one has a keel and handles the water plus it had 454's and cruise 19 kts without any stress.The room inside is great (she uses the galley without cursing).The 2nd stateroom small but hey you're only sleeping. The room up on the bridge has everyone together without bumping into each other. Down side is getting use to looking around the stagecoach seat when docking but no big deal. Another upside is the the walk around to the bow,best ever. Good luck hope you find yours.

Click to expand...
 
I have had my 1985 Mariner 36 for 4 years as well. It has been a great boat, unmatched in its spaciousness for a boat of its size. I'll try to answer a couple of your questions.

*How long did it take to sell? Haven't tried to seel it, so no help there.

*How is the fuel consumption/speed? Top speed for us is 22 knots. At a cruise of 18knots it drinks gas. No firm number, but more than a gallon a mile.

*Has anyone had any luck in "trawler" mode? Yes, I ususally cruise 7-8knots/hr. At this speed you get over 2miles per gallon.

*Any areas prone to issues? The top deck can be soft, particularly arounf the windlass. Also, the windows are known to leak. Both of these have been addressed on my boat.

*Is the cockpit hardtop hard to find? Not sure, it was standard on certain years, like my 1985. I don't think it is available as a stand alone option, and I am not sure how you would mount it if it wasn't mounted from the factory.

*Is the vessel easy to maintain? Super easy, hundreds of hours, no issues at all.

*Is the vessel tender when there are 4-5 people up top? Not at all, it is very well balanced have had 6-8 up top with no issues qat all.

*Any other info is most appreciated! as noted, the stadium seat can really block the rear view when docking. With a canvas up top, it ereally gets caught by a side wind, swinging alot at anchor, and creating some challenging docking situations.

We absolutely love ours. I could easily afford a new boat, but haven't considered it because I haven't been in a boat with more room up top, or in the salon in its size range.

An absolute bargain if the layout fits you as it does us.
 
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