Not an owner (sniff) just a wannabe!

S

Soapstop

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Ok, dear Carver owners! Cruising against the tide (oh, look how sea"worthy" my language is becoming!) of the old addage, "better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and dispell all doubts", I need to ask a few questions.
I want to buy a Carver. Yup, there, it's in print, and I can't go back on my word now! It's on my bucket list. I have been able to (money-wise) start checking some things off of it, and a Carver is starting to rise to the very top of the list. Money isn't the problem. Knowledge is! Have talked to a few people, have followed this forum, etc. I'm familiar with most Carver models, but for some reason haven't found anyone to tell me what kind of hulls Carver designs. Are they all displacement types? Next question: Diesels that have been "well looked after" (yeah, I wouldn't be doing anything without a complete inspection/appraisal) that have 500 hours on them. Is that a lot of life left then? Yes, to answer any questions here, I DO have more money than brains. No, I don't own any swampland yet. But Daddy has worked hard, Daddy wants his Carver, and the Bahamas are calling me. If you froze your a** off like I do every winter, you would be thinking the same thing.....oh wait a minute, I'm in a Carver forum. You've already done this.....you guys are my idols. I know a group hug would be inappropriate, but beer is never a bad idea. I would like to formally invite you to a big beer bash as soon as I own mine.....ummm.....I mean as soon as I spring this one on the Admiral. It takes her a while to warm up to my ideas, but with enough diamonds, a guy can buy his way into just about anything, lol. (I'm kidding here, I'm really not that sexist)
Thanks in advance for your response.
Soaper
 
"well looked after" diesels with only 500 hours are just getting broken in. You can get over 10,000 hours out of properly maintained diesels. Ask for service records.

I don't think Carver makes any displacement hulls, they are all planing hulls.
 
The closest you will get to a displacement hull is a 1982-1990 36 Carver Aft or a older 36 Mariner.
 
Thanks for the responses, Hogan and 370. Shows you how little I know with those two questions. A fellow that I've talked to recommended finding someone you feel comfortable with, and getting a good appraisal done, and yes, thanks, checking the service records. He said without service records, you are taking a big gamble on diesels. Not that it could turn out bad, but it sure has a better chance of turning out bad. Most people that service their craft well also record what they do well.
 
You might want to give us a hint as to the size/model that strikes your fancy. When you zero in a little more, you might get more/better responses.
How many people will typically be on board? Looking for an aft cabin? Do you want to keep it in Florida and just cruise over to spend a week or two in the Bahamas?
 
Ahh, good point. Ok, well, dreams being what they are, I would love as big as I can afford. However, reality and the fact that I have limited (read into this: somewhere between poor (port) and none (starboard)....listing to starboard)nav skills would mean it would be stupid to jump into the deep end of things. Therefore, I think between a 35' (like the 346 layout) to 44' (really like the space of the 444) but the 396 holds a very special place in my heart and wallet. Don't ask, can't tell ya why. Saw my first Carver, in ....lemme think, in the '80's some time. Have had a love for them ever since. I know the Admiral will want to try "week or two" at a time to start, but I would like to (and confident that I can) get it up to a month at a shot, 2 or 3 times a year. That's my goal. I have no problem spending the bucks to keep it babied in a marina for 9 months of the time. Some may see that as a waste, but I'm at a place I can do that. Def want diesels, or would you all suggest it's not needed with using it that little? I'm all ears at this point.
 
Sorry, meant to add that will be between 2 and 6 people, mostly 2 for the majority, but 6 and sometimes even 8 on a very rare occassion.
 
soap - like automobiles range from sports cars to suv's, floatomobiles, err boats, range from go-fasts to trawlers. carver doesn't cover that whole range, but they have made express cruisers, convertibles, and others. the first thing is to prioritize the type of boating you're planning to narrow the models / hull types. in other words, what are you gonna use your (hopefully) floating money-pit for? fishing, day cruising, overnighting, tubing, etc.
 
Bruce:
Thanks for that. Day cruising and overnighting will be the biggest priorities. I'm not worried about ripping around. I want security and stability. See, this is all my problem. I like layouts that cover all of the types of models Carver makes. Express cruiser is probably at the bottom of my needs based on what I've listed as above.
 
Just for good measure...Carver designs their boats with "modified" Vee planing hulls. This means that the entry point is fairly sharp and the deadrise at the transom tends to be relatively (compared to express cruisers)mild. What they may lack in deadrise, they make up for in weight. I don't think I've ever been on a larger Carver (32 and up) that has come close to pounding...keep in mind I work for a Caarver Dealer, so I may be somewhat biased. But to that effect, I am on my second Carver and EXTREMELY happy with them.
 
Soaps, you are bringing back memories... I too fell for the Carver layout years back, got my 356 last year. I am a lake boater, so my knowledge is limited compared to the blue water cruisers, but I will dump on you what I know. If you have the cash, diesels for sure, no question. The safety aspect alone is worth all the marbles. Survey, survey, survey, then a full engine survey. Find someone you feel comfortable with (surveyor) and ignore the price he charges you, in fact if it is too cheap steer clear. I would assume that bigger is better on the way to the Bahamas, I would be nervous in my 356. I really liked the 406, but couldn't swing the extra $. A 406 with diesels would be sweet. I was never a fan of the 396 styling, but that is just me. The Carver is a good boat, but like any boat, it all depends on how it was maintained. When you are looking, pay attention to everything, even if it is small, all these little thing will tell you how well it was cared for past to present. I agree with the others, that the type of boat needs to sync with the type of boating you will be doing. Make sure you look at the fuel tanks especially if gas (not a standard survey item), because the 12-15K it costs to pull & replace the port & stbd tanks will put a damper on your first season (at least I have heard). Lets just say, don't settle with the surveyor telling you the fuel gauge on the port tank is not functioning. Inspection of the $2 fuel filler cap gasket is a really easy thing to do & can tell you a lot... I have heard that the aft tanks are a pain to say the least, if leaking, but mine was ok. If you can find a good freshwater boat, they are worth the transport aggravation, but as in a surveyor, hire wisely. In my searches for "the one" (mostly the one I could afford), I concluded that just because it has low hours does not equate to future low maintenance/reliability, but almost the contrary. Again, if money is not an issue, find a boat in great condition & plan the repower into the budget if hour are high, or buy gas & repower it with diesels, just some ideas. I was told a rule of thumb was at 1000 hours for gas & 3000 for diesels, to plan a repower/rebuild in the future, (mine had 500 on it). Pay attention to the genny too, those little buggers are pricey. With your money though, I would plan to replace all three (with diesel) no matter what, haha... I can spend others money with ease... Enjoy your search/quest & good luck. -- Scott
 
akaweed, please don't take this the wrong way, but if you break your post up into paragraphs, it makes reading it a heck of a lot easier.
 
You are smart to ask about hull shape, not many power boat buyers do. Are you a graduating sailboater??
Not all Carver hulls are the same. The trend in recent years has been towards flatter shpaes for more speed but my 1997 440 has a more traditional shape, better at sea and slow speeds but you do sacrifice top end.

BottomJob2006-10-18133917.jpg

BottomJob2006-10-18133903.jpg

BottomJob2006-10-18133910.jpg
 
owner of a 3607 and like it what Bruce said is true the older hulls look like his, one other down side to them they don't like following seas 3 footers hitting you in the stern will work you over pretty good, But like any boat you have to pick your water state for your boat. I take mine out on the Chesapeake Bay and have no troubles,
 
Here’s my experience so far.
I have been looking for a trawler/motor yacht for just about a year but only since I sold my sailboat in December did I get serious. I saw 16 35 to 40 late 80’s boats that the admiral never got real excited about.
Finally we found a ‘98 35’ aft cabin Carver that looked virtually new. The admiral got excited so we busted the budget by about 20k and an offer was accepted. I hired a surveyor and we agreed on a survey date.
I showed up at the marina bright and early on Monday to be welcomed by the owner who had along with his broker brought the boat over from his residence to the marina the night before. He mentioned they had some problems with the engines as one had failed on the way over and the other would not start. Mental note to self, things are not looking good. The owner went on to explain the fuel was old, not a lot in the tanks and according to the marina mechanic who had looked at it the night before, needed polishing. He further explained that the mechanic had changed the fuel filters 4 times and they had clogged each time. A fuel polished was arranged to arrive ASAP and the owner assured me things would be OK. My surveyor arrived shortly thereafter after a 3 hour drive. We decided to start the survey and haul out and continue with the sea trial of the survey when the polisher was done.
The surveyor went to work and before we had hauled the boat determined that the fwd A/C unit was inop, the fwd bilge pump was inop, the port engine alarm was inop, and the waste tank guage was inop along with the normal other nusance things typical of a 12 year old boat. Mental note to self, things are really not looking good.
Fuel polisher finally arrived about 2pm and finally finished an hour and a half later. Tried to start the engines and no go, neither one. Mechanic said the bad fuel probably caused the injectors to clog and further investigation he found salt crystals in the stbd turbo. Probably due to several loose hose connections that he found after finally starting the engine the next day. Final mental note to self: get out of this deal.
Talked to my broker and he said let’s give them a chance to get things right and reassess the deal.

Ok, so on the long drive home I start to thinking, this really does not look good. The mechanic and my surveyor both said the boat has been neglected. No-kidding. The owner said he had a really “good” mechanic looking after the boat, but he died a year and a half ago. So more than likely no maintenance since then. I contact a good e-mail buddy much more experienced in boats and wheeling and dealing than me and he says get Cummins to survey the engines and let the owner pay for it. That way if they pass survey you know you got good engines and get a free survey out of the deal. If they don’t pass you don’t have any more money invested.

So that’s where we are now, the owner has agreed to fix everything except the nuisance items, but has not yet agreed to the survey. We’re still waiting on a fuel S/O solenoid for the port engine-the reason it quit on the way over to the marina. Oil samples will be taken once both engines are running and if OK the owner then must decide if he will pay for the engine survey. I’ve told my broker the owner has proved to me he has neglected the boat, now he must prove to me the engines are OK, or will make then OK, by Cummins standards.

I have invested nearly $1k in this boat and will not invest any more. The owner must now prove to me the engines are in good shape or I will walk. The boat is in great shape cosmetically and the admiral really likes it, so I’m staying in the game. The next move is the owners. Just my experience.

Tim
 
Make sure the broker knows you are not bluffing. Make it crystal clear, the owner pays for the Cummins guy to survey AND get the engines in top running condition.
If that's not done, you walk.
I agree to not sweat the small stuff, but having good running engines are at the top of the list.
 
Hey, thanks everyone for responding. Sorry, had to be out of the office most of the day, so couldn't check the state of this thread.
To Kenny: Biased is good, that's what makes you want to sell them. You want to believe in what you are selling. I appreciate any and all opinions. What's your opinion of what "talexander38" said regarding following seas?
To Bruce: Hahaha, nearly laughed my keester off there. The words "smart" have never been used to describe me when it comes to boating and boating knowledge. You guys gotta know something. I still have to think about which side is port, ok? Gettin' the picture here? I wasn't lying or being modest when I said I had more money than brains (maybe if I said "more money than experience" it would make me feel better typing these words). So, the deeper the V, the more of a displacement hull it is. Thanks for the pictures by the way. Those were very educational. They (Carvers) definately don't appear to look like that anymore. I don't have a problem sacrificing top end. I want as much "plow" as possible to keep the admiral from wanting to hurl all over me. I have simple needs :-)
Finally to Scott, thanks for that reply. Gives me some things to think about. No, I definately realize that the purchase price is only the start of the great big swirly that they call "boat ownership", but you've given me some good things to consider.
Ok, one of the problems with having a decent chunk of money and being in a buyers market is that I think I can afford a boat bigger than what my experience should permit me to operate. I don't want to be one of those nobs that you see every once in a while who have the million dollar toy and then proceed to make hamburger out of the docking. I know I'm a low skilled boatsman, I just don't need to display it to everyone else, lol! I can afford a 6 or 7 year old 466, with plenty left over for maintenance/repairs for the next number of years, but I have grave doubts that I can handle one of that size as per my experience.
I wouldn't mind hearing your opinions on the Carver 444 or the 370 based on my desire to "RV" for a month at a time.

I appreciate your comments, everyone. Again, you all are what I aspire to: #1: Owning a Carver, #2: Actually being able to operate a Carver :-)
 
To Talexander: Your comment "work you over pretty good". What's your definition of that? How does it hit you?
Thanks Tim for sharing your experience. Your a better (and more knowledgeable) man than I. I would have punted early on in that adventure. I have relied on my "gut feeling" on many of these sort of things, and have avoided a good jag of hardship because of it. The times that I have ignored my gut feelings, are the ones that have given me my more, oh, how do I want to put this, my more colorful moments, shall we say?
 
Tim, I had Cummins Power South survey my engines when the boat was in Ft Myers. They did a thorough job, it cost about $700.00. I recommend that you have the owner use them.
 
Soaps, as far as handling a boat that big, there is only one thing to know, practice makes better. The more you go, the more you know. They are not as hard to handle as they look. You get to know when it is too much for your skill pretty quick. You'll learn to pay more attention to the wind than you ever thought you would, for sure. In your future marina I would bet there is an old salty that wouldn't mind an afternoon showing you the ropes, or you could hire a captain for a few outings until you are comfortable. You could put a bow thruster in for that Caddy with heated steering wheel feel.

My strongest suggestion (other than practice), is know your controls, what they do and what they don't do. Most docking mishaps come from not thinking before doing. If your last boat was small, keep in mind (& tell the Admiral) that you can't stop her by hand. Let it hit, it's easier to repair than to rehab the crushed arm or leg. You'll only crash it a time or two... It has been said many times, but I'll say it again, never approach anything faster than you're willing to hit it.

You'll be fine, it's not that hard (not to be confused with being easy). I've got my GF almost (I said ALMOST, I'm not crazy) to the point I would let her dock it, and I won't let her drive the car with me in it.

If you don't want to make a fool out of yourself until you master the helm, make sure no one is around whenever you dock it, and don't use much fuel... --Scott
 
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