Opinion On A Boat

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As an aft cabin owner, I find it amazing that there are as many negative opinions as there are. Yes, there are steps, but they are much easier to negotiate than a boat with ladders.
 
I like the idea of the covered aft deck along with the bridge. Makes for some fantastic outdoor areas. Seems so much more than a sedan/convertible.
 
I like the idea of the covered aft deck along with the bridge. Makes for some fantastic outdoor areas. Seems so much more than a sedan/convertible.

True but some designs are easier to single hand...a necessity at times.

Not that any boat can't be single handed...just some are a bit easier.
 
If you find your sweet spot slow cruise around 5-7 knots...you may double that fuel efficiency but at the price of going 1/3 as fast.

Or how about going 3-4 knots. Think of the fuel you'll save then! Or, better yet, leave the throttles set at idle and you should be burning almost "no fuel" and with one hell of an extended range!

Geez...at some point you have to get to your destination in a "reasonable" length of time! If you want to be on the water and really save on fuel, build a raft with a 55 gallon barrel on each corner and anchor it out!! My God, this gph thing is getting rediculous!
 
Or how about going 3-4 knots. Think of the fuel you'll save then! Or, better yet, leave the throttles set at idle and you should be burning almost "no fuel" and with one hell of an extended range!

Geez...at some point you have to get to your destination in a "reasonable" length of time! If you want to be on the water and really save on fuel, build a raft with a 55 gallon barrel on each corner and anchor it out!! My God, this gph thing is getting rediculous!

I cruise at 6-6.5 knots. I don't have any place to be and cruise between stops of 20-30 N. miles a day...what's the big deal?

I have run fast boats most of my life...missed a lot more along the way I can say than I do now...at 6 knots attentiveness isn't nearly as intense... so after 5 -6 hours of driving, I'm not fatigued at all.

I've cruised about 1200 NM in the last 2.5 months...Jersey to near the Florida line and am headed back slowly now...I like going fast sometimes...but I couldn't afford the fuel bill if I tried it at 2 knots faster...so it's the tale of the tortoise ad the hare for me.:D
 
There are no bad boats, just bad captains. Keep it in the conditions it was designed for and you should be happy with it. Carver is a solid boat designed to a purpose.

well said Alormaria:thumb:....each boat design is intended to excell in one area so what you must do is nail down the most important job intended for your new boat and then shop accodingly. Will you be spending lots of time in rivers or on the flats or travering intercostal waterways or blue water, etc. After you pick this first condition then list the most desirable charactoristics for this type of boating.......naw, forget all that,just pick your boating intent then post a thread and ask forum members what is the best boat design for this kind of boating.
 
We are looking to use a boat to cruise the east coast of Florida, St Johns River and when we gain enough sea legs over to the islands.

thanks

any opinions and replies will be appreciated.

:thumb:

So what would be the best boat for this type of use?
 
Greetings,
Mr. BB. "So what would be the best boat for this type of use?" What do you like.? Mr. al said it all in post #8.
 
Greetings,
Mr. BB. "So what would be the best boat for this type of use?" What do you like.? Mr. al said it all in post #8.

For the use we are intending to use the boat for; a floating condo.

Not looking to cross any oceans, leave port in anything but ideal conditions or get anywhere in a hurry. Anchoring off and relaxing, swimming, fishing or just reading a book.
 
I like the idea of the covered aft deck along with the bridge. Makes for some fantastic outdoor areas. Seems so much more than a sedan/convertible.

Yup- right on target. I love to fish, and my first choice of boat was a convertible. As I really dislike V-berths as a master stateroom, I was looking at convertibles in the 50+ foot range to get a midship master.

On our current boat, we have the privacy of the aft cabin, an enclosed sundexk for entertaining (or enjoying sunsets and cocktails), a cockpit with controls for fishing, and we can carry the fencer on the hardtop above the sundeck. Works perfectly for us.

So what would be the best boat for this type of use?

For the use we are intending to use the boat for; a floating condo.

Not looking to cross any oceans, leave port in anything but ideal conditions or get anywhere in a hurry. Anchoring off and relaxing, swimming, fishing or just reading a book.

That is a question for which you will get many different answers, as we all have differing experiences that fit our particular lifestyle. At this point, I recommend you do some bareboat chartering of the different platforms, or join a yacht club and spend time on the boats of the club members- ideally overnighters/weekend trips. You'll be able to get a feel for what fits you, and where you'll be able to compromise (features, layout, engines, etc). If you have friends or TF members close to you with boats, inquire if you can tag along for a ride or weekend outing.

Where you are at is the fun part of boating- watching the dream become real.
 
Yup- right on target. I love to fish, and my first choice of boat was a convertible. As I really dislike V-berths as a master stateroom, I was looking at convertibles in the 50+ foot range to get a midship master.

On our current boat, we have the privacy of the aft cabin, an enclosed sundexk for entertaining (or enjoying sunsets and cocktails), a cockpit with controls for fishing, and we can carry the fencer on the hardtop above the sundeck. Works perfectly for us.

That is a question for which you will get many different answers, as we all have differing experiences that fit our particular lifestyle. At this point, I recommend you do some bareboat chartering of the different platforms, or join a yacht club and spend time on the boats of the club members- ideally overnighters/weekend trips. You'll be able to get a feel for what fits you, and where you'll be able to compromise (features, layout, engines, etc). If you have friends or TF members close to you with boats, inquire if you can tag along for a ride or weekend outing.

Where you are at is the fun part of boating- watching the dream become real.

We currently have a 25 ft express cruiser which isn't getting the job done.

Besides, I'm looking at this as just another step in the progression of boats until we can find exactly what we want when we finally retire.
 
"If you cruise it at 6-7 knots it may not be as bad as you think...but it's a rare individual that doesn't try to run those babies on plane and burn 40+/- gallons per hour at 20 knots. That's 1/2 mile per gallon."

If you find your sweet spot slow cruise around 5-7 knots...you may dounle that fuel efficiency but at the price of going 1/3 as fast.

So you have to decide when and where you will cruise every year and what your fuel budget will be."

Running at 6K may reduce the fuel bill by 90%.

I would guess that no more than 40 HP will ICW cruise the boat 6K , probably about 1000rpm on gassers 1.5 to 2 GPH each , if that. Hardly 20GPH

IF you plan on 2000 hours a year , rather than 200, diesel might ne better, but even the "Loop" is seldom a 1000 hour run , and few do it every year.

Add in spark plugs at $2.00 ea VS injector rebuilds at $100 each (plus installation) oil by the Quart , not the Gallon and the operating bill will be fine for the year.
 
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Beachbum29/Carver

A little first hand info. I have a 1986 3607 Carver, gas, factory hardtop, full canvas, berth it at North Light Yacht Club in Niceville, FL (N. end of Choctawhatchee Bay 12 mi. N. of Destin) I dry rack it, marina launches it every 6 weeks and runs systems in our absence. Otherwise, we use it a few days to a few weeks at a time in the bay and ICW. Bay is big enough it can get significantly choppy and pretty messy but not big swells like open ocean. Here's the scoop:
These are OLD boats. I have put way too much money in mine to ever get anything close to it back just getting it proper & reliable, never mind creature comforts and it was a reasonably good boat when I bought it. Have a very good survey done and do a proper sea trial - lots of reference sources out there on how & why to do both. If you get the diesel boat, absolutely have an oil analysis done. Very few 3607s were produced w/ diesels. Stuffing boxes, bonding system, EVERY thru hull including strut bolts, wiring (these old boats have often been fixed, screwed up, modified, etc. and can be a wiring nightmare, sometimes dangerous). Expect the original A/C units to be real close to giving it up by now, along with the 'fridge and Princess stove. The original gas gensets are Onan 6.7K CCW models and by now they are really tired, ancillary parts are sparse and major parts like manifolds and cyl. heads are nearly impossible. I suspect a diesel genset of this vintage will be similar. Plan on a new genset if you intend to anchor out - we don't, we marina hop. Throttle/gear cables will likely need attention as will the helm hydraulics. Replace the old air pressurized system with a contemporary helm pump and be sure the upper and lower helm pumps are of compatible types. The upper helm engine controls are pot metal junk - mine broke. Replace them. Lots of plastic bits that are old. All fixable but time consuming and while not overly costly, still adds up.
The step issue aside, for a 36 foot boat, these Carvers are quite comfortable for what they are, a floating motorhome. You don't drive a motorhome like a sports car and one does not use a Carver like a Bertram or Viking. Four aboard is quite comfortable for several days to weeks - 2 staterooms (the fwd. V berth is roomy and comfortable), 2 heads, privacy doors, functional galley, decent aft deck, nice cruiser. Lots of interior teak. Ports leak and stain the headliner, expect the acrylic to be fogged and, trust me, they can't be polished out. Clear port lights will require replacement. They are available from Pompanette, you don't have to take the entire port assembly out of the hull. The water lines, by now, will be flaking the plastic from inside the lines and plugging up the faucet aerators, and the line clamps will be failing. Minor issue but you'll have lots of little leaks to track down and repair. If it has the original furniture, keep it and reupholster. Mine didn't and finding a sofa to fit is not easy.
If you have a sound hull and mechanicals, this is all stuff that is fixable but you WILL be fixing unless the seller has already done it and if he has, pay the man the money. Look at the canvas carefully. Again, fixable but not a small check to replace all of it. The deck screws/bonds to the hull, the flybridge screws to the salon/deck. Expect to chase down some leaks and spend time with your caulking gun.
All that interior room and comfort and the ability to run on plane at 12K or so comes at a price. It is not a deep V hull and the back half of the hull is flat with no keel. In moderate chop & wind, the hull wallows a lot and requires some degree of chasing the helm. It's a bit top heavy and presents a lot of sail area to the wind but is stable for it's intended purpose. Carvers of this vintage are adequately built but not brutes like a Bertram. Bottom is solid glass but freeboard and decks are cored balsa w/ plywood at mounting points. It is a Chevrolet. Nothing wrong with that but it was not intended to be an open water boat - it is a lake, river, coastal cruiser. Three foot seas won't be fun and the ability to run at 20+ knots (yes, a gas boat will go that fast at north of 40 GPH) won't get you out of bad weather in 3 foot seas - the hull can't do it and if it does, you won't like it.
I can give you cruise speed/GPH/RPM numbers for a gas boat but if you get the diesel that won't help you. In smooth water @ 12 knots the boat is a breeze, a little chop is no big deal, moderate chop is more comfortable at below 10 knots. Running faster and up to full bore is fun in smooth water but not worth the fuel cost. The more wind there is, the less fun the boat is, especially with full canvas, but that is true of a lot of boats. It'll chug along at 6 knots also and while not really "sipping fuel", be notably more economical. Diesels like to be a near full throttle so I'd suggest you do some research on the parameters for a 3607 diesel boat, again they didn't produce many of them. There is a Carver owners forum - the factory is of no use other than having an online library of old brochures. They have no older parts or information about the older boats.
Is it a "good" boat? For what this older boat costs, for a semi-live aboard "condo" that you can putt across the bay (or in your case along the St. John) or along the ICW to another marina, back it in, fire up the grill and pour a martini, you bet it is. Lot of boat for the money and something similar that is significantly newer or factory new is crazy expensive. The new 36 Carver is $360K !!!! base and it is still a Carver. You can get a lot of pre-owned Bertram, Viking or any variety of actual trawlers for those bucks. Doing the Keys, other than following the highway in good weather, or Bimini could be iffy. You'll need a predictably good weather window, range is an issue, at least in a gas boat, and cruising in a group might be prudent. Do I like my boat - YES!! We use it as a floating condo/second home and for that purpose and what it cost, including the irrational amount of money I have put into it, it does well. I like the vintage look (all the swoopy windows, chrome and automobile helms are dumb in a boat), it's a presentable ship shape boat I'm not be ashamed of berthed next to some got bucks guy in his Selene and it is very comfortable living. Just expect to expend some time, sweat equity and bucks to get there, unless the seller has done it for you already. If he has, snap it up.
Have fun.
 
Your post made me smile a number of times. We have a 1983 3207. Smaller of course, but similar in lots of ways. Yes, we replaced all eight portlights, you're right, they were all cloudy and cracked - the one over the galley sink fell to pieces into the sink when I loosened the dogs. Yes, the previous owner did a lot of dumb things, especially wiring. Spent the first season bringing everything back to original, proper design. On the other hand, sounds like our boat held up better in lots of ways over the years. The two (original) ac units are still running very well, they'll freeze you out of the boat on a hot summer day. Stove works fine again now, although I did have to dismantle it and replace that annoying safety switch. You're right about the genset too - ours still runs okay, but just okay - but then we almost never use it either. The steering and throttle linkages are still smooth and tight. No soft decks or deck leaks anywhere, except for the bow hatch where the previous owner took out the tempered glass and replaced it with a plastic panel and a solar fan. Have to re-install a proper hatch this season. You're so right about the Carvers' windage. It's like trying to sail a billboard around, or a sailboat with full sails out and no keel, on a high wind day. I've gotten used to it and operate accordingly, but they do get blown around easily. You're right about the furniture - we found a new, perfect size leather couch (boat, not a home couch) but it took weeks of internet searching. Had to replace all the sink drains, they were pot-metal too (zamack) and they were just nasty corroded. Had to replace nearly all the rail fittings, elbows and stanchions, also corroded and pitted junk metal, and that's in fresh water all its life.

But you're right too, overall, they're good old Chevys if you take care of them, tons of room, lots of boat for the money. I do even still like the styling, a good solid, classic look, even after all these years. A few boats got repo'd in our marina over the years, swoopy Chlorox bottles that cost hundreds of thousands new. We bought ours for probably 10% of what some of those flashy boats cost, and ours is just as comfortable I think. Coffee on the flybridge on a summer morning, dinner on the aft deck. Rides okay in a 3' chop (although I'd avoid much more than that). Even after all these years, if they've been cared for well (or money spent to get them in shape, like you and I have) they're good boats I think. We've spent a lot that we won't get back, but boat owners should never expect a return on investment anyway, and I'm still not anywhere close to the money burn of the flashy newer boat owners (whose boats are not nearly as comfortable for the length in my opinion).
 
There are no bad boats, just bad captains. Keep it in the conditions it was designed for and you should be happy with it. Carver is a solid boat designed to a purpose.

GREAT ANSWER !!!! I have a Blue Water Yacht and this is a great answer when I hear all the wrongs about my boat.
 
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