Help

Mery christmas to all, I need opinions fast...Which is the better boat a carver 1982 linked below or a 78 marine trader europa single 120 lehman...I need to know because I am supposed to by the marine trader in 3 days...same money, What would you do if both are in the same shape??? thanks...pics atached are of the trader
https://us-mg6.mail.yahoo.com/neo/launch?.rand=f50f58m56n3pv#mail

hitch said:

Mery christmas to all, I need opinions fast...Which is the better boat a carver 1982 linked below or a 78 marine trader europa single 120 lehman...I need to know because I am supposed to by the marine trader in 3 days...same money, What would you do if both are in the same shape??? thanks...pics atached are of the trader https://us-mg6.mail.yahoo.com/neo/launch?.rand=f50f58m56n3pv#mail

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Can't access the photo's.

Photos The last one is a scar on the photo not dock rash

Whoa, slow down Hitch. Remember, fools rush in. I'd suggest you take a step back from both boats, take a deep breath, and try to determine which boat will best suit your boating needs.

If you don't do that you likely will end up buying a boat that won't suit your needs and you'll end up trading that in a year or two....and that can get very expensive.

I can't i gotta buy

Marine trader over carver all day.

Dollars to doughnuts the MT is full of rot. Teak decks (?) ergo bingo rot.

How can you possibly "gotta" on such lack of understanding? I also counsel caution and spend some time learning more about how you are tossing away your boat dollars (1000s).

Welcome, very glad to welcome you here, please pay attention!

Hitch, your profile says you already have a '78 Marine Trader.

Just the down payment ...sea trial and inspection in 3 days..Hence the hurry..sorry if i jumped the gun

Marine Trader

Have the boats been surveyed?

The MT will be sea trialed and surveyed on fri I am still deciding if I want to even look at the Carver I am looking for a historical comparison of quality tween the 2 boats

Depends on you particular deal but surely the coming sea trial and survey makes the MT purchase pretty much optional for you.
The MT would have to do badly for me to buy a Carver, but take note of Xsbank`s warnings.

options

Drag your feet a bit. You have the option of negotiating further after the sea trial and survey as there will likely be some issues. In the meantime I would go look at the Carver if for no other reason than to make a liveability comparison.

Any answer to the question you posed "which is better?" relies primarily on information from you ( which there is not enough of) in at least the following three categories

1) what use will you put the boat to - how many people on board, spots travelled to (mostly inshore or where?) guests, length of stay, etc, ie the Carver might have more separation for two couples but the MT has more flat space and fewer levels making it ideal for one couple

2) what the Carver is equipped with e.g. diesel or gas and the condition of both boats - sometimes the quality of previous ownership is more important than the original build

3) what the ancillary equipment and price of both boats (assuming same condition) and whether or not one is priced with a particularly motivated seller making the overall value better. eg. electronic replacements are cheap but questionable mechanical is not - even flybridge canvas is not cheap but rotten decks and stringers are far from cheap and become very serious poison

I don't mind the Carver from the interior perspective and the newer date but the MT probably has a much more robust hull. The problem even with that statement is that it is so tough to say there would be any deciding difference if it was mostly a marina queen or used on protected water.

If you were teetering between them and actually brought your wife to see both - buy what wifey likes or forget boating.

Color me biased, but I've had 2 Sea Rays and 1 MT. Four gas engines and one Ford Lehman diesel. That diesel has been the easiest to access, most trouble free engine I've experienced. I'd go MT all day long over Carver. You're wallet will appreciate it.

Cannot access the Carver, but the Europa style of your pictures is a great layout for people and pets if that is your lifestyle. We have a sundeck and had a big dog, and it is a bear to move feeble people (parents) and heavy dogs on that layout. We love the boat, but it has it's challenges...

perspective

Ben is quite correct about the difference in layout however we are without knowledge of your use which would determine if the layout difference is meaningful one way or another.
On the issue of gas or diesel I am stuck with guessing the carver is gas unless L missed it somewhere. So again we do not have use as a criteria, E.G. if it is tied up all the time who cares which one unless you are prone to setting off explosions. If you actually want to drive any he is right again, the diesel eould far supperior. Same problem we are stuck with assumptions
If you can be more specific, the quality of advice would get substantially more unhelpful

Hitch, even after the survey and sea trial you're still not likely to be bound by anything and you should be able to get your deposit back if necessary. Most down payment deals give you the option of accepting it after a successful sea trial and survey. If one or the other doesn't turn out to be what it should you can back out and get your deposit back or renegotiate the selling price.

Remember Rule #1 of boat buying....The wrong boat at the best price in the world is still the wrong boat.

GFC is correct, also remember the sea trial and the survey are entirely for the benefit of the buyer and give you an out for any reason you can imagine.

I personally love the Europa layout and the Taiwanese cabinetry but 100% of the Taiwanese boats I looked at over the previous summer before I bought ours, were rotten. Those that had been "fixed" couldn't document the repair, nor could they even describe it accurately so I learned there are some very quick and (relatively) cheap fixes that make it look good for a quick sale. Use your nose, get to the boat early so you are there when the broker opens it up - any mildew/mould smell should turn you off it. You will have to really want it to go past your nose. It might be a mouldy lifejacket but in my experience, it won't be.

Lehmans are at the top of the list for simplicity, reliability and reasonable fuel consumption but they can have their issues too. Oh, check the fuel tanks!

Good luck.

GFC said:

Remember Rule #1 of boat buying....The wrong boat at the best price in the world is still the wrong boat.

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First time I heard this. Thanks. Great quote!

Can't access the Carver photos, Hitch.... but in any case, in addition to the words of caution, I can only add that comparing a Marine Trader to a Carver is pretty much apples and oranges when it comes to they're intended mission and performace. Given only those two choices, and depending on my eventual purpose, I'd walk from both... take adeep breath... sort out what I'm trying to solve... start over.

-Chris

hitch said:

I can't i gotta buy

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Why?

I've owned the same Marine Trader for 20 years. I still love it.

Carvers are great boats. But they are completely different from Marine Traders.

Son, you gotta make up your mind.

I'd buy the MT. It has a cool flag ; )