Hello I'm Nado we own a 84 3207 aft. New to boating

Yesterday the captain and I were out on the 2006 Carved 36MY "Condo" and experienced a stuttering in the port engine. It was moderate light load 1400rpm, after having just gassed up.

It would run smooth for a bit, then rough, then smooth. I initially thought we'd sucked up some residual water in the fuel tank, and has it trapped in the filter from our most recent fillup.

After we came back, I decided to pull spark plugs to get a read on their condition. Turns out they were OEM from 2006, with 270hrs, and one has cracked insulator. A quick trip to auto parts store got me a new set of exact replacements.

Now a much smoother running motor!

The captain and I had a short trip yesterday after determining our starboard engine starboard side exhaust elbow was actually cracked and puffing exhaust into the engine bay.

My question is for those with gas engines, having replaced exhaust elbows, and shopped for value item for the price.

I see (4) choices available on web searches.
-OEM volvo penta elbow in the $250 range
-Sierra elbow in the $200 range
-BAR elbow in the $175 range
-HGE elbow in the $150 range

Are the OEM elbows worth the extra cost due to finish or feature? Can anyone verify that?

Searching for OEM part numbers comes up with Sierra part number equivalent. Anyone use Sierra exhaust parts and if so what is your impressions as to quality and longevity?

Anyone choose to use the BAR equivalent, and if so, your impressions on quality and longevity.

All feedback is appreciated, looking for cost effective fix for the next +7yrs

I just bought a 2005 Carver41 CMY it does not have autopilot currently. I am looking at a Raymarine EV-200 Power Hydraulic Evolution Autopilot T7015 I am not sure that this will work with the boats Hydraulic steering . Has anyone had any experience with this system or has anyone installed any of the New Evolutions Autopilots by Raymarine that can give me a recommendation.

I am trying to stay with all Raymarine electronics.

Thanks for the add! We have a 2008 36SS. We bought it new on Lake Winnipesaukee NH and moved it to Boca Raton FL in 2010. Moved again to Cape Coral FL in 2016. We love this boat! We love it in spite of the multiple engine problems we've had with the Volvo Pentas - including initial warrantied issues when it was new. In fact, we are currently down an engine and in replace mode.

Looking forward to sharing experiences and learning from this group!

I’m in the market for a boat. Saw many boats. I keep going back to the Carver 380 Santego. It has a great price along with excellent amenities. The 454 is easy to work on, general maintenance would be a breeze and all parts are less than half of a diesel. So I see a lot of perks.

But... I’m constantly being told not to get a Carver. There are claims of thin hulls that easily break apart in rough seas. Claims that Carver uses low quality parts in order to keep costs down.

From reading here most everyone seems very satisfied with their Carvers. Im on the West Coast and seas can get rough at times. I will occasionally go 60 miles off shore. Most the time I’ll use it to go to Catalina island.

What is your opinion of your Carver? Have you had hull issues? Quality issues? Safety issues? How do they handle rough seas and what exactly are rough seas? 2’, 5’, 10’ or more? Would you buy another?

Please help me make a decision on a boat! Thanks

I recently purchased a 356, the bottom paint is all there and looks to in good shape. I don’t know when it was painted last. It was used mainly used in freshwater rivers and in Charleston Harbour. The boat is currently on the hard so I could have it stripped and repainted prior to me bring it home to Central NY. Should I have it repainted now as I will be spending about a month or so in salt water bring it home? Or should I wait till I get it home back in the freshwater before repainting?

Hello,

I have a 2000 Carver 396 aft cabin, that has sliding saloon door and separate sliding screen. The track and wheels on the screen have become so fouled it does not easily open or close. So I need to remove the door and then screen to clean the track and probably replace the slide wheels. The question is how to best remove the sliding door. Referring to the attached pictures (), I think the following will allow me to remove the door, but I'm not sure:

(1) remove the two sets of two screws from the top of the door to release from the top track wheels.

(2) remove a set of screws (looks like 3 or 4) along the bottom of the door to release from the bottom track wheels.

(3) the door does not look like it would have room to lift out unless the trim piece at the lower left of the foot well is removed; it appears to be removable with a single screw (and cutting the caulk).

The above is hoping that the seat above the door, the cabinet to the left of the door, or the stainless rail to the right of the door do not need to be removed in order to remove the door.

Any experience, ideas and tips appreciated.

Thank you.
--Jim

I am the proud owner of a new to me 2001 Carver 356 Aft Cabin yacht. It is currently on the hard in Charleston SC and I will be bringing it home to Central NY in the spring of 21. I’m going to be doing some work on it prior to bringing it up. It needs some interior work in the front birth, a new ac unit installed in the salon, new hot water heater, and new carpeting. We will also be installing new mattresses. The ac unit and hot water heater was included in the purchase. I am excited and looking forward to refitting the boat, but I have lots of questions. I am very mechanically inclined and can’t wait to get started on it.

My Carver 26 (recently bought, discovering many things) seems to have an Insta-trim boat leveler pump. The red cover is still there, but the bottom white part (reservoir?) is missing and I noticed a sharp corner in a pressure line... So that one has a disappointing history and does not work any more.

My question; is it worth to replace the pump or should I install a different type of trim tabs control (no pump, manual position, different brand pump)

general question: how does the trim tab and the heckdrive position trimming work together?

We will seldomly be able to go so fast to get her into plane but when I'm at it (overhaul everything) anyway, I'd like to do the job well. Within reasonable cost.

Any tips welcome.