Hello again. I have found that the water tank level sensor is not working this season. Does anyone know how to trouble shoot this? I guess it's prudent to confirm it's a sending unit issue or some other problem. Swapping out the sending unit looks like a pain because they have it buried under a bunch of cables. Before I go through that hassle it would be good to be sure that is the issue.
All advise appreciated.

Bought some Mercury brand 25W50 synthetic blend engine oil for oil change. The container says high performance marine applications. My thought is, if this is formulated for HP engines, it should be even more effective with my Crusader 5.7 XL, and offer a high degree of lubrication. I run the engines at 3000 to 3100 RPM most of the time. Talked to a Mercury "certified" mechanic about that oil. His reaction was he would not recommend using this product because it is formulated for Mercury Verado engines only. He said something about an "impact" performance condition, that may negatively affect my Crusaders. Guess I can still exchange for a better suited product, but not convinced I should. VIPER - what do you think? er

We bought a 1996 325 this offseason and I have been working on a number of projects while it has been in storage. One of the projects was replacing a cracked lens in the Bomar deck hatch. The marina quoted me about $1,800 to replace the hatch, and my project was about $150 in materials including a new gasket, which was the most expensive part.

I know there are already a few threads on this topic, but none that are very detailed, so I wanted to share my process and what I learned along the way so hopefully others can learn from some of my mistakes!

Before:

After:

(please ignore the dirty deck - can’t wait to get it out of storage and wash the deck!)

First I removed the old lens using a razor blade to cut the silicone sealant, then thoroughly cleaned all the silicone off both the hatch frame and lens. I glued the broken lens back together to use as a template.

I went to a local glass shop to have them cut a new lens for me. All they had was clear Lexan, and I wanted something tinted but I had them do it anyway. I was disappointed with the result. The holes for the hatch dogs weren't the correct size (the holes aren’t a standard size - they’re close to 3/4” but not quite). It also looked like they freehand cut the rounded corners with a jigsaw. I’m a bit of a perfectionist and it bothered me, especially because the material wasn’t what I wanted in the first place. So I decided to redo it myself.

Here’s a helpful read on choosing acrylic (plexiglass) vs polycarbonate (lexan): https://hatchmasters.com/acrylic-vs-polycarbonate/

I bought a piece of 1/4” smoke gray acrylic on Amazon and used the old lens as a template to cut the new one using a router with a flush cut pattern bit. First I rough cut the new lens with a jigsaw about 1/4” wider than actual, then used the router to cut it exactly to the same size as the pattern.

I did some online reading about drilling clean holes in acrylic, and someone said using a spade bit works well. Don’t believe everything you read on the internet… I stupidly tried to use a spade bit, which of course cracked the acrylic because of the pressure from the conical point on the bit

If you do drill the holes, I would go with a forstner bit and a drill press, but I think my alternative method worked well.

I started over, this time doing the holes for the hatch dogs first. I highly recommend doing the holes first in case you run into any issues, then you can start over with minimal waste. This time around, I drilled a small pilot hole in the center of the hole location and then gradually worked up the size of the pilot hole. I then used a 5/8” carbide hole saw to cut a hole slightly smaller than the one I needed, and I finished it with the router and the pattern bit, using the original lens as a pattern (similar to a plunge cut with the router, using the hole I drilled for the plunge). This method worked great.

I called Bomar/Pompanette to get the part number for my hatch by giving them the serial number. They were very helpful and were able to tell me what the replacement part numbers were for the gasket and hatch dogs.

I set the new lens in place and then used DOWSIL 795 structural glazing sealant to bed the lens and tooled it immediately with popsicle sticks. I had the lens perfectly centered with a nice clean bead of caulk and I was feeling pretty pleased with myself. Which of course means I was about to make another mistake. The instructions for the 795 say to remove masking immediately. I had masked the hatch frame with standard blue painters tape, which I removed no problem. However, when I tried to remove the protective factory masking from the acrylic, it was extremely sticky and the lens shifted in place when I tried to pull it off, pushing a bunch of the caulk out of the frame and causing a huge mess. I quickly remasked it and redid the caulk as best I could, but it didn’t turn out perfect. I’m probably the only person who will notice though, so oh well. If I did it again, I would either 1) disregard the instructions and wait until it cured to take the masking off (this worked just fine when I removed the rest of the protective masking from the acrylic the following day), or 2) not tool it at all, and just cut it flush with a razor once it cured. I think both of those options would’ve resulted in a better finished product.

Lastly, I had purchased new black mushroom caps for the hatch dogs, to replace the original white ones. The new caps said they were compatible with my hatch dogs, but when I installed them, the diameter of the inner round piece was just a tiny bit larger so they didn’t fit cleanly in the holes like the originals did. So, I went back to the originals which fit perfectly. I may enlarge the holes slightly at some point so I can use the new caps, but for now I’m going to call this project complete.

Hope this helps someone!

Hey mates,
When I was filling the fresh water tank on my 2005 Mariner I noticed water coming out of one of the thru hulls on the starboard side of the boat. I checked the boat diagram and it labeled the thru hull as 'SUMP'.
Can anyone explain what the might be? I could not hear the sound of any pump working.
Thanks,
Dennis

hey all;

So my 2003 carver 396 with Onan generator was launched. The marina launched it while i was away. When I came to the boat, the Generator was turned off at the generator itself (not the remote start switch at the power panel). I mention this as I have never turned off the generator there so am assuming the staff did this. After rectifying that issue I got the generator to run and it runs perfectly fine, but will NOT provide power at the panel.

it sure seems like there is a breaker popped or fuse blown that I am unaware of. things I have checked:

* at the generator, the field breaker is normal.
* at the generator, the 75 amp breaker is normal
* battery on/off switch is verified ON
* Power panel was triple checked and no voltage or amp pull no mater what I do.

Any thoughts on something I could have missed?

My circuit board diode is fried after a power surge. Does anyone know where I can buy one the board or have this one repaired. IcoBoost 50. Numbers on the board. 81-001879-A REV, 75-00127-B REV. A, 473637 0603 COS, 48301A. OR BUY A GOOD USED MODEL 93-ISOBOOST50-A. Thanks in advance. Larry

Recently purchased a 2000 Carver 350 Mariner that had an unresolved water leak that I’m trying to correct. The leak appears to pool in the bottom shelf of the battery switch box. I will post pics of the water damage to help visualize the issue. There is also rust appearing on the white speaker cover that is located above the switch box which makes me think it’s coming from somewhere above and dripping down. Hoping someone has already faced this mystery leak and has a solution for me. Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions.

Salutations to all Carver owners,

I am the original owner of a 2005 33 SS. Air Con unit is still working quite well but I have often wondered how long it can last. Though I have owned this boat for a long time I still don't know how the AC unit is replaced/accessed for replacement.

Anyone know?

Thanks...

I understand this model is a cored hull correct ? CDRR6037C696

I attached an image of a hull blister should this be a deal breaker ? I will be using this boat on a lake with max waves of 2'

Custom Mattress made by “Sea Swag” fits aft cabin Carver Motor Yachts 1993-2003 390/400/404 and 1995-2003 355/356 models.
Stock dimensions of approximately 56” x 74” with a medium/firm 4” Talalay latex base, 2” topper and a zippered high loft quilted bamboo antimicrobial cover.
Includes a custom fitted coverlet with a tailored hem that covers the sides and includes matching pillow shams made from Sunbrella Acrylic material in Canvas Heather Beige.
Used only two seasons, cost was almost $2000. I need space! Available now for $900. I can deliver within 200KM of Barrie, Ontario.