Carver Owners Forum

Hi everyone,

New to the forum. I just purchased a 1974 Carver Cabin Cruiser for $2500. I believe it is a Monterey, number 2585. It’s equipped with a Ford 302 and Mercruiser MC-1 outdrive.The engine runs and upholstery is in “decent” condition. The boat was last in the water 10 years ago and has been barn stored ever since. I know these hulls are balsa cored, which concerns me slightly. However this boat seems to have solid stringers, floor, and hull. Only time will tell if that is the truth. I will be restoring the boat this winter with my brother. It needs some interior upholstery work, teak restoring, re-wiring, and outdrive replacement/rebuilding. I plan to document my restoration on this thread and upload photos along the way.

Question for you all: Does anyone have any experience with this hull or have any knowledge to share on these types of Carvers?

Carver74 wrote:Source of the post Question for you all: Does anyone have any experience with this hull or have any knowledge to share on these types of Carvers?

First welcome to the forum......the only advice I can put forth here is simple, before spending one more dollar make sure the stringers /hull and especially the transom are ok.....you may have to take some core samples to make sure. These areas need some experience to inspect and repair properly and will be the basis of a solid and safe vessel later on when the pretty stuff gets in there.....good luck with your resto and I look forward to the pics as you go forward.......

Welcome aboard!! Looking forward to the pics and the progress!!

Welcome aboard and follow Bud's advice.

Welcome aboard

Co-Owner of the boat here, does anyone know if the wood cores on these transoms spans the full width of the hull, or is it just down the middle?

Wood typically spans the entire beam on the transom. You could take a small drill and make holes from the inside to see if there is any moisture.
Start low around the plug hole and work out from there.

First test before drilling would be to tap with a hammer. Dull sounds are bad, sharp sounds are good.