Carver Owners Forum

I'm thinking about dropping a pretty penny on this beast, but I'm worried I'll be biting off more than I can chew. This boat is fresh water... now... but clearly seen some salt.

Thoughts folks, would you do it?

https://www.boattrader.com/listing/2002 ... 103224368/

Welcome to the forum....this is the old story, what I have done before was to eliminate boats that were clearly a problem ( moisture meter and hammer ) before getting a surveyor for the question marks and to finish the job, and I am here to tell you that didn't work once.
You can check the registration , but the boat is 16 years old so could have been in the gulf many times. If you really like the boat hire a good surveyor and mechanic for the engines etc ....in the long run if you have to back out the alternative is usually a much higher cost and perhaps the results could be used to negotiate.
If the boat is on the cheaper side of the market there may be a reason. I will say I have no idea what that boat is worth...maybe someone from a salt area will chime in.......good luck with it man......

Sorry, just from those photos it doesn't look healthy...Just my 2 cents.

Absolutely, hire a surveyor. I recently bought a 356 and based on my survey, I was able to get a list of things fixed by the seller and some cash knocked off the agreed sale price. More than paid for the survey.
Do your research and find a good one, not all are.

I would agree with Pepmyster, definitely needs some TLC not to mention a boatload of things reconditioned, cleaned, repaired or changed. Yes you can probably get it for a really, really good price and if you are frugal and handy you will most likely end up with a great boat once all is said and done. HOWEVER, this will take a couple of seasons at best before you get things ironed out and still will find a few as time goes on. Make sure you get a survey to determine that nothing major is wrong that is not worth fixing.

Some caution on any previous salt water boat. Many do bring them to fresh because of the what looks like amazing deals to be had. Once in fresh thing start to go downhill due to salt contamination only to get unloaded by frustrated owners. The pictures alone show it has seen more than some salt.

I will compare a salt boat to a used car here in Quebec where are roads are salted all winter long. Never buy an older Quebec car that has seen winters as the underside is held together by the paint! Luckily boats do not have a frame but there are still quite a few metal components on the mechanical side that are severely compromised in a short period of time.

Welcome to the forum.
She's definitely a salt water boat. While you can't paint all salt water applications with the same brush, this one seems to be bad for its age going strictly by the pics. It's also evident that the owner or previous owners really didn't take good care of her, and that is perhaps just as much concern as the corrosion IMO. I suspect that what you fork out for the purchase will be only part of your overall expense. My fear is that hardware replacement will be an ongoing theme. If certain hardware fails such as exhaust manifolds, you can have a catastrophic engine failure. If that happens, whatever deal you think you may be getting now will likely be more than offset by repair costs.

A surveyor is a must, and a good mechanical survey is recommended as well. These will give you an idea of what you're in for after the purchase, can be used as a negotiating tool, and the survey is an insurance requirement anyway.

Keep us posted. If you decide to proceed with the purchase, I'm sure there will be some recommendations here that you should consider looking after sooner than later.

if you like the boat and the price seems reasonable to you...…
Survey, survey, survey.

When buying a used boat a good survey by a good surveyor is a must do. There are even those who would suggest getting a new purchase surveyed prior to taking ownership. I have no experience with salt water boats but up here on the inland seas, Great Lakes the general knowledge is many of us would never purchase a salt water boat. On the flip side I have a mechanic friend who summers here and every year he buys a local boat. Does a little fixing up and then he takes the boat down to Florida where he winters and sells it at a good profit. Being that it was a fresh water boat he can sell it for more down there than he could here.

I have an 81 Carver and there is no rust anywhere to be seen. From your pics there does look like there are things that may need to be addressed. Like I said I have no expertise when it comes to salt water boats.

Finally, once again, once you find a boat that you may like to purchase Get The Survey. It's money well spent.

Specifically on that boat I would make sure that the fuel tanks were checked over VERY well, especially the aft tank.

I would PLAN on the expense of replacing the exhaust manifolds and/or risers (depending on what sees raw water) after I got the boat, regardless what the survey said. Then you will KNOW what condition they are in and can work from there.

No doubt a survey is a must. The surveyor works for you the buyer and they will always find something to be concerned about. Some things are big concerns but most are small ones that usually add up. With the knowledge they provide you that becomes a negotiating tool which will probably allow you to cover the cost of the survey or at least get the repairs done before purchase.

My own opinion on this boat solely from your pictures and the listings pictures, I would not walk away from what I see - I would run! Remember the real money is below the hatches (engine bay) and this boat appears to have had very good care above the hatches but very little below. Again this is only my opinion. The worst thing a buyer can do is "fall in love" with the boat and make a decision based on emotion. If you looked at what's available and you think this is the boat for you get a survey done. Like others have said it's money well spent.