Carver Owners Forum

Just fulfilled a bucket list item! Bought a 1988 Carver 3807 Aft Cabin with intention of living aboard most of the time. It’s the first big boat I’ve owned or piloted. Although my boating experience includes a lifetime (on and off) of recreational use and over 25 years of marine science research on everything from a 10’ skiff in Belize to the NOAA Ship Ferrel off the coast of South Carolina, I’m a bit nervous. She’s a big boat! She’s berthed at The Boathouse Marina in Colonial Beach, Virginia. I’ve just spent the day securing her in preparation for Hurricane Dorian, which is supposed to pass us by offshore on Friday. Some of the “guys” at the Marina say I’m being overly cautious, but my experience with many storms over many years tells me otherwise. Will be hiring an instructor to go out with me on my first voyage and have several very experienced friends who will go out with me for a while thereafter. Looking for all the support I can get from this group! Cheers, Caryn

Welcome to the forum and Carver.......good idea with the help and good luck with the upcoming storm....

We used to have an '88, 3807. In fact, we looked at one in Colonial Beach before buying one we found in Deltaville. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. We owned it for 7 years.
Did you get it surveyed? What engines do you have? Which genset?

Welcome aboard!
Good luck with the storm.

Yes, Don McCann from Tranquil Waters did a full survey including haul out and sea trial. The sellers completed all his recommendations for me. Gasoline engines, Twin Mercruiser 454s, Port is a new (rebuilt) with 15 hours, Starboard is Mercruiser Factory built with 365 hours. I’m not familiar with the term genset. Is that the 7.5kw Kohler Generator?

Beautiful boat. With all that room an aft cabin provides living aboard should be very doable. Good luck weathering the storm. Hope you and the boat come through safely.

Congrats and welcome aboard. I'm an '88 3807 owner too and we love the room. A few things on my bucket list to change like installing mufflers and a spiral staircase to the swim platform but enjoying her in the meantime.

I see a bit of a difference in your boat already; looks like your exhaust ports are out the side of the hull. Mine are out the stern. Do you have mufflers?

Yes "genset" is the generator. You likely have the same one as me; 7.5R63

If you have any questions, fire away.

welcome . that" big boat" will not seem so big in no time flat.

AskDrCaryn wrote:Source of the post Yes, Don McCann from Tranquil Waters did a full survey including haul out and sea trial. The sellers completed all his recommendations for me. Gasoline engines, Twin Mercruiser 454s, Port is a new (rebuilt) with 15 hours, Starboard is Mercruiser Factory built with 365 hours. I’m not familiar with the term genset. Is that the 7.5kw Kohler Generator?

Don surveyed the last 2 boats I sold and I would have used him for the 2 boats I bought, but they were both a good distance away, so I used guys that were more local.

We had Mercs as well, but we did have a Westerbeke genset.

Viper wrote:Source of the post

I see a bit of a difference in your boat already; looks like your exhaust ports are out the side of the hull. Mine are out the stern. Do you have mufflers?

.

I've never seen one with stern exhausts, in fact, I don't recall seeing any aft cabin motor yachts that didn't have side exhausts.