New to Carver Boats

[TimHoehn]

Hello all -

I am in my 70's and just recently purchased a 1988 Mariner 3297 with 600 hours on it. It is in excellent condition both inside and out and I am still learning where everything is located. I previously owned a 1979 Trojan Tri-cabin that I purchased new.

The Tri-cabin was 36' and the Mariner is 32' so a bit of a difference there. The biggest problem I am having in making the transition is the transmission control levers. The Trojan had a very small "throw" distance between forward and reverse and the Carver seems to be about triple that amount which is taking some getting used to - especially in tight conditions around the marina. Both the throttles and the transmission controls seem to be a bit stiff to operate. I have been told that the "throw" can be changed if they are a certain type of control. Going to check on that. I am also used to standing at the helm station when leaving the slip and docking and that is very impractical with the Carver due to the long throw.

Another issue is that the helm station is very far forward compared to the Trojan which makes it very difficult, if not impossible, to see the stern when I am backing out of the slip. Thinking about installing a camera above the sliding door to allow me to see that area.

I have been reading a lot of posts on the forum about similar boats just to see what others are experiencing and learning a lot. I don't seem to have some of the issues commonly reported for which I am grateful. I have been cruising at 3,000 RPM and getting about 17 MPH. The boat seems to pop up on plane with no issues like my Trojan did.

All-in-all I am very satisfied with my purchase and look forward to many happy hours on the water here on Lake Michigan. I am not good at working on boats so I doubt I will have much advice to offer. But I will gladly listen to others who are knowledgeable and pass along their wisdom if needed.

[km1125]

The shift cables may need to be replaced, or even if they're "functional" you might prefer to have them replaced to minimize any 'slop' that the years and wear may have caused. On both ends of the cable the linkage can typically be changed to allow for less or more throw. If you're not comfortable playing around with that then you might consider enlisting a friend who is very mechanically-inclined to help with that, or talk to a marine mechanic about changing the cables and changing the linkage setup to enable a quicker/shorter action.

Many people have added the reverse cameras, especially guys with aft cabins or aft hardtops that also block the view. It does take some getting used to though, as the image may be 'reversed' from what you're used to seeing. Some cameras have the option of mirror-imaging the video so it looks reversed, and others have actually mounted the screen behind them so they have to turn their head around to see the aft image (which eliminates the need to reverse the video).

[ColRon]

Welcome aboard and congratulations on your new to you Carver.

[g36]

Welcome aboard congrats on your carver.. I had a trojan f32 before my carver. I do miss my teak I had on the trojan

[Viper]

Welcome aboard. If you bought a '79 new, I'm sure you have experience a lot of us here can learn from so don't be shy to contribute.

Depending on your remotes, it could be as simple as the position of the attachment point of the cable on the lever's cam. Some have more than one option for the cable's location. The closer to the center of the cam you attach to, the less cable travel you'll get for the same amount of lever travel. There is a limit though, you have to ensure there is full travel at the transmission lever going into gear or you can damage the transmission, so it's a balancing act. The transmission dictates the amount of travel needed.

Tri-cabins are roomy for their size, a very popular production for Trojan for sure. Which model Tri-cabin did you have, engines in the salon or in the aft cabin?

[pepmyster]

Welcome to the group!!!!!

[RGrew176]

Welcome Aboard. Good luck with your Carver.

[TimHoehn]

Welcome aboard. If you bought a '79 new, I'm sure you have experience a lot of us here can learn from so don't be shy to contribute.

Depending on your remotes, it could be as simple as the position of the attachment point of the cable on the lever's cam. Some have more than one option for the cable's location. The closer to the center of the cam you attach to, the less cable travel you'll get for the same amount of lever travel. There is a limit though, you have to ensure there is full travel at the transmission lever going into gear or you can damage the transmission, so it's a balancing act. The transmission dictates the amount of travel needed.

Tri-cabins are roomy for their size, a very popular production for Trojan for sure. Which model Tri-cabin did you have, engines in the salon or in the aft cabin?

Thanks for the reply. The '79 had the engines under the salon floor which gave you lots of access and you were working in the AC if it was hot outside. Even at my age I had no problem getting into that engine room.

[TimHoehn]

Source of the post The shift cables may need to be replaced, or even if they're "functional" you might prefer to have them replaced to minimize any 'slop' that the years and wear may have caused. On both ends of the cable the linkage can typically be changed to allow for less or more throw. If you're not comfortable playing around with that then you might consider enlisting a friend who is very mechanically-inclined to help with that, or talk to a marine mechanic about changing the cables and changing the linkage setup to enable a quicker/shorter action.

Many people have added the reverse cameras, especially guys with aft cabins or aft hardtops that also block the view. It does take some getting used to though, as the image may be 'reversed' from what you're used to seeing. Some cameras have the option of mirror-imaging the video so it looks reversed, and others have actually mounted the screen behind them so they have to turn their head around to see the aft image (which eliminates the need to reverse the video).

Thanks for the advice. I was thinking I needed to get the cables replaced. It also sounds like I have some options to change the throw on the shift levers. I am in a crowded big boat marina and need to finesse the boat in and out of the slip with maximum control.

One thing that was very surprising about the Mariner was its ability to use the rudders to steer at engine idle speed. At that speed the Trojan had no noticeable response at all to rudder position so using the engines was the only option.

[km1125]

Another thought which may tie the control throw together with the cable stiffness:

The throw is the leverage on push-pull on the cable. More throw allows for less effort on the cable to move it the same amount. Someone previously might have increased the throw on the levers to overcome stiffness in the cables, either as a workaround or they didn't realize the cables were failing and were stiffer and sloppier than they should be. Replacing the cables would probably allow you to go to a smaller throw without an increase in effort and also have a more concise positioning from gear to gear.