so i want to buy a 88 Carver 3207 aft cabin

[ataylor233]

as the title says i want to purchase this boat listed locally on Craigslist.I wne to see it and these are the things i've noticed

1 a hole covered with white tape on the aft starboard of the boat up high where the word Carver sits .
2 Allot of water in the forward bulge area (he said it was because we got allot of rain)
3.a few creaking floors
4 Stairs going down the galley one was tilted a bit (not fLat as the others)
5 600 hours on both engines (not Bad)

there was a little water near the starboard side water inlet valve and i've attached a picture to show where the hole is

This boat was the cheapest price of the 2 i'm looking at and i don't want to pay for a survey for every boat i look at.

[bud37]

Cant see what you mean in the pic, it seems to be cut off.
A little advice that I have offered to many.....buy a good moisture meter ( 2 to 300 dollars ) and learn how it works....it will at least give you an idea of what you are looking at, deck and coring wise, that way you can select the ones you want surveyed( the real prospects)......no I am not saying that is foolproof ( don't ask how I know) and you can use it later to find and isolate water intrusion issues.When these boats get really cheap there is usually a good reason.......

[Viper]

+1
Can't see the hole.
The water in the bilge could be anything. Several points of entry for rain, and thru-hull hardware. Thru-hull leaks usually leave a tell-tail sign though. You'd usually see staining or water tracks from the points of entry. They could be anywhere. Certainly look for signs from all seacocks, transducers, prop shaft logs and rudder post logs (normal to an extent), log bolts, strut mounting bolts, transom fixtures like trim tabs, swim platform mountings bolts, exhaust outlets, etc. It may be rain getting in through the anchor rope locker via anchor line, windlass etc. Lots of possibilities here.

I think you'd be hard pressed to find any vessel of that vintage to not have any creaking floors in the interior. On the exterior, it may be a sign of an underlying problem such as a wet core or delamination. Only further investigation will answer that for sure.

Keep in mind that it's a 1988 vessel. there will be some things that need attention. The trick is finding one that doesn't require major work that'll cut into your boating time and budget. Unfortunately the only way to be let's say more certain, is to hire a properly certified surveyor. Certainly you could narrow down the possibilities by doing some preliminary inspection yourself. Sometimes the signs are obvious; stained headliner under railing stanchions, sometimes not so much and tools of the trade and a trained ear are necessary.

[ataylor233]

Thanks guys this gave me a better idea the floors werent to bad just creaked a little...i will go over the boat again with a friend to see if its something i want. i took it out on the water seemed to handle well.

[waybomb]

Where is the boat?

[RGrew176]

Just an FYI, my 81 3007 generally has water in the forward bilge area. On my boat the A/C condensate drains into the forward bilge. The way the boat sits in the water also tends to have any water in the bilge run towards the forward bilge area.

As others have suggested there could be many sources of water intrusion. Fortunately for me I think I have a pretty sound boat for a 1981 model. Looking at your pic the layout topsides looks just like mine.

As to surveys you really only want to schedule a survey when you have narrowed down your choices. When I was boat hunting last year I did pay for 2 surveys. One was a Chris Craft 290 Catalina and then my Carver 3007 Aft Cabin. I really liked the exterior and lines of the Chris Craft but I liked the roominess of the Carver more.

If the boat is still in the water you might want to go for a sea trial prior to a survey. Good luck.