Carver Owners Forum

I am looking at getting my first boat (grew up on small lakes but now I am on Lake Michigan). I am tossed up on which one to get. There is a bayliner for sale (1994) for 5k in good shape, a 87 Sundance for 6k or a 1986 Carver 2757 for 7.5k with 1200hrs on the engine. Any input? I heard bayliner is crap (pinto of boats), Sundance is the Chevy and Carvers are the Cady's.

While I'm a fan of Carver's, they are hardly considered the Cadillac of boats. They really are a Chevy. While I've never been on the Great Lakes, not sure I want to be bobbing around Lake Michigan in an older, $6000 boat. While I agree that Bayliner's aren't top level, I'd lean towards the boat with the best cared for engine and drive. Make sure the boat has a decent amount of HP for the size and weight of the boat. It can happen with any brand, but Bayliners are notorious for coming out of the factory, underpowered from the get go.
Whatever you do, spend the bucks and hire a qualified surveyor to check the boat out.
There is a process in buying a boat like this. If not familiar, come back and ask for advice.

I would state my feeling that a Sundancer and a Carver are somewhat upscale from a Bayliner. That said, I have owned 10 boats including my current Carver. 5 of the 10 boats I have owned have been Bayliners a 2052 Capri Cuddy, a 2450 Ciera Sunbridge, a 2655 Ciera Sunbridge a 2855 Ciera Sunbridge and a 3055 Ciera Sunbridge.

None of the Bayliners I owned were underpowered. That reputation is not entirely without merit. For instance my 2450 Ciera had a 305 V-8 for power but the standard engine in that boat was a 4 cylinder definitely underpowered. All my Bayliners had V-8 engines so they were powered well.

You said you plan to boat on Lake Michigan size will matter. Lake Michigan is an inland sea and conditions can get challenging. Anyway check them all out. Once you decide as suggested already a survey and sea trial are a must. Good luck.

Buy what suits your needs. Bayliner was my first boat and served us extremely well for 11 years. Buy a bought which has been cared for, don't but a huge project as your first boat. You want to have fun!!!!!!!!! Good luck in your search.

Nothing wrong with any of the boats you mentioned. More depends on the upkeep than any thing else. I also had 3 previous Bayliners, nothing "pinto' about any of them.

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Welcome to the boaters life! 100% agree with all posters, at this point it is all about care and maintenance. If all were cared for equally, then here are some considerations. Bayliner was produced as a "price point" boat. Their smaller runabouts were mass produced with price only in mind. Normally powered with OMC engine packages. As they got bigger, the production techniques improved, options were expanded to upgrade to compare to competitors. My nephew has a 27 with a 290 Volvo in it. Still runs, but he does not cruise it more than 5 miles away from his marina. No way he would take it on Lake MI. All their hulls in that age range are cored, which would be a little concerning for me. Sea Ray also had a lot of hull coring issues in that age range. Not much better in terms of reliability at 33 years old. My pick would be the Carver, especially if it has Crusader engines. The hull is solid glass below waterline, and techniques of construction to join the deck to the hull were way better. You should check on what has been done with the engine(s). 1200 hrs is almost there for a rebuild if the engine is Mercruiser or Volvo. I suspect you will actually be able to buy any of these choices for about the same price. Just be smart in your offer strategy. Here is a link for 1986 Carvers. https://carveryachts.blob.core.windows. ... 6/1986.pdf

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Welcome to the forum.....check out the Help with boat find thread.

Older 5K to 7k boats may be ok for smaller calm bodies of water where shore is right there. I would not be taking anyone/family out on big water with boats like that, there is just too much at stake, even with larger/heavier boats.

Consider surveyors, etc, etc before any purchase like this makes sense for your intended use. Now there will always be gems out there, just be aware to be careful....the boat maker really has no play in old boats, they have probably been owned by far too many people.( read, all kinds of alterations , good and bad ).My guess here is you are considering these brands based on purchase price......good luck with your adventure.

Both Searay and Bayliner are owned by Brunswich Marine. I have been told (by surveyors) the only difference between the two are the fit and finish of the final goods, (cushions, cabinets etc.) the hulls on most of the smaller boats are actually made on the same assembly lines, and are identical.
Carver is or was owned by Genmar Marine which also shared building facilities with many other "brand names " under the genmar umbrella.
That being said, do a bit of research on the models and years you are interested in.
as mentioned in previous posts, many of the older boats had cored (wood between fiberglass) hulls, transoms and stringers. As the boat ages, crack in the fiberglass, poor assembly practices and owner DIY projects allow water to infiltrate these areas. This caused rot, that can be repaired, but is often more costly than the value of the boat.

I owned and loved a 1988 carver 2757. In 1999 I had to replace parts of the starboard stringers due to water intrusion at the motor mounts. Also, mine had the mercury 3.7 LX engines, if the one you are looking at has the 3.7's, stay away, as parts are hard to come by and very expensive these days. With 1200 hours on those engines you are on borrowed time.

I guess this is a very long winded way of saying, do your research ask questions and don't be swayed by a low initial price. Boats are great, but structural problems are very expensive to repair. If you can find a boat a bit newer that you know has no wood, at least below the water line, I would move in that direction.

As far as the great lakes, you do not mention the models of the bayliner or searay, but if you are talking all 27's I would be much more comfortable on the carver or searay. I believe both the carver and searay of those years (87 ,88) were 10"6 beam boats and weighed about 7000 -7500 lbs. The newer (94) bayliner I think was 8'6" beam and about 5000lbs. (please verify)