Carver Owners Forum

Hi there, new guy here and I hope this question is in the right spot.......trying to decide between a 93 370 voyager which is the style of boat we have always had or the aft versions of the same size,......anyone have any goods or bads of these particular models,docking, boarding , handling , fuel tanks etc.

We currently have an F 32 on Georgian bay and had a 2897 before that.....Mike

I guess it really depends on what you'd like. The 370 Voyager is a great boat, if you like sedans. Moving to a Carver 355 Aft Cabin will give you more room inside and it is built on the same hull as the 370 Voyager. Ease of entry will depend on dock set-up...floating or permanent...boarding side or aft, but I see the Voyager pretty much always being easier to some extent. Now, the big thing, STEPS. In the Aft Cabin, you are always going up or down stairs...everywhere you go...steps. Not a big deal, but can get annoying. Personal taste, I guess. Also, look at the 3467/638/380 Santego. Great boat. Quasi sedan/express hybrid. Cabin all on the same level, great ride!

In having 3 dogs, our decision was on the 380 Santego. The ease of boarding at the aft along with easy access to the bridge and cabin are remarkable. In both my wife and I in our 60's and hurting knees the lack of steps is appreciated. The aft cabins are roomy but in wind are a kite and difficult to dock.

Mike,

We had a Silverton 42C convertible (like your F32) and loved the sliding door to the salon, but wanted the space. We were looking at Silverton 453s and Carver 466 aft cabin MYs. We ended up pulling the trigger on my 01 506. Absolutely love the layout, tons of room. We do miss the big open back deck that a convertible offers but our swim platform extends 6 feet out from the transom and is 15 feet wide - so there is a ton of outside real estate.

So, if you are thinking of going to the M?Y layout, go for one that has a big swim platform and you will be ok with the change.

As for difficult to dock - yes, sightlines are terrible, but cameras are dirt cheap. But, I bet the first time anyone on this board got into a bigger boat for the first time, docking was a challenge. Two or three dockings later, you will have it down. Don't steer away from an aft cabin because of windage or sightlines, you can and will get used to it.

Lyndon,

What kind of cruise speed you get on the 506? Are the 74Ps enough to stay on a good plane at 17-18 knots without running at 200rpm off the top? I've looked at that boat and the cockpit version, the 564, I wonder if that boat would cruise a little better with the extra waterline. I have a 444 and I think it's a little faster than the 396 because of the additional waterline length. The 2001-2006 line of Carvers were beautiful looking boats.

Thanks,

Hugo

Thanks for the responses so far guys...we do like the inside space of the afts.....one thing we have always been used to is the salon ,deck, transom door, swim platform layout.....that being said we need an extra cabin somehow and try to stay in the under 40 footprint....we are going to have to do some climbing around and see if the raised deck setup will work for us ( not kids anymore).

What have been some of the major maintenance items that show up in the nineties versions of these boats, are the stringers all glass ?...Mike

Hugo,

To the best of my memory, 2000 gets me 17 knots proper.

With regards to the 564, it's the perfect blend of MY and sedan, although I'm not sure if the profile us as pretty as the 506. I would probably have bought one but there wasn't one within 1000 miles for sale when I bought mine. The other point with the 564 is that the swim platform is much smaller, just a tick over 3 feet - and in the 506 it's 6 feet proper. You don't realize how big the platform is until you see it.

bud37, No real maintenance issues on any of the boats you're looking at. The all glass "top hat" stringer system, to my knowledge, has been bullet proof. The Marina I work at was the oldest Carver dealer in the world until Carver's most recent bankruptcy, and I have worked there for 35 years. The only issues I would really imagine there would be is moisture intrusion in the deck at or near hatches, stanchions or other mountings. Other than that, condition of gelcoat, canvas and upholstery/ carpets are probably the highest on the list.

Lyndon670 wrote:Hugo,

To the best of my memory, 2000 gets me 17 knots proper.

With regards to the 564, it's the perfect blend of MY and sedan, although I'm not sure if the profile us as pretty as the 506. I would probably have bought one but there wasn't one within 1000 miles for sale when I bought mine. The other point with the 564 is that the swim platform is much smaller, just a tick over 3 feet - and in the 506 it's 6 feet proper. You don't realize how big the platform is until you see it.

Thanks. I think it's the same with my 444, the swim platform is probably 3' or so but the cockpit adds a nice space to hang out by the water.

Did you change the tabs to larger tabs with dual rams or it came that way?

Hugo, no those are the factory dual Rams. There is an upgrade kit I saw at the Toronto Boat show that added tabs with twice the surface area that used the same Rams...jury is out on if it would have a noticeable impact for me though.