Carver Owners Forum

Just about to pickup a 2000 326 with 2 fully rebuilt 350 Horizon Merc engines. It's our first AFT cabin having always owend express cruisers just wondering what to expect and are there any known issues with these boats or things to watch out for? Thanks and nice to be here.

Welcome aboard and congrats on your new toy.

Ahoy and Welcome!

Welcome aboard!
Hopefully you are having a survey performed?

Thanks all!

I think that you will love all the extra room that you will find in an aft-cabin model. Like you all of my previous boats were either open, bow rider or express styled cruisers. While I still like the overall looks an express cruiser has the room I now have in an aft-cabin sedan is hard to overcome. My 3007 is the first 30 footer I have ever seen that has a separate shower.

Enjoy yours.

Welcome. After 20+ years of express cruisers the wife talked me into and aft cabin. We bought a 1998 355 last year. We both love it.
It so nice being able to stand up in both staterooms, plenty of room in the shower and not having to crawl out of the rear cabin. I didn't mind it in my 20s and 30s, but at 50(1) I am not as resilient as I used to be.
The only negative I have found is its a bit more difficult to handle docking alone. You cant just walk thru the windshield to the bow. It takes 45 seconds to get from the helm to the bow. Only an issue when windy.
I guess, once you go aft you never go back!

tomschauer wrote:Source of the post Welcome. After 20+ years of express cruisers the wife talked me into and aft cabin. We bought a 1998 355 last year. We both love it.
It so nice being able to stand up in both staterooms, plenty of room in the shower and not having to crawl out of the rear cabin. I didn't mind it in my 20s and 30s, but at 50(1) I am not as resilient as I used to be.
The only negative I have found is its a bit more difficult to handle docking alone. You cant just walk thru the windshield to the bow. It takes 45 seconds to get from the helm to the bow. Only an issue when windy.
I guess, once you go aft you never go back!

Handling a sedan is definitely a bit more challenging when one is onboard alone. Much easier in an express style. I am still working on my single handling techniques when alone on my Carver. But, I am getting there. Wind is definitely something that has to be taken into consideration with a sedan.

Welcome aboard!

The biggest thing you have to adjust to is windage. These boats seem to catch the wind like they have a sail attached, especially if you have a bridge enclosure or a hard top! You just have to anticipate it though and push the momentum of the boat into the wind. Lets say you have a following wind as you're going down the fairway. Instead of stopping at your well and pivoting into it... go just slightly past and then back down into the wind and then make the pivot.

Challenge yourself by taking the boat out ALONE so you HAVE TO do a few do-overs to get it right and learn how the boat acts and reacts. I've done much better by not having the distraction of even ONE other person on the boat when in some pretty tough situations. It gives you those extra seconds to think about what you're doing.

Welcome aboard!

I owned a 325 aft cabin for 12 years, and love a lot of it. Biggest issue was servicing those 350 Merc engines. Space is tight when going to change oil filters as the port side engine had its filter low and rough to get at. If I could have had a remote oil filter system install I would have jumped at it. Another PITA was the heavy furniture Carver likes to put in the salon of this model. If the couch is still there, you will find it is really in the way when you want to get into the port engine space - and you cannot get it out of the salon without disassembly!

As to piloting, you'll get used to it with practice. My 325 had upper and lower helm stations, but after the second use of the flybridge helm I never went back below to operate.

Good luck with her and calm seas.