Carver Owners Forum

Hi everyone hope you had a great weekend,
Renovatio NY here. I’m jelious no boat decision yet.
I’m stuck. We have the option and my wife is OK with which is the most important part . We have the choice between a 2001 Carver 466 and eight 2001 506. Both seem to be without major problems both seem to be very close in price.
The 466 has the 6K engines 1200 hrs, while the 506 has the Volvo 12 engines 600 hrs freash water always.
The 506 has both bow and stern thruster, while the 466 has bow thruster only but has a brand new H4 satellite tv and some minorly newer electronics still on the outdated side.

My wife kind of likes the fact that the 466 it has removable isinglass while the 506 the aft deck is fully enclosed . I like the look of the 506 better and told her we could have the rear windows removed and put eisenglass if it made a big difference for her . She likes the openness.


So this is where I need you without stupid comments please. I get enough of them from my own friends is there or do you see a benefit in either boat.
Our hopes are to spend our summers in New York will fall in North Carolina and be in the Bahamas in the winter .

Help! (SOS). I’m stuck don’t know which way to go

And no I’m not compensating for anything yet. I wanted a larger boat. But- I loose!
Lol

Make your admiral happy.

Happy Wife = Happy Life. Need I say more.

Both are good models. A 506 that has spent it's life in FRESH water is a good option. There's a ton of benefits that come with that. This eliminates the concern about everything from corroded wiring to major engine hardware that could cause catastrophic engine failure should they fail as a result of salt water use. The hard enclosure is both a pro and con. Some here have expressed concerns over the excessive heat in that space out in open sun even with air conditioning. On the positive side though, you never have to worry about canvas again or the typical leaks on a rainy day that comes with it. The 600 hr Volvos are an attractive bonus as well.

Good luck, hope it all works out. AND yes, you gotta keep her happy if you want to continue boating! Keep us posted.

Hopefully some owners of those models will chime in.

Ooops, forgot to say "Fresh" water!

If this was my choice....the 506 would win......get the biggest boat you can afford to buy and maintain....and most important handle, that is where the thrusters come in.

All things considered your decision should be based on proper surveys of both the boat and mechanicals. Keeping the wife happy as far as boating is concerned would require buying a cruise ship, which I am sure you will agree, few can afford......

There is a bunch of 466 & 506 owners on FB that may not be members here. If you use FB ask there as well
https://www.facebook.com/groups/31258280440/

My fresh water 506 is will be for sale in September...."tentatively" lol....

I went through the same considerations that you are going through when I bought her. We looked at a bunch of 466 models and only 1 506 - the one that we bought.

We loved the 466, loved the fact that we could open the Isenglass on the bridge to let fresh air in.

But, the 3rd statetroom on the 466 is merely a storage cabin - which is not a bad thing, but we have twin 22 year old girls and we entertain regularly.

So why the 506? The fully enclosed bridge gives us more boating as far as seasons goes. Even sitting on the dock on a dreary rainy October day in Canada, the fully enclosed bridge and aft deck are true cabins. Not damp, not cold. Also, something to be said about actually having a windshield and actual windshield wipers. My best buddy has a Silverton 453 with the conventional Isenglass + canvass set up on his bridge, and when its pouring rain and we are running - he is having a ton of fun trying to see thru his Isenglass.

The swim platform on the 506 is massive, and this is where we spend most of our days on the hook.

Also, as mentioned - the 3rd stateroom + 3rd head. We had 2 couples with us for 2 weeks in 2017 where we cruised for almost 500NM. The couple in the third stateroom had their own head. Nobody ever felt like they were tripping over each other.

And last - as someone posted earlier - go as big as you possibly can afford. The operational cost difference between the 506 and the 466 is virtually zero.

Thanks
That’s the way I feel