Carver Owners Forum

Hi all, new here. Probably a bit late to be asking, but how do the older Carvers rate in quality? Purchased one last fall and am in the final stages of a complete refurb. Boat was in excellent shape, just needed the usual cosmetics, engine and drive work, etc. The reason I'm quizzing folks is some comments by my insurance man. He balked at the estimated value, and made a couple of vague statements like "well, its not a Chris Craft ". Anything I should be watching out for? All comments greatly appreciated.
And one more question. My fridge crapped out last year and only two models that I know of fit my boat.
Isotherm Cruise 130 $1352.00 + shipping
Same model in SS $1575.00 + shipping
Dometic CR 1110 $1100.00 + shipping
Crap! That's a lot of money for a refrigerator isn't it??
I tried the home depot/lowes/cheapo store route. I only need A/C but none of the above fit the boat. I have glass on the boat and read useful article on the https://storageboxreviews.com/ about freezing them.
I also tried a cooler, that's never going to happen again.

Interesting comment coming from an insurance person. A surveyor he probably is not so it always surprises me when someone in a different industry makes a statement like that about something they probably don't know much about. Did he come out and actually inspect the boat? What qualifications does he have to make such a statement? If you're getting close to finishing her, get a survey, that'll give you a professional realistic opinion of her worth. By the way, I've seen a lot of Chris Crafts in very bad shape, is he saying they would still be of high value? I've also seen some factory construction methods that have left me scratching my head. Don't get me wrong, Chris Crafts are great boats, I used to have one, but every brand has their pros and cons, none are perfect and all share similarities for failures of some of the areas of construction. One must also take into consideration that previous owner care and habits play a huge role in a vessel's current condition. So to compare and paint a brand in that light with the same brush is frankly ignorant of all the facts IMO. Get another insurance man!

It's funny he compared it to a Chris-Craft. They have had variable quality and construction issues over the years, with some being very good and some not.

He probably read David Pascoe's site, where Pascoe slammed all the mass produced boats out there. However, if you read much of what Pascoe writes, it depends on what you're looking for. He is used to ocean-going vessels that are built with a 'no compromises" approach that few could afford. None of us would have boats if we have to live by his standards.

Lot of respect for Chris-Craft, but.....in our marina we have 14 Carvers from model years 82 to 2000. We have 1 Chris-Craft in that same model year genre. That says something. Your insurance guy should stick to what he really knows. Why would he want to pass such a narrow minded opinion? Maybe you need to talk to a Progressive insurance agent. Just saying. er

Mpaiola wrote:Source of the post Hi all, new here. Probably a bit late to be asking, but how do the older Carvers rate in quality? Purchased one last fall and am in the final stages of a complete refurb. Boat was in excellent shape, just needed the usual cosmetics, engine and drive work, etc. The reason I'm quizzing folks is some comments by my insurance man. He balked at the estimated value, and made a couple of vague statements like "well, its not a Chris Craft ". Anything I should be watching out for? All comments greatly appreciated.

So with all due respect to your question.....to further answer that we would have to know what year/model.size boat you are referring to. It could be an old woody from the 60's ?
Actually at this point you would have a very good idea of the quality, you have owned this boat for the best part of a year and are finishing up the refurb so actually you are the expert ..... . Carvers are well made production boats that are still in production, so that says a lot IMO.

For the most part, older used boats are usually a reflection of previous owners much more than the original maker, that is the reason to hire competent surveyors......well that is my experience anyway.......good luck with your boat, post a few pics of the refurb.

My 1980 3326 is holding up very well! I agree that how someone took care of the boat makes a big difference. But I am happy with how the Carver is holding up!

I'm far removed from an expert on boat brands... I only have personal experience and hear say to go by. Having submitted the proper qualifier... we are currently the proud owners of a 1989 Carver... and are finalizing (after a 5 week nail biting waiting game w/inspections, mechanics and personal re-evaluations) a purchase of another - a 1995. I wouldn't have considered another Carver had your insurance agent been unequivocally correct.

Mark

Hi to all. I'm new to the site. My wife and I have been looking for our 1st boat and are leaning towards a 2007 Carver 47 MY. We have been around boats most of our lives and are fortunate to have a couple close friends that are Captains. I realize I'll need to spend many weeks with them learning to operate boat safely. Well be locating boat in Newport RI look forward to living on boat throughout the summer. Kids almost out of college.Yahoo. I'd appreciate any feedback on boat quality, reliability, and past experiences others may have had with this boat or similar. Thanks Again.

Flanders
Welcome aboard!
You should start your own thread on this.