Carver Owners Forum

Hi folks! I'm new to the forum and Carvers in general, though I've been a boater for many years and know power boats fairly well. My wife and I have been shopping around for a new-old boat and have come across a mid-1970s Carver Monterey in good condition that we quite like. However, I can't find any information about this boat or 1970s fiberglass Carvers anywhere. The Internet has failed me.

If any of you out there know about early fiberglass Carvers from the mid-1970s, I'd sure love to hear about them. More important, I'd really like to know what I should be looking for when I go through this boat in detail and have it surveyed. What should I be aware of? These boats look like they are composite construction: basically a wood boat built in a fiberglass hull. I'm a bit wary of saddling myself with wooden boat problems, but don't know how much of an issue that becomes with this type of construction.

Help me, Obiwan. You're my only hope.

I believe the entire hull, even below the waterline is a cored hull. Once water gets into a core, and unattended to, will result in a boat that is not economically feasable to fix.

Having said that, a survey with somebody that knows how to use and read a moisture meter is imperative.

Whoa! The entire hull is cored to the keel?

I believe pre eighties Carvers were. A surveyor should be able to verify.

I'm not going to pay for a survey on a cored-hull boat. That would be a waste. Is there any other way to know beforehand? The Carver site product specs only go back to 1980.

Any decent surveyor should answer a question or two .