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1984 Carver Flybridge Help
Posted: May 16th, 2023, 10:18 pm
by Ahoy Matie
Hey there,
I'm new to the boating world and I just bought a Carver. Unfortunately the boat didnt come with a manual. I did a preliminary search and any links do not seem to work. Does anyone have a manual? Thank you in the mean time!
My next question: I need to work on the boats engine before I put it in the water. It has twin crusader engines and i'm not sure where the water intake is to cool down the engine while I start it on land? A friend told me to get the little muffs - but i dont think that's right. Can anyone help? Thank you!
Re: 1984 Carver Flybridge Help
Posted: May 17th, 2023, 6:55 am
by Viper
Welcome aboard. I assume she is an inboard and not a sterndrive. If it's the model I'm thinking of, you may have Walter v-drives that are separate from the engines. If the front of your engines face aft then this is likely the case and the intakes are just inside the cabin if I recall next to the v-drives. One is under a hatch at the base of the stairs into the cabin and the other is through a hatch under the bench on the port side behind the cabinet door under the end of the bench. Posting the model number would help narrow down what you have and would garner responses from members with the same model.
There is a member here that downloaded all the Carver manuals for us, hopefully he'll chime in and help you out with a manual.
Where do you keep her?
Re: 1984 Carver Flybridge Help
Posted: May 17th, 2023, 7:43 am
by buster53
As far as finding your water intake, open up all your hatches and find all the through hulls located in the bilge. You probably have several…one for each engine, genset if you have one, cooling water for air conditioning if you have one (or two), water intake for the head, waste discharge for the head. Follow the hose for each one and identify its purpose.
The engine intake, probably goes through a sea strainer. When out of the water, you can put out a hose in the sea strainer and run the engine that way, but most likely, someone will need to hold the hose in place while doing this. Google “Fake a Lake”. It’s a device made just for this purpose
Re: 1984 Carver Flybridge Help
Posted: May 17th, 2023, 9:52 am
by km1125
Welcome aboard and congrats on the new (to you) boat!! Post up some pics when you get a chance!
buster53 wrote:Source of the post As far as finding your water intake,
open up all your hatches and find all the through hulls located in the bilge. You probably have several…one for each engine, genset if you have one, cooling water for air conditioning if you have one (or two), water intake for the head, waste discharge for the head. Follow the hose for each one and identify its purpose. ...
And when you're in there, EXERCISE all those through-hulls and make sure they work properly!!
NOW is the time while it's still out of the water to find out if there are any issues!!
Re: 1984 Carver Flybridge Help
Posted: May 17th, 2023, 10:02 am
by bud37
Welcome to the forum.
If your boat is a twin inboard engine 28' Voyager/mariner then the water intake thru hulls are where viper said depending on whether the head is forward or at the rear, water flow from there thru the v drives and on to the pump. You can connect up a garden hose to the water pump intake side with an adaptor and run the engines that way. Have a good look someone before may have something installed in the water intake line already.
Word to the wise , take the advise and search out all your lines and wiring now while working on the boat.....good luck with your project....

Re: 1984 Carver Flybridge Help
Posted: May 17th, 2023, 1:31 pm
by Ahoy Matie
PXL_20230501_192502995.jpg
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PXL_20230511_184617271.jpg
Hello! Thank you for all your responses, here are some photos of her!
Also idk why it posted the engine bay 3 times in this picture set lol
Re: 1984 Carver Flybridge Help
Posted: May 17th, 2023, 2:09 pm
by Ahoy Matie
Viper wrote:Source of the post Welcome aboard. I assume she is an inboard and not a sterndrive. If it's the model I'm thinking of, you may have Walter v-drives that are separate from the engines. If the front of your engines face aft then this is likely the case and the intakes are just inside the cabin if I recall next to the v-drives. One is under a hatch at the base of the stairs into the cabin and the other is through a hatch under the bench on the port side behind the cabinet door under the end of the bench. Posting the model number would help narrow down what you have and would garner responses from members with the same model.
There is a member here that downloaded all the Carver manuals for us, hopefully he'll chime in and help you out with a manual.
Where do you keep her?
Thanks for the response Viper, she's at Rice lake right now. I posted some photos here. If I were to take off the plastic elbows on the Walter V drive I should be able to run a hose into the Walter V drive box there for the water intake?
Re: 1984 Carver Flybridge Help
Posted: May 17th, 2023, 2:12 pm
by Ahoy Matie
km1125 wrote:Source of the post Welcome aboard and congrats on the new (to you) boat!! Post up some pics when you get a chance!
buster53 wrote:Source of the post As far as finding your water intake,
open up all your hatches and find all the through hulls located in the bilge. You probably have several…one for each engine, genset if you have one, cooling water for air conditioning if you have one (or two), water intake for the head, waste discharge for the head. Follow the hose for each one and identify its purpose. ...
And when you're in there, EXERCISE all those through-hulls and make sure they work properly!!
NOW is the time while it's still out of the water to find out if there are any issues!!
Thank you! I just added some photos to the thread

Now when you say exercise the through hulls you mean run water through them? A through hull is a hole in the hull to allow water to escape? Sorry newb question.
Re: 1984 Carver Flybridge Help
Posted: May 17th, 2023, 2:31 pm
by km1125
Ahoy Matie wrote:Source of the post km1125 wrote:Source of the post Welcome aboard and congrats on the new (to you) boat!! Post up some pics when you get a chance!
buster53 wrote:Source of the post As far as finding your water intake,
open up all your hatches and find all the through hulls located in the bilge. You probably have several…one for each engine, genset if you have one, cooling water for air conditioning if you have one (or two), water intake for the head, waste discharge for the head. Follow the hose for each one and identify its purpose. ...
And when you're in there, EXERCISE all those through-hulls and make sure they work properly!!
NOW is the time while it's still out of the water to find out if there are any issues!!
Thank you! I just added some photos to the thread
Now when you say exercise the through hulls you mean run water through them? A through hull is a hole in the hull to allow water to escape? Sorry newb question.
No, I should have been more clear. You want to exercise the VALVES at any through-hull to make sure they're operating fully and easily before you launch the boat. That just means opening and closing them several times each. If they're stiff or don't move properly you can (and should) address that before you get into the water. Some can be lubricated.
Re: 1984 Carver Flybridge Help
Posted: May 17th, 2023, 2:36 pm
by km1125
Here's your pic with the cooling water lines identified. ONE of these goes to the engine and one comes from the through-hull (possible through a strainer first). If you track these hoses, you'll find the through-hull (and hopefully the strainer).
Walther.jpg