Carver Owners Forum

So we are considering a late 90's 355/356 aft.....crusader gassers. We do like this model's size.

We would appreciate some likes and dislikes from present or past owners of this model. Maybe some tips on what/where to look for issues, I have seen a few, with one in particular I have checked out fairly closely.

I have not seen one on the hard yet....do they have a keel at all ?

Bud, the thing that stands out the most to me on this model is the aft aux. fuel tank if applicable. They have a bad reputation for rusting through the bottom of the tank and leaking fuel. Depending on it's use by previous owners (non-use), they may also have a lot of rust, debris, bad fuel, etc. in there that can be an ongoing challenge.

Other than that, it's the usual soft spots and high moisture reading areas that you would find on a lot of other models and brands of that vintage.

Where are the ones you've been looking at?

We have a 1998 355. We really enjoy the boat. The only thing that is of poor design is the swim ladder. Other than that, it has a lot of space and storage for the size.
As Viper mentioned, the aft tanks were problematic. Our boat had the aft tank replaced by the original owner when it was just over three years old, just out of warranty, and back then a 5k bill. If you are looking at any of these and they have no fuel in the aft tank, its most likely bad. Not an issue if you do not do a lot of long-range cruising as you have two other 110 gallon tanks.

I had the earlier ‘92 330/350 aft cabin enjoyed that boat. It did not have the Taft tank to worry about but I also believe the starting batteries were tied together and possibly no seperate house bat so a day in the water with the large fridge running would kill the main starting battery. Easy fix now but a s new boater, very troubling. It’s supposed to be the precursor to my 2004 366 but the old one felt bigger for some reason.

Morning guys.....geez I totally forgot about the third aux tank when looking at it yesterday, even looked right at the tank valves. Thanks for reminding me, had the owner right there to ask about how he was handling that too, it is full of fuel now but not sure about the aux. It was wet/raining so I did not have chance to go round the decks with a meter.

This was a real nice boat though, couple little things not deal killers ( macerator toilets, shower sumps need cleaning bad, hot water tank fittings leak and a big one, some oil under both engines) recent oil change ????......should have seen the pos we checked out earlier in the day, needed a gas mask to board... , folk are still really hanging on to the covid pricing I see....

Viper, we missed one of the earlier 33 afts with diesels up your way, maybe you know that one.

Ok, we’ve had our 2001, 356 for 7 years now. It has a lot to offer for a 35 footer. Big enough that it is very comfortable for me and the admiral, but small enough for the 2 of us to handle. Being a smaller motor yacht, a lot of things are tight and my 70 year old body just doesn’t bend like it used to. Just adding water to the batteries is tough. I guess I could have bought maintenance free batteries.
Haven’t had issues with my aft tank. If we take a trip, I like to use the aft tank to get there and the saddle tanks to come home.
LOVE my 8.1 Crusaders that the PO repowered with. Easily cruise at 20-21 mph and with a clean bottom, can hit 35.
Any specific questions, let me know.

How many hours are on the engines? Carver used a lot of 5.7L Crusaders during those years. The oil under the engines needs to be checked out. Really should not be any oil under the engines unless there are leaks. Not really an issue with new oil change. Crusader painted engines blue so you could see leaks easily. If you really needed gas masks to board boat, that would be an issue with me. My 95 Mariner did not have any significant odors, other than just stagnant air that would quickly dissipate. Maybe that aux tank is having an issue. Does the odor smell like gas/oil, or is it a shower sump sewer type smell? Covid pricing looks more like asking price. Selling price is what a buyer is willing to pay a seller. Good luck! er

bud37 wrote:Source of the post So we are considering a late 90's 355/356 aft.....crusader gassers. We do like this model's size.

We would appreciate some likes and dislikes from present or past owners of this model. Maybe some tips on what/where to look for issues, I have seen a few, with one in particular I have checked out fairly closely.

I have not seen one on the hard yet....do they have a keel at all ?

Bud, where are you located?

Thanks for the responses guys.....

Southern Ontario... Heh buster does this boat have a keel or just flat aft section.

bud37 wrote:Source of the post Thanks for the responses guys.....

Southern Ontario... Heh buster does this boat have a keel or just flat aft section.

Pretty sure it is fairly flat. I’m going to the boat tomorrow and it was supposed to be hauled today for bottom cleaning and paint. If I get a chance, I’ll take a picture and send it to you. Any other photo shots you want to see while out of the water?