Carver Owners Forum

Hey All,

Just curious to see if there is an affordable solution to fixing my swim platform? The last owner did not fill holes that were previously drilled in it and now the platform has water inside of it. The wood seams rotten and I am sure it won't last much longer.

Can I fix this somehow or am I stuck with having to purchase a new one? I have been quoted $6000 for a new but basic fibreglass platform but feel that is too much money for us right now. I have a 1989 Carver 3607 so I am sure they are not much cheaper anywhere else considering its size (approximately 14 ft by 4 ft) but would love to get alternative solutions.

I did look into buying teak wood to build a new one on my own since I am very wood savvy, but it would cost $7000 for just the teak alone. Another option would be to use African Mahogany (approximate cost $1400) in just wood. Would this species of wood be a good wood to use for a swim platform? I could use all old brackets and telescopic ladder etc. What if I applied a clear coat of epoxy when finished (like a bar top). Would this help preserve it over time? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I love the idea of building my own but I also don't want to be in this same situation in a couple of years if the African Mahogany doesn't work. Thanks in advance and I look forward to hearing from anyone who has some insight into this situation.

Is it the original option for the boat? I doubt the original ones were 4' deep, but that would be nice.

The easiest/cheapest way to resolve it would be to remove it from the boat, flip it over and cut out the fiberglass underneath to expose the core. Clean out all the old core, get some new core and re-fiberglass over all that. Then reinstall, using the appropriate sealant on any of the through-core holes so that it's sealed good. The nice thing about doing it from the bottom is that you have very little "finishing" work to do because nobody really sees the bottom side. You can make it reasonably nice but don't have to spend a LOT of time making it look good because no one will see it. You also don't have to worry about redoing the non-skid on the topside.

If you're not comfortable doing the fiberglass work, you could probably get that done for a reasonable price, especially if you do the removal and reinstallation.

You are amazing, You are correct, my current platform is 3 feet but that extra foot would be ideal. Thank you so much for your help. That makes total sense. I really appreciate your input. I will definitely look into getting some help and get some quotations, but I might be able to get it prepped at least. I can always cover up the old holes that way too. Do you think that African Mahogany would stand up against the elements? Just curious. It would be fun to build but your suggestion sounds like a more cost effective solution. Thanks again for your input.

Consider just going with cedar. East to replace but it should last.

Thank you so much for your advice. That would also save alot of money.

There was also a guy on here who had a 3207 (very similar boat) and built his own larger platform to replace the smaller OEM one.

Here's a link to his project:
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=27

If you look down a few pictures, you can see where he 'cast' the top part of the platform first, with the non-skid in it. Then he laid the balsa coring in and then covered that with fiberglass. That's essentially where you'd start if you cut the bottom out of yours. OR, you might be inspired by his project to build your own larger platform! You'd have to add a couple more supports due to the length, but that actually wouldn't be much of a problem on your boat as there's plenty of distance between your current supports and the bottom of the hull that could be used for those additional supports.

EDIT: Here's a much more detailed link to his project
https://www.lakestclair.net/threads/diy ... -ii.87873/

I also peeked at Greatlakesskipper site to see if that was an option. They do currently have some platforms, but none for Carvers.

If you go the wood route, you could definitely use Mahogany if you seal it with some good spar urethane or varnish. However, you'd also have to do some type of non-skid on the top or that would be VERY slippery!! I'm not sure about using cedar, as it's not very strong and flexes quite a bit. I built a bridge over my pond with cedar and was surprised how much the 2x8's flexed with some weight on them! Also, not sure where you're pricing the lumber. For a project like that it might pay to have it shipped in rather than buying locally. When I redid a Trojan many years ago, I had all the wood shipped 1/2 way across the country and it was basically a "steal" compared to what I would have paid locally, even adding the shipping charge in.

We have a friend that owns a Prowler and built a new full size (boat size) door for it. I believe he use Sapelle. It was also coated with epoxy as the finish. It is a gorgeous looking door.

Thanks Bro, I will definitely look into it.

Kindest Regards,
Brian..