Mid 90's 280 Express Cruiser

[seaway11]

New guy here with a few questions about this boat. What are the pros and cons of hardtop vs canvas top?
Is it cored below the waterline? Is it likely to have wet stringers or deck? Thanks

[waybomb]

Welcome aboard!

My understanding is that Carvers since mid eighties are cored above the water line, sold below.

Hardtop is nice if you don't want to be in the sun. With fabric, you have a choice.

[tomschauer]

If a 28 express cruiser has a hard top, someone added it, its not factory.

[seaway11]

Thanks for the replies. I've only looked at one so far and it seemed adequate for a couple of overnights for 2 people. I'll find more to checkout when the weather warms up some. Any particular gotchas to watch for with this model?

[tomschauer]

Be sure to check the stringers, especially near the motor mounts for water / rot and also the transom. Everything else below the water line should be all glass.

[Cooler]

The hardtop was offered as an option from Carver. It provides better weather protection and the windows are bigger, allowing better site lines. The hull is solid below waterline, and should have almost 2" of fiberglass on the very bottom, tapering up from the chines in thickness. The stringers are marine plywood encapsulated. Using an infrared moisture meter, they may measure in the wet reading range. That reading comes from the plywood, but may not be an issue. The plywood was soaked in resin during construction. The plywood does not serve as support, only to provide a mold for the fiberglass installation. The way to tell if there is strength issues is to closely inspect where the stringers meet the hull. Carver paints their bilge in grey paint, so you can see if there are any cracks where the stringers meet hull. Get as far under the engine(s) as you can and check near motor mounts, as well as rest of stringer. Also, test the transom near the outdrive for moisture. There may be soft spots on the deck where water collects, the boat is 25 years old. That would be wet balsa coring. Where are you located? How many hours on power package? The boat was built well compared to other brands, but it is more an issue of how she was taken care of by previous owner(s). If you are in my area, I would be happy to test with my moisture meter. The only real downside is the access to forward deck. Real skinny side access. You can access through hatch easier. Here is a link to the spec sheet for a 95. Finally, Carver did not cut corners like some other companies did in 91 - 94. Those years were brutal for the boat manufacturers. Excellent little camper with a 9'6" beam. er

https://carveryachts.blob.core.windows. ... exp_95.pdf

[seaway11]

Very useful info. I live in Knoxville,TN and the boat near me is a 1992 with the Volvo 7.4, I think I like the Mercruiser 7.4 with bravo 3 outdrive. So far I've found 5 or 6 for sale on the internet, 2 in Wisconsin and 2 or 3 near Chicago.
Anyways thanks again for the help.

[Cooler]

Both good engine choices. Depends on hours and condition. I had a Volvo 7.4 with DP in a previous boat. Loved it. Very dependable, and Volvo had a lot more experience with duo prop technology at the time. Mercruiser was just starting the Bravo III around that time. The Volvo Duo Prop was essentially bullet proof, they were doing DP for at least 10 years. Volvo was mechanically a little better engine but parts are more expensive and not as easy to find. I ran mine for 970 hours. Replaced one bellows and one U-joint. Otherwise just maintenance - oil changes, lower unit gear oil, and spark plugs. Ran it at 3400RPM to 3600 RPM at 30 MPH. Burned about 11 gal an hour. er

[Viper]

Welcome aboard.
Whether a Volvo or Mercruiser application, I would inspect the condition of the transom assembly components. Look at the condition of the bellows, intake hose, gear lube hose, sender wiring, etc., and the amount of corrosion on the assembly. Check for vertical and lateral play of the gimbal ring as this has the potential to turn into a very expensive fix. You'll want to check for corrosion on the drive as well, especially around the bearing carrier (back of the lower gearcase at prop shaft). If the vessel was in salt water, you'll want to be extra vigilant here. Ensure that the anodes are in good condition and just as important, that they are the correct type for the water you're boating in. It would also be a good idea to check the condition of the gear lube. You're looking for water, metal filings, burnt smell, etc. You can't tell much if the gear lube has just been changed, however you could ask that it be drained and a pressure test and vaccum test be done. Those would reveal whether there are any failed seals that might have precipitated the gear lube change and whether a problem still exists and needs to be corrected. I would also be pulling the drive to check for oil or water in the u-joint bellows, assess the input shaft components; yoke, u-joints, and check the gimbal bearing in the transom assembly. All of this will provide clues as to whether expensive repairs are pending as some can be pretty pricey.

You'll also want to check for signs of transom assembly problems by looking for leaks on its inside section of the boat. This should be done in the water, failing that, look for the tell tale signs that leaks exist, they do leave clues, tracks, etc. While a leak through the input shaft opening is usually a simple bellows replacement, if it's been leaking for a while, expect to replace the u-joints at minimum, this is why you should remove the drive and inspect regardless. A leak through the steering arm opening of the transom assembly can be an expensive fix, especially on a Mercruiser application.

Don't sweat the Volvo vs Mercruiser debate, there are pros and cons to both. I always say that the best drive design would be a combination of Mercruiser, Volvo, and even OMC, same goes for an engine package. Having said that, there would still be some hurtles to overcome. As a technician, while they can be frustrating to work on, sterndrives are many a business's bread and butter as they are maintenance hogs, as a boater though, there is just way too much maintenance expense compared to an inboard design. You should consider this in your overall boating budget and perform the regular maintenance required on a sterndrive application or it will get away from you and end up costing big bucks in the end.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[seaway11]

Thanks Viper. I'll report back after I've seen another Carver 280 express.