Carver Owners Forum

Hello All,

COMPLETELY new to this forum - nothing to mention of boating in general. Thanks in advance for your attention.

I have been looking for a family vessel now for quite some time - and have put down a purchase contract on one (via a broker - don't get me started on the "broker" as there is little I can do at this point.)

She is a 28', 1987 Riviera. (approx 32 LOA) Cosmetically she needs some work (but what 30+ year old boat does not), but her "bones" appear solid and she is equipped with dual Yanmar 4LH-DTE 170 HP (approx 450 hr each).

From everything I have read, not only are diesel engines better, but specifically these are good engines and with proper care and maintenance I could expect 8k-10k hours on them ... 5k, if I treated them horribly (which I will not).

With that being said, other than that, I'd like to know things that I might want to specifically look for. My family really wants this to happen (and so do I), but I need to know what I don't know. I do not mind doing some basic maintenance myself, and the family is also up for doing minor cosmetic work like sanding and staining on the wood work. The entire family appears to be on-board (pun intended) and all we want to do is cruise around the ICW here in SW FL.

This would be my first boat ever as an owner - but have basic skills from smaller boats over the years. I am also a certificated private pilot, so I'm fairly certain I can learn to handle the boat. Yes, I took the online boater safety class via the US Power Squadron and have received my card from the state.

Craigslist ad: https://fortmyers.craigslist.org/lee/bo ... 59781.html
PopYachts Ad: https://www.popyachts.com/motor-yachts- ... ?c=1363465

Pros? Cons? Things I should look for?

Survey is a must and not a bad idea to get a Yanmar mechanic to go over those engines

Soft Decks, Percussion soundings, Soft Decks. The Surveyor will wander around your boat beating it with a plastic hammer, the report sound will tell him if there's any delamination issues. They'll also take some non-invasive moisture readings, to look for unseen water retention under the fiberglass skin. Nobody wants to pay for a survey, but in this case and vintage it would probably be money well spent. Did I mention soft decks?

In My experience, a pretty standard stipulation/contingency, in the purchase contract is that "boat must pass survey and sea trial". the boat is locked up via deposit, while waiting for the results of both. Don't let those diesels push You into an otherwise weak boat. I'm Done.


Edit; I always liked those 28' Rivieras.

Edit #2; Please excuse My manners, Welcome Aboard!

Welcome Aboard. Lots of great advice already offered. Hope all goes well with your purchase and that you have many fine adventures aboard your Rivera.

If you aren't familiar with boats, then a good survey is strongly recommended. Even if it did show up deficiencies, you can still make a decision to proceed depending on the price and your desire to take on such projects. Don't be surprised if a boat of this vintage comes with a big list of deficiencies, but all those may NOT need to be addressed all at once. Take care of what is critical and what is necessary to make the boat safe and enjoy it while to address anything else.

Engine issues can get expensive too, so having someone knowledgeable with Yanmars taking a look at them would also be a wise step.

Welcome aboard.
Our first boat was a brand new 1988 2807 with mercruiser 230hp gas engines.
What a great boat. It really is.
Only issue you'll have is engine access. Over time, I decided to pull the seats and covers completely off the boat and onto the dock, make sure I have an entire year's worth of pm supplies, get all the work done, make sure it's all good, then haul all the covers and seats back on board. It so easy to work on the engines and gear that way.

While I've never owned a Riviera, I'm familiar with the layout and waybomb is spot on with his recommendation.
I've got a buddy with a completely different boat but with the same issues. One hatch to get into the engine room to do basics, but to really do needed maintenance, he has to remove a lot of stuff from the cockpit to get full engine access. Because it is such a hassle, he tries to do that only once a year.

On my 356, I have to move my 2 piece sectional sofa to get full access to my port engine. We have to put one section on top of the dinette.

Thanks for all of the responses and the great advice. Survey and sea trial both should be done by the end of the week. I really appreciate the feedback - hopefully my next post will be positive!

Unfortunately it did not go well; the boat is more than I am willing to take on. Thanks for all of the input.

Time to move on to the next one!