Boat buyer. I have so many questions

[agwhaley]

I currently have a small Sea Ray 180 sport. I live in Louisville, KY and we take it out on the Ohio. Have lots of fun with it. But... I am always seeing these larger boats and I want one so bad. Very interested in Carver boats, specifically the 396 Motor Yacht and the 360 Sport Sedan. Though I am open to others. I am also looking at smaller (not much) cruisers like Sea Ray and Chapparell.
First question is general. Just any suggestions? I am looking at $150k or less. The primary users are myself, wife and 2 kids(occasional friends). Youngest kid is 11. Long term (retirement so a while from now I am 45) I want to have a place in the Tampa St. Pete area and have a boat that travels between there and here(maybe even do the loop). That's probably a few boats away.

Second, where should I confine my search. I find lots of boats in Florida. What would the cost be to bring it up here? Is that a silly idea? Can I just pilot the boat up here? Would that cost a similar amount in fuel? Time? Should I stick to closer boats?

Third(related to the second) is fuel. I know each boat and conditions will be different. But, for example I read in a forum of a Carver model similar to what I am looking at would cruise at 20Kts and consume 22 GPH. But if lowered to 10KTS only 3.5. That sound right? I ask because I have also read people who say you actually need to be closer to cruising speed to get max fuel efficiency. Something about pushing the water out of the way.

Fourth, generators. How much fuel do they use? Do they also draw from the main gas tank or do they have a separate tank? How good is the heat and AC? TV? Just use a digital antenna or can you use like a direct TV satellite?

I'll have more... Thank you so very much in advance to any one who answers.

[RGrew176]

Lots of great questions. My suggestion would to look for a boat in your area. Peruse the boats for sale websites. Personally I would not want to buy a salt water boat I would look for a freshwater boat. They tend to last longer with fewer issues related to salt water usage. Just my humble opinion.

[buster53]

You got a lot of questions there.
I have a 356, little brother to a 396 and for your needs, sounds like a 396 would serve you well and if you plan on doing lots of long distance traveling, diesels are a must.

Fuel consumption...for economy cruising, travel at hull speed, around 7-1/2 knots. For higher speeds, get up on full plane. Speeds between hull speed and full plane are very inefficient.

Gensets do usually run off the main tank. How much fuel...depends on the load. Lights, TV, frig....sips fuel. Add in water heater, cooking and a couple AC units, fuel consumption jumps.

AC's on a boat are balancing acts. You can have not enough or you can have too much. On my boat, on a hot, sunny day, they struggle, but they at least keep the humidity down and when it comes to AC, humidity control is just as important as temp control. Night time, I could probably hang meat if I wanted to.

TV depends on location. In a heavy populated area, you can probably pick up 20-30 channels just using a plain old pair of rabbit ears. Yes, you can get fancy with a dish or if you have good internet, a smart TV works well. No internet...possibly use your phone as a hot spot. We have done all. You mention a digital antennae...digital is marketing BS. an antennae is an antennae. Rabbit ears work just as well as a "digital" antennae. BTW, a lot of larger Carvers have built in TV antennaes hidden in flybridge storage compartments.

Yes, you can buy boats in FL and travel home in one, but that is a long, expensive trip, probably a couple of weeks.
You mention traveling when you retire...chances are you will buy at least one, probably 2 (maybe 3) more boats before that happens, so buy for what you need now, not 15-20 years down the road.

[km1125]

Source of the post
Fourth, generators. How much fuel do they use? Do they also draw from the main gas tank or do they have a separate tank? How good is the heat and AC? TV? Just use a digital antenna or can you use like a direct TV satellite?

A loaded-down 10kW generator would use about 1 gal/hr of gasoline or about .75 gal/hr on diesel. You rarely ever fully load the generator, so a more realistic fuel consumption might be half that, but it all depends on the loads you're running. They rarely use a dedicated tank. Many of the Carvers have the gensets configured to pull from the port tank and the fuel pickup is higher than the one for the engines, so the generator would run out of fuel before your main engines.

Using satellite TV is tough on a boat unless you get one designed of the marine environment that handles the pitch and roll of the boat. Those are certainly available, but they're pricey. Many folks will mount a regular satellite dish to their dock, so while in harbor they can enjoy it but not while out on the water. You can use an antenna to pick up local broadcast signals but what you pick up is largely dependent on where you're located relative to those transmitters.

Fuel consumption is complicated by currents. If you're travelling at 7 kts against a 3.5 kt current, your range is cut in half. If you're travelling with the current, you get a 50% boost in range. Up on plane the difference isn't nearly as noticeable, only making a 10-15% difference.

[g36]

I have an intellion i2 satellite dome on my boat when out on the water and a stationary satellite dish at my dock. I use dish TV and to me the intellion dome is well worth the cost. Fall Football on the water=priceless.

[waybomb]

If you plan on boating in.salt water, you need closed cooling.

[Viper]

Welcome aboard.
The guys covered pretty much everything.

Source of the post....Very interested in Carver boats, specifically the 396 Motor Yacht and the 360 Sport Sedan....

Both models are good family designs for now I think. Use the time after you get one to add to your wish list for when you do retire and your boating habits change. If you plan on doing any boating in salt water in the short term though, and long distance trips, you'll want to strongly consider diesels for the long distance, and while standard on diesels, if you go with gassers, you'll want to ensure you get closed cooled blocks and exhaust manifolds (coolant filled) for salt water boating.

Source of the post ....
where should I confine my search. I find lots of boats in Florida. What would the cost be to bring it up here?....Can I just pilot the boat up here? Would that cost a similar amount in fuel?....Should I stick to closer boats?.....

Closer is always better of course. Looking for a boat in a salt water area can be tricky, salt water is not a friendly environment for boats. It affects nearly everything from outer soft goods and hardware, to machinery, wiring and anything electrical, appliances, all underwater gear, etc. Personally I would stick with boats that have at least spent most of their life in fresh water.

You can run through the river from the Gulf to get her home if I'm not mistaken if a Florida boat is your preference. Considering it would likely take some dismantling for height restrictions over land then reassembly, that and the transport can get pretty pricey. You'd have to weigh all that against the cost of fuel. Perhaps a member with the same model who's been through this will chime in with their experience.

What ever you do, get a survey when you narrow down your choice, you'll need one for insurance anyway, and any deficiencies noted can be beneficial in negotiating the purchase price. We wish you luck in your search. Keep us posted.

[buster53]

Buying a boat long distance is a pain in the butt. For me, buying involves at least 3 trips to the boat, sometimes more. 1, initial visit, 2, survey, 3, bring the boat home.
One boat I bought was close to 4 hours away and involved 5 visits. Put about 1900 miles on my car going to and from that boat.

[Carpe Diem]

I second the buy local plan for sure. Take your time and don't fall in love with the first boat you look at. If you are not already active on the Club Sea Ray site, you should be, if Sea Rays are also a possibility for you. After owning several boats over the years including three Sea Rays two RInkers and now Carver, I think there really is very little difference in over all quality so you wont go wrong either way. I actually think some things are done better by Sea Ray and also since they are still in business ( for now anyway) there is still pretty good factory support if needed. The Club Sea Ray site is very interactive and the folks are very supportive and helpful.
Good luck with your search for the perfect boat. BTW it doesn't exist! There will always be compromises but you just need to put together your list of must haves in terms of amenities and find a boat that best suits your list.
Carpe Diem

[ColRon]

First of all Welcome Aboard! Lots of good questions. I would suggest you looks at all differences styles and models, find the one that suits you, yours tastes and personal requirements. There are express cruisers, aft cabins, boats with cockpits and flybridges. for example, the Admiral and I had had an express cruiser in the past, so we wanted a boat with more interior room and thought we wanted an aft cabin, but didn't really like all the up and down steps, then we saw a Carver Santego, which turned out to be a kind of a compromise between the aft cabin and an express cruiser. Had we not looked at everything we could find, we might have settled for something that didn't really make us happy. You can find something that will suit your tastes....There plenty of different boats on the water. I will also second that when buying used, buy a fresh water boat, but expect it to cost a little more. Salt water boats are cheaper for a reason. Also, be on the lookout for boats that have been moved from saltwater to freshwater and advertised as being a freshwater boat. Learn to spot the differences, lots of corrosion and dull finish can be signs, pay attention to the details. If the boat is "documented with the USCG, you may be able to find its ownership history. One last thing, before closing the deal on any boat get a proper survey.