Carver Owners Forum

Buying a 4207 motor yacht 1986 I need advice

Hey guys I’m Ken from Dallas
My past boats have been a 32 foot pacemaker 31 foot sea ray 38 foot Uniflite fly bridge and the very last one was a 480 Chris-Craft aft cabin with a cockpit that was in exceptional condition
I have found a freshwater 4207 1986 with crusader gas engines that is very very nice
I have owned big boats for 30 years and I’ve been super impressed with this boat I’m overpaying for the boat but I feel like it’s one out of 100 as I’ve looked at numerous boats
I have made an offer and it’s been accepted but have not started the survey process yet

Until this evening I was 99% sure that this was a boat for me but I read an article I’ve heard about online about surveys where a guy was trashing anything that was balsa cored sides and especially the hull because of water intrusion and problems . He puts Sea rays right there with the carvers
I gotta tell you it made me wanna throw up reading it
My wife is not on board with this deal as she does not like the older style flush deck yacht . I’m 58 and she’s 41 she did not grow up appreciating this older style of boat
to her it’s just an old boat
We Currently Have a super nice 2001 regal 3780 flybridge boat with original 420 horse MerCruiser With 200 hours on the motors and 150 hours on the generator but it’s in mint
condition with no issues . This boat is in mint condition but small inside
This carver 4207 is in really great shape with a much newer generator / hardwood floors / The nicest new house style vacu flush toilets I’ve ever seen with new vacuum pumps along with newer holding tanks .
The interior and exterior is super nice .
the boat belongs to an 80 something year old man that's had some health issues of the last year
the engine compartment is really nice and clean / organized as well. one engine has been replaced years ago everything works ( the Marina close by told me about the motor replacement not the gentleman )
The boat also has something I believe is really rare a factory hard glass enclosure on the back .
I’ve seen newer Q1995 45 carvers with a glass enclosure but never one on an older 42 like this
the 45 carvers the door didn’t shut right nothing was right .
I was not impressed with the newer 45 carver at all
on this boat everything is like it supposed to be all the glass opens like it’s supposed to the wing doors open and shut like they’re supposed to have seen nothing scared me from his boat so far other than a soft swim platform .
I can’t stress enough that I’ve looked at a lot of boats in my
30 years and this one’s a nice one


Can you guys give me some advice here I’m kind of freaking out after reading that article

Thanks Ken in Dallas

The older 4207 is a beautiful boat. I DON’T believe that Carver used balsa core in their hulls. I am of the view they are all laminated Fiberglass hulls. Someone who has a 4207 will tell you. I had an 1986 3207 and the hull, bottom and sides, were solid laminated Fiberglass.

The only part of the boats that has a balsa core would be the decks, fly bridge floor and the swim platform. Not unusual for a swim platform to be soft on a boat of that vintage. It can be repaired.

A Carver and a Sea Ray are not built the same, when it comes to there hulls and stringer systems.

Good luck with your decision.

Greg

Welcome to the forum....... Here ya go from earlier its an 89 though.....

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=643

In the 80's the hull below the waterline would be fiberglass. The stringers are most likely wood encapsulated in fiberglass. Not a problem if they didn't get and stay wet. The hull sides and decks have encapsulated wood. Again, almost all boats have this. It's not a problem if everything is kept sealed and dry.
A good survey should tell you the status.
Also consider the 42 with gassers will move with glacial swiftness. Nothing like your 3780 that probably cruises at 28ish mph.

I believe your biggest problem is the wife. If you're taking her from a fairly modern 3780 to an 80's boat from any manufacturer, good luck with that!!!!

I think the bottom line here is Happy Wife, Happy Life. Good luck whatever you do.

tomschauer wrote:Source of the post
... I believe your biggest problem is the wife. If you're taking her from a fairly modern 3780 to an 80's boat from any manufacturer, good luck with that!!!!

I agree with this. If she didn't like going fast or getting on plane, this may be a non-issue. I have several friends whose wives get spooked when they get on plane, especially if the seas are kicked up at all. They could plow along all day and be just fine though. If you're not in a hurry to get places, that could work out just fine. She would/should appreciate all that extra space, especially if you spend more than a day or two on the boat at a time. Encourage her to decorate - that will keep he mind off the age of the boat!!

In the other thread linked above - heed my advice on power. The 4207 needs 450 hp of diesel minimum. Unless you are using it as a condominium and do not plan any trips.

Kenblacks, Was the survey articles you were reading on line written by David Pascoe? My guess is that they were. While Mr. Pascoe was a respected Marine Surveyor, not all shared his opinions. Many considered him to be too harsh, especially if it wasn't a Bertram or Hatteras and he did show his bias in his articles. While his articles can point out some things to definitely look for, you don't need to throw the baby out with the bath water.

BTW, In your instance, I'd be more concerned about the Admiral's thoughts than Mr. Pascoe's.

Hey guys thanks for all the responses I really appreciate your input as much as I love the boat I have already called the broker this morning and then put a stop on the whole deal
I talked to the wife this morning and she really really doesn’t like that older style of boat so to keep things happy at home I’m gonna make sure I keep her in something modern
As bad as I hate to I guess it’s probably a better idea to give up what I want and put the wife first

Thanks again for your time and advice

Sounds like putting the brakes on it is a great idea if she's not on board, good luck if you still are in the market for a boat that will be a better fit.