Is a 27' 1989 CARVER SANTEGO FLYBRIDGE a good 'first boat'?

[waybomb]

Welcome aboard!
Our first boat was a 2807. Glad the Marina have us a captain for a few hours showing us how to drive the thing and dock it with the transmissions instead of the wheel. Bow in and stem in.

[CarverLover]

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QR_BBPOST I heard back from the owner on the engines, two mercruiser 180 hp

Thanks a lot!

take an actual class as opposed to an online class. You will get a lot more out of it.

Firstly, thanks for the cooling info, I am learning a lot here and truly appreciate it. I'm now reading an extensive article on the two systems, finding that a closed-loop system is the way to go. I'll ask when I check out the boat later is.

Regarding the classes, THANK YOU! I will definitely look into the in-person classes you recommended and go through it with my dad.
Y'all are a great community. Thanks again!

[tomschauer]

Check deeper into those engines. If they are mercury 3.7 liter 4 cylinders, I would stay away. Parts are very hard to get and are very $$$.
Also check the stringers especially where the engines are mounted.
Otherwise, I don't think you will find a 27' boat with more space than this one.

Good luck.

[buster53]

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QR_BBPOST I heard back from the owner on the engines, two mercruiser 180 hp

Thanks a lot!

take an actual class as opposed to an online class. You will get a lot more out of it.

Firstly, thanks for the cooling info, I am learning a lot here and truly appreciate it. I'm now reading an extensive article on the two systems, finding that a closed-loop system is the way to go. I'll ask when I check out the boat later is.

No question that fresh water cooling (FWC) is much preferred over raw water cooling (RWC). However, keep in mind that a very good portion of all inboards and inboard-outboard engines and all outboards are RWC and provide many years of service. My point...don't dismiss a boat because of RWC. A well maintained RWC engine, especially one that was frequently flushed will serve you well for years.
I have 2 boats, my 35' Carver has twin FWC Crusader 8.1 engines. My 21' Chaparrel has a Merc 5.0 RWC engine that runs great and gets flushed after every weekend of use. Both boats are 22 years old.