Viewed 2005 Carver 360 Sport Sedan today. A couple of questions...

[John Easley]

Afternoon all,

This morning, my wife and I walked through a 2005 360 SS. This was our first time seeing this model up close. We liked everything about the layout, the interior was very clean, and the a/c was working great. We could see ourselves cooking, watching TV, sleeping, showering, and... yes... I even sat on the head.

The exterior was a bit faded and dull. It needs some detailing but that's to be expected with an 11 year old boat.

Our scuba gear (not the tanks) could easily be stowed behind the bench seat across the back of the bridge, between the back of the seat and the canopy.

The broker was supposed to provide maintenance records from the owner. The only thing the owner was able to come up with was work done to one engine back in 2013. The broker has had the boat about three months but didn't know that much about it. He didn't know exactly when the bottom was last painted, only that it needed it. (He also didn't know it had a backup camera, central vac, or an automatic oil changer.)

Then I crawled down in the engine compartment. The filters, strainers, belts, most hoses, and the water pumps/impellers were all easy enough to get to.

However, the starboard shaft seal has a very steady drip, about a drop every three or four seconds, so there is a puddle of water in the bilge. There was some surface rust on one propellor shaft but not the other. The through hull fitting where the port rudder shaft goes through had some water around it but the starboard rudder shaft was dry. The generator case was open and there was dampness at the base of it. The generator ground strap and a couple of battery terminals had some corrosion. The fluids were all clean and none were where they shouldn't be.

And then there was the bottom. The boat is in the water but the water in the Clearwater, FL marina was reasonably clear. We could see about an inch build up of algae. Enough that it was waiving back and forth with the water movement. An inch? The broker said they have a diver clean the hull once a month. An inch of algae in a month? To me, that seems like a lot. Is that a lot?

So... hauled and bottom painted, new shaft seals, probably new zincs, the general condition of some of the components down below, and the lack of documented maintenance made us back away from this particular boat but we loved the over all feel of it and will continue searching for an early to mid-2000s 360 SS.

[waybomb]

Dripping seals, bottom paint, misc repairs can be expected.

Make an offer contingent on everything passing survey, meaning they fix everything, or, low ball them and fix them yourselves.

It's 11 years old!

[John Easley]

What about the build up of algae? Is an inch of build up in a month considered normal? If you let the boat sit for a couple or three weeks, it seems like you'd need to jump in and scrub the hull before setting out.

[waybomb]

Nobody scrubbed it for a while. Probably the entire fine the broker had it.
Needs bottom paint. Duly noted. Haul it, pressure wash it, maybe a light sanding, and paint it.
Or go all out, barrier coat it.

[waybomb]

Get a survey! !!!!!!!!

[Viper]

I agree with everything Fred said. It's an eleven year old boat and some things are bound to need addressing.

Qr Bbpost Get a survey! !!!!!!!!

++++1