Is there a issue with early 80's Carver ships..?

[stlbob]

I have found an 82' and they wanted 20K which is insane and now will take 16K.The problem is this i found a 90' Santego that is clean and well taken care of for the same price. The 82' has New crate motors and VDrives..fresh interior..nice trailer ( 90' has no trailer).

All other things being equal i have been told the late 70's early 80 Carver's are a ship i want to stay clear of..ANY info is really appreciated.
Yes im having surveys done on both boats. It will be survey 3 and 4. First 2 i thought i wanted i was confused and the owners either completely unaware of major issues OR just trying to hang their nightmare around someone else s neck.

[Seif911]

Hello,
I have a 1977 Mariner. I love it. I am not aware of any real issues that any other boat might not have. I know there is a balsa core in the hull but that doesn't matter unless it got water to it and rotted. The windows are surrounded by teak and tend to leak, but it is fixable. Other than that, got me?
Now I would advise to stay at least a 1977 or newer, reason being is the decking on the 77' and up is all fiberglass. The 1976 has an incredible amount of wood and can be a nightmare.

[waybomb]

16k for a trailerable 1982 at first glance is a lot of money. It's still an 82.
Santego is a popular boat. Meaning, more marketable.

I don't care how you cut it, there is a devastating and costly disease called twofootitis. It strikes in about the second year of boat ownership. It gets worse as time goes on, and to cure the symptoms for a couple of years, you have to sell your boat and buy one at least 2 feet longer. Selling an 82 will not be easy at 16k.

My disease started in September of 1988 with a 1988 28 Aft Cabin. The disease is so overpowering, and I have no immune system, thus, between 5 boats, I now have 131 feet of boats, counting the dinghy. It truly is a disease.

The only way to avoid this is not buy a boat. Mooch off your friends. That's what I was told in 1986 when we started looking at buying a boat. That doesn't work.

[Seif911]

Hmmm...I am actually contemplating selling the Carver and going to my 24' Chrysler Cruiseliner III. I love my Carver but not all of my family does and it is a whopping yearly cost of a min. of $4000.

[waybomb]

Acckk - after all the work you put in her?

Also, try Port Washington's Maritime Enterprises for a winter storage price. Go shopping and bring that cost of ownership down.

[stlbob]

Great answers.Let me tell you what im going to be doing.It will be in a slip i live in St.Louis,Mo. so it will
be a river kinda boat.Weekends and longers sleeping eating on the boat.One day when i feel comfortable with it her and I will travel down to Mississippi make a left and check out Florida and return to St.Louis.

I have a budget of 14-16K for the boat if it needs repairs i will just adjust as needed.I was in automotive for 30 years and im very good with my hands.

Any advice or suggestions would be much appreciated.

this is the 89' http://louisville.craigslist.org/boa/3868703670.html
and something else to compare to it.. http://racine.craigslist.org/boa/3803204350.html

I like the layout of the Carver a lot.Trynig to find the link to the 82'

tell me your honest opinion .

[stlbob]

Here is the 82' look at what it started out at..!!!
http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/boa/3885470371.html

now to be honest i prefer the interior layout of this boat more than the other 2 . I like the new drivetrain.
The electronics.BUT i did some checking and one these early boats..supposedly in something as small as a boat wake they would rock back and forth violently.Not wide enough in the beam.I wish the 82' had a price that was a little less pie in the sky.

So lay it on me.

Thanks :U)

[waybomb]

Nice looking boat that 82. But way too much money. My opinion.

Those wheeled desk chairs inside - yuk! Gotta go if you buy it.

I also don't understand why the expensive GPS inside. You'll be up on the bridge most of the time. I had a lower station on my 42aft and I never used it even once. Butb then again, that's me.

If you really want this boat, give the seller a workout and get that price down. Go to Nadaguides.com. Looks like they say the boat is worth about 14k.

[stlbob]

LMAO that was what i told the wife the office chairs had to go!! Boats from what i have seen thus far are a lot like HotRods or classic cars you will never get everything back from them.Id what you said and 14K was about it.
If he wont budge your feedback on the 89'..
And Thanks..any of you guys on here got a car thats misbehaving let me know im a car ninja. Firing up my own Website soon AskAnythingAutomotive..see 3 A's cant say triple A get slapped around.
Im not buying anything without a survey as well.Another thing we will offer here local, survey for the car you MIGHT purchase..

[waybomb]

Car guy here too. My DD will turn 325,000 miles this week.
I have a couple of mid 80's Benz 16v's as collectors, and a 68 442 collector. Anything with an engine interests me. Trained and licensed A%P mechanic, but never used the ticket - went a different path.