Carver Owners Forum

If it hasthe oem carver dockbox on the swimplatform you really need to check for moisture/softspots around it on the deck and also get a Phillips head and unscrew the grab handle. If it's not been recaulked you'll probably find no sealant and some rotten wood around that area. If found with bad balsa there you can pretty much bet the mounting holes around the dock box have water intrusion also. There been several instances of this issue on these and other models

Thanks again guys.....

G36...luckily there is no OEM box on the platform, this boat does not appear to have any original factory upgrades near as I can tell so far.

Heh does anyone know what core is in the engine bed stringers in a late nineties 355 model for sure. There is a reason I ask....insurance. These were the transition years for the end of wood I believe at least according to Kenny years back. I will look a lot closer next visit, I quit when the oil thing came up. I agree about the oil change ,but now we have to go to lengths to check other things not knowing.

Our old 2001 had the top hat stringers forward but the engine beds were glass wrapped composite core.....surveyor thought they were ply and elevated....geeez he even argued when I told him there was no wood below the waterline.

Merkin we are with skippers plan , have been for many years now with a few boats, hopefully they have a bit more latitude, we never had a claim though sooooo, I mean how can you complete a deal when you have not got a survey yet, there could be tens of thousands of cost that you won't have any idea of until the survey is submitted and they decide how to proceed.....

Regarding the AC units, I strongly suggest opening up the return grills, make sure they have the stainless steel mesh filters, clean the filters and vacuum everything, the inside of the return vent and the AC unit itself. When I bought my boat, the forward unit was pretty decent but the aft unit was absolutely filthy. I was surprised it worked as well as it did.

Good deal about the swim platform info no dockbox. Just do check around the grab handle mounted on the deck for sealant, dont wont to let that go without. My 97 405 has no wood in the stringers. I bet that one doesn't.

g36 wrote:QR_BBPOST Good deal about the swim platform info no dockbox. Just do check around the grab handle mounted on the deck for sealant, dont wont to let that go without. My 97 405 has no wood in the stringers. I bet that one doesn't.

Thanks for that......I just want to be armed if insurance decides higher numbers in stringers are some disaster with them not understanding what the coring actually is in there and at that point the deal would for sure die after me spending a bunch of money and time for no joy. Maybe we need a law firm to deal with insurance now....geez...

Don't get me wrong it is a very nice boat....but....unfortunately this deal may have died as they are hanging on to asking price like grim death. Just too much for that many hours and no OEM extras that we want...IMHO. I do know what the market is but we can't make a mistake that won't be apparent until a couple years from now. I am sure there will be others that will pay it, so be it.

Good thing now, thanks to you guys... ....if there is another visit ( fingers crossed ) I have a good list of specifics to check for on this model as there are quite a few other boats to check out, some newer with lower hour closed cooling MPI.....

bud37 wrote:QR_BBPOST

g36 wrote:QR_BBPOST Good deal about the swim platform info no dockbox. Just do check around the grab handle mounted on the deck for sealant, dont wont to let that go without. My 97 405 has no wood in the stringers. I bet that one doesn't.

Thanks for that......I just want to be armed if insurance decides higher numbers in stringers are some disaster with them not understanding what the coring actually is in there and at that point the deal would for sure die after me spending a bunch of money and time for no joy. Maybe we need a law firm to deal with insurance now....geez...

Don't get me wrong it is a very nice boat....but....unfortunately this deal may have died as they are hanging on to asking price like grim death. Just too much for that many hours and no OEM extras that we want...IMHO. I do know what the market is but we can't make a mistake that won't be apparent until a couple years from now. I am sure there will be others that will pay it, so be it.

Good thing now, thanks to you guys... ....if there is another visit ( fingers crossed ) I have a good list of specifics to check for on this model as there are quite a few other boats to check out, some newer with lower hour closed cooling MPI.....

Sorry it didn’t work out. Since you like the Carver 355/356, maybe look around to see if there are any Cruisers 3650/3750/375. I liked that boat a lot, but when we were looking, there weren’t any decent ones around and the 356 we ended up buying was the nicest one on the bay. The Cruisers is a good looking boat, slightly larger with a very similar layout to the 356. Master cabin is reversed with the head on the port side, but everything else is much the same.
FYI, the 356 was replaced with the 366, but personally, I like the 356 better. Prefer the more classic lines of the 356 over the Euro style 366.

buster53 wrote:QR_BBPOST Sorry it didn’t work out. Since you like the Carver 355/356, maybe look around to see if there are any Cruisers 3650/3750/375. I liked that boat a lot, but when we were looking, there weren’t any decent ones around and the 356 we ended up buying was the nicest one on the bay.
FYI, the 356 was replaced with the 366, but personally, I like the 356 better. Prefer the more classic lines of the 356 over the Euro style 366.

Well not sure yet.......but funny you should say that about the Cruisers, I have actually looked for that model, the wife's sister had one of those ( 36 or 3750 aft ) years back, it was a beautiful boat, the seating and woodworking etc. Not many still around though up here.
I guess yours has the 2 oval portlights in the aft sides ? I like the aft deck surround look better in the newer version not the 366 but the one before seems more shapely...

Yes, I do have the 2 port lights on each side, but the forward one on the starboard side is fake. Only there to balance the look of the boat, cannot see it from the inside as it would be in the shower.

On to the next boat....had another visit today....just not a good fit for us.

Anyhow thanks for all the help, found what I found based on the info here. I will know exactly where and what to check on the next one on the first visit.

If one of them is in Starport Port Severn, I heard the owner has already purchased another boat. That could be a bargaining chip and ease the impact of some deficiencies.