Feedback requested on Carver 346/366, 396, & 36SS

I used to run a 2002 444 which is basically the 396 with a cockpit. It's a very nice looking and spacious boat. Everything is very accessable. Those who like them love them. Ours was a bit of a lemon. I'm really hesitent to use that term when talking about boats, because I'm always waiting for what will break next on a boat. But by the second year I had to agree with the owner. She ran at about 12-14 knts. in any kind of sea and topped out about 19-20 kts. Heading into a 2' sea was a gut buster, and 4' will definitely get your attention from any direction. That's fairly standard with Carvers though. For the Chesapeake I'd say they're good boats.

IMHO the best bang for the buck in that size range is a Silverton 392 aft cabin. All around I think its a more user friendly model (not as sexy) than the equivalent Carver. You have to decide if you're shopping for sizzle, or are you looking for steak.

I DK the deadrise on the Carver. Frankly I pay very little attention to that as I'm not building a boat. I'm more concerned with how they feel. I like Sea Ray better. I'm not sure of their models these days. For awhile they had a 39 with an oversized aft deck. I think that's one of the ugliest boats ever created, but they used to have a nice aft-cabin 38. I think the Carver has better space, but for cruising and resale value I'd take the Sea Ray.

396

We have a 2004 396 that we has been great boat for us. It's equipped with Volvo 496's rated at 375 hp and pushes the boat to a top end of 32.7 mph. A good cruise is between 18 and 21. The deadrise is 18 degrees and has mild prop pockets. We cruise Lake Michigan where the waves are typically between 1 and 4 feet but the periods and much shorter than the ocean so my comments will differ than for coastal cruisers.

First, it is no Nordhavn but it is a very comfortable ride up to 3 foot chop. We don't choose to go out in much more but when we have been caught cutting across lake with the wind kicking it up to 4, 5, and the occasional 6 we slow down and do not get punished. The mechanical systems are for the most part easily accessible and Carver chooses quality product to install, I have the raised walkway across the stern which is really great for fixed docks. I would stay away from the 2000 and 2001 as they do not have the side hull doors which can make getting on and off from the side challenging. We have the ES version which comes with the dinette but a smaller forward stateroom. Also in 2005 Carver went to the molded aft deck bench seat. That creates greater usable deck space but they took away the Hawse pipes in the corners and we use those virtually everywhere we dock.

A great family boat for us. Good luck with your decision.

Dan

Cliff,

The side doors are built into the hull just forward of the plexi wing doors on each side. I think late 2001 may have had them added as well. They make boarding from the side much easier. I am not sure what year the ES version came into play but you may want to check it out if the forward stateroom size is not critical. The ES salon is bigger with a different layout and you get a separate dinette. The rest of the boat is identical.

We had a Carver 356 prior to the 396 and were very pleased with it so the decision to stay with the brand was simple. We had looked at the 466 which was so much more boat but money and leaving dockmates due to boat size restrictions that have watched our kids grow up ruled it out. My wife was/is very pleased with the 396 purchase. This was our first used boat so I anticipated issues even though I knew the previous owners and how they cared for it. The only major problems were a fried ECM on the Kohler Genny and a malfunctioning battery charger that cropped up soon after purchase. The boat is easy to work on mechanically with access hatches and covers to just about everything.

My two dock mates have Silverton 352's which have served them very well so it comes down to what's the right mix of features, size, style, price, and inspected condition for you and the Admiral

BTW I had those same 310 Mercs you mentioned on my 356 and they were great motors for me with no issues at all.

If you want to discuss specific details let me know and we can hook up on a call or email.

Dan

396 is the way to go

Cliff,

After looking for about three years and at almost of the boats you listed we purchased the 396. The layout and quality we found to be the best overall. Ours have the 454 gas as well and find they cruise great at 3600-3800 rpms, even in 2'-3's. with Silverton out of business and the issues they've had with there gas tanks I would steer clear.

White Noise

Maxum is was the upgrade model for Bayliner. Decent boats on a par with Sea Ray. In fact when Brunswick took over Sea Ray the plan was to drop Maxum in favor of Sea Ray. DK where those plans are at today.
I like Meridians, but they're too new to get a good idea how they do on the resale market. Everybody knows Sea Ray. Probably the best bang for the buck and easiest resale in the category. I don't like Cruisers. They look good, but they're often under powered, and their support network is bad.

Meridian?

Meridian Yachts | Luxury Yachts | Sedans, Motoryachts & Pilothouse

I run a 444 and love the boat. Mine has volvo 370 diesels in it. Cruise is 16-18 knots depending on sea which is fine for me. The design, thought and quality of parts are excellent in my opinion for this class of boat. The room and layout is great. If you can spend a little more get the 444 instead of the 396. The boat is faster due to longer hull, looks better, offered only in diesel and the storage in the cockpit lazarette is very nice. As for gas I will never own a gas boat again, at least not in a larger boat.

As for handling in rough water, I've had it in 3-4 many times on plane and never have a problem. In 5-6 the boat performs fine but when it's like that I'm running hull speed at 8 knots if I get stuck in it. This isn't a 60' viking designed for running on plane in seas of that size... A repo captain I met once told me he got stuck with one in 8-9 and at hull speed (8 knots) the boat handled it fine. You will want to quit way before the boat is in trouble...

As for the comment above of 12 - 14 knots and boat handling bad in 3-4 I imagine there was something wrong with the mechanicals on that particular boat...

Good luck with whatever you decide.

You could be up front and simply tell the person that you'd like to sea trial to see if the boat meets your expectations and offer to pay for an hour of running. Once you're down to serious contenders, all deposits should indicate 'conditional on satisfactory sea-trial and survey'.