We need opinions on which is a better boat for Bay, Intracoastal and occasional shortcut through Gulf to Florida (from Texas). We are weekend boaters and have put over 300 hours in the last 12 months on our SeaRay Sundancer. We are now looking for a better weekend boat (bigger master etc.). While we are knowledgeable on SeaRay, I need feedback on Carvers. I love the interior but need to know more on: 1) craftsmanship and durability 2) hull design (comfort and sound levels) 3) Volvos D12 675 vs MAN 900 4) How stable are the carvers? I always see them wobbling next to other boats that are sitting still. and any other feedback. Thank you in advance
Never been a big fan of Carvers. As far as sportfishing boats go, they don't rank in the top 5, but then again neither does Searay. However, I'd bet the quality of Searay is better. just my 2c
Thank you for your response. Anyone else with an opinion please respond as we will be making this decision soon and really need some feedback.
Sea Ray vs. Carver I recently sold my Sea Ray 330 DA in Arizona and relocated to FL for a promotion and to live on the Gulf. I am a fan of Sea Ray and have admired Carvers from a distance for years. However, because I am now in the market for a 250k-ish ocean going yacht, I am in full research mode. You need to read David Pascoe's collumns on his website, yachtsurvey.com He is a respect veteran boat surveyor and does pre-purchase surveys as well as post accident/insurance claim surveys. He has opened my eyes up on Sea Ray and even more so on Carver. Don't let the pretty wrapping paper fool you on either. Read this link, then spend a few hours reading other educational articles on his site.
I have found previous reviews from David Pascoe but cannot find any recent ones, they are all form the 80's and 90's. In the Carver brochure I read that they do not use any wood below the water line. It is an all fiberglass hull with all fiberglass stringers etc. Anyways, is there any reviews of their current built quality (and Sea Ray for that matter)?
Guidoc, I can’t comment on the Carver. Never owned one and we’ve only done reviews on the Marquis series, which are exceptionally well finished, especially by production standards. I’ve got a fair amount of experience with a SeaRay 480 Sedan Bridge, which for all practical purposes is the same boat as the 56, albeit smaller. In addition, we’ve had a 540 Express in the family too. Because you are a previous SeaRay owner, you are as familiar with the fit, finish & materials as I am. Personally, I like SeaRays and the 56 tops my list. In the Bang-for-the-Buck category, the 480 makes more sense to me. The extra 8 feet of the 56 is almost double the price. My only reservations on the Sedan Bridges are engine room access, cored hulls and the lack of a lower helm. The latter puts a big plus in the Voyager column, but at the expense of salon space. The engine room is one of my favorite places on a boat, but NOT on a Sedan Bridge. It’s not a room. It’s a crawl space, best left to children or ex-jockeys turned marine mechanics. And the lower helm, or lack thereof on the Sedan Bridge, is probably the only drawback to an otherwise stellar ergonomic design. You have to wonder what SeaRay was thinking. Maybe it’s always sunny, cool & dry at their test facility, but in my world it sometimes gets ugly. I’ve seen both of these boats, in various ages & sizes get intimate with pilings and emerge less then victorious. There is a thread on YF titled “SeaRays & Hurricanes Don’t Mix” with some painful pictures. Use the search button along with the keywords above. As for as Pascoe’s ramblings… I’d like to believe both manufacturers have improved their lay-up techniques and materials in recent years. Much has been learned, unfortunately at the cost of the consumer. Pascoe was a thorn in the side for a couple of manufacturers, but not nearly as much as the Internet… and forums! His “Ralph Nader” approach resulted in proactive solutions by some builders, but forums have made entire industries accountable. And finally… I’ve heard tongue & cheek comments about the Voyager being a sail in the wind. Frankly, it’s not rocket science. It has a fair amount of surface area. I’d be more concerned with blue water capability, including sufficient freeboard and a worthy bow. Based on that criteria, both of these boats are fine for inland waters. Outside of that… pick your days. Best!
OK, finally some good help. My wife is putting great emphasis on the inside stairs going to bridge. We have a 4 and 8 year old and she feels this is safer. I am also wondering how good is visibility on a rainy day behind the plastic enclosure. I am hoping you have time to answer these final questions.
You’ll have to toss a quarter on the Sedan Bridge’s molded exterior steps or the Voyager’s open-toe interior ladder. Personally, I think steps are safer than ladders, but it all depends on the kid. Some are naturally born climbers. Regarding visibility - if it’s Isinglass, it should be pretty good in the wet stuff. If not, that’s why we bring our wives along! Visibility is generally fair with plastic enclosures, but I’d avoid a tight channel at night when it’s raining. You’re chances of seeing deceased relatives are better then spotting a marker.
You can get the 560 with a Pilot house, I’m not sure about the Searay, either one can have the plastic enclosure upgraded to Strata Glass or EZ2CY which will be much easier to see out of. (I highly recommend this upgrade) Both boats are a high quality, I would think that the Carver might have a little better workmanship as they have just recently elevated themselves to the perception that they are at now so they have more to prove, Sea ray tends to get let off the hook for a lot of the things that they do because of their name recognition. If you open the closet of a Carver you will see that it is lined with Cedar planks, the Sea Rays will be a plastic veneer that looks like cedar planks, my point is that this will be the trend on quite a bit between the two brands, as you compare them deeply.
I have heard over and over that hull quality of Carver is very poor (thin). Also, could you shed some light on which boat will look better in three years? Do they hold up about the same? I hope answering this questions is not a bother, any help is appreciated.
guidoc: Carl has spoken. David Pascoe may have spoken. Forums opine. Have you asked your questions of the local Sea Ray dealer and the Carver dealer? They might just surprise you with some knowledgeable answers. What's that? Don't trust the dealers? Call the respective factories. Ask laminate thicknesses, ditto gelcoats, and whose do they use. Ask a million questions. My personal experience with a minor marine manufacturer some years back included fielding questions just like yours--in fact, that factory soon put together a comparison with all their competitors as to why they were "better". They compared FACTS. Demand these. Go all the way up the ladder if need be. Call the president. Use my name.
I have not done so. We did get their feedback on why their boat is better, but not specifically related the above referenced issues. Really does not make sense, you are right, today I will start my phone calls and will post the results in case anyone else is interested. Thank you for the advice and I will act on it now.
