Good day to you all. Patrick from Ontario and recently put a deposit down on a 1983 Carver Riviera and was hoping to get some insight on what to look for. The boat is in very good condition with very low hours for its age (460). Right now it is in storage for the winter and the plan is to do the water test in May. I am coming from the sailing community but with three children under 8 my wife and I decided a powerboat might be better for us at this point
She is equipped with 220 crusaders, hot water tank (recently replaced), no generator, and basically bone stock otherwise with the exception of a new Standard Horizon chart plotter.
Are there any specific systems I should really go over? Any weak points on this boat that need closer scrutiny?
Appreciate the help and look forward to hearing from you.

Here’s a weird question. My radar doesn’t transmit for whatever reason and we are currently in an uncovered slip. If or when we get a covered one, I’m afraid the radar or anchor light makes the boat too tall. Either way I eventually need to take the radar off. The aft deck has a fiberglass cover. How do I get up there and can I put any weight on the cover?

Hello- what do you guys and girls think?

Diesel forced air furnace or Dickinson propane Newport?

Diesel would probably be an easier instal but would require a separate diesel tank and filling solution.

The Newport needs a chimney and a custom mount created as I have no real bulkhead to put it against (the only place I can mount the Newport would be forward of the couch above the refrigerator on the wood cabinet. I outdone fab a SS horizontally mounted bulkhead). However I really like the fire place feel.

Has anyone ever done either on the 3227?

Thanks in advance.

Hello everyone,
New to this board but I’ve owned my Carver for a few years. Finally, I have decided to keep it for a couple more seasons and I’m looking for advice on certain upgrades and modifications.
I live in the Pacific North West with my wife and two crazy boys, ages 8 and 6.
Eventually, we are looking to sail but for the time being we are going to enjoy motor yachting.
Happy holidays!

Question for a newbie with a 3807,
In north Alabama water temp would rarely if ever get below freezing, except maybe a little thin surface ice during rare cases. I have blown air through my plumbing lines, run antifreeze through the heads and cold water lines. I have an “Extreme” engine compartment heater going. There is a strainer for the a/c’s and generator and two open cooled engines with no strainers I have yet to address. So far lowest temp in engine compartment recorded is 49 when air temp at night outside has be in the 20s. Cabin lowest temp was 38. I still plan on at minimum blowing out a/c lines and closing remaining seacocks. Should I antifreeze gen and engine blocks? Is just draining them enough? Leave them alone and just close seacocks? Do I need to crank engines periodically from now till March? Do I need a heater in the salon? I’m sure once I get a couple of winters under my belt and / or get to know my neighbors it will get better, I just need some advice to get through this first winter. Colder weather is coming.

I have a specific question on a 1998 carver 350 mariner. Where is the holding tank and can you visually see it inside the cabin? Which floor board is it accessible to view?

Here we are another season is over, when it starts, I am already lined up with work
Basically I was told I need to replace my mercruiser 4.7 manifold and riser on both engines, as I have been apparently very lucky that my 2000 carvers original manifold and riser have not given up yet, but they are ticking bomb at this point. I did research and looks like that I have been lucky, as these things needs to be replaced every 5-6 years I read everywhere and been told by everybody. So there goes more green stuff Any input, suggestions, comments appreciated as always. Luckily, so far nothing happened, as in water leaking into engines.

Pulling a radio head and Raymarine radar/nav unit off the helm of my 2003 356. There will be a hole left after the install of the new equipment. What and where do I get and use as the filler to cover the space? Planned on having something custom cut to the shape of the space then cut new holes to install the new equipment.

This may be a duplicate post. Submitted 11/19/18 but it did not appear. I have a Marine Air 16,000 BTU A/C unit with reverse cycle heat on my '95 Mariner 330. At the beginning of the '18 season it ran fine, after not being used for the previous 10 years. Mid season it started to turn off the cooling, and displays a CLF error code on the control panel. Seems intermittent. The heating works just fine. The manual for the unit defines this code as "no compressor load fault". The manual goes on to say " A CLF occurs when the compressor has been on for 1/2 second and no current is flowing in the compressor circuit, such as when the head pressure switch is open. This fault is cleared the next time the compressor tries to turn on and no other faults exist." What does this mean in regular guy talk? Could it be from low water flow? There is a filter with two wing nuts holding the top down. I cleaned that out. The metal filter in there was real muddy, so I am thinking maybe the hose on either side of the filter could still have some residue. But again, the heat works fine. Maybe the heat takes less water flow to operate? Anyway, no info in manual to tell me how to prevent or remedy the situation. Any A/C techs out there that can break this down for me? Any help from anybody is appreciated.

On the aft enclosed deck of my 444 there are 2 drain scuppers. (they maybe there on a 396 also) They are in the rear of the deck, one in each corner. Does anyone know where they drain? One is blocked and water will not drain. Since they are in the enclosed area, they are not subject to debris or leaves. Any ideas?