Carver 406 vs SR 420 AC, convince me

SkiPharmer

SkiPharmer

Active Member
Jul 27, 2014
282
St. Croix River, MN
Boat Info
2001 Formula 41 Performance Cruiser
Engines
Twin 8.2. Liter Mercruisers Direct Drives
Starting to look at our next boat (who isn’t) and a buddy of mine is selling a gorgeous 2000 Carver 406 (gas engines) for around $100k. I’ve been on the boat and it seems to be way more boat compared to similar year 420 Aft Cabins. I know the whole gas vs diesel and prefer gas for where we boat. ACs this year are $30k-$80k more....why? The Carver has a better layout...discuss..
 
The Carver was a less expensive boat to begin with. They use less expensive materials and components and install them with a lower level of fit and finish.

Having said that, 20 years later I bet it surveys as well or better than the Sea Ray.

As far as layout? I don't know of a builder that can squeeze more interior room out of a hull! They also tend to get away with less power, but they know it. I don't think the phrase "overpowered Carver" has ever been uttered.
 
RollerCoastr said:
The Carver was a less expensive boat to begin with. They use less expensive materials and components and install them with a lower level of fit and finish.

Having said that, 20 years later I bet it surveys as well or better than the Sea Ray.

As far as layout? I don't know of a builder that can squeeze more interior room out of a hull! They also tend to get away with less power, but they know it. I don't think the phrase "overpowered Carver" has ever been uttered.
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After 20 years if everything is still good and it surveys well and it has a great lay out then wouldn’t it be be better deal and the SR would be over priced?
 
It’s your money I’m not sure the “convince me” is a good buying strategy. In the end you are buying a less expensive boat that will sell for less than you paid for it 5 years from now.

How much is anyone’s guess but odds are a Sea Ray will decline less just because it is a better and stronger brand.
 
Where you boat, pick the Carver. We owned 5 Carver aft cabins on the Illinois river and lake Michigan before moving to Florida and they were the perfect boats for that type of boating. I think in many ways they were better built than the Searays just not as glitzy and not as fast. Even in 2000 I think the stringer system is all glass and the hull has no wood below the water line. The last Carver we had was a 396 aft cabin with diesels and cruised at 25 mph.
 
becnme said:
Where you boat, pick the Carver. We owned 5 Carver aft cabins on the Illinois river and lake Michigan before moving to Florida and they were the perfect boats for that type of boating. I think in many ways they were better built than the Searays just not as glitzy and not as fast. Even in 2000 I think the stringer system is all glass and the hull has no wood below the water line. The last Carver we had was a 396 aft cabin with diesels and cruised at 25 mph.
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We are on the St. Croix River in MN.
 
At one time I had the predecessor to the 406 (3807). I agree with everyone else regarding the fit and finish vs. a Sea Ray, but it was a great boat. It handled extremely well with gas engines and you could fit everyone on the pier on board for a cocktail. I still miss sleeping in the aft cabin. If you know and like the boat, go for it.
 
The Carver 406 (aft cabin motor yacht) is a beautiful boat. A friend told me that it seemed like Carver built a wonderful hotel room and then surrounded it with a boat. I agree with that assessment.

For me a huge drawback to the design of the boat is the unusually narrow doorways into the aft deck on the port and starboard sides. It seems to me the doorways are like about 10” wide...the doorways are very difficult to navigate.
 
Nepenthe said:
At one time I had the predecessor to the 406 (3807). I agree with everyone else regarding the fit and finish vs. a Sea Ray, but it was a great boat. It handled extremely well with gas engines and you could fit everyone on the pier on board for a cocktail. I still miss sleeping in the aft cabin. If you know and like the boat, go for it.
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I will admit the lines are much better on the Sea Ray, but the 406 isn't horrible compared to some other Silvertons I've seen.
 
Nepenthe said:
At one time I had the predecessor to the 406 (3807). I agree with everyone else regarding the fit and finish vs. a Sea Ray, but it was a great boat. It handled extremely well with gas engines and you could fit everyone on the pier on board for a cocktail. I still miss sleeping in the aft cabin. If you know and like the boat, go for it.
Click to expand...

Out of curiosity were there any specific things regarding fit and finish that stood out? We spent the better part of the last 2 years looking at mid 90s to early 2000s boats before we settled on our 3970 and one of the things that kept coming up with many of the Sea Rays is vitracore delamination on various interior cabinets. Some were definitely worse than others but I can only recall 1 that didn't appear to have any issues. One of the things I liked about cruisers yachts and carvers was the continued use of real wood (even if it's mostly just veneered plywood).

Having said that, on our CY I've noticed that we've got a couple of faucets that will need repair/replacement, the windshield is powder coated aluminum instead of stainless (not a big deal inland though), and I've got a number of broken fasteners for things like air-conditioning access. Also the transom and salon access doors are basically just sheet plexiglass which feels a little cheap. Sea Ray probably has some advantages there, though it seems to me like a bit of a mixed bag.

Certainly the fiberglass stringer grid on the carvers is a huge selling point if you are looking at anything older than ~2005 when Sea Ray introduced their version on the bigger boats.
 
I cruised extensively on a Carver 57 including a trip from San Francisco to La Paz Mexico. The boat handled the ocean very well with no problems at all.
See video:
​
 
markhpc said:
Out of curiosity were there any specific things regarding fit and finish that stood out? We spent the better part of the last 2 years looking at mid 90s to early 2000s boats before we settled on our 3970 and one of the things that kept coming up with many of the Sea Rays is vitracore delamination on various interior cabinets. Some were definitely worse than others but I can only recall 1 that didn't appear to have any issues. One of the things I liked about cruisers yachts and carvers was the continued use of real wood (even if it's mostly just veneered plywood).

Having said that, on our CY I've noticed that we've got a couple of faucets that will need repair/replacement, the windshield is powder coated aluminum instead of stainless (not a big deal inland though), and I've got a number of broken fasteners for things like air-conditioning access. Also the transom and salon access doors are basically just sheet plexiglass which feels a little cheap. Sea Ray probably has some advantages there, though it seems to me like a bit of a mixed bag.

Certainly the fiberglass stringer grid on the carvers is a huge selling point if you are looking at anything older than ~2005 when Sea Ray introduced their version on the bigger boats.
Click to expand...

To be fair, my Sea Ray is more than a decade newer than the Carver was, so I guess it is not a true apples-to-apples comparison. Part of my statement may be mistaking "newer" for "better". There were a few little things, such as the A/C units draining condensation to the bilge rather than a sump that stand out in my mind, but nothing major. I have no complaints about the Carver whatsoever - it was a great boat.
 
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