Any experience with Carver Voyagers ?

[Rxflyer]

I know, I know, it's a Sea Ray forum, but I know there's a vast reservoir of information here. We've been looking around locally, and there's a few Carver Voyagers out there in the 45 ft range. I wondered if anyone had any experience with any of the Voyagers ? Lotsa stuff foreign to me, like twin-disc transmissions and Volvo turbodiesels controlled by electronic shifters. I know there aren't a lot of Volvo techs out there, which concerns me a bit. Any comments on the boat or any of this technology ? I haven't strayed from the Sea Ray fold yet, but this boat intrigues me. Just trying to get a little smarter, which doesn't take much with me...Thanks for your input.

 

[390x]

Great boats, would own one in a second. They go about 30 WOT with the 450 Cummins, which seems like it's hauling the mail in a boat that size. We have 3 in the area, but none of them have the Volvo's as far as I know. Twin Disc is a good tranny. Actually, I don't know if anyone makes a bad tranny. All the problems that I've heard about with Volvo's had to do with parts availability. The ones I've seen seem to be smokers too, but that could just be my perception and not a statement of fact. Electronic shifters are fine, but you don't get the "feedback" that you get with cables.

 

[Carver370]

I have a LOT of experience with them. The 450/46 Voyager. I will have time to post more info tomorrow while I'm at work.

 

[Nehalennia]

http://www.carverownersclub.com/

 

[Presentation]

..... I will have time to post more info tomorrow while I'm at work.

LMAO! I found that statement to be incredibly funny.

 

[Carver370]

The Carver owners club website posted above is pretty much worthless, don't even waste your time.

This is one of my favorite models. The boat has a pretty innovative layout and depending on which version you are looking at, a very nice lower station/pilothouse. The Master Stateroom and the Guest Forward are pretty close in size, you can take your pick which you would like to call the Master.

The boat runs best with the 480 HP Volvos, close second with the 450 C Cummins, and don't even bother with 370B Cummins as the boat is just underpowered. In our area and most I have been to Volvo Mechanics are not hard to find at all, and the engines are VERY reliable. The running angle of the boat is great with the straight shaft drives and small prop pockets that do not reduce low speed handling at all. Notable options were the bow thruster, either davit or sun pad area with a railing on the aft of the bridge, hardtop (rare), obviously engines, and electronics packages. The boats come very well equipped standard with only options on the main items as noted above. The hull is solid fiberglass and the only coring is on the decks and hullsides above the waterline. There is NO wood below the waterline on any Carver after about 1990. All of them after about 1997 started having dripless shaft seals, which a 450 should have.

My preference would be to find one without the upper davit on the bridge and put a freedom lift on the transom to make things easier. The boat is very easy to get around being able to go out the pilothouse door or navigate the side decks, there is a large cockpit, huge swim platform for a fixed unit, and the bow has plenty of "flat space" for handling lines or lounging around.

This boat has also been on my radar for a while, if I don't switch brands its a close contender with a 480 DB just a little smaller. The main driver for me is in my marina slips bigger than 46' are hard to come by in desirable locations. The 450 fits in a 46' slip within the required overhang, a 480 doesn't.

I love the boat, my only gripe is that the helm is all the way forward on the bridge. The boat is equipped almost always with a reverse camera as well as engine room camera but I was never sold 100% on the helm all the way forward, I could live with it but I much prefer the 480 DB bridge layout.

 

[Rxflyer]

Thanks for that comprehensive overview ! I wasn't too thrilled with the prospect of having to plop down 50 bucks to gain access to an unknown quality of Carver info. I knew I could count on the folks here. We'll be looking at a 45 Voyager this afternoon. I'm sure I'll agree with you about the comparison to the 48DB, which is, in my limited exposure, about as good as it gets, visibility-wise. At least the Voyager has that back-up camera. I'll do some more digging locally to see about Volvo service; Irwin was a Sea Ray and Carver dealer when they sold boats in Nashville, so I'm sure the service manager can help me out there. But it's still early in the game, for me. Thanks again, and any other hints/tips/dire warnings will be appreciated. Now get back to work... fine-tuning your NCAA tourney pool picks !