1999 Carver 530 Pilothouse

[Fixer]

I am looking at a 1999 Carver 530 Pilothouse with Cummings QSM-11 625hp motors that were recently rebuilt. Anything in particular I should look out for before the survey? I will use the boat as a coastal cruiser on the east coast of the USA.

[Almost-There]

I'd want to know who did the rebuilt engines and why they needed to be rebuilt.
It seems like it's being dumped for some reason. Also try and find out what parts were used. I doubt they're using OEM parts

[Fixer]

Originally Posted by Almost-There

I'd want to know who did the rebuilt engines and why they needed to be rebuilt.
It seems like it's being dumped for some reason. Also try and find out what parts were used. I doubt they're using OEM parts

Good suggestions...thank you. I was told the work was done by a Cummins factory certified mechanic - I’m waiting to see the paperwork and I’ll check on the OEM parts. I was told they put sleeves in the cylinders and machined the heads. When I was told that the boat had “multiple owners” and the current owner only had it for eighteen months, I also thought they were dumping the boat for some reason.

[flyingfin]

It is a twenty year old boat, so plan on removing & rebedding all fittings, trim, handrails, windows, cleats, etc, unless the previous owner has proof of doing that work. Can be pricy since it is time consuming. And pay careful attention to the water heater support base. I had to replace stringer on Carver after water heater slow leak. Seems they screwed the plywood base into the stringers, but never put silicone on those screws. Water leak went into the stringer and caused it to rot all the way back to the engine mount.

[Fixer]

Originally Posted by flyingfin

It is a twenty year old boat, so plan on removing & rebedding all fittings, trim, handrails, windows, cleats, etc, unless the previous owner has proof of doing that work. Can be pricy since it is time consuming. And pay careful attention to the water heater support base. I had to replace stringer on Carver after water heater slow leak. Seems they screwed the plywood base into the stringers, but never put silicone on those screws. Water leak went into the stringer and caused it to rot all the way back to the engine mount.

Thank you, Flyingfin. Unfortunately, the maintenance records have some gaps due to multiple owners.

The engines were rebuilt because they overheated. Was told that the current didn’t shut them down quick enough when the overheating alarm sounded due to a water pump failure.

[Almost-There]

Originally Posted by Fixer

Thank you, Flyingfin. Unfortunately, the maintenance records have some gaps due to multiple owners.

The engines were rebuilt because they overheated. Was told that the current didn’t shut them down quick enough when the overheating alarm sounded due to a water pump failure.

There may be some truth in that but I'd Google that model to see if others had similar problems. Also chances are they came in heavy equipment and or road tractor's etc. So you'll find some clues there at times.

I'm surprised both overheated but anything is possible. Chances are it was one and because they had a lot of hours they did both. They most likely did what's called a in frame rebuild that gets its name from being done in a truck frame. If there's access they pull the head and pan replace the pistons and sleeves etc and usually do a rebuilt head. Its pretty common and if done correctly they should be good for a long time.

Having said that I'd have things looked at by a diesel mechanic on top of a survey.

There's some warning signs about the boat but it's most likely worth looking at if the price is good.

One thing I do is Google the previous owners. I've found with certain types of boats multiple ownership a lot of times comes from previous owners passing away. I know it sounds bad but a boat like a aft cabin having numerous owners, chances are good a few previous owners may have passed away.

[Fixer]

Originally Posted by Almost-There

There may be some truth in that but I'd Google that model to see if others had similar problems. Also chances are they came in heavy equipment and or road tractor's etc. So you'll find some clues there at times.

I'm surprised both overheated but anything is possible. Chances are it was one and because they had a lot of hours they did both. They most likely did what's called a in frame rebuild that gets its name from being done in a truck frame. If there's access they pull the head and pan replace the pistons and sleeves etc and usually do a rebuilt head. Its pretty common and if done correctly they should be good for a long time.

Having said that I'd have things looked at by a diesel mechanic on top of a survey.

There's some warning signs about the boat but it's most likely worth looking at if the price is good.

One thing I do is Google the previous owners. I've found with certain types of boats multiple ownership a lot of times comes from previous owners passing away. I know it sounds bad but a boat like a aft cabin having numerous owners, chances are good a few previous owners may have passed away.

All good suggestions. Thanks.

[ranger58sb]

Other comments are germane, but if the work was done by a Cummins-certified tech, he almost certainly used OEM parts. You could maybe get full records from Cummins, too. And a mechanical survey (by a Cummins specialist, ideally not the one who did the rebuild) would be appropriate, no matter what.

I'm not aware of any particular issues with the QSMs, through extensive reading.

The boat itself will be a Chevy, and issues will likely depend on how well (or not) it's been maintained over the several owners. There will likely be stuff to fix, maybe some systems to update or replace (freshwater pumps, etc.) but then that's pretty common with any boat older than about 2 weeks. Doubt you'd automatically need to replace bow rails/handrails/window fittings/etc. unless the boat's actually been mistreated or really seriously neglected, though. Assuming you do a marine survey and adjust the final price accordingly, could be fine.

-Chris

[Fixer]

I ended up passing on this Carver. After digging around, it was more work than I wanted to take on - my thanks for all of your comments. I ended up making an offer on a different boat.