CARVER OWNERS CLUB
This site is owned by, managed by, and exclusive to Carver, Californian, and Trojan owners.

 Recommissioning Issues 

Another member reminded me that the boat’s fire extinguishers also need to be inspected annually, especially the fire suppression systems in the bilge or engine room.  In some cases, insurance coverage can be compromised if the inspections have not been made.  You also need extinguishers near the galley (not in the galley – that’s where the fire will likely be), on the bridge, and in the aft cabin.  One member who had a fire on-board told me that he never thought that he had too many extinguishers while fighting the fire and he didn’t consider the $10 cost each time he pulled a pin.  His boat was not seriously damaged.

Maxwell windlasses recommend that owners NOT use metal polishers on its products.  The reason is that metal polishers contain abrasives that can damage the mechanism. 

If you have a contained water-cooling system in your engines, test the water when examining the sacrificial zincs.  As the zincs sacrifice themselves, they increase the acidity of the water that can cause or contribute to the failure of other cooling components.  While adding a neutralizing agent or changing/flushing the cooling system easily corrects the pH level, too few people actually do the test.

Saturday Night Out

Nice Thoughts

It’s great to get nice notes, too.  Here are a couple.

“Patsy, Thanks for the information. I was pleased to find a club. Keep up the good efforts.

“We are in the process of restoring an 1978 F-36 Trojan Tri-Cabin MY. When it is finished I will post you an e-copy to go into the Owner's Album. We really enjoy seeing the pictures of other boats.”  

Another one.

“Appreciate your efforts. We spend our summers on a 53 which we keep up north and live on Sanibel Island Fl the rest of the year. The site keeps me informed and looking forward to our summer boating life.”

Then, an interesting follow-up.

We are from the Northern VA area boating out of Annapolis for years. . love the Bay.

We moved to Sanibel 5 years ago. I play a lot of tennis down here so we figured we'd use the boat as a northern home and have not brought her south yet.  

Two years ago we bought the boat in the upper peninsula of Mich.(a 2000) and brought her around to Annapolis ( Whelan and Erie canal system a great trip) and got to Annapolis in time for last seasons hurricane that rolled up the bay.

We put her up at McDaniel's last winter picked her up went to Annapolis for two months and made it all the way to Cape May: seven hours on the water! We just fell in love with Cape May and spent the rest of the summer there (2 months).  This year we are going to get the boat and make a run for it, otherwise we'll end up in Cape May again for the summer. My bet is we'll spend a month in NY and come back.

I even hate to tell a birder this story (Ed. Note: I mentioned to him that I was a birdwatcher) but I do have a "Bird" problem. We are on the Sanibel River which runs through Sanibel and to the Bay.  Our little piece of it is natural, not like a canal. Three weeks ago my father was visiting and we walked out to the dock to see our small boat we keep here.  A baby shark was half eaten in the middle of the dock. I looked up and . .you guessed it a Bald Eagle.  His nest is less than a mile from here and just loves our dock for some reason, he comes back every now and then. Might be because everyone leaves him alone.

He was NOT the least bit afraid of me and quickly got the point across that the fish was his I was disturbing his lunch and it was time for me to go. I have a 90 Doberman who is Sanibel savvy and isn't interesting in birds but even he was impressed and backed off the pier.  

You see one of those birds up close (5 feet at the most) in the wild . . and he's not happy . . you get a new respect for them. We watched him from the house and when he took off his wing span is about 7 feet, that boy is Huge.

Our International Focus

This is International Month for the Club, I guess.  Our featured boat this month plies the waters of the Danube River and I received this interesting request.  Let me know if you would like to complete the questionnaire and I’ll send it along to you.  I asked for some clarifications and did not receive a response.  I contacted the University and Sarah Evans is a student in computer aided design.

My name is Sarah Evans and I am a student at the University of Portsmouth and am in my final year of studying Computer Aided Product Design.

I am writting to you on behalf of my group for a project, Team HEF. We have been asked to design a piece of Marine Testing Equipment and as a part of the project we need to collect market research.

Attatched is a document containing a questionnaire about the type of Marine Testing Equipment yourself and your members use and I would be incredibly grateful if yourself and a few of your members would answer the questions and return it to me via this email address.

466 Owners Subpoenaed

A 466 owner brought a lawsuit asking for a full refund of the purchase price of the boat because the owner is dissatisfied with the design and performance of the boat.  The Plaintiffs’ attorneys contacted the club asking for our 466 members’ information.  The Club’s bylaws keep us from providing this information. 

Members have advised us that they received a letter advising them that the ownership and service records for the 466 model boats have been subpoenaed from the Carver Boat Corporation for a lawsuit against the Carver Boat Corporation.   Some members have told us the Plaintiffs’ law team has contacted them directly asking specific questions about the alleged problems.   You can address any questions or information you have about this in the Boat Talk section of the website.

Communications are Key to a Good Relationship

“What concerns me is in order to check the Exhaust hose clamps you must remove the mattress and look way under the bed to see the clamps. Now who in the hell would do that? I was on my way back from Ft Meyers Fl out about 5 miles to avoid the crab traps, when I lost power in the port engine. I thought it was the Turbo. I lowered my Rpm's and opened the hatch.  I couldn't find anything major only a slight bit of exhaust fumes. . I couldn't find the source, but since it didn't smell like something was burning I limped home (Sarasota).  Come to find out not only were my new air filters clogged with soot from the exhaust, but the cooling water was also leaking back into the boat. This condition could have been going on for months. Many times on long trips both my wife and I take naps during the cruise.  We do have carbon monoxide detectors but I would not bet my life on them.  What disturbs me the most about the form letter is the fact I spoke personally with Troy Wood the Northern Regional Service manager at the Chicago Boat Show and he said would have the southern manager contact me.

“I’m not asking for anything, I just want them to be aware of the situation and all I get is an unsigned form letter.  (See the form letter by clicking here).  Can you tell me where it says move the bed?”

Upcoming Events

Saturday Night Out – On April 30, We're going to one of the more unusual restaurants on the Bay, Harbour House on Worton Creek.  The Chef does two strange things.  One, each family attending will have a menu item named for them.  You don’t have to order that, but it is pretty cool to hear someone else order Bishop’s Beef Tips or Deed’s Crab Imperial.  The second interesting thing is something called the Mystery Dinner. Here, the chef prepares a dish that you cannot specify.  The price?  Whatever you think is reasonable.  I’ve never been disappointed with the Mystery Meal.  Reservations are required, although there is no penalty if you have reservations and cannot attend.  Again, you do not have to be member to attend the Saturday Night Out.  Please email webdude@carverownersclub.com to make reservations.  

Bay Boat Show – The Bay Bridge Boat Show is April 21 thru 24 at the Bay Bridge Marina. For a marina show, it is nicely done with many product vendors and new and used boats. Both McDaniel and Shady Oaks have a large presence.  Now is a great time to buy a new boat, with low interest rates and a fair number of boats on the market.

New York City Rendezvous Update – Tom Hoffman finally received an answer from Staten Island Yacht sales concerning their sponsorship for a Carver Owners Club New York City Rendezvous. The answer is no.  We are looking for other potential sponsors and other alternatives in the New York City Area.

Fifth Annual Chesapeake Bay Rendezvous - June 10, 11, & 12 at Inner Harbor East Marina, Baltimore.  We have 40 slips reserved and are trying to find more.  Shady Oaks and McDaniel Yacht Basin are sponsoring again this year.  The Club thanks them for their generous support, not only financially, but in offering guidance in how to do things better.  Cost per person is $95.  If you are planning on bringing children (that is, someone who will not be sucking down the apple martinis or Jamison whiskey) contact me for special pricing and events.  Slip fees are not included in the per person cost.  More information is available on the web site.  Slips are going very quickly. 

Chesapeake Bay Cruise - If you are interested in cruising south of Baltimore to the Tidewater Virginia area after the Baltimore Rendezvous, let me know.  Here's where we plan to stop, which is subject to change:

• June 12 - South River
• June 13 - St. Mary's City
• June 14 - Tides Inn,
• June 15 - Norfolk, Williamsburg, or Portsmouth.
• June 17 - Onancock VA
• June 18 - Crisfield, MD
• June 19 - Solomons MD
• June 20 - Oxford MD
• June 21 - St. Michaels
• June 22 - Home

Featured Boat

Changes to the Web Site

Another improvement is related to tracking information about your boat or boats.  Several members have second boats or tenders that they want to keep information on and the web site will now accommodate this.  One suggestion that I received went along the lines of, “Why do I have to enter my boat’s dimensions?  Aren’t all 396’s the same size.  Now, you choose the model of your Carver, Californian, or Trojan boat from a list and its dimensions are automatically entered. 

The Owners Album may be the most dramatically changed.  You will be able to keep your cruises, with photos, on-line.  At the end of the year, you will be able to print out a copy of your cruises and photos, just like any other log.  You can also make your Owners Album available to non-members – that is, you can email a link to friends and family and they can see your “web pages”.  With this change, we will continue to protect your membership information.  The actual conversion will take place during the month of April.

Along the same line, Boats For Sale has changed to reflect the growing activity on the sale web site.  You may now have multiple photos for your boat and a “featured” page.  The feature page can include a layout diagram that links to photos of that area.  For example, a viewer can look at the galley link and see photos of your galley. 

One of the most successful features is Accessories for Sale.  Almost everything listed in Accessories has sold, sometimes on the same day listed.  Members may now list more than one item at a time.

Again, send me your suggestions on how to make the web site better and a better value for you.

Another quick note about this subject.  The Club Store offers a wide selection of marine products (over 30,000 different products, although we only have about 5,000 listed) at very attractive prices.  Even after you factor in shipping, you still save.  Compare our prices on almost anything and you'll be surprised at how much you can save.  If you are concerned about shipping, you can "place" an order and calculate the actual shipping charges.  If you don't find what you are looking for, drop me a note.

Accessories Marketplace

Dave Bishop, aka webdude@carverownersclub.com