INTRODUCTION

     The Carver 440 was selected as a result of working with a broker who showed us several boats while we were in Ft Lauderdale, FL in early-1997.  By the time we decided to see this boat, it had been moved from Florida to Mystic, CT, which was its home base for part of the year.  The previous owner had taken possession of the boat in Florida in March, 1995.  Then the boat had been moved to CT for the winter of 1995-96.  In the spring of 1996 it was returned to FL, where it stayed until about April,1997.  The three one-way trips put 110 engine hours on the boat each time.  In addition, another 150 engine hours had been put on the boat, making the total 480 hours when we bought it.

     We had owned a Carver 38-foot aft cabin (see Earlier Cruises), and we thought the 440 model would be a good move up for us.  I had read about the Erie Canal, and when the boat was found to be in Mystic, I wanted to take it to Texas through the Erie Canal.  We surveyed the boat in June, bought it, and took possession July 4, 1997.

     The paragraphs that follow, and the Carver specification sheets,  will give an impression of the layout of the boat, the engines and equipment installed in the boat, and the general capabilities of the boat.  The previous owners left everything, except their personal belongings, on the boat, which meant we had sheets, towels, pillows and other linens, tools, dishes and silverware and pots and pans, blender and mixer, charts and maps, and even photographs hanging on the walls.  We had a spare shaft and two spare propellers, an oversized generator, and some extras in the galley, such as oversized sink, garbage disposal, and full-size dishwasher.  We even had canned goods, spices, and other pantry items, all included in the sale.

     The boat was basically ready to cruise, as you will see.  The engines were Caterpillar 3116TA’s, and the generator was a 13.5 Kw Kohler, which included a Yanmar 3-cylinder diesel engine.  We had a four-bank 60amp battery charger with 110volt and 12volt electricity.  The major appliances, such as refrigerator, range and oven and microwave, coffee pot, ice maker, and some of the lights, needed 110volt power.  The stereo and television equipment did, too, but an inverter was installed that would run those units off the batteries.  The 12volt system took care of the rest of the electrical needs.

     Electronics included radar, GPS chartplotter, Loran, autopilot, depth sounder, two VHF radios (one with hailer and outside speaker, the other with intercom to the salon), and a C-Phone system with three hand sets.  We had all the charts for the GPS chart plotter to go from Boston to Key West and the Bahamas.  The boat had 3-50-ft shore power cords with adapters, full bimini canvas and eisenglass enclosures for the aft deck and flying bridge, and nice wicker furniture on the aft deck.  Also on the aft deck were the ice maker and a small refrigerator which would run on 12 or 110 volts.

     We had an electric windlass and an external spotlight, both with remote controls from the bridge.  The air horns were really loud.  The boat had a Glendinning engine synchronizer, which is a computer controlled throttle advance for one engine based on the RPM of the other engine.  The only helm station was the upper helm, or flying bridge.  There was no dinghy.  Speed range was 16 knots cruise, 20 knots maximum.

     Inside, the floor plan was one we liked, with staterooms fore and aft, each with its own head and shower.  The salon had an “L”-shaped couch, two barrel chairs, and two footstools.  Down three steps, with engine room access below the steps, the boat had a dinette to port and the galley to starboard.  The wood was teak, the carpet and dinette were blue, and the couch was a cream color.  Some of the Carver color schemes for the drapes, etc would need to be changed, but that could happen over time.  Heads were Vacu-flush (with fresh water), and we had monitors on the holding tanks and the fresh water tank.  Above the double bunk in the forward stateroom there was a single bunk, which could be used for a child to sleep in, or for storage.

     This boat had fuel storage in two tanks for 500 gallons of diesel, with which we were not familiar.  Each engine had a Racor (primary) fuel filter and a secondary fuel filter on the engine.  Each of the CAT engines required 26 quarts of oil per oil change, so we quickly thought of installing an oil change system.  We seemed to have all of the paperwork that Carver provided the original owner for the boat’s systems, so we could read and learn as we went along.