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.  From July through September 24, 1997, we brought the boat from Mystic, CT to our home in Houston, TX.  We added 250 running hours on that trip, traveling 3500 miles.

     Over the winter we added a dinghy and dinghy davit, or crane to lift the dinghy off the hardtop; a larger spotlight; gas grill; and other such items.  We changed out the starboard shaft and reconditioned the props, but we did not do a bottom job.  We replaced the spurs on the two shafts, and we replaced the sacrificial zincs on the running gear.  The local CAT mechanic tuned up the engines and changed the zincs in the engines.  The batteries were replaced, and a new battery was installed for the dinghy davit.  We ordered and installed a larger sink in the aft head; the original unit was too small to suit us.  We ordered and received the electronic charts for the coast between Houston and Mobile, AL.  We left Houston on May 23, 1998 to cruise the Tennessee River, and we returned to Houston on September 7.  We added 280 running hours on that trip, traveling about 3700 miles.

     Over the winter we again tuned up the engines and prepared the boat for an extended cruise. We replaced the carpet and the miniblinds in Texas.  Also, we had our wicker furniture removed and repainted, after installing storage boxes under each seat.  Those storage boxes allowed me to keep our shore power cables on the aft deck and not inside the boat. The cushions for the wicker furniture were replaced, and our two barrel chairs were also recovered in Texas.  We replaced the outside carpet, the aft deck refrigerator, and the hailer speaker/microphone.  We bought additional electronic charts for the GPS to connect us from the 1998 cruise to the east coast of Florida, charts for which came with the boat.

     We had planned to go to Florida and see the Keys and perhaps The Bahamas.  In the middle of 1999 we joined a Texas Mariner Cruising Association (TMCA) charter boat cruise to the Virgin Islands.  We decided to leave the boat in Florida for the winter, so we gave up our slip at South Shore Harbour on Clear Lake.  So, the 1999 Cruise has two parts, the TX TO FL part, and the Virgin Islands part, all of which are included herein.

     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 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, coffeepot, icemaker, 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 handsets.  We bought the boat with 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 icemaker 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.  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 new carpet was beige, the dinette was blue, and the couch was a cream color.  We did not like the Carver color schemes for the drapes and bedspreads, but we lost confidence in our remodeling contractor and decided to put those changes off for a 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.  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, and we had installed an oil change system in 1997.  We seemed to have all of the paperwork that Carver provided the original owner for the boat’s systems.

     We hope you enjoy the logs and videos.  Please note the maps enclosed are not to scale and are not to be used for navigation. These materials are offered for your reading enjoyment only.  We are not responsible for any actions you might take as a result of reading our logs.  We are not trying to provide a cruise guide, with recommendations for marinas, restaurants, etc; we are simply sharing our experiences with others that are interested in the trips we made.