[Buzz]

Hey Fitz - my wife and I are currently in the middle of the typical boat buying couple's debate. She wants a floating cottage and I want a boat that is tailored to my version of the boating lifestyle: swimming, diving, a bit of fisishing and some entertaining/bbq'ing on the hook. I also don't want the fastest boat on the water, but I like the idea of staying out a bit longer and still being able to flog it home at 30 odd knots in a moderate sea. Clearly - I lean more towards an express with a big, open cockpit. Tiaras and older Trojans top my list.

Ironically, she is fixated on a 40 foot aft cabin yacht similar to yours, but I don't like it because it has a long ladder down to a small swim platform at the stern, which to me is a major obstacle to the all-important easy water access. I see that your boat has steps down to an integrated platform and I made the mistake of showing her the pic. Now she thinks we have found the perfect compromise.

Of course we will be shopping closer to home, but what engines are you running in your Carver and how have you found it in terms of efficiency, performance, service accessibility and robustness/quality of construction? I am particularly intertested in hull/stringer construction and related water intrusion issues.