Carver 3297 Mariner / 330 Mariner
Built 1985–1996 by Carver Boat Corp.
About the Carver 3297 Mariner / 330 Mariner
Researched from public sources for this model. Any individual boat may have been modified or repowered — confirm before relying on any figure.
- Built
- 1985–1996
- Builder
- Carver Boat Corp.
- Length
- 32.25 ft
- Beam
- 12.33 ft
- Draft
- 2.75 ft
- Displacement
- 12,000 lb
- Hull / keel
- planing
- Propulsion
- inboard
- Fuel
- 192 gal
- Water
- 92 gal
- Holding
- 40 gal
- Stern thruster
- none
Called 330 Mariner 1993-96; a downsized 3697 Mariner with a full-beam single-level salon and a bridge reached by ladders from the cockpit. Very flat 6-deg deadrise (a forum post says 4 deg) gives a harsh ride in a chop. Over 650 sold per HMY. Build count (approximate, not stored): HMY: over 650 sold.
Known problems for this model
-
V-drive failures and access running gear
Engines sit under the cockpit driving Walter V-drives or Borg-Warner gears with bolted-on V-units; failures come from running low on oil, heat, worn bearings or failed oil coolers, and reaching the V-drive may require pulling the engine or cockpit sole. Watch the V-drive low-oil warning light.boatered.com · yachtforums.com
-
Aluminum mufflers and risers exhaust
Original aluminum mufflers often need replacing (fiberglass preferred), and risers should be renewed on a schedule of roughly ten years or less.yachtforums.com
-
Engine room corrosion in salt water engine
Buyers report corroded, poorly kept engine spaces under the cockpit on salt-water boats.yachtforums.com
Engines & parts
Crusader 350 / 454 inboard gas V8 parts: good
Factory standard engine — you entered “Crusader gas V8 with V-drive”
GM-based inboard engines; Crusader (now part of Pleasurecraft Marine Engine Co.) still publishes illustrated parts manuals and sells through distributors. Go2marine stocks Crusader manifolds, risers, raw water pumps and ignition parts; Osco and Barr make aftermarket manifolds, and new GM/Crusader base engines are sold by rebuilders.
Parts sources: Crusader Engines, Go2marine (Crusader parts), 1-800-RUNS-NEW (GM & Crusader base engines)
Common problems (1)
-
Clogged or failing manifolds/risers exhaust
Owners find individual risers running much hotter than the others (a sign of internal blockage) and debate replacing vs. flushing; Osco manifolds are often preferred as closest to OEM.marineengine.com · marineengine.com
Model sources (3)
Other Carver models
- Carver 3207 Aft Cabin 1983–1990
- Carver 355 / 356 Motor Yacht 1995–2003
- Carver 370 / 374 Voyager 1993–2002
- Carver 390 / 400 / 404 Cockpit Motor Yacht 1993–2003
Researched from public sources. Spotted an error? The sources are listed above — tell us what they got wrong.