Carver 355 Aft Cabin, a 1990s Two-Stateroom Motor Yacht in 35 Feet

The Carver 355 Aft Cabin and the 356 that followed

The Carver 355 Aft Cabin is a 35-foot-class motor yacht from Carver's Pulaski, Wisconsin plant, built in the mid to late 1990s for couples and small families who wanted a real master stateroom aft, a guest cabin forward and a covered aft deck on a boat they could still run themselves. Most buyers search for 1995 to 1998 examples, and that matches how the HMY powerboat guide dates the model: called the 355 Motor Yacht from 1995 to 1998, then renamed the 356 Motor Yacht and built through 2003.

Carver's own website from October 1996 billed the 355 Aft Cabin as new for 1997, so expect some confusion about first-year boats in listings; check the hull identification number for the actual model year. HMY describes the design as an update of the Carver 33 and 350 Aft Cabin built from 1991 to 1994, and calls the 355/356 arguably the best-selling boat in its class.

If you are shopping a Carver 355 aft cabin for sale, you are also shopping 356s. They share the same basic hull and layout, but the later boats carry more standard equipment and different tankage, which matters when you compare prices.

Factory specifications, 355 versus 356

Carver quoted the 355 at 39 feet overall with the swim platform and 41 feet with platform and bow pulpit, on a 13-foot 3-inch beam and a 39-inch draft. Weight was listed at 19,300 pounds, fuel at 198 gallons plus a 120-gallon auxiliary tank, water at 81 gallons and waste at 36 gallons. Bridge clearance was 11 feet 8 inches, or 15 feet with the arch, and cabin headroom 6 feet 4 inches. Carver said the boat slept seven.

The 2001 sheet for the 356 lists 41 feet 2 inches with platform and pulpit, the same beam and draft, 318 gallons of fuel as standard, 70 gallons of water, a weight of 23,500 pounds with fuel and water, and a bridge clearance of 17 feet 6 inches with the arch. It sleeps six, or eight with options. The larger arch figure on the 356 is worth noting if you keep the boat behind a fixed bridge.

• 355 LOA: 39 ft with platform, 41 ft with platform and pulpit
• Beam 13 ft 3 in, draft 39 in
• 355 weight 19,300 lb (dry figure as published); 356 23,500 lb with fuel and water
• Fuel 198 gal plus 120 gal auxiliary on the 355; 318 gal on the 356
• Bridge clearance 15 ft with arch (355) or 17 ft 6 in (356)

Gas big-blocks or Cummins diesels

Carver offered the 355 with a long list of twin gas inboards, including Crusader 454 XL and fuel-injected 454 XLI engines, Crusader 350 XL HT and XLI HT small-blocks and MerCruiser 7.4-liter engines, plus Cummins 270B and 330B diesels. HMY adds that later boats offered 310 hp Volvo gas engines, cruising at 16 to 18 knots, while Cummins 330 hp diesels cruise at 20 to 22 knots.

Carver published one test point on its 1996 web page for twin 454 Crusader XLI engines: 21 at 3,200 rpm burning 24 gallons per hour at cruise, and 30.5 at 4,400 rpm on 48 gallons per hour wide open. Carver did not state the unit, but the figures line up with miles per hour, roughly 18 and 26.5 knots, which agrees with HMY's gas cruise numbers.

Which to buy? Diesels cost more up front but burn less, last longer and hold resale better, and on a boat this age the condition of the engines is most of the value. Gas boats make sense for freshwater owners who run 50 to 100 hours a season and buy accordingly cheaper.

Galley down, two staterooms and two heads

The interior is a galley-down plan with wraparound salon windows, a convertible sofa to port, a barrel chair and entertainment center opposite, and a mid-level dinette forward that converts to a berth. HMY notes teak or cherry wood accents, Corian counters and UltraLeather seating, and a galley with a full-size refrigerator, coffee maker and microwave.

Aft, the master stateroom has a tapered queen berth, a built-in TV and a private head with a separate stall shower, which is the feature that sells these boats to couples. Forward, the guest stateroom has an offset double berth with private access to the day head. Carver's 356 literature mentions an optional bunk in the forward cabin, an L-shaped salon sofa with chaise and double incliners, and an innerspring mattress in the master.

Hardtop living aft, six seats on the flybridge

The aft deck is where owners live in summer. HMY lists a hardtop and aft-deck wet bar as standard, and Carver's 356 sheet adds an electronics arch and an available enclosure, which turns the deck into a usable room in spring and fall. Molded steps with a handrail lead down from the aft deck to an extended swim platform, which Carver pitched as making the boat as easy to board as a runabout.

On the flybridge, Carver promised seating for six with full instrumentation and storage, and the 356 added a forward bridge lounge with a control console and an auxiliary instrument console. A lower helm was optional for northern owners, and boats with one are worth seeking out if you cruise in cold or wet weather.

What 30 years does to a 355

The hull bottom is solid fiberglass, which is good news, but decks and superstructure on boats of this era are commonly cored, so moisture around stanchions, cleats, the bow pulpit and the hardtop mounts is the first thing a surveyor should check. Leaking port lights and windows are routine, as are tired aft-deck enclosures and sun-damaged bridge upholstery.

On gas boats, look at exhaust manifolds and risers, which corrode and can let water into the engines, and at fuel tank condition, since tanks and fittings of this age can corrode or leak. Diesel boats need a full engine survey with oil analysis and a check of aftercoolers and heat exchangers. Check whether the 120-gallon auxiliary tank on a 355 is still in service and plumbed properly.

Who the 355 suits, and the yearly bill

The 355 is an entry ticket to aft-cabin motor yacht living. For the price of a new 25-foot bowrider you get a private master with its own head, a guest cabin, two heads, a covered aft deck and a flybridge. It suits couples on the Great Lakes, rivers and protected coastal waters who want weekends aboard and an occasional two-week cruise.

Running costs are modest by motor yacht standards but not trivial: budget roughly $10,000 to $22,000 a year for a slip, insurance, haul-out and bottom work, engine service and the inevitable canvas, upholstery and window work. Fuel depends heavily on gas or diesel and how fast you run. Expect to put money into the first season to bring an older boat up to standard.