Carver Yachts Sport Yachts & Express Cruisers
Carver C37 Coupe Buyer's Guide, Plumb Bow and Sterndrive Simplicity
A 37 ft enclosed coupe with a plumb bow, a 6 ft 8 in salon and gas sterndrives, built as the entry point to Carver's last generation of yachts.
- Length
- 37.7 ft11.28 m
- Beam
- 13 ft3.96 m
- Cruise
- 24.5 kn
- Cabins
- 2 (bow master with queen island berth, midship guest cabin with twins that convert to a queen)
- Used price
- $150K to $265K
On this page
- Overview
- The Carver C37 opened Carver's plumb-bow era
- A coupe that is actually closed
- What the plumb bow buys below decks
- Gas sterndrives, diesel Axius or Volvo D4
- Construction and systems in brief
- Buying a C37 without a factory behind it
- Specifications
- Price and value
- Strengths and weaknesses
- Used buyer checklist
- Rivals
- Our verdict
- FAQ
The Carver C37 Coupe is a 37 ft 8 in enclosed sport cruiser launched at the 2014 Miami show and built in Pulaski, Wisconsin, until about 2019. Two staterooms, one large head, twin MerCruiser gas sterndrives as standard and diesel options.
- Couples and small families who weekend aboard
- Great Lakes and Northeast boaters wanting an enclosed cabin
- Owners stepping up from a 30 to 33 ft express
- Buyers who want joystick docking on a budget
Carver C37 Coupe by the numbers
- Speed to length ratio at cruise
- 4.28A planing cruise. Fast passages in exchange for much higher fuel burn per mile.
- Horsepower per ton
- 42 hpStrong power to weight for a planing hull.
- Length to beam ratio
- 2.90 : 1A beamy hull with lots of volume for its length.
The Carver C37 opened Carver's plumb-bow era
The Carver C37 Coupe arrived at the Miami boat show in February 2014, part of a clean-sheet generation that Yachting says replaced every Carver model built before 2012. Carver's marketing manager told Power and Motoryacht ahead of the launch that it would be a two-stateroom, one-head coupe on twin gas MerCruiser sterndrives, approaching 40 mph. The family eventually ran from the C34 Command Bridge to the C52 Coupe, built in Pulaski, Wisconsin, by the same craftsmen who built Marquis yachts.
Boating's Pete McDonald summed up the mission: give day-boaters who like gas sterndrives a step up to a weekender that offers more than a typical express cruiser. HMY's guide lists model years 2014 to 2019; the 2015 Carver C37 that turns up in many searches is an early example of a short production run that ended before Carver closed for good on July 30, 2021.
A coupe that is actually closed
Most coupes in this size range have a vented hardtop or a bridge deck that is open aft. Boating noted that the C37 is different: it has a fully enclosed cabin with glass doors between the salon and cockpit. Open the doors and helm, salon, galley and cockpit become one level, indoor-outdoor space; close them and you have a heated or air-conditioned cabin for cool nights and shoulder seasons, which suits Great Lakes and Northeast owners well. An electric glass sunroof with shade is standard.
Salon headroom is 6 ft 8 in. Inside you get a dual helm seat with the driver side adjustable, a starboard sofa whose aft backrest flips to add cockpit seating, a U-shaped dinette on a hi-lo table that converts to a bed and a galley opposite with solid-surface counters, a two-burner ceramic cooktop, convection microwave and refrigerator. The cockpit has an L-shaped lounge to port, a single seat to starboard and a transom storage locker; its floor lifts out for engine or generator removal.
What the plumb bow buys below decks
Instead of a fine V that tapers to a point, the C37 carries its 13 ft beam well forward with a plumb stem. Boating explains the payoff: a wider foredeck and a bow master stateroom with 6 ft 5 in of headroom and a queen island berth set low enough to get in and out of easily. The single head has a stall shower with a bench seat, generous for a 37 footer, and the midship guest cabin has twin berths that convert to a queen with a filler.
The trade-off is that a fuller bow puts more hull in the water. Boating found the C37 held its own in manufactured head and quartering seas, and HMY credits the layout with feeling expansive for the size. In 2016 Carver replaced the original oval hull ports with elongated hull windows, an easy way to date a boat from the dock and a change that brightens both cabins.
Construction and systems in brief
Carver's 2016 specification describes a hull and deck of hand-laid structural and non-structural fiberglass and core laminates bonded with infused resin, fiberglass stringers throughout, aluminum truss reinforcement in the cabin top and a vinylester barrier coat. Bronze seacocks are used below the waterline, steering is SeaStar hydraulic and Bennett trim tabs are standard. Carver quotes a dry weight of 18,000 lb with standard engines; Boating measured about 18,500 lb.
Water is 110 gallons with an 11 gallon heater, holding is 40 gallons and shore power is a single 30 amp service. Generators from Kohler and Westerbeke in gas or diesel were optional, and the 25,000 BTU air conditioning required one. Bow thruster, bow and stern thrusters, a Prince windlass and Raymarine or Garmin electronics packages were the other common options.
Buying a C37 without a factory behind it
Carver closed on July 30, 2021, so parts unique to the C37, such as hull window glass, the sunroof assembly, hardtop components and interior trim, must come from used-parts specialists or be fabricated. The engines, outdrives, generators and steering are mainstream Mercury, Volvo, Kohler and SeaStar products with national dealer support, which makes the C37 far easier to keep running than a boat with proprietary propulsion.
We estimate the 2014 to 2015 boats trade around $150,000 to $205,000 and the last model years up to about $265,000, with diesel and joystick boats at the top. Plan on roughly $16,000 to $32,000 a year for a 40 ft slip, insurance, winterization or haul-out, outdrive service every season and bellows replacement on schedule. Fuel on gas boats is extra and significant at a 24 knot cruise.
Carver C37 Coupe specifications
| Length overall | 37.7 ft11.28 m |
|---|---|
| Beam | 13 ft3.96 m |
| Draft | 3.2 ft0.96 m |
| Air draft | 10.5 ft3.2 m |
| Displacement | 18, lbs8,165 kg |
| Fuel capacity | 25 gal946 L |
| Fresh water | 11 gal416 L |
| Cabins | 2 (bow master with queen island berth, midship guest cabin with twins that convert to a queen) |
| Berths | 6 including the convertible salon table |
| Heads | 1 with separate stall shower |
| Standard engines | Twin MerCruiser 377 Mag Bravo Three SeaCore gas sterndrives, 320 hp each (2014 to 2016); twin MerCruiser 6.2 Bravo Three SeaCore, 350 hp each (2017) |
| Optional engines | MerCruiser 6.2 gas inboards; Mercury 3.0 or 4.2 TDI diesel sterndrives with Axius joystick; Volvo Penta D4-300 diesel inboards or sterndrives |
| Maximum power | 380 hp |
| Cruise speed | 24.5 knots |
| Top speed | 34 knots |
| Hull type | Plumb-bow modified-V planing hull (Carver SofRide V) |
| Hull construction | Hand-laid fiberglass and core laminates bonded with infused resin, fiberglass stringers, vinylester barrier coat |
| Builder | Carver Yachts, Pulaski, Wisconsin, United States |
| Other design credits | Carver in-house design team |
| Production | 2014 to 2019 |
| Status | Discontinued |
Figures come from builder documentation and independent tests where available. Displacement is usually quoted light, so a loaded cruising boat will weigh more. Compare these specs with another model.
How much does a Carver C37 Coupe cost?
HMY's powerboat guide notes that the C37's price compared well with others in its class when new. On the used market, engine package is the first price driver: diesel sterndrives or Volvo D4 inboards and the Axius or Volvo joystick add a meaningful premium over the standard gas boats. Generator and air conditioning, the post-2016 elongated hull windows, engine hours and outdrive service records follow. Listings are thin, so treat our bands as estimates and check recent sales before making an offer.
Estimate your yearly cost
A planning estimate using common rules of thumb: insurance near 1.5 percent of value, maintenance near 3 percent, haul out and bottom paint by length. Your marina, region and use will move these numbers. Open the full cost calculator.
Versions and options
- Gas sterndrive (standard)
- Twin MerCruiser 377 Mag 320 hp (2014 to 2016) or 6.2 350 hp (2017) Bravo Three SeaCore sterndrives.
- Mercury diesel Axius
- 3.0 or 4.2 TDI diesel sterndrives with the Axius joystick for docking.
- Volvo Penta D4-300
- Diesel inboards or DPH sterndrives with optional Volvo joystick.
- 2016 hull windows
- Elongated hull windows replaced the original oval ports from 2016.
Carver C37 Coupe timeline
- 2014Carver C37 Coupe debuts at the Miami boat show; Boating tests it later that year
- 2016Elongated hull windows replace the oval ports
- 2017Standard engines become twin MerCruiser 6.2 350 hp sterndrives
- 2019Last model year listed by HMY's powerboat guide
- 2021Carver Yachts closes permanently on July 30
Strengths and weaknesses
What owners like
- Fully enclosed cabin with glass doors to the cockpit
- Plumb bow gives a big master stateroom and wide foredeck
- 6 ft 8 in salon headroom and a large head with stall shower
- Mainstream sterndrive power that any dealer can service
- Joystick options with Axius or Volvo
- 250 gallons of fuel
What to weigh up
- Only one head
- Gas engines are thirsty at cruise
- Sterndrives need annual service, especially in salt water
- Proprietary windows and sunroof parts are hard to source since 2021
- Short production run limits choice
Used Carver C37 Coupe buyer checklist
Take this list to a viewing. Your ticks are saved in this browser so you can come back to it.
Always commission an independent marine survey and an engine survey before you buy. How a marine survey works.
Rivals to consider
Pursuit SC 365
Boating's comparable model, an outboard-powered sport coupe with more fishing ability and less interior volume.
Sea Ray Sundancer 350
The best-known American sterndrive express, with a huge dealer network but an open cockpit rather than an enclosed cabin.
Compare side by sideRegal 36 XO
Outboard-powered crossover with a hardtop and big cockpit, more day-boat than weekender.
Compare side by sideCruisers Yachts 35 Express
Wisconsin-built neighbor with a classic express layout and open helm deck.
Compare side by sideOur verdict on the Carver C37 Coupe
The Carver C37 Coupe is a sensible, slightly unusual boat: a sterndrive weekender with a closed, glass-doored cabin and a plumb bow that buys a genuinely comfortable master stateroom. It is not the fastest or the most stylish coupe of its era, and it has only one head, but it handles well, uses mainstream engines and gives a couple or small family a proper home for weekends and short cruises. Choose your engine package carefully, insist on outdrive records and check every seal on the windows and sunroof, and a C37 is good value against newer coupes costing far more.
Carver C37 Coupe questions answered
What engines are in the Carver C37?
Standard boats have twin MerCruiser gas sterndrives, 320 hp 377 Mags through 2016 and 350 hp 6.2s for 2017. Diesel options included Mercury TDI sterndrives with Axius and Volvo Penta D4-300s.
How fast is the Carver C37 Coupe?
Boating saw just under 40 mph, about 34 knots, at the top, and HMY reports a 24 to 25 knot cruise with twin 320 hp gas engines.
How many people can sleep on a Carver C37?
Six: two in the bow master, two in the midship guest cabin and two on the convertible salon table.
How much is a 2015 Carver C37 worth?
We estimate most 2015 boats trade between about $158,000 and $205,000, with diesel and joystick boats at the top. Listings are scarce, so compare recent sales.
Is Carver still building the C37?
No. HMY lists model years 2014 to 2019, and Carver Yachts closed permanently in July 2021.
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