I recently broke 2 drive shafts on a 2007 Carver 420Ss. This happened within a month of each other. Is this a common problem? With less than 300 hours I am told there is something wrong with the boat design, build or quality of metal used. I am getting no response from Carver. Anyone else experience this?
The shafts that connect the gear to the propellor? Where did they break? Were the props recently changed or removed/replaced? What other info do you have?
I think so. I've boated for 35 years in many different boars and never broken a shaft. Come to think of it, I've never herd of a broken shat. Bent but never broken. I believe faulty metal.
These guys lost their prop and shaft: http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/9367749/Ferry-out-of-action-after-losing-propeller
Believe it or not this is not really all that uncommon. I work in the commercial shipyard business and we see quite a few ships that have shafts break, props come off or other related issues.
That is what I was trying to demonstrate and that was the only one I could think of off the top of my head. The prop was recovered and reused in that case too.
Without further information this is just a teaser post or someone trying to slant Carver. Come on Ernie give us enough info to help you.
How often have you seen the same boat break both shafts in less than 300 hours? I doubt that the OP's boat has hit many deadheads.
I also am in the camp that this situation is very far from normal. The only plausible connection for having both shafts break in 300 hours (provided they're properly sized and the vessel has not incurred major damage), is that either the keyways weren't fitted properly, the propellors were not installed properly, or the alignment is seriously off.