America's Great Loop

Our Great Loop Boat - a 1989 Carver Santego 38 docked at a marina.

1989 Carver Santego 38

The boat we chose as our Loop boat and home for the next year is a 1989 Carver Santego 38 motor yacht.

The Santego, currently named “Zinful,” was re-powered with twin Yanmar diesel engines, and also has a diesel generator.

We anticipate our average cruising speed to be a blistering 8 knots, or 9.2 mph.

This was the 9th potential Loop boat we looked at in person, and probably the 32,498,672 boat we looked at online – or so it feels. We wanted a boat between 35′ – 45′, with one or two diesel engines, solid bones, and hopefully in need of some aesthetic and electrical upgrades to bring the price into our budget. That’s “Zinful” in a nutshell! We plan to upgrade the boat with new electronics at the helm, new upholstery inside and out, a fresh coat of bottom paint, and of course an off-grid solar system.

A rough sketch of the exterior floorplan of a 1989 Carver Santego 38.
Topside
A rough sketch of the interior floorplan of a 1989 Carver Santego 38.
Down Below

M/Y Zinful | Before Refit

1989 Carver Santego 38 "Zinful" rear swim platform.
Single cabin on our 1989 Carver Santego 38.
Open salon living on Carver Yachts 1989 Santego 38.
Starboard salon on the 1989 Carver Santego 3867 motor yacht.
Plenty of room to move around on this perfect Great Loop Boat.
One head with separate shower on our 1989 Carver Santego 3867.
Perfect Great Loop boat with open galley and salon on the same level.
Spacious galley in our 1989 Carver Santego 38 motor yacht.

Follow along as we transform M/Y Zinful into M/Y Swamp Puppy – our perfect Loop boat!