Taking a road less traveled with a Carter 35.

[svbohemia]

So we were wondering what to do in about 4 years when we could at least semi retire from full time work, and that's how we ended up with a little bit of an oddball boat! OHHHH yes we looked at Bennes, Jennes cats, Hunters, many beautiful classics(and a few real dogs) but one that we had looked at earlier kept nagging at me. A 1984 Carter 35 built at Northshore Yachts in Essex UK, designed by Dick Carter or at least out of his office and during the 80's there were quite a few great names that went through there. Hello Bob Perry
Solid glass hull, a transom hung rudder, low hours 3GM, almost new sails, simple systems, everything worked or at least was easily accessible to fix, and to make it better it was cheap!!.....Oh yes and a fully retractable 5800lb lifting keel, 2ft10in draft.
One survey later it was ours, it came out quite well, no blisters, thru hulls good basically a sound base to build on, the surveyor liked her as well.
The plan......
We sailed her down to Bradenton Beach where we will keep her for a year then a haul out and take her home to Sebring where I have a yard with workshop, spend a year for a top to bottom refit then back to the water for 2 more years of building up experience. Why a year before the refit? we wanted to know what we wanted to do, we want to have a plan before the refit so it doesn't end up as a two year refit lol.
I'll post some more later,
https://www.facebook.com/SVBohemialife/

[svbohemia]

Life really is good [emoji4]

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[SoundOfSilence]

Good plan and nice boat! Good luck to you

[robert sailor]

Looks like a great choice

[roverhi]

Interesting design. Where does the keel go when it's retracted. Didn't see where the centerboard trunk could be in that interior??? Did have issues with looking at the pics as I wasn't able to increase the size of the pictures for some reason.

[svbohemia]

Originally Posted by roverhi

Interesting design. Where does the keel go when it's retracted. Didn't see where the centerboard trunk could be in that interior??? Did have issues with looking at the pics as I wasn't able to increase the size of the pictures for some reason.

The pics resized when I uploaded them, I'll figure it out LOL
The keel trunk was the big compromise, it splits the boat in two! The boat is small for a 35 so we like to think of it as a big 32 part of it has to do with the 80,s design having fine ends as well.
But having the option to press a button and go into skinny water pricless.

Andy and Monica

[gjordan]

Sailing it for a year before you start making changes is a truly great idea. So many people think they know what they want and find out later,"OH That didnt work". Best of Luck. ____Grant.

[Matt Johnson]

I believe there is one of these in The Glades boatyard Florida. I spent a few minutes walking around it trying to figure out who built it..... very cool design. Were many built?

Matt

[reed1v]

Carters were designed as racing boats, not open ocean boats. Were popular back in the 70s along the west coast due to the beam adding to the LwL but not being penalized under the racing ratings.

[svbohemia]

Originally Posted by funjohnson

I believe there is one of these in The Glades boatyard Florida. I spent a few minutes walking around it trying to figure out who built it..... very cool design. Were many built?

Matt

If it was a 35' no, I have tried to get a figure but it is probably less than 20. It was probably a 33 and there were a couple of hundred built in Canada,Greece and Poland over quite a few years.

[svbohemia]

Originally Posted by reed1v

Carters were designed as racing boats, not open ocean boats. Were popular back in the 70s along the west coast due to the beam adding to the LwL but not being penalized under the racing ratings.

There were a lot of cruisers that came out of the Carter office, the most prolific being the 33 which came as a cruiser and are quite nice boats with reasonably good interiors for the LOA and era they were built. there was even a 33 center cockpit version built in Australia. If you go on YW ther are a few very nice cruisers for sale 30 to 50ft.
My 35 is not the same as Red Rooster even though I think it goes very well LOL

[Cheechako]

Should be a great boat for getting into those places "where few go". I always wanted a similar 34 Tanzer with retractable keel built in Canada. Have fun!

[svbohemia]

Here's a link to the original sales brochure.... lol I miss the 80's
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5...GE1Q1R2ZGZ2YmM

[svbohemia]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Should be a great boat for getting into those places "where few go". I always wanted a similar 34 Tanzer with retractable keel built in Canada. Have fun!

Ours spent a few years up in BC and did well according to the PO, as long as you know what you are getting into with the mechanism of a lifting keel then I would definitely recommend it... It's great for Florida Gulf Coast sailing,and it's nice when you bump bottom to just press a button to go from 6ft to 4ft draft, or if it's shallow water just drop it and lock yourself into position.

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[JBBNE]

Congratulations! Sounds like a great game plan..


Cheers,

John