Carolina Classic 32 (2009-)

Brief Summary

Carolina Classics’ 32 is the company’s newest boat and she is designed to go where the battlewagons tread, but at far less cost. Carolina Classic specializes in express fishboats, building four models from 25’ to 35’. Yard owner Mac Privott is well known in the Carolinas as being a no non-sense boat builder who makes a good boat and stands behind his products and their components [read: engines] even when some of the component-makers won’t. That’s why we like the guy. There are a number of express fishboats on the market in the 34’ to 40’ range, so Privott has cleverly come in with a smaller and therefore less expensive product that he hopes will appeal to center console folks who are looking for more boat.

Key Features

• Bonded and mechanically fastened hull, deck and liner
• Fiberglass encapsulated stringer system
• Solid fiberglass hull
• Fishboxes (2), 50 gallon capacity, insulated, with macerator pump-out systems
• Gunwale padding, high density foam, white vinyl covered
• Rod holders (4), recessed
• Washdown, fresh water, port side
• Washdown, salt water, starboard side
• Ice box, fitted with gasketed lid, full length stainless steel piano hinge and custom latch

Specifications

Length Overall	32' 0'' / 9.75 m
Beam	13' 0'' 1.98 m
Dry Weight	N/A
Draft	3' 6'' 1.07 m
Deadrise/Transom	20 deg.
Max Headroom	6' 4''
Bridge Clearance	N/A
Fuel Capacity	355 gal. 1564 L
Water Capacity	50 gal. 220 L

Engine Options

Tested Engine	Currently no test numbers
Std. Power	Twin diesel up to 480-hp each
Opt. Power	QSB 480 Cummins 1 x 435-hp Volvo Penta D6

Captain's Report

With her clean lines and 20 degrees deadrise, this 32 footer is poised for offshore realms that are otherwise the fishing grounds of bigger express fishboats and battlewagons.

Capt. Steve Says…

When moving up from a center console it’s hard not to feel comfortable in a 32’ boat. They just have all the right ingredients to get the job done without breaking the bank or exceeding the handling limitations of the typical operator. The Carolina Classic 32 fit that comfort level very nicely and has the lines that meld well in that classic genre. Add to that the construction that has to hold up in the unforgiving waters of the Carolinas, and you have a match that deserves a close look.

Engine room air intakes are as high as you’ll find on any express this size – makes it harder for saltwater to get into the engine room.

Construction…

The hulls of the boats are all built to thick tolerances. Extra layers of glass are overlapped on critical stress points like the chines and the keel. The deck is then fitted to exacting standards and bolted into place. It’s then glassed in permanently making a super strong hull-to-deck bond that becomes one solid unit and insures that the boat can take punishment without worry.
We like this construction method because it is the time-tested Gibbs & Cox-recommended procedure used since the 1960s by the best builders. We point this out because many builders these days are not glassing their decks to the hulls, but rather using 5200 or some other bond, which is faster and easier, and everyone says it is just as strong. It may be. Ask us in ten years.

Accommodations…

You’re not going to bring guests onboard for the weekend in the islands, and that’s fine with Carolina Classic. They built this boat for fishing, and maybe loitering on the fishing grounds overnight. Not for entertaining and having a cocktail party. Accommodations are sparse-- in fact, there’s only one double sized berth on a diagonal and a couch for the other guy. The galley can function adequately enough with its microwave oven, dual voltage refrigerator (no freezer) and single sink. I’d bring a rod-holder-mounted grill aboard as well.

You won’t be cooking for a large party in this galley, and that’s fine with the builder. This is for fishing, not entertaining. But you do need to eat sometime so the basics are here.

Helm…

The helm console is very functional. In fact, everything the cabin lacks, the cockpit and helm make up for, because that’s the purpose of this boat. You get electronic engine controls, full VDO instruments, Sea Star hydraulic steering, a wrap-around tempered glass windscreen with powered vents, and plenty of room for the electronics of choice.

We like the dual (throttle and gear) electronic controls, and the steering is hydraulic. Switches and circuit breakers are all handy and the panel is large enough for a 12” display or two, if you wish.

Cockpit…

The cockpit features an icebox with a gasketed lid and stainless piano hinge. There’s an accommodation for an optional built-in freezer. A tackle/bait prep center is standard and includes a freshwater sink and rigging board, but no trash receptacle for a spot that generates it. In the deck are two 50 gallon (220 L) macerated fishboxes, and for some reason the livewell is optional.
Four recessed rod holders, a transom door, and fresh and saltwater washdowns round out the offerings. With her 13’ beam, you’ll have 80 square feet of room for putting up your fight. For options, you can get a fighting chair, freezer, and for the rare offshore fisherman, a swim platform. (Try bringing your prize catch aboard with that hanging off the stern.)

Specifications…

The boat is 32’ (9.75 m) overall without the bow pulpit, and she has a beam of 13’ (4 m). She draws 3’6” (1.1 m) of water and with her wide flared bow and 20 degree of deadrise, she should make for a nice handling boat in just about anything that Mother Nature may bring that doesn’t come with its own name. Her 355 gallon (1564 L) fuel capacity is larger than other vessels in this class, as is her 50 gallon (220 L) water capacity.
This new 32-footer is going to give Carolina Classic’s 35 a run for its money because it is almost as big. For example, her beam is just 6” less than the 35’s. She comes powered with either twin 435-hp Volvo Penta diesels or 480-hp Cummins Mercruisers. The 435-hp Volvos were the engines designed expressly for the IPS (which the 32 does not offer) and have a good track record.