Introducing Carolina Classic offshore gamefishers
Melbourne-based Carolina Classic Boats Australia is the exclusive local distributor for the American-made range of Carolina Classic offshore sportfishers.
What’s a Carolina? Quite simply, they’re beautifully made, super-tough fibreglass sportfishers, made to withstand the tumultuous offshore conditions commonly encountered in the Atlantic Ocean. They’re a boutique brand (we’re told only 100 or so are made per year), but what they lack in numbers they more than make up for in bullet-proof construction.
The importer, Melbourne-based fisho and boatie, Ric Martin, explains how the decision to import began (as these things so often do) with the need to solve a personal dilemma.
“I was fed up with towing my old 23 footer across the length of the country, only to get there and suffer from fuel range issues,” says Martin. “Not only that, but I’d lose that prize catch due to bust-offs from its outboards. It’s not what you want after towing your boat on an 11,000km round trip,” he says.
There had to be an alternative he thought — specifically, a legally trailerable shaftdrive-powered offshore fisher in the 25ft range — so he embarked on a six-month search that finally led him to Carolina Classic.
Martin had spent 15 years in the US and he says the Carolina brand was especially well regarded by US marine surveyors. He felt the general construction standard was superb, but he says what impressed him the most was the fact that not one surveyor he spoke to mentioned ever finding a fault with these boats. He acquired one for himself and before he knew it he was importing the range direct from the US.
The Carolina Classic range currently includes a 25, 28, 32 and 35 footer. This first model will be of most interest to trailerboaters as Martin says it is legally trailerable in Australia. The boats come with an extensive list of standard items but can be optioned for most gamefishing and offshore requirements.
Power options on the 25 include an 8.1lt 425hp MerCruiser, a Yanmer 315, Volvo D4 300 and new Yanmar 8LV. Fuel capacity is a massive 625lt twin-tank setup.
Prices start from around $130,000 for a 25 with a MerCruiser and a dedicated offshore fishing fitout. Call Ric Martion on 0419 828 180 or visit www.carolinaclassicboats.com.au for more info.