Carter 35 Buyer's Guide
The Carter 35 is Dick Carter's IOR 3/4-ton cruiser-racer launched in the late 1970s as a larger sister to the Carter 30, built by Olympic Yachts in Greece and under license by Teliga in Poland as the Teliga 89. She is a solid fiberglass boat of 34 feet 8 inches with a 6-foot wing keel and transom-hung rudder, and the standard masthead-sloop version is the one to seek; a 1983 limited edition with lifting keel and Luna schooner rig is best avoided.
What to Inspect
The only documented design concern is the 1983 limited edition with its lifting keel and Luna rig, a jib-only schooner that was not successful anchor. On a viewing, confirm the boat in front of you is the standard masthead sloop: check the rig for a single masthead sloop configuration and a fixed keel, not a lifting appendage or twin-mast schooner layout. A lifting-keel trunk should be inspected for water intrusion at the hull joint and for free movement of the mechanism, since that variant's complexity is exactly what undermined it. For the standard boat, work the wheel and note that slightly heavy steering is expected from the transom-hung rudder; verify the rudder stock and pintles for play but treat the heaviness itself as a trait, not a defect. Examine the solid fiberglass hull and deck for ordinary age-related wear rather than systemic faults, and confirm the six-berth interior and galley/chart table are intact, since the conventional layout is a selling point.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The Carter 35 is hard to find, with only a few sold in the UK, so patience is required to locate a standard version.
- Confirm standard masthead sloop, not Luna-rig edition
- Inspect lifting-keel trunk if present for water and free motion
- Work the wheel; expect slightly heavy but positive steering
- Check rudder stock and pintles for play
- Verify six berths and galley/chart table intact
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
7 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niagara 35 | 35.08' | $ 25,185 | 15 | 5 |
| Olympic 33 | 32.58' | $ 21,512 | 14 | 6 |
| Hinterhoeller Niagara 35 | 35' | $ 20,000 | 13 | 2 |
| C&C 35-2 | 35.5' | $ 17,241 | 11 | 7 |
| Dufour Classic 35 | 35' | $ 55,374 | 10 | 5 |
| Saga 35 | 36.5' | $ 128,500 | 6 | 1 |
| Baltic 35 | 34.83' | $ 65,536 | 3 | 0 |