superheat6k
Well-Known Member
Following interest in a thread explaining my adventure restoring my recently acquired Corvette, I felt a chapter style tale might appeal.
Chapter 1 - The boat
The Corvette 32 is a small Trader / Trawler style motor yacht with the distinct advantage that unlike most trawlers this one can plane, but is equally happy pootling along in displacement mode.
I first came across the Corvette whilst I owned my first power boat, Mobby, a Dutch Barge style centre cockpit boat with moderate accommodation, but a bit too small for a growing family. The Corvette has a decent size aft cabin with ensuite, central saloon / wheelhouse, and a dual forward cabin with its own head midships. A veritable tardis.
At 32’ 6” LOA they are a roomy 13’ beam, and are offer wide side decks that are level right around the boat, and a decent 1” stainless ‘fence’ that surrounds the entire boat, so very safe for kids and dogs.
The accommodation doesn’t end there - outside is a raised ‘poop’ deck above the aft cabin, with two steps to a roomy flybridge, with more seating, so a very sociable boat for outdoor entertaining and living. They were built to a reasonable standard, with teak decks as standard, and an increasingly powerful range of engines was provided.
The thing I have noticed a common theme with Corvettes is that once bought they stay in an owners possession for a long time, and this leads to an unusual number that are for sale being found in a somewhat neglected condition. I have figured out this is due to the sad fact that many of the owners will gradually become unable to maintain and use their boat, but they realisation of this takes several years before the “… I should be OK to take the boat out in a couple of months …” eventually passes, as the kids and grandkids bemoan the cost keeping the boat languishing on a forgotten mooring somewhere eating up the inheritance. Eventually these old boys sadly have to sell. This was the case for each of the four I viewed in my recent hunt, and was also the case with the very sad example that led to me purchasing my Turbo 36 as a consolation prize in 2011.
Of note for those just back from SIBS is that Corvette name and moulds are now owned by Fleming, makers of the fabulous Superyacht on display next to the Nordhavn 65.
I will follow up shortly with my initial learning curve with Coolavin 2.
For those interested in knowing more of the Corvette 32 there is an owners group formed on YBW that is becoming more active with some 30 or so members. A read here is also of possible interest …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corvette_Motoryacht
Chapter 1 - The boat
The Corvette 32 is a small Trader / Trawler style motor yacht with the distinct advantage that unlike most trawlers this one can plane, but is equally happy pootling along in displacement mode.
I first came across the Corvette whilst I owned my first power boat, Mobby, a Dutch Barge style centre cockpit boat with moderate accommodation, but a bit too small for a growing family. The Corvette has a decent size aft cabin with ensuite, central saloon / wheelhouse, and a dual forward cabin with its own head midships. A veritable tardis.
At 32’ 6” LOA they are a roomy 13’ beam, and are offer wide side decks that are level right around the boat, and a decent 1” stainless ‘fence’ that surrounds the entire boat, so very safe for kids and dogs.
The accommodation doesn’t end there - outside is a raised ‘poop’ deck above the aft cabin, with two steps to a roomy flybridge, with more seating, so a very sociable boat for outdoor entertaining and living. They were built to a reasonable standard, with teak decks as standard, and an increasingly powerful range of engines was provided.
The thing I have noticed a common theme with Corvettes is that once bought they stay in an owners possession for a long time, and this leads to an unusual number that are for sale being found in a somewhat neglected condition. I have figured out this is due to the sad fact that many of the owners will gradually become unable to maintain and use their boat, but they realisation of this takes several years before the “… I should be OK to take the boat out in a couple of months …” eventually passes, as the kids and grandkids bemoan the cost keeping the boat languishing on a forgotten mooring somewhere eating up the inheritance. Eventually these old boys sadly have to sell. This was the case for each of the four I viewed in my recent hunt, and was also the case with the very sad example that led to me purchasing my Turbo 36 as a consolation prize in 2011.
Of note for those just back from SIBS is that Corvette name and moulds are now owned by Fleming, makers of the fabulous Superyacht on display next to the Nordhavn 65.
I will follow up shortly with my initial learning curve with Coolavin 2.
For those interested in knowing more of the Corvette 32 there is an owners group formed on YBW that is becoming more active with some 30 or so members. A read here is also of possible interest …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corvette_Motoryacht
