Custom Carolina Sportfish Boats for Sale

Where the Carolina look came from

The style has a flared bow, a sweeping broken sheer, tumblehome at the stern and a warped-plane bottom. Marlin magazine credits several builders with it, but Omie Tillett was one of the most important. Tillett and fellow fisherman Warren O'Neal drove to Virginia Beach to study a Rybovich, and in fall 1960 they started building Sportsman. O'Neal launched her in spring 1961, with help from Tillett and Lee Perry, and Marlin calls that the birth of the classic Carolina boat.

Tillett opened Sportsman Boatworks in 1973. An allergy to epoxy limited him to eight hulls, the last being the 54-foot Brothers Pride in 1980. In his own words, he borrowed what he liked from O'Neal, Rybovich and the Harkers Island builders. His influence shows in the work of John Bayliss, Paul Mann and Jarrett Bay's Randy Ramsey.

How they're built: a Harrison 39 example

Harrison Boatworks in Wanchese publishes a full build sheet for its 39-foot express. The hull is cold-molded. The bottom is three layers of 3/8-inch meranti and the sides are two layers of 1/4-inch okoume plywood, with fiberglass between layers and two layers of 1208 biaxial cloth outside. Stringers and keel are Douglas fir, and the stem, battens and sheer clamp are Spanish cedar.

It's 39 feet 3 inches with a 12-foot-8 beam, weighs about 18,000 pounds and carries 400 gallons of fuel. Deadrise runs from 44 degrees at the forefoot to 24 amidships and 11 at the transom. With twin 480 hp Cummins, Harrison's numbers show 27.9 knots at 2,500 rpm burning 11.3 gph per side and 36.8 knots at full throttle.

Spencer Yachts, which Capt. Paul Spencer started in 1996, builds hulls in Manns Harbor and finishes them in Wanchese, from about 37 to 87 feet.

What they cost

Prices depend on builder, age and power more than length. Bluewater Yacht Sales had 36 Custom Carolinas listed in late 2026. A 1979 Sheldon Midgett 35 was $99,500, a 2020 Harrison Boatworks 41 was $629,000 in Morehead City, and a 2003 Paul Mann 65 was $2,365,000 in Wanchese. A 2025 David Cintas-designed 50 with new MAN i6 850 hp diesels was listed at $2.6 million. Its broker lists a 28-knot cruise and 37-knot top speed.

Buying checks for a Custom Carolina

Hire a surveyor who knows wood. A cold-molded hull needs moisture readings and sounding by someone who has surveyed plywood and epoxy boats, not just production fiberglass.

Trace the builder and the build. Some boats move between yards before they're done. The 2025 50-footer above was started in Edenton, got its house in Beaufort and was finished in Wanchese. Get the HIN, the builder's name and any build records.

Ask about repairs to the running gear. Many of these are old charter or tournament boats. Look for records of new struts, shafts, rudders and repowers, like the three-winter refit Brothers Pride got at Bayliss.

Plan for resale. With no factory brand behind it, the builder's reputation sets the value. Check what that yard's boats have sold for.