29' Carter Safari

[legoman67]

Re: 29' Carter Safari

yeah, ours had crusaider 305's when we found it, merc 350's now. Diesel swap did cross my mind, but the cost was too much.

Greg still has a backup of his old site, and was going to send me that list, but it seems he forgot, also i have been busy myself lately so i havent got back to him.

Also, if anyone missed it i posted a ton of stuff that flomerdr sent me on the website i started up. Greg and i eventually hope to co-own the site and get a real name for it, maybe even make it official, but for now its pretty simple. Feel free to join the forum i put up, again simple, but we dont have that many people. if anyone has ideas for the site let me know, i havent touched it in afew weeks because ive been busy...

http://mattswebpage.com/safariboats/aboutcarter.php

if anyone wants to send me pictures of their boat(s) or others that you have found, ill make a owners gallery and put them up, one day i might make it user uploading, but its simpler for now to just email me them. PM me for an email address, i get too much spam already to post it out here.

 

[gypsysoul]

Re: 29' Carter Safari

Hey matt, Greg seems to be a busy guy, it takes him a little while to get back with you.

I landed a job today. I posted a thread in dockside chat.

And somebody (no names mentioned) needs to let us know how to meet the guy that built the greatest trailer boats ever .... hint hint. That would be like the greates honor ever.

I can't say who the new job is with (they are in the middle of a union contract dispute) but if things go right I may be able to use my boat this year! anyway yak at you guys latter

 

[flomerdr]

Re: 29' Carter Safari

I was thinking about trying to call John Carter this weekend, to tell him we are trying to make him famous again, including about Cougar Town (I doubt John will ever see it they go to bed early). Mind you John is going on 98 so I'm not sure he is to worried about being famous anymore. I will ask about the about the AQD40 motors. As to the molds I will ask but I doubt they are still around they stopped production about 1978-79. My neighbor Jim Oliver still has a lot of the early production photos mold making etc. (when we get time I will send some to Matt for posting) that John left with him. The boat yard at 776 W 16th St, Costa Mesa, CA, John said Skipjack Boat's was just down the street. If you look at the area on Google Earth Satellite view there are still a lot of boat yards in the area. Anymore questions for John try to let me know by Saturday.

 

[legoman67]

Re: 29' Carter Safari

yeah, ill happily host all the pictures, that keeps them all in one spot and easy to reference too, when i get enough content ill spend some more time organizing it and making it easy to find what you are looking for..... i checked out that address on google earth and im assuming its the grey building with the boats in behind it? and that locked up pen with what looks like a boat inside it to the right? Thats neat! I also just on street view found myself at work, and my car in my driveway still being built...LOL

I just got dreamweaver Cs4, so i might try to do some work to the site tomorrow. Maybe get a better platform in because im not thrilled with the styling just yet. Anyone got a nice picture of a Safari on the water for the header(decent resolution would be nice, so no cell phone shots...lol)? all my pictures are safari's on blocks, which doesnt really give the right idea....lol

You can mention to John that i would be honoured to make the site offical if he wants. Then i could probably get a real web address for it.... safariboats.com is still availible, any other suggestions for name? cartermarine.com is unfortunatly already taken.

 

[gypsysoul]

Re: 29' Carter Safari

Hey Flo, funny you should mention skip jack boats. Because of air emission laws. they have now left costa mesa and there facility is in my town (hesperia, calif.). one of my customers (a motorcycle race track) is just pass there facility. I can say that in the last year I don't think I have seen one boat come out of there. But on a postive note. the last few weeks I have at least seen movement and some of the shop doors open. and I am pretty sure some of the molds have moved around.
Cabo yachts is also in the high desert not far from where I live. they are still putting a few boats out. and the electric boats (duffy) are built up here somewhere, I just have not seen there facility.

The fact that they where near where the safari's where built might be a indication as to why they resemble the safari. There new line of boats have a striking similarity to the safari. maybe there was a little industrial spying going on by skip jack?

 

[legoman67]

Re: 29' Carter Safari

well i just revamped the website layout still not done, but i like it more then before. let me know what you guys think
http://mattswebpage.com/safariboats/index.php

 

[gypsysoul]

Re: 29' Carter Safari

Looks great Matt. when you get started on the owner gallery let me know and I will try and get some pictures sent to you.

So john lives back in seal beach now? That is only about 75 miles from where I live. Would love to have him autograph a picture of my boat! Yak at ya latter Kody

 

[Friscoboater]

Re: 29' Carter Safari

Port engine is now running in the boat!!! had some water leak issues which ended up being a PITA to fix. Once we got them undercontrol it was all good!! idling at 600rpm, Temp maintained at ~175F, oil pressure at ~40, volts at ~13.... at about 3k rpm oil was up around 75, temp and volt stayed pretty much the same..

Hoping to fire up the starboard engine tomorrow, and possibly a vid of them both running together..

yes, it does sound SICK with those bad boys!!! We thought it sounded good on the ground... pfft

Did those manifolds come facing that direction? I have the same log style manifolds and the riser is in the back? This would solve a huge problem for me with clearance if this is ok.

 

[legoman67]

Re: 29' Carter Safari

Did those manifolds come facing that direction? I have the same log style manifolds and the riser is in the back? This would solve a huge problem for me with clearance if this is ok.

no they didnt mount like that normally, we flipped them around for clearance issues aswell. It will work if you have closed cooled manifolds. If manifolds and risers are raw cooled then the water passages wont work and this isnt possible. They basically bolt right on in this orientation, we had to rotate the end caps for the hoses to go on, and of course custom alternator brackets shown here:

hard to see but they are mounted down low

 

[Friscoboater]

Re: 29' Carter Safari

Why would it not work with raw water? BTW thanks for the info.

 

[coastalcruiser]

Re: 29' Carter Safari

Hey Matt nice work so far.
saw your website, enjoyed reading about the history. Hope you get on the water soon and when the time comes if you need a chase boat for photos give me a message.

 

[legoman67]

Re: 29' Carter Safari

Why would it not work with raw water? BTW thanks for the info.

well the water passages between the riser and manfold dont line up when you rotate the riser. I guess you could still do it with raw cooling, and just install another end cap like you were going to do fresh cooling, and install a block off plate (to block the passages between the riser and manifold) like you were to do fresh, then just run the hose up to the riser from the plate. but at that point you minaswell just convert it to fresh well your at it.

 

[fishzola]

Re: 29' Carter Safari

Well if you do speak with Mr. Carter please ask him if the molds are still around. I know a safari owner with a state of the art firberglass shop. Ever safari I have seen, the hatch covers are warped. It would be nice to have the molds for many reasons. I have research the deseil motors and found that non were made with desiel but some were refit w diesel.

 

[legoman67]

Re: 29' Carter Safari

yeah, flat hatch covers and lids would definatly be nice, i was thinking of just making some, i was thinking about painting my decks with that gritty deck paint anyways for grip, so the texture wouldnt matter.... just afew sheets of plywood cut to the right size, covered in FG, and painted.

 

[coastalcruiser]

Re: 29' Carter Safari

Hey I made my own hatch cover out of ply you have to make sure you gelcoat both sides and what i did is run some edging around them at 22 degres to shed water if you like i can post a photo

 

[WadeL]

Re: 29' Carter Safari

Good to see a site where Safari owners can get together. I believe I have one of the very first models that John built in '73. I have steering on bridge and in cabin. Anyhow, yea, I've had to cut out my deck, and install an aluminum tank. I was very fortunate to find one for only a hundred bucks. This tank does not fit perfectly though. It is a rectangular tank that rests on the sides, and is supported by foam over the keel. I have converted my safari to a commercial salmon troller. I have 351's for engines. I'll find some pics sometime for you all. I fish out of Bandon, Oregon.

 

[jim lou 2]

Re: 29' Carter Safari

hi
My name is jeremy. just found this site. i have a 28 safari witch i restored any question let me know

 

[gypsysoul]

Re: 29' Carter Safari

wade and jim, what hull numbers do you have. My Safari is hull number 26 with upper and lower helm. It is also a 1973.

And Matt, the new job is suppose to be 3 on (sunday, monday and tuesday) then four off then four on three off. So far it has been almost six days a week. but with the money I may be able to use the boat this year! About time for some new pics of your project isn't it? Yak at ya latter

 

[jim lou 2]

Re: 29' Carter Safari

Has anybody found who has the mold? I heard somebody who belongs to the vagabonds had them.

 

[SnowHunter]

Re: 29' Carter Safari

WOW!!! I Can't believe my eyes!!! Two teenagers taking on such a huge project! Yall done good!!! REAL good!!! Keep at the school work! it'll be done before yanno it, then, boat time!

WOW!