bigfred said..
I'm looking at buying a carter 33. I've heard all the stories about old IOR boats being a bit of a hand full off the wind. Anyone out there with first hand experience on this type of boat with some advice. Looking to do coastal cruising in the short term before upgrading her for some blue water passages. Thanks.

I was keen on buying a rear cockpit Carter 33 but they were expensive at the time. The cockpit layout was not suitable for cruising, it was mainly a race boat in the Australian versions. The Carter 33 has probably the best reputation amongst the IOR boats for downwind stability. I have had no direct experience sailing one and I suggest you search the "Sailing Anarchy Forums" for the Carter 33 thread.
This is one thread on Carters and there is plenty on 33's there. The Australian carter 33's have the same or very similar hull as the overseas versions its just the decks are different.
forums.sailinganarchy.com/index.php?/topic/120735-dick-carter-design-boats/&page=6

I have an S&S34 which have a reputation for being a handful off the wind. The only time I have experienced it being a handful is on another boat running with a spinnaker up and a quartering swell. It did cork screw in those conditions.
I have never found mine to too much of a handful in cruising configuration. The Fleming vane and the Simrad tiller pilot handle it without a problem. They aren't brilliant but nothing to worry about.
The Carter is probably better than the S&S as Ramona noted above.

bigfred said..
I'm looking at buying a carter 33. I've heard all the stories about old IOR boats being a bit of a hand full off the wind. Anyone out there with first hand experience on this type of boat with some advice. Looking to do coastal cruising in the short term before upgrading her for some blue water passages. Thanks.

Don't know a lot about the carter, but I've done a bit of offshore racing on old IOR boats over the years, yes they can be a hand full in hard running conditions with a masthead kite on, they will roll like nothing else if you don't have a skilled helmsman in charge, but if your only cruising that won't be a problem and most sail to windward pretty well.

MorningBird said..
The Carter is probably better than the S&S as Ramona noted above.

The Carter maybe has a tad more beam and a tad wider stern.

The S&S 34 was designed as a 3/4 tonner.

Was the Carter also or was it a 1 tonner??

Regardless, most old IOR yachts make GREAT fast cruising yachts.