inward-turning flange at the top of the hull sides, on
which the deck/house mold rests. It is drilled and bolted
together and fiberglassed around the inside perimeter.
Exterior teak decks are standard and are flawless in
appearance; they’re made on a full-size jig, with whole
deck sections crafted as one carefully measured piece.
After the sections are caulked and sanded, they are
vacuum-bagged to the fiberglass boat deck. This means
there are no holes or screws in the deck, extending the
time between re-deckings. Nonskid fiberglass decks also
are available.
THE TOUR
Wide side decks and opening gates amidships on both
sides make boarding from the side easy. Boarding from
the swim platform requires climbing a vertical ladder to
the aft deck. Molded, easily traversed stairs with excellent
handrails lead to the flybridge, which is large enough for
a three-person bench and two double bench seats with
storage beneath. There is no windshield—the Corvette
utilizes a molded forward edge that forces oncoming air
up and over the heads of those on the helm bench.
Visibility from the centerline helm position is nothing
short of outstanding.
Entering the cabin is slightly awkward because the
sliding starboard door is short. Duncan Cowie admitted
that he and others at Corvette Marine were not
completely satisfied with the setup and were working on
a solution. After several trips in and out of the saloon, I
learned to grip the outside rail and duck appropriately.
The saloon is large and spacious, surprisingly so when
you consider the width given to side decks. There are
plenty of opening windows for abundant natural light
and ventilation, and the American cherry used for
bulkheads and built-in furniture adds a warm glow.
There’s a locker forward and to starboard that, on our
test boat, contained a television on a lift. Future boats
will have the TV on top of the locker, tilted up with a
gas strut, adding storage below.
To port, the well-designed helm has plenty of
room for operation, whether the skipper is seated or
standing. Two custom leather captain’s chairs, soon to be
replaced by a double bench seat on a locker base, proved
comfortable when operating from the lower helm. Just
