How do you identify a carbon fiber hull?

When did Cigarette begin using carbon fiber?

I have my new-to-me 1979 Cig 33 Limited Edition that has what looks like black matting behind some pealing paint spots in the bilge.

Oh ya, never mind the screen name. The Baja is gone.... The Cig is here now! Open for suggestions????

Was carbon fiber even around in 1979???

Congrats...
now get a gold membership and post some pics!
Was it for sale on traderonline? Is it a blue hull?

This it?http://adcache.boattraderonline.com/6/6/9/76863669.htm

And I'm not sure carbon was used back then either.

Gold membership??? Been a Platinum member years before, let it slip this year. Tough to justify the cost anymore.

Anyway, yes that's the one.

Read somewhere before that straight fiberglass mat is pinkish/orange, kevlar is yellow and carbon fiber is black. The mat behind the paint is definitly BLACK.

I was unsure as to the same thing. Seems awfull early for that kind of technology..... maybe someone can answer???

Beautiful boat... best of luck.
If I was selling a carbon boat, I'd advertise as so. But could have been overlooked???

I agree. But this was a broker deal.

Carbon fiber was around in 1979, so was Kevlar.

Kevlar looks like it is woven from strands of gold, and the fabric itself is very deceptive. It is very soft almost like silk. If you try to cut it with regular scissors they last about 10 cuts, getting duller with each cut. Kevlar has a tensile strength of about 50,000 PSI- a 1 square inch rope of kevlar could lift 50,000 lbs. It has a very high ultimate strength, I don't remember the number- This means it will stretch quite a bit before actually breaking. This property is why it works so good in bullet proof vests.

Carbon Fiber is black, with a tensile strength that runs over 90,000 PSI, but is a lot more brittle than kevlar.

Whether one is better than the other really depends on the application. My boat is a 79 Larry Smith Scarab, mainly Kevlar, with Carbon fiber reinforcements. The Carbon fiber is a tape that they laid out to form large X's in the hullsides, between bulkheads.

The hull has held up very well despite being actively raced for about 6 years.

Good luck!