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Our Hunter 34 Refit

8K views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  CoastLife 
#1 ·
Hey everyone. My name is Chad Harrington and my wife Katie and I are just getting into sailing. Last year we sailed a Hunter 25.5 and we found it too small to stay on for overnight sails.

So we bought this 1983 Hunter 34. We picked this one up for 10,000 CAD
It needs some work because It's been sitting for 2 years on the hard. The cabin sole is rotten. the furling jib tore off in a storm. It has the dreaded compression post issue. Both batteries are stone dead. It's going to need some sheets replaced. I'm sure there's more.

Here's a pic of the classic happiest day of a boaters life. lol
http://www.sailnet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=86058&thumb=1

First job is tear out the interior, Replace the cabin sole and replace anything under there that looks at all questionable.

We will also be featuring refit videos of this project on our YouTube channel.
 

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#2 ·
Congratulations! Did you have the boat surveyed before purchase? That is always a good idea.
What is the condition of keel bolts? Rotten cabin sole often comes from wet and neglected bilge, and that is not good for keel bolts.
 
#3 ·
Congrats...it's a Big Day!

You have an great opportunity to start from scratch.
I don't know how long plan to keep her, or how you plan to sail....
Think structural first....with all other needs way down on the list.
Be sure and positive about what you do to the boat so you don't need to backtrack later.
Clear your mind and create a list...steps you should take.
Don't let your babe talk you into spending money on cushions, curtains and other interior things.....yet.
Do the basics first that will make it a safe dream ride long into the future....and truly increase its value.

Find a sailing friend who really knows sailboats....and continually bribe him...:)
 
#4 ·
That's all good advice. and noted. luckily I have a amazing wife and if anyone is going to want to spend money on the looks of the boat it's me.. LOL

Here's where we are now. We've literally scooped parts of the floor our with a dust pan.
The keel bolts look great. now it's clean up time..

I plan to replace the ground wires and bilge wiring. But there's really not much else under the sole to worry about.
Also I plan to investigate the "false bilge issue" that these hunters have.


Next up is getting some plywood and cutting to shape. I think I will use epoxy to seal the plywood. then use some type of stick down synthetic flooring.
 

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#6 ·
You want to use at least three coats of penetrating epoxy on the boards see for example
Be sure to make any holes int eh panels, for fittings, screws or fingerholes in advance, overdrilling the screwholes before epoxying. After expoxying fill the screw holes with en epoxy filler mix. You do nto want any path of water to the wood after installation, or you will end up with blackening of the wood.
 
#8 · (Edited)
I did the same thing on my '84 Hunter 31 a year ago. Plywood panels to fit the moulded sections, coated with epoxy with special attention to the edges.

After they fit exactly I epoxied laminate flooring onto them, making sure to seal all exposed edges and seams.

Some before & after pics.

Sorry for the rotation issues - can't explain what happened. If you have any questions, PM me.
 

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