Hunter 38 goes to Poland - new happy owner on the forum

[MarcinS]

Hello, From December 21, 2020 I am the owner of Hunter 38 Legend 2006. The situation is complicated because I live in Poland and I bought a yacht in Ireland and spent only one day on it and then I returned home because Europe was closing for another lockdown. Now I am servicing the yacht by the wonderful mechanic Hugh from Crosshaven. For two weeks I have been reading your forum and learning how to operate a new yacht, I am also wondering what else I need to improve before I set off on a 1200 NM cruise from Cosshaven to Szczecin in April. At the beginning, I performed a full service of the engine and sail propulsion, including diaphragm replacement. While reading the forum, I ordered a Balmar battery monitor from the USA, maybe they will also need to be replaced. Your information about the smelly plumbing inspired me to replace it. The yacht is well equipped with electronics, it also has a radar, but before traveling through the English Channel, the North Sea and the Kiel Canal, I plan to equip the boat with AIS and EPIRB. Do you have any thoughts, what else should I check, what to pay attention to? I am glad to have found this forum because it is a mine of knowledge and creates a unique group of passionate hunters. I am attaching a photo of my miracle Regards Marcin

 

[kappykaplan]

Welcome aboard, @MarcinS ! What sort of personal flotation gear is on the boat? You may wish to consider a radar reflector because of all the shipping you'll see. How is the fuel and water tankage on the boat? You may wish to carry some jerry cans of spare fuel. Is there a water-maker aboard? Signal flares and are they current? Does the boat have an autopilot? Cheers!

 

[MarcinS]

Welcome aboard, @MarcinS ! What sort of personal flotation gear is on the boat? You may wish to consider a radar reflector because of all the shipping you'll see. How is the fuel and water tankage on the boat? You may wish to carry some jerry cans of spare fuel. Is there a water-maker aboard? Signal flares and are they current? Does the boat have an autopilot? Cheers!

There are life jackets, a raft and flares (which are certainly not up-to-date because the yacht has not sailed recently), the radar reflector is there, the tanks are ok, I will disinfect the water from the water when I fly in April. Yes, the yacht has an autopilot. Regards M.

 

[kappykaplan]

Sounds good. Do you have crew for the trip?

 

[MarcinS]

Sounds good. Do you have crew for the trip?

Completing, I have a few good sailors with whom I haven't been on one trip

 

[Parsons]

Congratulations, and welcome. You have a very pretty new toy! Sounds like you have a great deal of experience, and have a competent crew, which is the most important safety feature of any boat. When are you planning to make this delivery trip? I understand the North Sea and Baltic may be a little cool and rough this time of year!

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

I am also wondering what else I need to improve before I set off on a 1200 NM cruise from Cosshaven to Szczecin in April

Welcome to the site @MarcinS . The hunter 38 is a beautiful boat with many luxury features.

From reading your post, I get the impression you will be flying to the boat in April and then leaving for your 1200 NM cruise to return to Poland. Is there anything I can say to get you to delay that trip and spend at least a year learning the boat ? Sorry to be a party pooper but the English Channel and North Sea are amongst the last places on earth you want to learn the sailing charecteristics of your new boat let alone, how much sailing will you be learning ? What's your experience ?

If you must return the boat to Poland in April, consider hiring a certified captain to help you bring the boat to Poland. Much better than your boat heading to the bottom and you ................ ?

Best of luck.

 

[sail sfbay]

MarcinS.............congratulations on your new sailboat!! Your new 38 offers lots of features, comfort, displacement and excellent sailing performance. Good to see you have already or plan to get the appropriate safety equipment. Suggest an installed VHF radio with MMSI, GPS and AIS receiver (you may be able to overlay AIS on your chart plotter) such as a Standard Horizon GX 2400, jack lines, tethers, life vests with a harness, lifesling2 throwable life ring.

 

[jmce1587]

Suggest having a backup hand held VHF. For replacement flares take a look at the strobe light versions in lieu of incendiary signal/smoke flares if this meets EU marine requirements. Orion and Sirius make these SOS type beacons. InReach or SPOT tracker. Also sufficient supply of engine spares, filters and tools, including hacksaw Safe travels and post progress on your trip.

 

[MarcinS]

Answering your questions ... Do I have a lot of experience? I always answer this question, I'm still learning This is my fourth yacht, many yachts have been chartered by sailing in various places around the world. I've been sailing for almost 30 years. I have been to the English Channel once, in the North Sea several times, in the Baltic Sea I am not able to count. I have a captain's license. I plan to set sail after April 15 (of course, provided the weather forecasts are favorable). I invited my friend to join the crew who sailed around the world on the Ulysses yacht (Madeira 44 Van de Stadt). I am aware that Hunter is not Hallberg Rassy and I am not going to get into trouble. The yacht is equipped with VHF, but I plan to install AIS as well. It has two Raymarine E80 plotters and all navigational instruments. As I wrote earlier, I commissioned a mechanic (who has been dealing with this yacht for 10 years) servicing, including full engine and saildrive service, and an overview of all yacht installations. The yacht is in very good condition, from the moment it was new it had one owner who last sailed it two years ago due to his age. Thank you for your comments and instructions, they are important, I am looking for the typical weak points of this boat so that it does not surprise me in the least necessary moment. Thank you and best regards M.

 

[MarcinS]

Suggest having a backup hand held VHF. For replacement flares take a look at the strobe light versions in lieu of incendiary signal/smoke flares if this meets EU marine requirements. Orion and Sirius make these SOS type beacons. InReach or SPOT tracker. Also sufficient supply of engine spares, filters and tools, including hacksaw Safe travels and post progress on your trip.

There is a manual VHF on the yacht, my friend will take InReach, I have to buy new flares, you are right with the basic parts and tools too (the previous owner left them for me).

 

[shemandr]

I had a H356 and did a limited amount of ocean sailing on it. In my limited experience a weakness of the Hunters with the wide voluminous transoms is in down wind sailing. Waves tend to throw that transom around making steering arduous. We did not use the belt driven auto pilot in those conditions because it was a race. But I think the amplitude of the swings would have overwhelmed it. It has been posted here before by some one who sailed his Hunter in trade winds that the installation of a balanced rudder makes a tremendous difference.
Also, on my H356 the aft bulkhead separating the aft berth from the aft lazarette are flimsy and only retained by inadequate hardware. If some reason water could enter the lazarette, it could easily overwhelm that hardware and enter the bilge in quantity. I would at the least put better hardware there.

 

[MarcinS]

I had a H356 and did a limited amount of ocean sailing on it. In my limited experience a weakness of the Hunters with the wide voluminous transoms is in down wind sailing. Waves tend to throw that transom around making steering arduous. We did not use the belt driven auto pilot in those conditions because it was a race. But I think the amplitude of the swings would have overwhelmed it. It has been posted here before by some one who sailed his Hunter in trade winds that the installation of a balanced rudder makes a tremendous difference.
Also, on my H356 the aft bulkhead separating the aft berth from the aft lazarette are flimsy and only retained by inadequate hardware. If some reason water could enter the lazarette, it could easily overwhelm that hardware and enter the bilge in quantity. I would at the least put better hardware there.

Thank you, valuable attention, I will ask a mechanic to check the aft lazarette for leaks

 

[Richard19068]

I don't know the Hunters but for a voyage like that I might want to inspect the rudder shaft and bearings.

 

[senang]

I have a 2005 Hunter 38. If you cross the North Sea you will stir up all the gunk at the bottom of the diesel tank. Happened to me. Fuel lines and engine filters will clog. If you want to rely on your engine under all circumstances have your tank cleaned and filled with clean fuel. Carrying spare filters alone is not enough. The gunk clogged the line in the elbow in the Racor filter. Keep safe.

 

[sail sfbay]

senang................Good advice!!

 

[MarcinS]

I have a 2005 Hunter 38. If you cross the North Sea you will stir up all the gunk at the bottom of the diesel tank. Happened to me. Fuel lines and engine filters will clog. If you want to rely on your engine under all circumstances have your tank cleaned and filled with clean fuel. Carrying spare filters alone is not enough. The gunk clogged the line in the elbow in the Racor filter. Keep safe.

Thank you for the advice, you are right, the more that the yacht has not sailed for two years. I will ask mechanic to do it. Regards M.

 

[Siegener]

Hey Marcin,
Congratulations on your purchase. I also had a look at you and had pictures sent to me. I didn't like the many gelcoat cracks. But the yacht otherwise made a good impression.
I'm in the process of buying one in Italy and then sailing it to Lemmer in Holland.
Good luck with your trip

Greeting from Germany
Michael

 

[MarcinS]

Hey Marcin,
Congratulations on your purchase. I also had a look at you and had pictures sent to me. I didn't like the many gelcoat cracks. But the yacht otherwise made a good impression.
I'm in the process of buying one in Italy and then sailing it to Lemmer in Holland.
Good luck with your trip

Greeting from Germany
Michael

Hello Michael,
I also saw them, they appear in two places and during the inspection of the yacht in Ireland I made sure that they were superficial. They're typical spiders or stars, they say differently. It was also written about them here on the forum. I will fix it in the spring of 2022. Have a good shopping experience, I hope you will be able to buy a yacht that you will be happy with. Good luck