Which model did they make the most of??

[Corker]

I would like to know what model of Hunter 30' + had the biggest production run. I am mainly concerned with the deck /cockpit layout. I owned a 34' 1984 so I expect this model ranks among the most popular.

I have recently started a new company that makes affordable 'semi custom' cork decks for older production boats and we are interested in looking at Hunters. Any help in sorting out which boats we should focus on would be helpful.

Thanks

 

[Ed Schenck]

Not sure I understand. Is it your idea that you can make a 'one size fits many' kind of product? I don't think anything outsold the H34 in the Hunter line. At least in boats over 30 feet. Heck there are almost 700 in the Owner's Directory.

 

[Lost Parent]

Are you doing Catalinas

 

[Corker]

I love the H34

Not sure I understand. Is it your idea that you can make a 'one size fits many' kind of product? I don't think anything outsold the H34 in the Hunter line. At least in boats over 30 feet. Heck there are almost 700 in the Owner's Directory.

Ed, you are correct. We make a sheet material that has seams to simulate planks. It glues down one sheet at a time. The nexus of this company is how long fiberglass boats are lasting and how nice some of them look. In the old days if a wooden boat was 20 -30 years old it was often done with. A lot of them were run up on the beach and burned. Now the fiberglass boats are lasting 20-30 years as almost a norm with a little TLC.

I found one of the major problem with a boat retrofit is making the deck look nice. A few years ago I purchased a CSY 44 sailboat and began my typical overdoing a rebuild. Everything on the boat was solid but the deck looked terrible. Having rebuilt several boats including a H34, I was not looking forward to fixing and then redoing the nonskid. I studied a number of decking systems (plastic teak, other cork solutions, rubberized paint, and the good old Awlgrip with nonskid in it) and none of them seem to fit what I wanted.

After several years of research and LOTs of testing (my background is product development) we developed our decking. I went out and purchased a large format CNC router so we can replicate the pattern once we have it into the computer. Since these boats were built from molds a H34 kit should fit 'almost' any H34 that was made (unless they changed the mold.

It makes an older production boat look custom!

Anyone know how many H34s there were? Also, what about the larger (H36 etc) boats? Do they share the same cockpit, etc.?

I have included a couple of pictures showing the sheets laid out. In the picture where the pieces are laid on the parking lot you can see the starboard side of the bow has not been cut with the lines. The picture with the deck dry fitted on the boat shows how the sheets come together.

 

[Corker]

Are you doing Catalinas

I posted a similar topic on the Catalina website. Being in Florida I can't think of two 30+ foot sailboat builders with more hulls floating today.

 

[Dan Johnson]

Corker...

The H34 production run was from 1983 through 1987. There were reportedly over 1,200 of them built, and they have been called the most popular Hunter model produced.

The decking looks most interesting...

 

[Corker]

The H34 production run was from 1983 through 1987. There were reportedly over 1,200 of them built, and they have been called the most popular Hunter model produced.

The decking looks most interesting...

Dan - thanks for the info. I really like the H34s. I spent @5 months in the Bahamas on one and loved every minute so this model has a special place in my heart.

I would love to say that I came up with the idea of using cork on boat decks, however, there are a number of companies in Europe that offer a cork decking material; however, all of these that we are aware of are a plank type material or several planks joined together in a sheet. You have to install these on the deck, caulk the seams, and sand smooth. Our business model is slightly different in that we want to offer cost effective kits for owners to install. It is a little more work on our part but should save a LOT of time for the owners.

It is my understanding that Etap brand boats have been offering cork decks on their high end sailboats in Europe for quite some time. I have never actually seen one so I can not comment on how it compares.

Peter

 

[Steve Dion]

I think you will find that there were probably more H'31 83-87 produced. This website has a special section for H'31's only.

 

[nick8489]

cork transport?

I have included a couple of pictures showing the sheets laid out. In the picture where the pieces are laid on the parking lot you can see the starboard side of the bow has not been cut with the lines. The picture with the deck dry fitted on the boat shows how the sheets come together.[/quote]

How do you package this for transport
Nick

 

[Corker]

Transport

The sheets are no more than 4' wide and can be rolled up into a tube(s). When they are received the owner must lay the pieces out in the sun for a few hours to get them to flatten out. Oftentimes we use a very hard cardboard tube that is similar to the ones they use to form concrete pilings. These seem to survive shipping very well.

The actual weight can determine which type of transport is the most cost effective. Most of the pieces can be shipped via UPS or Fedex. An entire deck may weigh enough to make shipping via a common carrier more cost effective.

 

[Corker]

Decking installed

The previous photos were of the deck being dry fitted. I was asked to post a picture of the decking installed. Here is a picture of the boat after about a year with the deck installed. The deck has been sealed with our sealer.

Also, we have done logos for some boats. This is a logo piece for a Marine metals steel hull schooner rigged sailboat.

 

[kloudie1]

Sticky Problem

Corker, INFO: the Hunter 34's and 31's have a heavy molded in criss-cross anti-skid that may cause problems with the "sticky" on the backside.. It may be that a 1/16" foam could be necessary to accomodate.. Attached shot shows the anti skid and the smooth borders around stuff like the handrails..

 

[brian3820]

Ok Corker, I have a 1984 Hunter 34...with a deck that has been neglected for 6 years by previous owner...I am very interested in cost... not sure if appropriate in this forum, so my apologies...but can you email info, installation info and cost for my Hunter 34... Mine is a TOTAL redesign and REFIT... new interior, surfaces etc... following some of the new H33 and E36 design and surface ideas.... so making her look and feel new is priority.... Thanks

 

[Steve Walsh]

Peter, I had my boat hauled for a bottom job this morning at your marina. Killed some time walking the docks and spotted your boat with cork decks. It looked just great and I think you are really on to something with this product.

Steve

 

[Corker]

Response to Steve

Thanks Steve - did you get to feel the deck? it is amazing at how much it feels like real wood once it is installed. It really makes the old girl look good.

All of our work has been in North Florida and most of it has been custom. We have recently decided to make the decks for production boats and have a couple in the works. Most are power boats and sports fisher types. Being a sailor I love the look of a wood deck on a sailboat but I did not want teak. This seems to be the solution.

Only recently has the materials for working with cork outdoors come on the market. I really think we have a neat product.

 

[Corker]

Brian - I sent you a Private Message

Brian - I sent you a private message. You might want to edit your previous message to remove your email address from public view.

 

[brian3820]

Corker, thanks, sent you a reply.... thanks again....

 

[Corker]

Non skid on H34

Corker, INFO: the Hunter 34's and 31's have a heavy molded in criss-cross anti-skid that may cause problems with the "sticky" on the backside.. It may be that a 1/16" foam could be necessary to accomodate.. Attached shot shows the anti skid and the smooth borders around stuff like the handrails..

Thanks for the heads up. Since the epoxy compound we use to hold the cork to the deck is 'pre thickened' you can trowel it on thicker. This will allow the epoxy to fill in the H34 non skid pattern. It will probably be a little messy until you figure out the right trowel size to use. The epoxy gets squeezed out of the sides of the deck when you roll it and weight it during installation. The epoxy cleans up with [FONT=&quot]isopropyl[/FONT] alcohol until it is dry.