ACP hull?

chuckwayne · Jan 27, 2013

av8erdunn said:
I am thinking of buying a 216 that has the acp hull but I am a little concerned with the cracking issues. Does anyone know if the acp cracks in the southern states like Alabama and Florida or is it mainly a northern cold weather problem?

Thanks

It's only a problem with a small number of 216s-apparently the raw plastic provider changed the resin without notifying Hunter. If you are looking at a boat that hasn't developed cracks, it's probably fine. The issue was mainly on boats in cold climates that weren't properly covered in the winter. Our 2006 is crack free-great boat!

Crazy Dave Condon · Jan 29, 2013

chuckwayne hit it on the nailhead

Jackdaw · Jan 29, 2013

chuck could very well be right.

But how would you know?

And when its time to sell you have to convince someone else.

chuckwayne · Jan 29, 2013

Yeah, you have to trade-off several factors aside from price and performance-the new 22 in fiberglass weighs almost a 1000lbs more-couldn't tow with our current tow vehicle. The 216 is easy to launch and rig, tows well, and is fun to sail

Crazy Dave Condon · Jan 30, 2013

To those who do not know me well. I know the boats as I was involved in design, knowledge of building, having the first ones and told Hunter how to improve and the issues that were attributed to the boats. When Chuckwayne said what he did, he had inside information from a competent source. The manufacturers had a habit to change the formulation without hunter's knowledge and thus the issue of cracking. Hunter paid dearly for that.

crazy dave condon

chuckwayne · Jan 30, 2013

Dave is right! Plastic resin manufacturers do that all the time-I'm in the medical instrument business and it's a constant problem.

Our 216 lives on a mooring so we only have to rig/unrig once a season, but it's easy-here's the drill.
We trailer to the launch site, back the rig into position at the ramp. The mast is pre-rigged and all of my lines are long enough to allow quick attachment.
attach the jib luff wire to the mast. back the mast up so you can put the foot of the mast into the cabin and attach the pivot pin.
one reasonably strong and tall person can then walk the mast up-once it's in the vee on the cuddy top you can push it forward and install the big pin that holds the mast in the deck socket.
connect and tension the forestay and shrouds (I have them pre-marked for proper tension), and you can launch.
If the ramp permits, you can attach the boom (one pin), connect the sheets, and rig the main before you launch.
Our boat is equipped with a catamaran style u-stackpack and lazyjacks, so the main is already rigged on the boom.
We find her really easy to launch and rig, I would expect you could have her ready to sail in 20 minutes.