Is this damage serious?

Jun 15, 2019
4
Hunter 25.5 Avl

I am looking at a Hunter 25.5 in pretty good shape overall for a 1985, the only thing of concern on the entire boat is this damage I noticed in the photo above. The owner has a fantastic reputation from what I have gathered and seems to be one of the most reliable guys for partially restored older sailboats. I brought it up to him, he said he noticed it right away when he originally was buying it, took it out and sailed it in strong winds and sat watching for movement. Says there was none and he has sailed it weekly for the past 4 years with no addition cracking or signs of problems with the mast. He is not sure how the damage got there without having other signs of a structural failure. This photo is looking up from the vbirth, wood is the bulk head separating living area. Deck has no signs of damage around mast. Is this something I should worry about? How could one dig into whether this is serious or not?
 
May 27, 2004
1,964
Hunter 30_74-83 Ponce Inlet FL
Hunter built these boats with a FRP liner. That's what you're seeing.
They flex and sometimes crack in spots. It's not a structural problem unless a 'tabbed' bulkhead has come unglued.
 
Jan 1, 2006
7,040
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
There are signs of water intrusion there. Yes - to be taken seriously.
 
Jun 15, 2019
4
Hunter 25.5 Avl
How would one go about digging into this further to have some confidence before buying?
 
Jan 7, 2011
4,727
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
The wood post in the photo is a compression post, that supports the top deck.

I would carefully inspect the post (top and bottom) for signs of rot or other deterioration.

As noted, the fiberglass you see that is cracked is a liner and is not structural. So if you don’t see signs of damage to the compression post or other concerns, I would not be worried about it.

Greg
 
Jan 1, 2006
7,040
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
Those FRP liners in Hunters can be a PITA to take down. But that's what I would want to do. You could then probe the compression post for softness. Sound the underside of the deck. Drill out small parts of the lower deck skin to assess the core material. Or you could have a surveyor test the area. Mast step is a critical area of the boat structure. Watch and wait isn't the route to take. When the "Great Guy" who is selling the boat tells you he has been watching it for four years, he is also telling that there has been water intrusion for four years. Who knows how long before that?
 
Jun 15, 2019
4
Hunter 25.5 Avl
As for the compression post visually I did not see any signs of damage whatsoever. The owner also said he had another guy look at it when he bought it and said he had seen similar damage in other hunters due to over tightening of the rigging. Sounds like it may be a valuable first step to try to find someone that could test for moisture and maybe narrow down first if it’s water intrusion or a physical failure. Sounds like more people are leaning towards water intrusion.
 
Jan 7, 2011
4,727
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
All boats will have some issues... my 1998 Hunter 280 had a few minor issues, including a cabin top that seemed to be sagging a little on one side (noticeable because one of the fixed windows seemed to be “pulling away” some). My 1988 has an opening portlight that doesn’t drain properly while the other side drains perfectly. Not sure if this is because the cabin top isn’t square or what. Both boats have steel compression posts sitting on a fiberglass stringer, so no sinking post causing a problem.

The key is to rule out anything major (costly, required for safety or the integrity of your boat). Most anything else can be dealt with.

Good luck.

Greg
 
Jun 15, 2019
4
Hunter 25.5 Avl
As for the compression post visually I did not see any signs of damage whatsoever. The owner also said he had another guy look at it when he bought it and said he had seen similar damage in other hunters due to over tightening of
All boats will have some issues... my 1998 Hunter 280 had a few minor issues, including a cabin top that seemed to be sagging a little on one side (noticeable because one of the fixed windows seemed to be “pulling away” some). My 1988 has an opening portlight that doesn’t drain properly while the other side drains perfectly. Not sure if this is because the cabin top isn’t square or what. Both boats have steel compression posts sitting on a fiberglass stringer, so no sinking post causing a problem.

The key is to rule out anything major (costly, required for safety or the integrity of your boat). Most anything else can be dealt with.

Good luck.

Greg
I hear ya. I’m not overly worried about cosmetics, I understand it’s a 30 year old boat it’s not going to be perfect. As the new guy though I don’t want to be the idiot that buys one with a potential serious structural issue and either has a failure or just can’t resell it down the road.
 
May 27, 2004
1,964
Hunter 30_74-83 Ponce Inlet FL
Sadly the inspection of the interior cabin ceiling and the compression post would be a very involved process. The actual compression post is inside the teak veneer casing that we see in the picture. once that's removed, you could inspect the actual cabin top/compression post area and perhaps effect any necessary repairs.
Good Luck.
 
Jun 1, 2009
1,737
Hunter 49 toronto
Those FRP liners in Hunters can be a PITA to take down. But that's what I would want to do. You could then probe the compression post for softness. Sound the underside of the deck. Drill out small parts of the lower deck skin to assess the core material. Or you could have a surveyor test the area. Mast step is a critical area of the boat structure. Watch and wait isn't the route to take. When the "Great Guy" who is selling the boat tells you he has been watching it for four years, he is also telling that there has been water intrusion for four years. Who knows how long before that?
I agree
You need to “dig”until you find out where this water is coming in.
You are potentially looking at a delaminated deck
Not tracking this down is like turning up the car radio to get rid of the engine noise.
 
Jun 8, 2004
10,024
-na -NA Anywhere USA
I have posted several times what marine yards use to do to find leaks above the water line if hard to find. This is a two person job
First close up the boat and put tape around the hatches so air cannot escape. Cover the companionway with plastic and tape down slitting it with a small hole inserting a leaf blower thru the slit. Tape the slit to leaf blower.
Have a second person with a bucket of soapy water and big brush on top of the deck. Turn on leaf blower and essentially you are pressurizing the cabin and air has to escape. Take and brush everywhere to include fittings with soapy water and where you see air bubbling thru are indicators of leaks. Hope this helps
Crazy Dave
 

MitchM

.
Jan 20, 2005
1,011
Nauticat 321 pilothouse 32 Erie PA
hey crazy dave , that's brilliant. a lot better than my old method of taping colored kleenexes underneath chainplates and stanchions to see what was leaking when i blasted each of the deck fittings with the water hose .
 

Ctskip

.
Sep 21, 2005
732
other 12 wet water
There are way to many boats out there to be worried about deck delamination and leaking water around the mast. Personally , I’d keep looking. Not only that , but it’s front and center where even a bobsleder could see it. And you are going to buy it? Move on to another project.something you can handle