2013+ MH-40 Discussion

Hull13

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Jul 7, 2013
9
Hunter 40 Traverse City, MI
Anyone out there with a Marlow Hunter 40 that would like to compare notes? Have solved a few problems along the way but sure that more are on the horizon and hope to share/learn from others.
 

Bob R.

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Jun 5, 2004
160
Marlow-Hunter 40 Pasadena, MD
I have a 2018 MH40 (Hull 137). I have 3 friends on the Chesapeake that all have 2013 MH40's. We have all dealt with problems that were correctable. It is a comfortable boat that sails very well and we love it. We would be glad to share our travails and compare note with you.

Bob
 
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Hull13

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Jul 7, 2013
9
Hunter 40 Traverse City, MI
Thanks for the quick response. We love the boat overall and think it has many advantages over the rest of the production boats that we have been on. Especially when it comes to comfort and cabin aesthetics. Most of the production boats we have been on look like the cabins were outfitted by IKEA.

My biggest concern currently is with the seal on the SD-50 sail drive. I had the place I stored the boat inspect it and they didn’t feel it needed to be replaced this year but they seem to be of the opinion that the engine will need to be pulled to replace the seal. Has anyone had this done yet?

I have had to lap the clutch cones in the sail drive twice already and figure I am pretty close to having to do it again soon. Has anyone installed the Yanmar upgrade to the SD-50 (I believe it has bearing rather than bushing on bottom of gear box assembly). I have been considering this for the next time I have to lap the clutch cones.

I see discussions where the Sd-50s have been replaced with Sd-60s but I really wasn’t looking forward to that expense.

looking forward to the conversation with fellow MH40 owners!

Ken.
 

Bob R.

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Jun 5, 2004
160
Marlow-Hunter 40 Pasadena, MD
2nd your comments on the cabin layout and aesthetics, that was a big factor that helped swing our purchase decision between the MH40 and a Catalina 425, especially for the Commodore. The Yanmar SD-50 sail drive was a big concern for me when we were negotiating our purchase agreement with David Marlow. I sent him several articles on maintenance issues with the SD-50 and Yanmar's own recommendation that the SD-60 was a better match for the Yanmar 4JH57 engine. Marlow relented and agreed to provide the SD-60 sail drive.

A friend with a MH40 had a sail drive leak problem after he snagged or hit something while sailing. He had the boat hauled out at a boat yard that was not familiar with his boat and the travel lift operator got the aft lift strap on the travel lift under the sail drive and punched the sail drive up, destroying the sealing ring. He had some temporary repairs made the to seal the drive and had the boat towed to a boat yard in Annapolis that had a Yanmar service dealer who replaced the seal and got the conical clutch lapped, it had already started slipping. I'll let Greg know you are interested in the seal replacement work he had done.
 

Hull13

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Jul 7, 2013
9
Hunter 40 Traverse City, MI
Thanks Bob. I would be very interested in hearing from him on this.

Curious if you have an asymmetrical spinnaker and if so what you have done to connect the tack to the bow. I rigged a block to the eyelet below the jib furling unit that I run a tack line through, but isn't the best approach. I don't have a bow sprit.
 
May 10, 2004
253
Hunter MH 37 Manitowoc, WI
My MH-37 has a tack padeye on the anchor roller. I have a block installed and ran a tack line and shackle back along the port stanchions to a Lewmar rope clutch by the cockpit. It allows me to trim the tack based on the point of sail.
 

Hull13

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Jul 7, 2013
9
Hunter 40 Traverse City, MI
That is similar to my setup, except I just run tack line to the bow cleat. The block I installed doesn't really feed quite right depending though. When I use my ATN tack collar, the line rubs on the jib furling drum. When I don't use the collar, the line wants to rub/catch on the red/green light housing. Would like to figure out some type of sprit I can attach and get the tack line out in front of the bow pulpit.

Thanks for the reply and information.
 

Gold70

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Oct 27, 2021
7
Beneteau 36 Wilmington
I have a 2018 MH40 (Hull 137). I have 3 friends on the Chesapeake that all have 2013 MH40's. We have all dealt with problems that were correctable. It is a comfortable boat that sails very well and we love it. We would be glad to share our travails and compare note with you.

Bob
Hi Bob,
Do you know anything about cracking/crazing on the deck around the winches?
Thanks!
 

Gold70

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Oct 27, 2021
7
Beneteau 36 Wilmington
Has anyone had issues with cracks/crazing on the deck (specifically on a 2014 MH-40).
Thanks in advance!
 

Bob R.

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Jun 5, 2004
160
Marlow-Hunter 40 Pasadena, MD
I have not had any crazing/cracking around either the the cabin top winches or the jib sheet winches on the combing next to the helm stations.
 

Gold70

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Oct 27, 2021
7
Beneteau 36 Wilmington
I have not had any crazing/cracking around either the the cabin top winches or the jib sheet winches on the combing next to the helm stations.
Thanks Bob...appreciate the response.
 

Hull13

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Jul 7, 2013
9
Hunter 40 Traverse City, MI
I have been unable to post for quite awhile but am still looking for someone with experience with replacing the seals/diaphragms. Out boat is 2013 and I believe the work is needed for insurance purposes (coverage in case the seals fail).
 
Apr 18, 2021
2
Marlow Hunter 40 Fremantle
I have read that the wrong oil is recommended by Yanmar for the leg, the Quicksilver oil damages the bronze bushes, so the answer is to go back to an oil which is compatible with bronze. Also it seems that the SD50 leg gets pressurised when running, so another improvement is to fit a vent to the gearbox. Both these things I have done.
Additional problems I have had, the swim platform axle arrangement collapsed, I have trouble with the windows leaking, and the anchor chain jamming in the hawse.
 
Jul 18, 2019
3
Hunter 36 Burnt Store Marina
Hello! I owned a 2009 Hunter 36 and really enjoyed the boat. Sold her in 2019 and purchased a FP Lucia 40. Just sold the FP because I wanted to go back to a monohull, less than 10 years old, 38-41ft. My budget is 250k or less, and I am looking at the usual suspects - Benne, Jenneau, Dufour, Bavaria, & Hunter. I am currently eying a 2013 MH 40 - on the listing, she looks beautiful, and has all options I want other than a genset (that would have to be added). Curious as to general impressions of the boat. How does it sail? point? Is the boat robust enough to make the journey from SW Florida to Bahamas? Drawbacks, problems? If you could have a "do over", would still make the same choice? TIA.
 
Apr 8, 2011
768
Hunter 40 Deale, MD
Really great to see a thread started of MH40 owners. I agree with @Bob R. (who is awesome to sail the bay with) that it's a great boat, @BourbonSailor. @Bob R. owned an H-356 before his MH40, and I owned an H36 before buying my 2015 MH40, so both of us can agree that the H356/36 were great boats, but I think both of us are even happier with our MH-40s and wouldn't go back.

The boat is MORE than capable of SW Florida to Bahamas. Heck, my H36 is in New England now with her new owners and headed to the Bahamas this winter, and the MH-40 is more capable than that boat. When we held the Hunter 50th anniversary rendezvous in Baltimore this past summer we were lucky to get Rob Mazza and Glen Henderson (designer of the H356/36 and MH40) to speak. They directly addressed the "is Hunter a bluewater boat" question. The answer is yes - but. They're structurally designed for the worst 5% of sailing offshore (@Bob R. can correct me if I misstated this slightly), so they're capable, BUT they don't have the tankage to cross oceans (water and fuel), and they are built with a compromise biased toward being comfortable at anchor vs in a heavy sea. For example, there's really only one possible true sea berth on both of those boats where you could rig a lee cloth and that's on the port settee. Handholds below are OK, but not what you'd expect on a boat biased toward bluewater sailing. So, pick your weather, and go!

As for MH40 issues, the most common I'm picking up is leaking fixed ports in the salon from the large lexan(?) tinted glass that runs much of the length of the main cabin on the outside. @Bob R. can give you chapter and verse on this and just had it addressed. Different year MH40s have slightly different, but meaningful changes. For example, my 2015 doesn't have the big lounge seat in the aft cabin, but the 2013s do. My 2015 has an anchor locker that has a low and high drain and a rode slope that allows chain to pile up and jam the windless if you don't manually push the chain deeper. Pulling the anchor up is a rather slow, deliberate process. Other years have a bilge pump at the bottom of the anchor locker and no drains but have a steeper drop or hawse that doesn't pile up the chain. The boats don't come with an anchor washdown in the anchor locker - which is an absolute must have in the muddy Chesapeake - so it has to be added later. I personally haven't seen any crazing on the primary or secondary winches - or anywhere else. I had a leak in the aft cabin and discovered Marlow Hunter drilled an arch mount hole in the wrong place on the starboard side and didn't seal the wrong hole, which was only partially hidden by the arch. I could look up and see a small bit of blue sky from inside the cabin after taking off the inspection plate in the overhead. Generator installs seem to differ significantly between boats. @Bob R. has something completely different than mine because his was done at the factory; mine looks conventional, like a Panda in a box with a cover that says its a NextGen, but the engine inside is clearly a Paguro modified Farymann which the NextGen dealer says they've never used in any model of NextGen generators. Am guessing mine was a dealer installation, not from the factory. I've talked to other MH40 owners whose fuel gauge has NEVER worked, including mine. The holding tank indicators aren't straightforward. The way they're designed the pickup for the gauge doesn't go to the bottom of the tank, to avoid getting sludged up. So you won't see any indication that either of your holding tanks has anything in it until they're roughly 1/3 full. And then, 1/2 on the gauge doesn't mean they're 1/2 full. You just need to calibrate it by filling with water and making yourself a table, but if you don't know that idiosyncrasy you'll be scratching your head. The MH40 has two water tanks, but to switch between them you'll need to pull up a deckplate in front of the galley sink and dive into that space to find the valves that let you select the appropriate tank. And they're not labeled, you just have to figure it out and label it yourself if a previous owner hasn't. The MH40, like most (maybe all) Hunters does sail at anchor. You can substantially reduce it by using a good quality riding sail (I recommend the FinDelta from Banner Bay marine) which i've found reduces the sailing at anchor by 60-80% on my H36, an H41DS and my MH40. In terms of sailing, it's a decently fast boat under sail (and motor) and well behaved if you reef conservatively (start at 15 kts) and keep the boat balanced. She sails faster flatter, so keep that in mind. She does have to be hand steered with heavy aft winds and seas. I can't get my Raymarine autopilot to steer well in those conditions and not risk a broach, even if set on the highest sensitivity setting. I find a competent human much better under those conditions with that boat. Storage in the cockpit is adequate, but not great. Maybe I got spoiled by the H36's cavernous port cockpit locker. The locker under the stern tailgate isn't easily accessible at sea from the cockpit (though you can get to it through the aft stateroom by taking the headboard off the bed), so while it's great at anchor or in the marina (huge amount of storage there) you need to plan for underway items you'll need to be somewhere else.

Sorry for the huge paragraph. I'm sure I'll think of other things, and will edit below if I do. Others have had their MH40 longer than I have, so I'm looking forward to their comments as well.
 
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Jul 18, 2019
3
Hunter 36 Burnt Store Marina
@tfox2069, thank you for that detailed response! I I looked at a MH 40 listing in person in Saint Petersburg, but was not impressed with the condition of the boat. The one that I am truly interested in is in Charleston, South Carolina, and it looks immaculate based on the pics and video. Looking forward to any other responses I may get…..

As far as “bluewater” sailing, I do not see myself ever wanting to make a long passage. I, do, however, want to go from Southwest Florida to the Bahamas, and maybe one day make the journey from Florida all the way to the USVI/BVI.
 
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Jul 18, 2019
3
Hunter 36 Burnt Store Marina
@Bob R. and tfox2069. I looked at the MH 40 over the weekend, and she is a nice boat. I have another question: The vertical joint where the stern meets the hull seems weird to me. I assume (hope) that it is thru-bolIted, but is there any concerns that over time the sealant that fills that large gap could degrade? Maybe I am being paranoid...but that seam looks like could be a problem...
 
Apr 8, 2011
768
Hunter 40 Deale, MD
@Bob R. and tfox2069. I looked at the MH 40 over the weekend, and she is a nice boat. I have another question: The vertical joint where the stern meets the hull seems weird to me. I assume (hope) that it is thru-bolIted, but is there any concerns that over time the sealant that fills that large gap could degrade? Maybe I am being paranoid...but that seam looks like could be a problem...
I haven't heard from any of the MH-40s in our club that the joint has been a problem (and I think there's 4, is that right @Bob R. ? which range from 2013 (two) 2015 (mine) and 2018 (Bob's). @Bob R. visited his boat while it was being built so he might be able to comment on the construction in that area.
 
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Bob R.

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Jun 5, 2004
160
Marlow-Hunter 40 Pasadena, MD
I’m currently in France on vacation and don’t have access to all the photos I took while our boat was being constructed nor a broadband connection to post any photos. The hull to deck joint behind the rubrail is through bolted through an external aluminum extrusion over fiberglass flanges. The vertical joint at the stern has an overlapping joint and don’t remember how the joint was reinforced. I will need to review my construction photos to see if I have any documentation when I get back next week.
 
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May 15, 2015
131
Marlow-Hunter 31 Everett, WA
Sorry to hijack this thread, but do any of you know a Marlow 31 owner? We’re very close to closing on a beautiful, like-new, 2018 31’ and I haven’t had any success finding other M-31 owners to get information/advice from. After reading this thread, I'm wondering to what extent some of the same issues might pertain to the 31s. It has a 3YM30AE with the SD25 saildrive. I have checked the fixed port windows for leaks, crazing/cracks around the winches--no evidence of any problems there. The saildrive checked out OK with the surveyor.

If anyone knows an M-31 owner, could you give them my contact information? I would appreciate it.

Thanks!

Matt