H-34 Compression Beam

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Oct 14, 2005
2,191
1983 Hunter H34 North East, MD
Heart & Claude...

here's what the top of my compression post looks like on the head side of the bulkhead. This has not changed in the five years I have owned the boat. There is no sign of any water oozing or dripping from this location. The PO had the mast off the year before I bought the boat for re-rigging. I suspect, knowing the yard that did the work, that any sign of caulking needed at the mast step was taken care of at that time.
 

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Sep 21, 2009
385
Hunter 34 Comox
Dan, That looks like it has at some point started to fail and definately compressed from forward loading. Mine also had the slightest bulge on the aft side of the beam near the cabin roof. I had to run my hand along it and then once found I could see it. Its all in your comfort level. If it was me, I would have this looked at inside asap as it is perhaps one of the most critical load points on your boat. But then thats just me. If it was sealed up at the yard as you suspect, it may start to dry rot. Just my opinion and it is my first Hunter....
 
Oct 14, 2005
2,191
1983 Hunter H34 North East, MD
Thanks, Heart...

if there was water associated with it I would really be worried. As it is now, I'm going to try to get a lens on it to alay all fears and pay more attention to it when under sail to see if it's "working".
 
Nov 6, 2006
9,885
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
Compression Post DONE !

Finally got stuff put back together .. Attached is shot of small gap where the post meets the block .. That will be hidden with a bit of small "quarter round" trim piece .. Have yet to replace the 3/8" bungs in the head door jam.. Settee re-installation requires a 14" phillips extension .. Going back tomorrow to finish up. FINE to have tight shrouds and stays.. especially the headstay which had begun to sag enough to cause the roller furling to bind ..
 

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Sep 25, 2008
385
Harpoon 5.2 Honolulu, HI
After 11 months of chasing a mystery leak, it's a HAPPY DAY for my H34!! We had a rain last night and none of it came inside. Turns out it was in fact the mast base-to-deck that was leaking on mine. Last week I applied a thin bead of 3M 4200 all the way around the mast base. The gap there was literally un-noticeable and you probably couldn't have put a piece of paper in there. The water was coming down the wires and ending up in the head bilge and sometimes under the forward end of the settee.
After this last rain, there was a small puddle of water on the deck around the mast, which tells me the 4200 did its job. The permanent repair, of course will be to take off the mast base if/when I pull the mast again. But until then, this seems to have it taken care of.
I had re-sealed the wire entrance last year when the mast was off because that was the commonly documented problem. Turns out you should always rebed the deck step as well!! I posted this update on this thread because this is how a lot of us probably ended up with rotten compression posts in the first place!
-M
 
Oct 14, 2005
2,191
1983 Hunter H34 North East, MD
Mark...

Thanks for that tip. I'll give my mast base a once-over Saturday with a shot of Life Caulk and watch for a cure after this weekend's rains. If it works, a full scale rebeding will be put on the "To-Do Someday" list.
 
Apr 25, 2010
2
Hunter h-31 Not Yet
But then thats just me. If it was sealed up at the yard as you suspect, it may start to dry rot. Just my opinion and it is my first Hunter....
Heart of Gold,

I tried to find your instructions on your repair in the mod section for the Hunter 34 but did not have any luck. Can you let me know where it is located? I would like to start this repair on my 1987 H-31 and would like to do the repair like you did.

Thanks,
Jeff.......
 
Sep 21, 2009
385
Hunter 34 Comox
Showin4fun, if you look in the Hunter "34" mods, its in alphabetical order under "mast support post fix from the top" I should have made it easier to find. If you have any questions send me a message. I have more pictures and drawings. Cheers,
 
Apr 25, 2010
2
Hunter h-31 Not Yet
Showin4fun, if you look in the Hunter "34" mods, its in alphabetical order under "mast support post fix from the top" I should have made it easier to find. If you have any questions send me a message. I have more pictures and drawings. Cheers,
Heart of Gold,

Thanks for the direction! I was searching for "compression post" and could not locate your article. If you have more pictures and don't mind e-mailing them I would love to have them, my e-mail address is munndl@nbnet.nb.ca

Thanks you for your time and consideration,
Jeff........
 
Jun 9, 2010
32
Hunter 34 Cedar Island
Re: Pictures of Fix from the top

I just spent about 3 hours writing out an excessively long story complete with pictures for the mods section, pressed submit and it disappeared. Does it take a while for this to get posted? Anyway, here are some pics of my nearly finished project. Just some cosmetic stuff left. Note my custom 5200 applicator.
This seems to be the best solution yet. It seems I am in for the same job. I would be interested in the dimensions and gauges of pipe. Could you post these? Very nice job!
 
Sep 21, 2009
385
Hunter 34 Comox
84-34 Hunter. Did you get a chance to read the article in Mods section? Its pretty much all there. I am trying to get more drawings and stuff together and I will up date the mod as time permits. The pipe I used was 2 inch schedule 40 stainless. The top plate is as describe, 3/8 by 6" wide flat bar cut and shaped, the bottom plate is 1/4" by 6" flat bar cut to fit rib. I am happy to report that since completing this job, I have quite a few days on the boat, including a couple of races and all is rock solid. In fact we were sailing home yesterday in 20 knots down wind under the 135genny alone reaching over 9 knots at times. yahoo! I am finding this boat a pleasure to sail.
 
Jun 9, 2010
32
Hunter 34 Cedar Island
Thanks, that would be much appreciated. Ya we raced last sunday and left the pack behind. I am a little leary to push too hard with the post as it is. We just bought the boat and the survey showed no report of this. We had a tornado go through as we were sleeping on the boat.(a few tense moments) but water came from around the post.
Peter
 
Sep 21, 2009
385
Hunter 34 Comox
Dtails

Hey guys, This was my working drawing and basic guide for fabricating the new post. All measurements were approximate at this point and I can't stress how important it is for you to dry fit and measure for your self. The picture of the top plate is also for reference. In the end I was forced to place the step on the plate in the best fit location. Make absolutely sure that the hole for the wires clears the structure for the halyard turning blocks. This hole does not have to be dead center of the pipe. Cheers and feel free to ask any questions.
 

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Jun 9, 2010
32
Hunter 34 Cedar Island
Re: Heart & Claude...

Hi Dan,
Your looks worse than mine but I know I have rot just by tapping the the beam and 6 inches each side has a dull thud while past this has a nice ring. Not as fancy as the fibre optics and such but I am quite sure of the problem. My beam doesn't even have any cracks yet. You may give that a try before drilling. My motto is always do the simple things first, then progress. I hope yours echos load & clear.
Pete
 
Oct 14, 2005
2,191
1983 Hunter H34 North East, MD
Pete...

Don't understand where and what you are tapping to get a dull then a ring sound. The overhead beam separating the salon from the head is a trough and covers the cross-beam timber. I suspect you'd get a dull sound at any point where the fiberglass doesn't touch the beam.

I'm still chasing opening port leaks by pulling and rebedding them. So far have done two and eliminated two sources of interior leaks. After Saturday's rain still have a fixed port leak though.

Next step in checking for the possibility of a compression post problem is to pull the port side sheaves at the mast base (currently unused) and take a look-see to determine if there's a caulking failure viewable. The base itself is solidly seam-caulked to the deck. Am suspecting the turning block on one side as a probable source now as the head and salon hatch are also solidly edge-seam sealed.
 
Nov 6, 2006
9,885
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
Ahhhhh Today is the first day that I fairly heavily loaded my new compression system.. gusts to about 20.... MAN it was fine to watch the shrouds not get loose, and see the headstay not sag off.. Mighty fine. No oil sighted ! It was a fine day on the Pontchartrain. OK, yep, it was a little warm there at the end when the wind quit!
Solo sailing.. fortunately I didn't have any pop quizzes!
 
Oct 14, 2005
2,191
1983 Hunter H34 North East, MD
I hear ya Claude...

Took the boat out of the slip for the first time this season over last weekend. Went down the Bay to Rock Hall and back with my race boat captain and crew as crew. Five hours powering down with the tide and six and a half powering back against tide--naturally the wind was on the nose both ways (or non-existant!).

No fuel leaks! Shaft log lightly dripping! No opening port leaks (!!) in Saturday's all-day rain (but still have a fixed port leak to fix!).

Lots of: good seafood, cold drinks, loud music, great canaraderie.

Life is good!
 
Sep 21, 2009
385
Hunter 34 Comox
Claude, I know how you feel. Its good to get that monkey off of our backs and concentrate on other stuff like finding a nice asymetrical spinnaker!

Dan, with regard to the beam, there is no timber from side to side just a support block that takes up the space in the fiberglass beam under the mast itself. The glass beam is itself the strength. The support post obviously takes the downward load. I know this first hand as I stuck a fibre optic camera in to the beam space from the reading lights port and starboard and was able to get the end of the camera right up to the block. This is why Pete hears the difference in sound when tapping. If you can rent or afford a couple hundred to get a camera, it is very worth while. They are available at most tool stores. You can look at all kinds of stuff without taking it apart, like, chain plates, plumbing under floor boards, whats going on in that little space under the anchor locker, etc. Cheers, Ian
 
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