Just Purchased a Hunter 33

[MightyMike]

After more than 10 years ashore I have just purchased a 1980 Hunter 33.
A non-sailing friend asked me what it was like. He is a car guy, so I described it this way:
You know the shiny new cars sitting inside the showroom?
It's nothing like that.
If you go out to the used car section and see all the certified preowned models and lease returns, it's nothing like that.
If you then drive to one of those mega-used car dealers, it's nothing like that either.
Now if you turn off the main road and find one of those tiny dealers with a large Buy Here Pay Here sign, it's exactly like that.
All I can say so far is the engine runs, the sails are in decent shape and it appears well cared for. Oh, and the cabin has a smell that is nothing like a new car smell.

 

[RoyS]

You have come to the right place.

 

[finefurn]

Ah Yes ! That cabin smell. My wife has a nose like a bloodhound (not in shape, but in sensitivity). She is constantly chasing some "New smell". Don't understand it, she loves the smell of a salt marsh.

 

[Dalliance]

MightyMike,

Continuing your new car analogy, I sometimes explain to people that if you compare boat manufacturers to car manufacturers, a Hunter might be roughly equivalent to a Ford, but a Cherubini Hunter is like a '65 Mustang. Classic design, ahead of its time, with a bit of a cult following. Congrats on your new boat.

Dalliance

 

[kloudie1]

Welcome to the forum..
The 33 is a fine sailing boat.. You'll enjoy it !

 

[dLj]

MightyMike,

Continuing your new car analogy, I sometimes explain to people that if you compare boat manufacturers to car manufacturers, a Hunter might be roughly equivalent to a Ford, but a Cherubini Hunter is like a '65 Mustang. Classic design, ahead of its time, with a bit of a cult following. Congrats on your new boat.

Dalliance

Nice analogy! I've also just bought a 1977 Cherubini Hunter 30.

dj

 

[MightyMike]

Well, DJ, I guess we are both in the discovery stage. I haven't found any nasty surprises -- yet. I hope you are as fortunate.
These are great old boats, but they are, well, old. Are you planning to sail this season or are you in rehab mode?

 

[dLj]

Well, DJ, I guess we are both in the discovery stage. I haven't found any nasty surprises -- yet. I hope you are as fortunate.
These are great old boats, but they are, well, old. Are you planning to sail this season or are you in rehab mode?

I'm hoping to sail this summer. We'll see. I don't know a lot about the boat at this point. It has a very old YSE12 yanmar, but from the outside it looks to be in pretty good shape. Turns over very easily until hitting compression. I will likely have to change the exhaust elbow talked about on the forums a fair amount. I haven't tried to run the engine yet, lots to do to check it out first.

A number of thru-hulls look fairly recently changed, as in, they are not the originals. I do still have one original gate valve thru-hull that may get changed out before launch. A number of hoses will need changing. A lot of that can be done while in the water so I'm looking at what needs to be done to put it in the water, be safe, be able to sail and then do work on the boat.

I have to change both acryllic hatch covers, both are cracked. Frames look OK. I have to change the companionway boards, not sure what all I'm going to do there, I may do a re-design on the entrance but that will be started this summer in the water. I have to put in a head, but I am going to put in one of those toilets that are self-contained. $150, some hoses and connections and done! I had a nice long conversation with our resident HeadMistress - Wow! She is awesome!

I don't know anything about the mast, boom and sails. There are 4 sails in the boat and the mast and boom are lying across the deck. Needless to say, it's a project boat, but a lot of basics look like they have been done. The stuffing box actually looks almost new, prop, cutlass bearing and shaft look nearly pristine. It looks like the hull to deck joint was rebuilt, I don't know more than the outward appearances of that one. There is no floor in it, only the underlying plastic. The steel I-beam under the mast post is rusted, but not badly, it is definitely serviceable and all I will need to do is stabilize the corrosion. A lot of cosmetics need doing. But I didn't find any soft spots on the deck, the hull looks solid. I think with a couple weekends of work, I could drop it in the water and sail. (Do I hear someone say: as man plans, God laughes?) Then take are of the rest in between sailing. I sure hope I have no unpleasant discoveries...

So if all goes well, knock on wood, I hope to be sailing this summer and spend probably about the next three years rebuilding bits and pieces to put the boat into excellent condition. It doesn't have an autopilot or a jib roller-furler. So those two items will be big upgrades coming. The autopilot first. I'm a single hand sailor so that one will be taken care of as soon as I know the rest of the boat is functional.

dj

 

[SailormanDan]

for the new car analogy. Definitely not a new car smell.
I have a nose like FineFurn's admiral, yet for some reason the smell in the boat isn't that terrible. (although I'm working on it)

 

[MightyMike]

I'm hoping to sail this summer. We'll see. I don't know a lot about the boat at this point. It has a very old YSE12 yanmar, but from the outside it looks to be in pretty good shape. Turns over very easily until hitting compression. I will likely have to change the exhaust elbow talked about on the forums a fair amount. I haven't tried to run the engine yet, lots to do to check it out first.

A number of thru-hulls look fairly recently changed, as in, they are not the originals. I do still have one original gate valve thru-hull that may get changed out before launch. A number of hoses will need changing. A lot of that can be done while in the water so I'm looking at what needs to be done to put it in the water, be safe, be able to sail and then do work on the boat.

I have to change both acryllic hatch covers, both are cracked. Frames look OK. I have to change the companionway boards, not sure what all I'm going to do there, I may do a re-design on the entrance but that will be started this summer in the water. I have to put in a head, but I am going to put in one of those toilets that are self-contained. $150, some hoses and connections and done! I had a nice long conversation with our resident HeadMistress - Wow! She is awesome!

I don't know anything about the mast, boom and sails. There are 4 sails in the boat and the mast and boom are lying across the deck. Needless to say, it's a project boat, but a lot of basics look like they have been done. The stuffing box actually looks almost new, prop, cutlass bearing and shaft look nearly pristine. It looks like the hull to deck joint was rebuilt, I don't know more than the outward appearances of that one. There is no floor in it, only the underlying plastic. The steel I-beam under the mast post is rusted, but not badly, it is definitely serviceable and all I will need to do is stabilize the corrosion. A lot of cosmetics need doing. But I didn't find any soft spots on the deck, the hull looks solid. I think with a couple weekends of work, I could drop it in the water and sail. (Do I hear someone say: as man plans, God laughes?) Then take are of the rest in between sailing. I sure hope I have no unpleasant discoveries...

So if all goes well, knock on wood, I hope to be sailing this summer and spend probably about the next three years rebuilding bits and pieces to put the boat into excellent condition. It doesn't have an autopilot or a jib roller-furler. So those two items will be big upgrades coming. The autopilot first. I'm a single hand sailor so that one will be taken care of as soon as I know the rest of the boat is functional.

dj

That, sir, is an aggressive list. Best of luck with it.

 

[dLj]

That, sir, is an aggressive list. Best of luck with it.

Yes, but spread out over 3 years it shouldn't be too bad... hopefully...

dj