Spring fever, anyone?

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Jul 7, 2010
26
Hunter 146 Duxbury, MA
Hi All - We had a really long winter up here in the Northeast. I can't wait to get out on the water again!

I rolled the 146 out of storage last weekend and gave it a bath, and greased the wheels on the trailer. I'll wax the boat in the next couple of weeks. I noticed that a number of the lights are out on the trailer, so I have some fixes to do there, and hope to get on the water in the next few weeks.

What are your getting-the-boat-ready springtime rituals?
 

ddeand

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Oct 12, 2010
33
Hunter 170/18 Everywhere
Since this is my first season as a sailor, I really don't have any rituals - yet. But the winter in Minnesota was also a long one, and I'm ready to get the boat in the water. I pick up the boat from storage in about ten days, and then it will be another week before I can get it to its new mooring. Beyond that, everything is going to be new for me. Should be a fun summer!

Dean
 
Apr 17, 2011
10
hunter H22 water
first boat fever for me. I just bought a boat and will try it may 1st. I'm thinking about it 24/7

good summer every one
 
Jan 22, 2008
597
Oday 35 and Mariner 2+2 Alexandria, VA
Been out twice already, still chilly in the evenings, but good sailing weather if you can dodge raindrops.
 

bripop

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Apr 19, 2011
4
hunter 146 Battle Creek
Buying 146 next monday. How about the stablity and the plastic hull? WK
 
Jun 5, 2010
27
Newport 27 Lake Perry, Ks
Sanding and spar varnish on all the woodwork. Working on the rudder and tiller. The last guy looked like he put it on with a bucket rather than a brush. Need to try to get the drips that ran down the fiberglass. It even etched the plexiglass. So I've got some work to do but it's still a bit chilly here in Kansas. Wife has recovered the berth mattresses and making cushions for the cockpit. Getting the fever and hoping to spend our first night out on the L2 soon.
 
Jul 7, 2010
26
Hunter 146 Duxbury, MA
How about the stability in winds and white caps? Single handed.
I've single-handed a number of times and it's really easy, but I haven't with tons of wind or in rough seas. The one drawback I see is that they don't have hiking straps. H15 owner Esterhazyinoz was talking about rigging up some hiking straps last fall but I don't know if that project came about or not. Enjoy your hunter!
 
Feb 26, 2010
259
Hunter 15 Fremantle, Western Australia
... H15 owner Esterhazyinoz was talking about rigging up some hiking straps last fall but I don't know if that project came about or not. ...
Speak of the devil! Yes I had designed and almost finished installing a hiking strap solution for my H15. There was no way I was going to face the strong summer winds here in Perth, Western Australia (and they were very strong this summer) without hiking straps. Little did I know that the universe had other things in store for me that would see my boat sitting in my driveway, mocking me, since the end of August. The Chinese believe this to be the year of the rabbit (???) but I know it is the year of the leg. First a ripped knee, then a shattered tibia and now a week ago, just when I was going to put the last bits of the hiking strap solution on the boat, a badly twisted (sprained/strained???) ankle. Well as Ned Kelly said, "such is life" and then they hung him.

Anyway back to the hiking straps, , all I can say now is that I am confident that my solution will provide me with the ability to control my boat when hit by a strong gust (25 knots +) and sail comfortably in steady winds of 15-20 knots. Any of these non ballasted daysailers really require you to use/move passengers and crew as the ballast to provide the righting moment. Practically that means constantly moving your arse to balance your boat in unsteady winds. Of course not over powering your boat in the first place is the best starting point. Having a jib furler as standard equipment on the H146/H15's was one of the design factors that drew me to buying my H15 as that easily allows you to adjust if conditions change. If the winds were blowing so hard that I'd had to reef also, I'd reconsider going out.

Re my hiking strap solution, the main challenge is to find anchor points fore and aft to attach them to. Up front I am using the mast step but for H146/H15 owners it is aft that presents the design challenge.
The H170, with its open transom offers access to the rudder support for rear anchor points but the H146/H15 only presents you with a hollow dam and minimal access to the inside of the hull. I saw the main design challenge as being able to spread the load of the weight of 2-3 adults over as wide an area as possible.

Removing the rear inspection hatch allowed me to fit one arm into the boat and touch the transom walls. See attached for what it looks like in there. What you are seeing is the underside of the cockpit drain and the forward wall of the transom. By using a webcam I was able to see what I was doing when working in there (got that idea after my knee op).
I constructed my aft anchor points from strap aluminium and a solid tube of teflon plastic cut into thick disks (see 2nd pic attached). The bolt that goes through the anchor, teflon disk, transom fibreglass wall, ali straps, etc never actually touches the fibreglass of the transom wall. The bolt is surrounded by a thick, long nylon spacer as it passes through the transom wall. This spacer is rebated into the white teflon disks to keep it in place always (see 3rd pic).
The 4th pic shows what it looks like inside now and the 5th pic is the view facing the stern from inside the cockpit. The aluminium things are mountain climbing thingo's.

Also for straps I am using Zhik Hiking straps made for NS 14's which are about 6 feet long (6th pic). These straps have a special underside material that really grip sailing shoes and boots.

When I am able to climb into the boat again, I will set it all up and get photos of the full rig.

Cheers to the soon warmer residents of the Northern Hemisphere.
 

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Jun 5, 2010
27
Newport 27 Lake Perry, Ks
Today was a chilly day here in Kansas and overcast but warm enough for me to get some projects on the Lub 2 done. I added another coat of varnish to the tiller (now had 3) and was able to get the hatch cut out and installed. Not sure why O'Day left all that nice storage inaccessible under the port side cockpit but with an added hatch, I can now access that nice spot.
I also was tired of no place to sit my cup or water bottle while relaxing at the tiller so built a drink holder to go across the back of the cockpit a la the drink holders on conversion van dog house covers. I used a 1x8 cedar (tried to find teak or redwood but those items are hard to find a your run of the mill box store. Even got a buddy who runs a local lumberyard and they don't carry those either), cut to fit the outline of the rear of the cockpit. I cut out four holes and added a lower shelf to keep bottles from falling through. I then put barrel bolts on each side, drilled a hole in the fiberglass and added some brass bushings for the end of the bolt to go into. I don't plan to have 'er upside down but if things get wild, I don't want to have to worry about it coming loose and adding to the general mayhem. I got the first coat of varnish on it. I posted some pics below.
All I have left is refinishing the teak around the companionway, grab rails on top of the cabin and toe boards around the edge of the deck. Hoping she'll really look nice.
The other thing I'm looking for is a good product to refinish the fiberglass. It's dull and needs polished up to really pop. Does anyone have any recommendations on what's the best stuff to bring out the shine?
Hoping to get 'er on the lake soon!
Happy sailing.
 

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Feb 26, 2010
259
Hunter 15 Fremantle, Western Australia
Here is a good reference link. As my boat is new I have, so far, only used a wax (Autoglym Liquid Hardwax) which keeps the boat looking good for a long time even though it sits outside in the weather all year.

What product/s you choose depends on how weathered your boat is.

http://www.boatus.com/boattech/casey/01.htm
 
Oct 8, 2009
134
Hunter 170 Lake Sammamish WA
How about the stability in winds and white caps? Single handed.
All I can advise is to keep your hands on the sheets to be ready to unjam at a moments notice in gusty conditions. If your sheets are jammed, its amazing how quickly the wind can knock you over. Hasn't happened to me yet in my 170, but I saw one go down a while back and it happened rather quickly.
 
Feb 26, 2010
259
Hunter 15 Fremantle, Western Australia
I concur! Always have your mainsheet in your hand in gusty conditions. And pay attention to the telltales on the water of 'something wicked this way comes'. Things can go to sh*t quickly on the water when you daydream.
 
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