1984 H34 Questions

[stevestk]

I just looked a this H34 for purchase consideration and have a couple of questions. First, I noticed a thin crack at the front of the keel maybe 6-8 inches long and a couple of inches from the bottom of the hull. Owner says not that unusual and it's just filled and painted. True? I'm tall. I only tried the V berth and I don't fit. Which is the longest berth on the boat an how long? Storage seemed scarce. How do current owners feel about it? I'm told they have the original alcohol stove in storage. Was that pressure or non-pressure? I've heard about the potential compression post issues. I didn't noticed anything strange above or below deck around the mast. Everything seemed normal/solid. Is that an obvious issue or does it take an experienced surveyor? Others concerns just on this model?
Thanks in advance for your assistance.

 

[ish]

My understanding is that the 34s are fairly rare, so you might have trouble getting a lot of feedback. On the other hand, I am also given to understand that they were basically just stretched 33s, so on that basis I'll tell you what I know about that.

The compression post issue is something to have a surveyor take a look at; when the problem is bad enough, you'll notice it on your own, but it can be insidious before it becomes obvious.

I'm 5'10" and I fit fine in our V-berth; haven't ever measured it but I think I have a good foot to spare in there when lying flat. The quarterberth seems even longer to me, but as is often the case, ours is more often used for storage than sleeping so I can't say for sure.

As for storage, we've actually been looking to move up to a larger boat recently, and after looking at a lot of 36-38 footers, we have come away increasingly impressed with the space on the 33... despite a larger overall volume in the bigger models, there has often been less usable storage space than we have now. I suppose this is all in the eye of the beholder, but we think there is actually quite a lot of storage.

The crack at the leading edge of the keel is not unusual and it can be fixed up easily and safely. I would also check the keel bolts, however; we had a nut rusting out that probably contributed to the problem. After fixing both problems, there have been no other issues there. On the other hand, it's something else to have a surveyor look at... usually the crack is at the hull/keel join, if this one is genuinely below that, there may be something else going on.

Can't comment on the alcohol stove, the original on ours was removed by a previous owner.

 

[stevestk]

Thanks for the reply. I have been looking for pictures of the keel joint but haven't seen any. Can you tell me if the keel goes all the way to the hull or is there a stub sticking down that the keel bolts to? If a stub do you know about how far down it goes. I'd like to confirm that the crack is at the joint. I'm trying to decide whether I'm interested enough to go down the path to a survey/offer.

 

[Brakeman]

We have owned an '87 H34 for 14 years and just love it. The crack on the keel is normal and should be cleaned out and filled with 3M 5200 and then painted. This crack can be caused by minor flexing between the cast iron keel and the fiber Glass hull, so don't use a rigid filler.
The longest bunk is the rear but we have created a king size solution with thee shaped plywood panels that bridge the port and starboard seats. This allows us the full width of the salon and uses all the cushions. When not in use the panels stow under the cushions out of sight. Storage is limited below decks so you have to be creative. We make good use of the rear and starboard lazarets when required. No signs yet of the mast compression post problem. It's a great boat and Hunter made about 1,100 of them so they are everywhere.

 

[Dan Johnson]

Steve and Ish...

There are many small issues with a boat that is over 25 years old. Almost all of them are known and are discussed on the "Big Boat" forum.

The separation at the keel/hull is known as the "Hunter Smile" and is quite common, and found on other boats as well. Brakeman has the answer.

The alcohol stove is storage is probably an Origo, the most common installation being the 6000 model with an oven.

There actually is a great deal of storage aboard the H34's--you just need to find where all the cubbies are!

The compression post issue is well known, occurs in the '84 and newer models more often due to the change in the mast base step made. There are numerous documented fixes in the forum archives. Look for the cracking of the fiberglass overhead beam at the forward side of the compression post box at the head door frame. This is where the trouble shows up first.

Ish, as Brakeman said, there were over 1,200 H34's produced during their 5 year run with very small changes in their configuration. It was one of Hunter's most successful and well liked boats. A number have done blue water crossings. They are anything but rare!

You don't indicate where you intend to sail, but you'll find the H34 a very safe and secure boat that does need to be managed for its known tenderness (with the shoal keel) once the air's into the mid-teens and up. I've been out in all sorts on nasty weather on the Chesapeake Bay and have felt the boat to always be comfortable to sail. There are worse choices out there!

 

[Dan Johnson]

Steve...

missed the hull/keel comment in your second post. The keel is notched out in the middle of it for the glasswork the constitutes the bilge area to fit. There are "massive" bolts and stainless plates at the forward and aft ends to hold it in place.

Attached are several pics of the hull/keel joint on my H34 when I bought it. A competent surveyor should be able to distinguishe what is good or bad about this area on the boat you are looking at.

 

[stevestk]

Thanks to all. The information is much appreciated.

 

[mydoor165]

The alcohol stove they put in storage was probibly the two burner/oven- denatured alcohol one.. When i bought my boat 3 years ago, i was told i should throw it away and go Propane..LOL Glad i didnt..... I kept it and love it. Go to ACE hardware and buy a gallon of alcohol and it last forever. NO gas alarms and no arm and a leg for the gas bottles to worry about.......just my opinion..

 

[Steve Dion]

One thing to check out is the steel member that the chain plates attached to. It is the rod that goes from the deck into the hull liner. These have been known to rust out and should be inspected.

 

[kloudie1]

Good that Steve mentioned that tie rod chainplate anchor thing.. Search the forum with chainplate in the h-34 section and you'll find pictures and postings..