1990 Hunter 23 (wing keel) Restoration

[isaksp00]

+1 on Dave's comment. If your boat is near Tampa Bay and do your sailing there you should not have such issues with traffic and currents, and you can avoid the weather based on forecasts (at least in some seasons). The 23 is pretty stable, and if you reef (maybe even if you don't have to) it won't heel too much. Of course, with an infant, you need to judge based on your comfort level.

 

[Kermit]

Plus, once your boat is sold, it's gone. I had an H23 and loved it. If there's anyway at all to keep it until you're ready to sail again you won't regret it. Not judging here. I just don't want you to regret selling a great-sailing boat.

 

[Reefing]

Crazy Dave, my problems are 3; 1. both my wife and I are learning to sail (although to have a good time there is not much to it (I will not be racing with the family nor will I be going far from the intracoastal)). 2. the mast stepping and lowering. 3. boat traffic in the the intracoastal is brutal making it uncomfortable for the kids. I am in full agreement with you as both my wife and I liked the sailing experience, but when it comes times to anchor or raise/lower the mast it is all me jumping around the kids while hoping the current does not drift us onto shallow water or other vessels. Since the boat has had l

 

[Reefing]

Kermit, I might be able to keep it on the yard as it only pays 48/month for storage.

Sorry, to Dave's response, raising and lowering the sails (not the mast) as I do not have a roller fuller and I have yet to master the main folding onto he boom.

 

[Kermit]

Whew! I'm glad to hear it's the sail and not the mast you were talking about. The H23 mast is not easy to raise. It sounds to me like you need someone to show you how to flake the sail when the day is done.

I get what you're saying about the kids, boat traffic and current. If you hope to sail at some point by all means keep the boat. If you really think sailing just isn't ever gonna work out, I would suggest selling it sooner than later. It won't get any cleaner or newer sitting all alone. Good luck!

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Reefing;
Flaking the mainsail is easy. You stand at the back of the boom with several ties over your shoulder and fold the main by pulling on the end with one fold and then folded to the other side. About 1/3 of the way, tie it down to the boom. As you go forward the folds get smaller and again tie. Usually two ties but three will do the job just nicely. In the beginning I too did not know either. The key is to pull back when folding each time Once you know it, I never considered, oh heavens forbid me I forgot the name of it or lazy jacks as it was too time consuming. As for the furler, that seems a must next boat. Is there somewhere else you can sail for the day away from the ICW.

 

[Reefing]

Hi friends, I know it been a while but I am rekindling the project. I am now look for a cheap place,on the Central and east and west coast of FL, to do bottom paint. Sofar the estimates are in the 1k range, which for 1 gal of paint and prep seems absurd. Or othe skeems are chepar but paying an i sane rate for putting the boat on the hard.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

In a week send me a private message as we need to talk

 

[Reefing]

Finally ready for the water. It has been an excruciating long process which has encompass ed 2 cities and 3 moves, 4 schools... still this little Hunter is moving forward and getting ready to go back on the water with mast up to be used and continue its “sprucing up” inside cockpit. Here are the most recent pictures.

I plan to take it to Anclote river (wester Florida north of Tampa) to be docked and be able to use it.

 

[carboman]

Hi,ely

I have not been on here in a long time, but I owned and almost completely restored a 1987 H23. Wing keel was most of the work. I'd be willing to talk or meet depending on where your boat is located. I am in palm harbor. I went to the dark side of power boat ownership 2 years ago.
Dave
dwylde159@gmail.com

 

[Reefing]

Hi carboman, I will let you know when I move it to the water and start working on the inside. This weekend I found out that the mast light is not working and likely related to wireing and deck connection so moving it to the water will likely take a few weeks longer until I rewire and retest.

 

[isaksp00]

If you test the voltage at the deck connection and it is 0, it is not hard (well, it was not on my boat) to remove the connector. The wires in the back were pretty corroded, though I did have voltage. I would check that before you remove any wiring in the ceiling. I use an old power "brick" from a phone or something else I used to have that outputs 12V DC to see if things are working - you can attach to the pins on the mast wire to see if everything is good from there up.

 

[Reefing]

I thought of doing that but the deck plug cap is letting in water and since the wire is is 25years old I figured to just replace.

Since I am not electrically savy, if I connect 12v to the ends of the cables it ahould light up? I thought of doing it but was concerned that the electrical current was too high and would burn the bulb or wrost the wiere.

I will give it a try.

Thank you isakap00

 

[isaksp00]

I don't know your electrical layout, but I have only one lamp in/on my mast, a single anchor light. So I have just one 2 conductor wire up the mast. I connect 12V DC (if you have a brick, make sure it is not AC output) to the 2 pins on the male plug to see if the anchor light illuminates. If you have a 12V battery (like maybe move the one from inside the boat if it is good) you can use it as a power source. Of course, if the mast is down I can check the voltage in the sockets for the masthead bulbs (which I did in the spring when I put in LED bulbs). There was some corrosion in the wires at the masthead fitting as well, so I removed it and cleaned the contacts and wires. I happen to have a fitting that has a pair of bayonet style bulb sockets.

 

[drewsyntax]

Hey Reefing
So I just restored my 86 H23 earlier this year - I've been off sailing all summer and missed all these posts. Pardon me if any of the below if redundant.

I redid the electrical panel, which when it comes down to it is pretty simple - and yes just connect lines to power to see if they light up. Let me know if you have any Q's. I purchased a sea Dog panel - which works perfectly and was so easy ( I was nervous after looking at the back of the stock) BUT it was a snap to install.

The deck connector to the mast prob - literally hard wire to see if it works. The mast/deck connector on mine was pretty beat up and I cleaned it with steel wool/sand paper and got a good connection.

If that's not the problem is either up top (bulb out) Replace it with LED by the way, or it is not getting power.

I did replace all the wires on mine by the way - except the one up the mast.
I redid the keel etc and all the above comments from the gang are right on point.

A few pics attached + let me know if you have any questions

 

[drewsyntax]

adding one telling pic - the sea dog was a snap to understand - and cheap like 20$

 

[Reefing]

Wow, I really like thst pannel. Is the meter for battery charge indicator? I will look for one. I tested the mast light, which is new, and it did not work. I am pretty sure that the issue is the deck connector but the wires in the mast are rough too so it makes sense to replace as I am trying everithing I can to raise the mast for the last time.

If you have more info on that pannel I would appreciate if you could PM me with it. I had not concider that route and it surely seems a great replacement.
Thank you.

 

[drewsyntax]

Cheers Reefing -
Yes that panel has a battery meter. Actually you can hook 2 batteries up to it as the meter has a switch for the batts/plus hook ups in the back. For 25$ pretty unbeatable - plus the plate is metal and it fits (my big requirement) into the existing hole from the stock panel.

My mistake - it is a five oceans 3 gang switch BC 1396 - I picked it up on ebay.
Posting a couple pics from when I repainted ours too -is that the original gel coat on yours? Plus I stripped that nasty inside carpet out of the headliners (but it was a nightmare to do) and eventually glossed the interior in white.
Nice job on your bottom paint too.

 

[Reefing]

I found it!

Yes my gel coat is original. It took a light sanding and poliching but I think it “gives it character” the blue gel coat on yours is enviable but financially I am not there yet.

I have thought of take g the carpet bit I have heard it is a bear of a job. Now I am just working on replacing the horizontal surfaces since the wood is water damaged from a windows crack. I want to put it on the water so that the hull “relaxes” and my measurements are not off. After that I can then focus on aesthetics.

 

[drewsyntax]

So to take out the carpet is a nightmare - the glue is almost impossible to remove - plan had been to do the WHOLE interior in white - but we just did not have the time to sand every bit off the sides - and I re carpeted the sides. The glue they used in the 80's is rock hard - then when you pull off the carpet it leaves fur - gross job.
pics attached

Blue is a 2 part Interlux Maurits Blue - original gel coat is under that. We rolled and tipped it - my first time and it was nerve racking but turned out well (after a-lot of wet sanding).

Are you replacing the interior wood/the berths?