1990 Hunter 23 (wing keel) Restoration

Sep 19, 2017
91
hunter 23 new hamburg
and the gross look right after tearing the carpet out then befores. I recommend a strong constitution to go thru this. In hindsight - it wasn't so bad originally and I could have just steam cleaned it or something. The pic with the pillows was how it WAS Originally. I went overboard but happy with the interior now.

BUT theres was alot of unknowns/unexpeted things under the carpet - sticky butyl tape / the seam of the cabin to the hull isn't pretty - plus a few unknown substances.
 

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Jun 5, 2013
76
Hunter 23 St petersburg
Yes, i can post pictures later. Short story, the boat sat on a trailer for 9 years and rainwater came in and destroyed all plywood which are the horizontal surfaces plus the divider between cabin and under cockpit/bilge. So I have now the task of remove cut and reinstall marine plywood. I am hope the job is fairly simple but I guess many things can go wrong.
 
Sep 19, 2017
91
hunter 23 new hamburg
hey that's great about the verticals being good. I think the V berth on my boat was replaced by a prior owner - it's super nice thick ply you can see it in one of the pics. The ones my main cabin aren't great / thin and a little soft but should do for now.
Pls post the process as that may be my next spring project!
 
Apr 27, 2010
1,236
Hunter 23 Lake Wallenpaupack
The bulkheads that support the shroud chain plates are plywood covered with veneer. If your chain plates covers leaked these may be compromised. I had to replace one as it cracked under load.
 
Jun 5, 2013
76
Hunter 23 St petersburg
I will inspect further. But I belive the leak in my boat was just from the window seal and one window which was cracked and poorly repaired. I have corrected this and I am hoping that is the extend of the problem. That is why I want to hurry to get it in the water as I need the be able to take all the stuff from inside so as to inspect it better.
 
Sep 19, 2017
91
hunter 23 new hamburg
Just a note - it is so so much easier to work on a boat when it is on land/trailer or on jack stands in the lot.
I've lost a bunch of screws screwdrivers in my slip - including one yesterday. I hear you on the true measure of the interior horizontal wood with no body sag - but I don't think it will make that much difference - and will be alot easier on land....
 
Jul 31, 2018
46
Hunter 260 Chapin
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?
So what did you use to paint the interior? And was replacing the carpet on the sides easier then painting? Thx
 
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Jun 5, 2013
76
Hunter 23 St petersburg
Just a note - it is so so much easier to work on a boat when it is on land/trailer or on jack stands in the lot.
I've lost a bunch of screws screwdrivers in my slip - including one yesterday. I hear you on the true measure of the interior horizontal wood with no body sag - but I don't think it will make that much difference - and will be alot easier on land....
I know, i am sure we can do a thread just on things lost at the dock.

I dont have mich space in my house and I can bearly open the hatch on the trailer. Also, the maria that I want to get only has 2 slips left and I think only one on my size range.
 
Sep 19, 2017
91
hunter 23 new hamburg
Hi Brad -

My vision was a all white glossy smooth interior - not achievable at all - but here's how I got to where it is today.

Ok - so we tore out the rug. We tried heat guns on the glue residue and a few other things. Ended up sanding it forever with high grit - wire wheel did not work by the way. Then I used kilz stain killer over the top of a pretty good sand job - there was still a bunch of residue and "fur" from the carpet - the kilz stain killer soaked into the fur and residue. From there once it dried - we sanded AGAIN. Now that the kilz had dried it made the fur able to be sanded away with 60 grit nicely.

You can see in the pictures - the matte white is the kilz final paint.
Then I used Petite Anti-mildew cabin paint over the top.

The sides of the hull I decided to recarpet - which was a million times easier then going gloss white
 
Jul 31, 2018
46
Hunter 260 Chapin
Hi Brad -

My vision was a all white glossy smooth interior - not achievable at all - but here's how I got to where it is today.

Ok - so we tore out the rug. We tried heat guns on the glue residue and a few other things. Ended up sanding it forever with high grit - wire wheel did not work by the way. Then I used kilz stain killer over the top of a pretty good sand job - there was still a bunch of residue and "fur" from the carpet - the kilz stain killer soaked into the fur and residue. From there once it dried - we sanded AGAIN. Now that the kilz had dried it made the fur able to be sanded away with 60 grit nicely.

You can see in the pictures - the matte white is the kilz final paint.
Then I used Petite Anti-mildew cabin paint over the top.

The sides of the hull I decided to recarpet - which was a million times easier then going gloss white
Thx. I'm thinking of just re-carpeting mine. I was told it would be way easier.
 
Aug 5, 2005
131
- - Laurel, Ms
What was hunter thinking when they put the carpet in the headliner. Why oh why not a fiberglass head liner....
My previous 23 the carpet was terrible, and I had one rotten chain support bulkhead so I had to replace it which meant pulling the carpet away anyway. Rather than go back with carpet I went to Lowes and got one of those plastic panels (don't laugh) like you see in public bathrooms. They are textured plastic on one side, but the back is a very nice rubber type feel. I installed this back on the cabin side with the plastic side down and the rubbery side out. It actually looked pretty good. Waaay better than the carpet. I never could figure out what to do with the horrendous stuff in the overhead though because I couldn't take the same approach. I'll attach a pic but unfortunately it is very poor and doesn't represent it very well....
got out of sailing for a long while and now that Im getting back in I would buy another 23 if it weren't for that carpet....
 

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Sep 19, 2017
91
hunter 23 new hamburg
WoW - the hull sides look great on your boat - great tips! Mine I just didn't have enough elbow grease or time away away from my business and fam to keep sanding - it was never ending - I pulled the plug and redid the carpet. Yeah the carpet in the H23 's is horrid - but my man - what a good looking 1980's lil weekender !
A buddy of mine sailed up to kingston the other week and people were shouting from the canal "what a great looking boat" - had me beaming. Sure beats a 80's catalina 22 -
 
Aug 30, 2016
34
Hunter 23 Tyler
Great thread guys. Just what I need for a little inspiration. I’ve been a lil depressed about the water ingress on my H23, but reading this helps a lot.
So it looks like the consensus is don’t remove carpet or replace it. I still think I may rip it out of the top, and replace on bottom.
Would it be a good idea to paint a cheap primer on the fuzzy residue, & then sand it off?
 
Jun 5, 2013
76
Hunter 23 St petersburg
Team, just wanted to update this thread to i form of the completion of the project. Still to be done is finish the starboard side but the
of learning is over. This weekend my family and I were able to go out and sail. We were cruising, with 2 reefs and just t main sail at about 5mph. This was in the west coast of fl in between the storm. All i side the intracoastal an near port.
Thank you all for all the help through the years!
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Nov 3, 2020
4
Hunter H23 Buzzards Bay
Hello, newbie here. Just got our H23. After 5 days cleaning/assessing her, I began reading posts here. Ours is an 89, has the water intrusions, 2 cracked windows, broken companionway Lexan hatch [previously repaired - not pretty, but not leaky], rusty keel, and a really hurting cabin [extensive wood rot - needs 85% redo. We did get a sea trial last week and she sails. The crazy thing is she was moored in Hyannis, Ma, in outer Lewis Bay right off the Kennedy compound. That was a surprise seeing their large classic wooden sailboats moored near the lil' H23 we went to view. Exciting! Glad you kept yours and continuing onward. I loved your posts and complimentary responses on the journey so far, and the last cabin pic hooked me right in. I signed right up today, Day 5 for us.