I just bought a H25 on ebay and I am going to pick it up in a week or so. In retrospect, I should never buy a boat "sight-unseen" BUT I did...The owner has been extremly professional in answering questions, and will allow me to inspect the boat before final purchase. What allured me was the price $1,700 and about 9 decent pics. showing overall views. Anyhow my 2 questions pertain to the sails and the keel. First, the sails included are Watts sails and "appear to be in excellent condition". Was Watts the original mfg. for Hunter sails? Second, the owner mentioned the keel has a "small" crack. How bad/ serious is this? Can small cracks typically be repaired? He mentioned it was a bolt-on fin keel and can be removed - I assume this will make it easier to repair. If there are any other serious issues (it is a $1700 boat) I should review before making the sale final I would appreciate it. The boat has been in dry dock for several years, and the owner never even sailed it. I plan to clean it up this summer/ fall and launch next spring. I atached the link to the ebay auction......
2 questions - sails and keel for H25
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All relative!
If you think about the cost of a used 8 -9.9hp outboard and check out the other Hunter 25's on this site, you're in the ballpark and on the lower end of the prices. I had a shoal draft 25 and feel the 4' draft you bought is the better sailing boat. Sails that come with the boat may be from a local loft, but I don't see how any sails, if vintage 1977, would be in 'excelent' condition. The "crack" might just be the normal joint between the lead keel and the fiberglas top portion of the keel& hull - no way to know untill you look at it up close. If it is the keel joint, you should be able to clean out the old sealant with a narrow wire wheel on a drill or Dremmel tool and re-install new 5200 sealant before bottom painting the hull and keel. Do you know why the previous owner didn't sail this boat himself?
If you think about the cost of a used 8 -9.9hp outboard and check out the other Hunter 25's on this site, you're in the ballpark and on the lower end of the prices. I had a shoal draft 25 and feel the 4' draft you bought is the better sailing boat. Sails that come with the boat may be from a local loft, but I don't see how any sails, if vintage 1977, would be in 'excelent' condition. The "crack" might just be the normal joint between the lead keel and the fiberglas top portion of the keel& hull - no way to know untill you look at it up close. If it is the keel joint, you should be able to clean out the old sealant with a narrow wire wheel on a drill or Dremmel tool and re-install new 5200 sealant before bottom painting the hull and keel. Do you know why the previous owner didn't sail this boat himself?
C
Clark
Check the Decking Also.
Inspect the overall soundness of the deck for delamination. Walk all over the deck and test for "give" where you step. Tap around the areas where important hardware is attached - mast step, chainplates, stantions and winches for any dull sounding responses. No need to hit the test areas hard - don't want to leave marks where you test. Large soft spots or areas are repairable but are really demanding and time consuming and factoring all the new coring, glass, epoxy, filler, sanding materials and paints, it could be pricey as well. Best of Luck!
Inspect the overall soundness of the deck for delamination. Walk all over the deck and test for "give" where you step. Tap around the areas where important hardware is attached - mast step, chainplates, stantions and winches for any dull sounding responses. No need to hit the test areas hard - don't want to leave marks where you test. Large soft spots or areas are repairable but are really demanding and time consuming and factoring all the new coring, glass, epoxy, filler, sanding materials and paints, it could be pricey as well. Best of Luck!
K
KennyH
Nice Boat
I have an 81 and you will love this boat. They sail extremely well and are simple to maintain. Sounds like the crack is minor but best to get the yard to give you an opinion while it is out of the water. Sounds like the sails are replacements. Most boats this age have much newer sails as sails last about 25-30 years at most. I have the shoal draft keel which is great for my area as we have lots of shallow water. I thought I got a deal but you sure beat my price for sure. Good luck and good sailing.
I have an 81 and you will love this boat. They sail extremely well and are simple to maintain. Sounds like the crack is minor but best to get the yard to give you an opinion while it is out of the water. Sounds like the sails are replacements. Most boats this age have much newer sails as sails last about 25-30 years at most. I have the shoal draft keel which is great for my area as we have lots of shallow water. I thought I got a deal but you sure beat my price for sure. Good luck and good sailing.
Anything else?
Good advice so far - thanks!! I know the owner purchased the boat from the marina - perhaps as a fixer-upper and never got around to cleaning it up. He is a powerboater and said he lost interest in the concept of sailing. Any other areas to review aside from the deck? Again - many thanks!
Good advice so far - thanks!! I know the owner purchased the boat from the marina - perhaps as a fixer-upper and never got around to cleaning it up. He is a powerboater and said he lost interest in the concept of sailing. Any other areas to review aside from the deck? Again - many thanks!
C
Clark
Plumbing
OK; here are some more condiderations ;-) Plan on replacing ALL the hoses, probably the little hand pumps and whatever head system there is and keep your fingers crossed on the internal wiring. Mast and running lights might not be too bad. Might even be worth carrying a smallish 12V battery to test the primary functions (assuming the owner doesn't have one in the boat now).
OK; here are some more condiderations ;-) Plan on replacing ALL the hoses, probably the little hand pumps and whatever head system there is and keep your fingers crossed on the internal wiring. Mast and running lights might not be too bad. Might even be worth carrying a smallish 12V battery to test the primary functions (assuming the owner doesn't have one in the boat now).
Areas to Inspect
The other posts brought to mind some of the issues I faced on my 25: Check out the wiring to the running lights at the bow - mine were stranded wire and in need of replacement due to corrrosion, The mast support inside the cabin had had too much wood cut away for the internal wiring and I needed to epoxy glue some new wood inside at the top and drill it out for the wiring, still providing better mast support area. Lastly, the outboard motor mount should be strong enough to swing a 9.9 out of the water when you are sailing. The motor itself should have electric start and an alternator to charge your battery. It really is a great little boat, and if you smooth out the bottom and get decent sails she sails very well to about a 225 PHRF rating (Chesapeake Bay).
The other posts brought to mind some of the issues I faced on my 25: Check out the wiring to the running lights at the bow - mine were stranded wire and in need of replacement due to corrrosion, The mast support inside the cabin had had too much wood cut away for the internal wiring and I needed to epoxy glue some new wood inside at the top and drill it out for the wiring, still providing better mast support area. Lastly, the outboard motor mount should be strong enough to swing a 9.9 out of the water when you are sailing. The motor itself should have electric start and an alternator to charge your battery. It really is a great little boat, and if you smooth out the bottom and get decent sails she sails very well to about a 225 PHRF rating (Chesapeake Bay).
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