25.5 Questions and advice

[Brad Odland]

Hey 25.5 ers...I have just negotiated a price on a '84 25.5. ( <6k$ )This will be my first sailboat (other than a scow and catamaran when I was a kid) The guy who is selling the boat has moved far away and has not been agressive selling the boat.I am having a survey done on the boat prior to closing as a sanity check. THough is I have to do 1-2$k repairs it looks like it would be worth it. THough I can't see anything other than cleaning and TLC.I wanted to ask if any one has had any blistering problems with the 25.5. If a boat had blisters would they go away if the boat has been dry for a year? Or will a surveyor be able to tell.The boat has not been in the water for a year. There is some work to be done.1. Whats is a good way to clean up the deck? It just looks dirty. I thought soap and water and a sponge to start then maybe some kind of wax or buffing...any thoughts?2. The cabin sole is nearly black. What can I use to clean that and restore some of the wood color? The inside is in very good condition other than a good de-spidering and cleaning. The boat has been shrink wrapped since pullout end of 99 season.3. The tiller is delaminating at the aft end. It looks like some epoxy(?) and clamps would take care of that...anyone else?4. I may end up replacing sails sometime during next season. Any recomendations? I would like to do a little racing....any sail combos that people have used?5. Any tales of spending more than an overnight on the boat? I have a short wife 5'4" and 10 yo daughter. I have to duck slightly in the cabin but thats okay. (Are there bug screens for the pop top?)6. Any problems with the cabin windows? The platic bothers me though I can only see one small sign of water leaking on one of the windows.7. Does one consider the boat under-rated at a PHRF of 210 (shoal draft)? I saw one rating at 178...sounds like these boats when handled well can do well...Thanks in advanceBrad

 

[Cliff Ruckstuhl]

Good Boat

Brad, Soft scrub with bleach works well, the black sounds like it is mold and will come off with a real good scrubbing. If you look on the windows there should be a sticker from the manfacture and you can get new screens and rubber seals. New tiller handle would be the best what you don't want is it to bust when the weather is bad. We sailed our's for 3 seasons on Lake Erie and it is a GREAT Boat. We also did allot or racing and is faster than any other 25 in it's class. It handles real well in all conditions and is tender at the dock but stiffens up at about 15 degrees of heal. I moved jib track back one hole and added track to the front. This helped allot when we needed to depower the head sail. Also all Hunter boats tend to want to reduce sail early. We raced with UK Tape Drive sail's and did real well with them Just shop around and get what you can afford But If you want to be fast and run with the big dogs it will mean good racing sails. I also ran all sail controls to the cockpit 3 halyards,main,jib & spinnaker, cunning ham main outhaul and main reefing. I would recomend doing the same with the sail controls. I have done allot of sailing with just my 13 year old son and we had the reefing down to a real easy 1 to 2 min job. Also make your your daughter a active part of the crew. My son and my daughter at 13 and 16 can run the boat with out me and they have been sailing for ten years. I needed them to be an active part of the crew and they needed to know how to run the boat in case I fell off. It did happen once but was a real calm day and they knew what to do. I have not seen any 25.5's with blister problems. We took our's up to Lake Mich the last 2 years for a week and had a great time the boat is perfect for that and the pop top may leak mine did and with the top up it is like AC on a hot summer night. The screens were on my boat but I have seen some with out you will need to use velcro and screen to make some. I have sold mine and bought a Tripp 26 a real rocket. If you can get hold of Dick Vance he is full of great info and im sure will respond to your ?? Cliff

 

[Scott]

Good Choice

Brad:I can echo most everything said by Cliff. I have cruised mine for the past two summers (1-2 weeks at a time). There will be no problem cruising the three of you. The problem will be if you and your wife plan to sleep (comfortably) together.The V-berth is not likely to fit two adults, although it fits my 8 and 4 year old daughters fine. The "aft double" is not. The "folding dinette double" isn't either.We had a woodworker take out the dinette, and build a settee in its place. This settee extends to form an athwartship double which provides room for two adults (5 feet at the shoulders by 6.5 feet long). We used the old dinette table to make a folding table which lowers from the main bulkhead. When stowed, it is bigger down below in the salon. When set up for sleeping at night, it is very comfortable for two adults.With a little creativity this boat can cruise three for several weeks. Enjoy yourself.

 

[Dick Vance]

Welcome To The Club!

Congratulations Brad!You've just acquired one of the best 25 foot production boats ever built! Mine is an '85 deep keel model which I've owned for almost 9 years. Please read our reviews in the Boats Section of HOW. There is also an archive of posts re the 25.5 listed there as well.Blisters can be a problem with most mid 80s boats because of the resins in use during that era. Few Great Lakes boats have the problem because they are only in the water part of the year and the water is colder. Mine had always been in the water when I bought her and did need quite a bit of repair. I did it myself as there is no boatyard on our lake and it has been fine since. Your surveyor will spot these easily if there's any problem.Mine had sat unused at the dock for almost three years when I got her so I know about black decks! I used Spic & Span powder and a medium bristle brush. Cleaning the cabin sole as Cliff suggested should do the trick. After cleaning, if you think you need to refinish, there are many good articles in the HOW archives.I agree with Cliff about the tiller. I called West Marine Customer Service and they got me a replacement. If you sail before getting a new one, You can use 2 part epoxy and clamps. Mine had the same problem and I first tried epoxy, which held for a while but eventually broke during a race!!! I finished the race with the tiller spliced together with a hammer and duck tape!!!!!Cliff is right on about the sails, too. The boat is great in light air with the right sail. I have a nylon 1.5 oz 170 for winds under 7 and a 4.0 oz Dacron 150 for winds to 12-15, reefing the main at about 12. Remember the Main! This sail is up all the time so if the main on the boat is worn out, this should be your first replacement.PHRF ratings for this boat are somewhat misleading depending on conditions. In light to medium winds, boat speed is exceptional, keeping up with even 28 footers. When the wind and waves get up, those bigger boats move away. 210 is way too high for conditions on my lake. It may be about right in areas where wind and waves are consistently medium to heavy. Your family of three should be very comfortable for weekends or a week's cruise. Check the berth cushions, the original foam wasn't too thick and may have deteriorated so that new foam is needed for comfortable sleeping.I'll be glad to answer any other questions I can at any time.Enjoy your boat!Dick VanceH-25.5 "Honey Bear"