I will be looking at a 1979 30 foot hunter. Would like to know if there are special areas to inspect. ie soft deck under mast, chain plates, keel bolts etc.
79
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Based on my experiences
with my 79 H33, Things I'd watch for:
1. Soft spots (or moisture) in the deck
2. Overall Engine Condition (remember, it's 30 years old.)
3. Condition of tanks ( Algae in fuel?, General scum in water?)
Overall, I'm still happy as a clam with my boat. I've had her for ten years and the things I mentioned are a few things I've run across. Some are due to age, some to improper maintenance.
As I mentioned in the engine comment, remember the boat is 30 years old. Imagine buying a 30 year old car. Time can take it's toll on everything!
As you're probably aware of, by all means get it surveyed, and correct whatever he finds wrong. Cherubini designs a hell of a boat and I think if she's in good condition it'll be the best purchase you ever made!!
with my 79 H33, Things I'd watch for:
1. Soft spots (or moisture) in the deck
2. Overall Engine Condition (remember, it's 30 years old.)
3. Condition of tanks ( Algae in fuel?, General scum in water?)
Overall, I'm still happy as a clam with my boat. I've had her for ten years and the things I mentioned are a few things I've run across. Some are due to age, some to improper maintenance.
As I mentioned in the engine comment, remember the boat is 30 years old. Imagine buying a 30 year old car. Time can take it's toll on everything!
As you're probably aware of, by all means get it surveyed, and correct whatever he finds wrong. Cherubini designs a hell of a boat and I think if she's in good condition it'll be the best purchase you ever made!!
Thank you for the reply. I plan to LA as it is just me don't need a lot of space. I currently live on a 27 Tartan but the lay out is not good for LA. I looked at a 27 recently and found the v berth too small and the bilge also too small. I am hoping the 30 will fill the bill.
Check this site's owners comment section by year / model. I wrote a long piece on things I needed to do on my '79 30 footer.
Also, as others have mentioned, it's 30 years old and the YSM 12 engine parts are hard or impossible to find. You may be able to rehab old parts, but consider the possibility of a repower in offering to buy. A qualified desiel mech should be consulted to determine life expectantcy of the engine.
Also, my fresh water tank developed pin hole leaks and required replacement and the 'encapsulated' mast step in the bilge rusted through and was replaced.
Also, as others have mentioned, it's 30 years old and the YSM 12 engine parts are hard or impossible to find. You may be able to rehab old parts, but consider the possibility of a repower in offering to buy. A qualified desiel mech should be consulted to determine life expectantcy of the engine.
Also, my fresh water tank developed pin hole leaks and required replacement and the 'encapsulated' mast step in the bilge rusted through and was replaced.
Well Kent, did you buy it? My first boat was a H30 1977. Lived aboard for two years, and loved it. The v-bunk was long enough for me, I am 6'11", with a real mattress. Not alot of room for extras, but for a solo sailor with accasional company, it was great. I sacrificed the quarterbirth for storage, and was about to install an a/c unit in there, when I chose to buy the H37c. Make a small bowsprit to hold the anchor out a bit, and it helps keep the foredeck clear.
Good thing you corrected that! I am also 6'1" and the H37C v-berth is none too long. But I think the H30 is the same. What did we get for the other seven feet anyway, a shower and a vanity?
Not the same George, the H37C shower is a separate stall. It is about 30" x 36" with a seat. Not nearly large enough for my wife. Under that seat is/was the infamous holding tank. But the shower stall is part of the inner liner, all solid glass with no seams.
Hey Ed - No dissing the wife on this site! - or did you mean the shower is not big enough for you AND your wife at the same time! lol
I call her "HM". No, not Her Majesty, it stands for High Maintenance. She is only 120 pounds but used to big bathrooms with jet tubs and separate shower enclosures. Guess I should have first introduced her to showering with a wooden cover over the toilet with a wet vanity and floor.
Are our H37Cs the same wherein you have to have the waterpump turned on in order for the shower sump to work? I need to rewire that because I have a small bilge pump with short hose that dumps into the sump. I do not like leaving that pump turned on when I am off the boat.
Are our H37Cs the same wherein you have to have the waterpump turned on in order for the shower sump to work? I need to rewire that because I have a small bilge pump with short hose that dumps into the sump. I do not like leaving that pump turned on when I am off the boat.
The shower on my vessel hasn't been used in many years. The wires for the sump pump are disconnected. Being the nasty ornery captain that I am (and a bachelor) I make the crew swim for cleanliness. Fresh water is so nice but very cold this season. I don't like the idea of wiring the pump into the pressure water (which I always leave on) and will come up with another way - perhaps a switch near the shower. I believe the PO used the regular bilge pump to evacuate the shower water - not a good idea considering hair and soap scum and I wouldn't want to limit my guests to "baldies only welcome".
My original panel has a breaker labeled "bilge pump" which activates the sump pump. There is also a fused insert (light never on) labeled "bilge pump automatic". What is the significance of this one considering the former is on a float switch?
Sandpiper:
I'm not sure about the "fused insert" with a light labeled "bilge pump automatic".
I suspect that is the direct wired float switch that should activate whether the main power is on or off. Where is the "light"? It may tell you that the fuse is blown?
You say that the sump pump is wired to the "bilge pump". If true, I would be concerned about the wear on bilge pump when running in a dry bilge.
I'm not sure about the "fused insert" with a light labeled "bilge pump automatic".
I suspect that is the direct wired float switch that should activate whether the main power is on or off. Where is the "light"? It may tell you that the fuse is blown?
You say that the sump pump is wired to the "bilge pump". If true, I would be concerned about the wear on bilge pump when running in a dry bilge.
I wonder if all of our wiring has been modified, they are all so different. My 1979 panel has no lights. The "bilge pump" switch only runs the pump. The constantly hot wire to the bilge pump from the batteries does have a fuse but it is in the bilge. Not sure why there is even waterpump voltage in the bilge. It is at that terminal block where the mast wires connect. And that is where the sump pump connects.
Now you guys make me want to put a shower-sump pump into 3" of bilge just to keep the kids' hair out of the main pump. Sheesh! --will this boat never get done? :0
It Never Ends !
When i had a house, the chores never ended. So why would a boat be any different ? And the boat gets physically used, unlike a house. Just don't sacrifice sailing while fixing. The hair trap is necessary. Janet has waist length hair that gets into things at the most innoportune times. The pump light may be an add-on. Mine has 2 pumps. one is hard wired with a float switch, and the other is only on when I flip the breaker. Obviously not OEM. I kept the inline fuse, but ran the power supply to the breaker, then used a 3 position switch to control each pump.
When i had a house, the chores never ended. So why would a boat be any different ? And the boat gets physically used, unlike a house. Just don't sacrifice sailing while fixing. The hair trap is necessary. Janet has waist length hair that gets into things at the most innoportune times. The pump light may be an add-on. Mine has 2 pumps. one is hard wired with a float switch, and the other is only on when I flip the breaker. Obviously not OEM. I kept the inline fuse, but ran the power supply to the breaker, then used a 3 position switch to control each pump.
Ed, I have same set up
"Are our H37Cs the same wherein you have to have the waterpump turned on in order for the shower sump to work? I need to rewire that because I have a small bilge pump with short hose that dumps into the sump. I do not like leaving that pump turned on when I am off the boat."
Ed if you change this then at some point you will forget to turn on sump pump when showering. Just turn off domestic water pump when leaving the boat.
"Are our H37Cs the same wherein you have to have the waterpump turned on in order for the shower sump to work? I need to rewire that because I have a small bilge pump with short hose that dumps into the sump. I do not like leaving that pump turned on when I am off the boat."
Ed if you change this then at some point you will forget to turn on sump pump when showering. Just turn off domestic water pump when leaving the boat.
Sandpiper check your bilge pump wiring
turn off all your panel switches and put batt switch to off. Lift your bilg pump float switch. If pump turns on you're fine, if not you need to rewire directly to battary. You need to be able to turn bilge pump on ( meaning the pump starts humming/pumping) at the panel and also have the float switch energized when all switches are off.
turn off all your panel switches and put batt switch to off. Lift your bilg pump float switch. If pump turns on you're fine, if not you need to rewire directly to battary. You need to be able to turn bilge pump on ( meaning the pump starts humming/pumping) at the panel and also have the float switch energized when all switches are off.
Scott, if I turn off the waterpump when leaving the boat(which I do) then there is no power to the sump. Now when the small bilge pump runs it fills the sump and dumps over the sides right back into the bilge. I am going to wire the sump directly to the batteries I think. I will run the current "hot" wire back to a new terminal strip on that same frame. Then I will wire the sump, the big bilge pump, and the small bilge pump all to be "hot" all of the time. I need to decide whether to fuse each pump or just the hot wire.
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