Aspiring Hunter owner - what to look for pre-survey

[MikeThorlin]

Good afternoon all, I am looking to buy my first boat, I am a relatively experienced sailor, but have never bought, owned, or maintained a boat of any kind.

As I look about the market (San Diego, Southern CA area) it appears to me that a Hunter 340 or 376 best fits my requirements: daysailor, overnight to1 week stayaboard, and coastal sailing with periodic sailing to Catalina.

My question to the community is: If I focus on a hunter (340 or 376) what are the problem areas to check and clear before paying for a survey?

I won't buy without a survey, but I would prefer to pay only once and have a high confidence going into the survey that all will be acceptable.

I assume that the key points include:

1. Look for soft spots on deck and anywhere else accessable
2. Identify susp[ect cracking, softspots, rust where the chainplates enter the deck
3. Look for wet bilge, rust in the water, rusty keel bolts
4. Prioritize recent (documented) standing rigging
5. Prioritize good records with verified work done on major systems
6. ???

What am I missing? Where do Hunters tend to fail? The year range of the boats I see is in the mid-late 1990's.

Pricing seems consistent - ~'95 340 for $39k, ~'95 376 for $59k. Are these asking prices a reasonable starting point?

Thanks in advanvce for any advice.

Best,

Mike

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

There are many owner reviews of these models on this forum. Search the tabs -owner resources

 

[PEBI]

I'll share some of my advice when purchasing a boat. Or anything at all.

Like Don said the usual search on any forums for reviews. That's a good starting point.

But if you really want to get a better indepth review and enjoy your purchase. I'd advise searching for say e.g. (e.g. = example). Hunter 340 problems, Hunter 376 problems). If the model your researching has a lot of problems it doesn't take much to see what the most "common" problems are. Repairs can accumilate and get costly right?

LOL.

Ha ha.

Before I did research like this I bought based off of reputation of reviewer and magazine/website. Then found something I did not like after purchase and found a lot of customers all experienced a similiar problem as mine.

For e.g: The furler is mentioned in page results 4 times.

 

[shemandr]

You're maybe overlooking the engine. Re-powering is expensive. Yeah, an engine on a sailboat is a governing factor. Go figure.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

You're maybe overlooking the engine.

When I had my 20 year insurance survey done, the surveyor told me that most surveyors don't do engine checks as it's too specialized and out of their area of expertise. You may find the same thing in your neighbourhood.

It may be worth your while to bring in a "licensed" mechanic (not a grease monkey) and get his thoughts on yours.

have never bought, owned, or maintained a boat of any kind.

Learing how to maintain a diesel would be a huge investment now before you get the boat as they require endless fiddling (oil changes, Xmission fluid changes, new V-belts, battery replacement) which are extretely simple once you've seen how but will run about $150.00+/hr for a mechanic.

If you want the new boat to last for a good number of years, maintenance will be an ongoing occupation. Otherwise, forget the maintenance until you get hit with the really BIG bills.

 

[Indysailor]

At the age these boats are likely to be, it's probably more down to how well they've been maintained over the years than any particular design or construction issues (which are well documented in reviews and forums). Hunters are what they are; creatively designed to deliver cockpit and interior spaces that feel big for a boat's given size, production methods that kept costs down to make them competitive in the market, generally good for charters and coastal cruising. There are thousands of them still floating, so they did many things right for a long time. I'd probably try to eliminate problems in major systems by focusing on engine, electrical/electronics, sails and plumbing, all which probably have less to do with Hunter than they do the previous owners. Although not easy to quantify, you can spot a boat that's been cared for by focusing on the attention paid to keeping a vessel in proper working order.

 

[sailcapt340]

Check for detailed maintenance records from previous owners. It shows they cared.
Check the steering linkage under the deck of these (340/376) models. Often an ignored grease point.
And as detailed from others, read through the posts here. They tell a lot of stories regarding conditions.

 

[shemandr]

Another area that can create after purchase expense is the bottom. I would not buy a boat with a gnarly bottom. I'm not talking about blisters. I am talking about years of bottom paint buildup that is peeling or wasn't sanded smooth between coats. To pay a yard to strip that down, which may involve specialized abrasive blasting, and either apply a barrier coat(s) and then bottom is many man-hours of work. Now days few yards allow DIY bottom jobs.
I would pretty much assume that the batteries will need replacement. The surveyor will look at the installation for gross deficiencies. But the buyer should have general idea of how to replace. Upgrade to Li or stick with whatever exists? That plan depends a lot on how the boat is going to be used and what the buyer expects to use in power - refrigerator? AC? Starlink? WiFi? TV/Entertainment?
In general I think it's the accessories that create the most post purchase expenses.

 

[dmax]

When looking at boats, the condition and cleanliness of the engine and the bilge will tell you a lot about how the owner cared for their boat. For many owners it's out of sight, out of mind. You can rule out looking at a lot of boats with pictures of these.

 

[kloudie1]

Of Interest:
If You See This on a Used Sailboat, Walk Away

 

[MikeThorlin]

When I had my 20 year insurance survey done, the surveyor told me that most surveyors don't do engine checks as it's too specialized and out of their area of expertise. You may find the same thing in your neighbourhood.

It may be worth your while to bring in a "licensed" mechanic (not a grease monkey) and get his thoughts on yours.



Learing how to maintain a diesel would be a huge investment now before you get the boat as they require endless fiddling (oil changes, Xmission fluid changes, new V-belts, battery replacement) which are extretely simple once you've seen how but will run about $150.00+/hr for a mechanic.

If you want the new boat to last for a good number of years, maintenance will be an ongoing occupation. Otherwise, forget the maintenance until you get hit with the really BIG bills.

I fully agree, Ralph. My tentative plan is to take an oil sample, in addition to my own inspection, and have that analyzed prior to a survey decision.
I owned a number of 1980's Mercedes Diesels (240D, 300D). I did all my own work and consider myself reasonably informed on diesel engines. I think those experiences will prove to be very useful. Thats a great observation and advice, thank you!

Mike

 

[MikeThorlin]

Of Interest:
If You See This on a Used Sailboat, Walk Away

Yup, I've seen this video, good content.

Mike

 

[MikeThorlin]

All great

At the age these boats are likely to be, it's probably more down to how well they've been maintained over the years than any particular design or construction issues (which are well documented in reviews and forums). Hunters are what they are; creatively designed to deliver cockpit and interior spaces that feel big for a boat's given size, production methods that kept costs down to make them competitive in the market, generally good for charters and coastal cruising. There are thousands of them still floating, so they did many things right for a long time. I'd probably try to eliminate problems in major systems by focusing on engine, electrical/electronics, sails and plumbing, all which probably have less to do with Hunter than they do the previous owners. Although not easy to quantify, you can spot a boat that's been cared for by focusing on the attention paid to keeping a vessel in proper working order.

All great points, thank you.
I have spent a career in electronics and communications, I consider myself capable of evaluating and subsequently replacing/updating electronics on a boat once I understand cable routing and interoperability. I think my biggest challenges will be on the structural and "purely marine" aspects of boat ownership.

Thanks very much for your input!!

 

[PEBI]

I hope for your sake that the electronic wiring is easier to get at then a shower drain hose.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

I think those experiences will prove to be very useful.

The only thing you will never figure out is why does a marine engine put out such a tiny horsepower compared to an automotive engine of roughly the same physical size.

 

[PEBI]

The only thing you will never figure out is why does a marine engine put out such a tiny horsepower compared to an automotive engine of roughly the same physical size.

Oh I understand why. I also understand why most private planes don't have engines that produce more then 90 horse power.

Edit: Made a mistake. I meant that a car engine acelerates to say 100mph. Then the engine only adds power when it needs to keep the speed. There are of course racing engines that can keep at high revs for longer. But not usually longer then 5 minutes. Marine engines are designed to be run for say 20 minutes without reducing revs and torque.

Lower hp means less heat. Also marine engines for sailboats are really meant to get in and out of marina's or harbors. And to charge batteries. Mostly.

yanmar 10 hp marine engine for 25 foot boat. Although I've seen 8 hp on 40 foot boats too. I guess they account for bad weather when entering a harbour. Maybe.

 

[jssailem]

marine engines for sailboats are really meant to get in and out of marina's or harbors. And to charge batteries. Mostly.

I think that is an oversimplification of the design. Most monohull sailboats are displacement boats. Their design limits the speed they can attain. A small modern diesel of 40hp or often less can easily push the boat to "hull speed". Adding another 10-20hp will not overcome the physics of a displacement hull. You'll just burn fuel. In our Pacific Northwest waters, there are days when the wind chooses not to blow. It is then that the "Iron Genny" earns her keep, getting us beyond the lull and to safe harbor or into the next breeze.

 

[kloudie1]

Most successful marine engines are marinized engines meant for tractors. They are designed (kinda like airplane piston engines) to run at fairly high power levels for days to do work in fields. The power demand for a displacement hull is similar, 60 to 80% for long periods. When ya have to run the intercoastal between destinations the little diesels will be happy to run for days on end. I've motored for 150 miles non-stop in the intercoastal between Houston and New Orleans; offshore was too rough and back in the day, when I worked, there were schedules.