Buying a used Hunter 21
- Thread starter PHarmon1
- Start date
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 22,763
Perhaps more clarity in the way you use the terms might prove helpful in understanding your question.
When people use the term “composite “ it generally refers to a hull that has a composite material (I.e. foam, or coosa,) sandwiched between two layers of fiberglass.
Your query is then unclear when you introduce your concerns about cracks.
Since you referenced a small Hunter does your query have something to do with boats that use ABS plastic as a shell cover rather than a fiberglass resin cover?
When people use the term “composite “ it generally refers to a hull that has a composite material (I.e. foam, or coosa,) sandwiched between two layers of fiberglass.
Your query is then unclear when you introduce your concerns about cracks.
Since you referenced a small Hunter does your query have something to do with boats that use ABS plastic as a shell cover rather than a fiberglass resin cover?
Thanks for your response. I’ve been in the sailing circuit racing for over 50 years. In all the boats I’ve owned or sailed I’ve never heard of the cracks like I’m hearing with these boats. I have not physically looked at them, so I’m asking. The Hunter 216 boats in question are being listed as a composite boat or fiberglass, so I’m assuming the whole boat is made from these materials. Will all these composite boats have these cracks?
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 22,763
My thinking is I would not be afraid of buying a composite built boat, as the core materials are lighter than the balsa or plywood on a racing boat. I would carefully inspect the boat builder and their record. I would inspect the boat with an eye for structural condition. Damage (crashes during racing) would be repaired in much the same way as a traditional FRP (fiberglass hull) boat. The outer skin is often a fiberglass skin. Now a days you may find that the boat skin is carbon fiber or kevlar rather than traditional woven fiberglass. The techniques used to repair these more exotic fibers can sometimes inhibit the DIY boat owner.
There are a number of good articles about marine construction discussing the concepts involved.
from Boat Magazine - Boat Construction Comparison...
Talk about an area of contention over the years...core materials are it. Cores, including foams and balsa wood, are good materials. It is the way they are installed that can make them an owner’s nightmare. Today, improvements in closed molding techniques, like resin infusion, have bettered the quality of core installation. In the hand-laid days, a good installation was like pinning the tail on the donkey. Builders were blindfolded because they couldn’t see the “downside” of the core. The vacuum infusion process has improved core installations, performance and longevity. Both balsa and foam cores can be well produced and last for years. In terms of performance, a cored or sandwich composite is better than a solid composite with respect to strength-to-weight ratio. Cored composites yield lighter, faster and more fuel-efficient boats.
Do not be afraid of buying a new boat made with core materials, but do your homework in selecting your brand and what is behind it. And, FYI, most of those windmill blades you see spinning on the distant peaks are built using vacuum infusion with cored composites.
There are a number of good articles about marine construction discussing the concepts involved.
from Boat Magazine - Boat Construction Comparison...
Talk about an area of contention over the years...core materials are it. Cores, including foams and balsa wood, are good materials. It is the way they are installed that can make them an owner’s nightmare. Today, improvements in closed molding techniques, like resin infusion, have bettered the quality of core installation. In the hand-laid days, a good installation was like pinning the tail on the donkey. Builders were blindfolded because they couldn’t see the “downside” of the core. The vacuum infusion process has improved core installations, performance and longevity. Both balsa and foam cores can be well produced and last for years. In terms of performance, a cored or sandwich composite is better than a solid composite with respect to strength-to-weight ratio. Cored composites yield lighter, faster and more fuel-efficient boats.
Do not be afraid of buying a new boat made with core materials, but do your homework in selecting your brand and what is behind it. And, FYI, most of those windmill blades you see spinning on the distant peaks are built using vacuum infusion with cored composites.
The 216 is a little different from other composite hulls in the sense that the outer skin is just plastic, not fiberglass reinforced plastic.
I have no personal experience with them, but there are threads in the archives about the various cracking issues. Here’s one: problems with cracks on Hunter 216
I have no personal experience with them, but there are threads in the archives about the various cracking issues. Here’s one: problems with cracks on Hunter 216
Other threads on composite hull cracks might be of interest in your decision:
HUNTER 170 HULL CRACKS ??
Crack repair manual
Plastic Hunter Crack Repair
By now everyone is aware that the thermoplastic JY15, Hunter 146, 170, & 216 are all prone to cracking. A few weeks ago I purchased a 2004 Hunter 216 that had a small 6” crack at the bottom of the companionway and a large (aprox. 3’ long) crack from the mast step to the port side rail on the...
forums.sailboatowners.com
Hunter 216 Cabin top cracks
I am the owner of a 2004 Hunter 216. Over the past two years it has developed two cracks in the cabin top which start at the mast port and radiate out and down the side. I've used Devcon Plastic weld to repair both but it does not seem to hold up. Hunter recommended this product and approach...
Last edited:
The H216 only comes with a thermoplastic composite. Don't know that any of the hulls were made of fiberglass. You could try other brands.