Deficiencies in the Cutter Rig!

[Pilotocopilot]

It's no wonder Hunter has a bad rep. After converting our 37 to a sloop and utilizing the track the standup block and the turnaround block which leads to the staysail winch on the cabin top so our jib could be self tacking,I find the weakest links in the original equipment. Namely the turnaround block and the standup block.
These two blocks are screwed into the substrate of the cabin top with 1" stainless wood screws. The cutter rig that's supposed to be used under heavy weather conditions, had none of the original track, line, and handling equipment through bolted.
Thankfully it didn't fail under use but was noticed by a guest who noticed loose and missing screws.
Just a warning this gear under the original mounting method will fail, hopefully in a none critical situation. Through bolt the cutter track through bolt the turnaround block and as for the standup block you can only through bolt it if it's moved back 3" as it's current position is directly over the forward bulkhead to the head. The blocks are manufactured to accept a 1/4 20 screw and you'll need 8 at 2 1/2" long along with stainless washers and stainless nylock nuts and some suitable sealant.

 

[Benny17441]

Yes it is a production boat. Some of the flaws are manufacturing related and others are inherent in the design. If you intend to drive the boat hard either in racing or offshore cruising it would be smart to give it a thorough going over to make sure all the riggin and fixtures are properly secured. The boats are built with the recreational sailor in mind and are also designed to be affordable. Some of the design features that we find weak have generally stood the test of time but I understand that for some uses they do not provide the expected confidence so it makes sense to upgrade them.

 

[braol]

Thankfully the old Hunter boats overall were quite sturdy, even if some of the manufacturing practices were less than ideal. For those of us inclined to enjoy doing updates and improvements I don't think the '37 can be beat. I for one am looking to move up from my '27 to the '37 Cutter. As a restorer of old cars I really enjoy seeing old machines benefit from advances in technology, like an old Model A Ford with a counterbalanced crankshaft and modern oilseals using synthetic oil. Old boats are the same and the '37 is as solid of an old boat as there is. I envy your opportunity to work with a your very own H37c and make improvements!

 

[Pilotocopilot]

For me it's frustrating to see this because there's a right way of doing things and a wrong way. This isn't a case of benefitting from new technology, nuts and washers where available then as well, but cost savings over safety isn't an excuse when your saving what maybe 5 dollars per boat.
Don't get me wrong the boat is solid and we've owned it for three years with over 2000 ocean miles on it without many issues. But it's a head shaker when I come across this type of practice.
Anyways just a heads up for anyone with the same type of boat.

 

[braol]

By new technology I meant the satisfaction of making improvements over what the factory did. Yes, it is a head scratcher...screwing in hardware. The worst thing is replacing the screws with bolts in locations where you have no access...like behind headliners and such. Even when the factory bolted in stuff it isn't always backed by stainless or aluminum plating either. I wish you happy sailing with your new bolted hardware...may you never encounter weather conditions to put it to the test!

 

[Jim Legere]

On my 1983 H37C, the 'turning block' for the staysail sheet is through-bolted. And there are aluminum plates in various strategic locations in the deck lay up, such as under winches, at the base of the mast, etc. Not sure about the staysail traveller track, as I have never had it off. But, then again, I have never had reason to in all the 32 years that she has been sailing. I tend to think of my boat as a Chevy rather than a Volvo or a Mercedes. Not always elegant engineering, but gets the job done...I have had the staysail up in 40 knots with no issues.

 

[Pilotocopilot]

Jim my track was screws into the wood core on that raised area, I know because it was wood that came out when I drilled it. Same goes for the standup block and the turnaround. In fact after removing the block to drill the holes there were three mis-drilled holes that were left open after they were hidden by the blocks installation. Suffice to say the core was wet.
It's more of a head shaker as I've got no expectations from a 35 year old boat, the boat does us fine. I realize it's a Chevy and like a chev apparently they're all built slightly different depending on what day it was built.

 

[Blaise]

Ah, another sloop convert. They are everywhere. I think part of the problem is that designers don't think about how something will work 40 years down the road. Now having said that, you can break anything, including the "volvo/mercedes" boats. And there are a lot of higher quality boats out there with deck stepped masts. The 37's have developed almost a cult following because they are truly diamonds in the rough.

 

[Pilotocopilot]

Yup and every time I think that a particular boat would be nice to have I can't justify the move up. As for the cutter over sloop, the boat's way better as a sloop than a cutter. And as a self tacking sloop it makes for a real easy sail, press Tack and Port or Starboard and sit back and continue to enjoy your drink.

 

[malyea]

Yup and every time I think that a particular boat would be nice to have I can't justify the move up. As for the cutter over sloop, the boat's way better as a sloop than a cutter. And as a self tacking sloop it makes for a real easy sail, press Tack and Port or Starboard and sit back and continue to enjoy your drink.

When folks convert cutter to sloop, how do they provide for a storm sail - removable inner forestay?