Evolution of the cutter

[Jim Legere]

Re: Evolution of the cutter - one more piece of the puzzle

Sandpiper, thanks for the HIN. So yours was a January 1981 boat and the immediate predecessor to Mathurin II, which is presently heading south, somewhere near NYC! I have data on 58 Hunter 37 Cutter hulls now, spanning #7 from July 1978 (or maybe that should be 007 to #403, built September 1984. Wow, that averages out to about 66 boats a year or about 5 or 6 a month! Looking at all the hulls arranged chronologically, it appears that Hunter changed the model year designation around August, so if a boat was built after that, it was the next model year. Therefore my 1983 boat (HUN37308M83A) was actually built around August 1982.

 

[Jim Legere]

Re: Evolution of the cutter - 1st (and last) cut on data

OK Folks,
If my fixation with the history of the Hunter 37-Cutter has become tedious, I promise to let this thread die if I get no more responses. I am attaching two pages of data that I have compiled from threads and other info on this amazing website - HunterOwners.com - (major kudos to Phil Herring et al).

If anyone wishes to comment on, or correct the data, please do! I will proceed to jot a few lines on the history of our H37Cs and maybe add a few pictures and illustrations where possible. I have also been in touch with J. Cherubini II about his thoughts on approaching Hunter for info. He is not optimistic that there is anyone there interested in "these old boats" but has offered his assistance in any case. When this 'history' (and I use that term with trepidation) is more or less complete, I will put it out for comment and review (not sure - maybe here on the site) and ultimately upload the the finished product to Hunter Owner Modifications under the 37-cutter tab so it is more or less permanently accessible.

So here goes...

 

[Ed Schenck]

That's some really good work Jim, thanks! Cannot speak for anyone else but I would love to see us keep working on this. In a few weeks my boat should appear in Ohio and I will update my photo folder with more details about the '79. Now we have to get answers to those question marks.

 

[Bill1565]

Very nice Jim. My "79 came to me with lewmar 42's. Look to be original. They are off now pending time to install the Admiral's 54's.

 

[Ed Schenck]

Was that a question mark, the original 1979 winches? They were definitely Lewmar 42's. Still working well. Lubed them twice in ten years.

 

[Ed A]

my 1984 was number 386. i would love to know where it went.
Ed Allen tampa

 

[guidera48]

My 1979 cutter number is HUN 37107 M 79K.

Cheers

Jose

 

[guidera48]

Looking at Ed S list of specs on his 79, I find a couple of diffrences.

I haven no recessed pocket on starboard.
I have no holding tank under shower seat. My holding tank is plastic and under the V berth. It is not original. However, after replumbing the shower and re working the forward berth, I have not found any trace of removal of original tank. If it was under the shower seat, I cannot imagine how it came out without any glass cutting.

Looking through the access hole under the forward berth to the space under the shower seat, I find no traces of tabbing or other forms of securing a waste tank in that space. I believe that space has always been empty.
Thanks

Jose

 

[Steve Dion]

Jose:

I believe that the tank was glassed in. You would need to cut out the bulkhead under the v-berth just forward of the shower.

I believe that is what Ed did to his. My friend Dave purchased his used but someone had already replaced the tank once. Dave ended up with a Ronco tank under the v-berth.

 

[Jim Legere]

Jose,

I am pretty sure all the Hunter 37 Cutters had the original holding tank under the shower seat (except maybe hull #001). Ron Pearson did a good photo shoot on removing the tank - its in the Owner Modifications section here. As Steve says, it was just held by a sheet of fiberglass that was at the back of the stbd v-berth locker. Once removed, you have a big open space in there.

I have added your hull # to the list (don't know how I missed it!)

 

[Ed Schenck]

Jose, where do your hoses to the v-berth lead from? I have a Ronco tank in the v-berth also, see Hunter Owners Mods. But my hoses come through the starboard v-berth locker and out from under the shower seat. In other words that bulkhead between the v-berth and shower seat was removed. I guess that a tank could be left under the shower seat but then I don't know how you would route the hoses.

 

[Ed Schenck]

Minor point but didn't the water pump location change during the years? Mine is accessible under the galley sink. But it is way to starboard mounted to the back of the salon settee bulkhead. Or just forward of the sink drain thru-hull. I replaced mine a few years ago and added a filter.

 

[sandpiper10471]

My 81 pressure water pump is located under the starboard settee, bolted to the galley bulkhead.
I do have a pocket door to starboard, just aft of the head.
I cut the top off the shower seat and removed the top of the holding tank. Cleaned it out, epoxied it and painted. Now I have a great storage unit. Guests don't need to know what it used to be!!!! Head hoses go through the old tank. It was easy drilling the new holes and running the hoses.
Thanks again for doing the chronology, Jim. A valuable resource.

 

[Ed Schenck]

Probably most, if not all, of our H37C club know of Gene Gruender and his Rainbow Chaser. But just in case here are some links. His upgrade list is priceless. Gene always put his projects on his own website, never in Hunter Owners Mods. He built his own arch, the second link. And just to look at his pictures and other projects the third link. You have to wonder where he ever found the time.
http://austinsailor.net/upgrades.html
http://austinsailor.net/arch.html
http://austinsailor.net/

 

[sail_4_me]

my 1983 specs are

Hull# HUN37330M83E

-water pump under sink
-CDI furler ( being replaced this coming spring )
-4 large, 6 small openingports on the cabin-sides
-Merriman pedestal
2 small opening ports in cockpit ( stbd side into kitchen, port side into cabin )
-3Qm30F engine, with JH mounts
-waterheater plumbed to AC and engine
-pumpout to port, head on stbd ( WHAT were they thinking? )
-main traveller on the coachroof
-louvered cabinet, head and closet doors. Plastic stbd sliding shelf doors, no doors on portside shelf ( next to power panel )

 

[Jim Legere]

Thanks for the info sail_4_me! One more piece of the puzzle - the change from Edson to Merriman pedestals was sometime in late 1982 (my '83 was built in Aug 1982 and has Edson). I assume you have Barient winches? Otherwise, your boat is pretty much like mine, except for the sliding plastic doors to stbd. and maybe the location of the water pump (mines under the stbd settee, on the galley bulkhead).

 

[shadowjack]

Jim:
You are correct,Hull No. 1 did not come with a holding tank. I have installed one under the forward bearth severa years agol

 

[Ed Schenck]

The early boats that did not come with a holding tank, were they plumbed overboard? Or were they using a porta-potti arrangement?

 

[shadowjack]

Mine did pump overboard. When I purchesed the boat in 89 it was still all orig. The po did not do any mods.

 

[Blaise]

Jim,
My boat came with a flexible holding tank hung on two hooks under the v berth. I bought my boat new. My boat also came with a two burner Kenyon alcohol stove. My original backstay was 1/4".