FOLLOW UP FOR STEVE

[Tom]

Steve, As a follow up to your response to my posting, when you spoke to Hunter about the spidering, did they make any comments, or do you have any, concerning the integrity of the hull? I know fiberglass can repair quite nicely, but I am just curious about your experiences. Thanks for your time.Tom

 

[Steve Dion]

We've never had any of these problems.

Tom:We have never had any of these problems with the fiberglass. I can tell you that I have seen boat that have had sections of the hull removed and replaced just to extract an engine. There is nothing with fiberglass that cannot be repaired. Until they find out if this is a spot that was just patched up improperly or just superficial gel coat cracks no one will really know. If it is done properly it can be stronger than new. You have plenty of excellent boat yards in San Deigo. I would just want this repair to look "perfect". When you go to sell the boat, you do not want this to be a question on the NEXT survey. You seller is going to have to take care of this problem to sell the boat or the next buyer is going to beat him down on the price. Once most sellers have someone on the line and the boat is out of the water, they are going to want to dump the boat quickly. I think that I'd stay with the deal as long as the yard can assure you that they CAN do a professional job.

 

[Steve Larson]

Precautionary repair

Tom, When I talked with Hunter, they advised a repair on a precautionary basis. They indicated that in some instances where the boat was subjected to severe stress the fiberglass might develop the spidering which you see. In and of itself it is not an indication of impending problems, but further stresses upon the hull could take the cracking into the underlying area of fiberglass. I talked with Gougeon Brothers, Inc. who sent me a pamphlet on repairs using their West System line of epoxies. Although I did the repairs myself, I was able to talk the head of my marina into overseeing my work. He said that the repair that was completed made the area stronger than when it was new. I would not let the spidering kill your deal if everything else about the boat looks good. The Hunter 31 is a great boat for the money and properly kept can serve you well for many years to come.