Going to look at a Hunter Legend 35.5 this week...

[drohalloran]

Hi there! I'm heading out to look at a potential new boat, a 1994 Legend 35.5, this week and I'm turning to you, the experts, for some advice!

I'm not at all new to the world of sailing, but I am completely new to the world of Hunter boats and I'm hoping someone out there can shed some light on things to look for on this particular model.

I have been recently studying to become a marine surveyor so I have a basic understanding of what to look for in terms of corrosion, delamination, etc, but what I do not know is if there are any specific watch-outs for the Legend series, or if there are any known weakpoints that can cause an issue.

Thanks in advance for your help and advice!
-Sean

 

[tjar]

I've had my 1993 Legend 35.5 for about 11 months and love it so far. Mine was neglected for about five years, so there has been a bit of elbow grease required to bring it back up to proper condition. Here are some of the things that I discovered.
- The waste tank on these boats is made of aluminum and only holds about 13 gallons. They have a service life of about 10 years and mine was 23 years old. It hadn't started to leak yet, but when I removed it, there was a considerable amount of corrosion around the drain fitting. It sits aft of the rear berth and the wall needs to be cut out to change the tank.
- I had a small leak coming around the mast area. I removed the plywood cover in the cabin ceiling that goes around the compression post and could feel water pooling there after a hard rain. I was never able identify the true source, but somebody suggested squeezing silicone sealant into the wiring bundle pipe that goes up through the deck. That seems to have stopped 99% of the leak.
- I've had random electrical issues with my instruments. They will seem to work fine for a while and then suddenly one of them will stop working. I haven't been able to chase that problem down yet.
- The removable deck area that covers the steering cables is notorious for leaking and getting water into the core. It is due to Hunter not sealing around the emergency steering access plate. My deck is soft and although it's not too difficult to repair, it hasn't been on my high priority list.

Good luck with your purchase.

 

[Justin_NSA]

There is some info here on SBO on the 33.5. It might be helpful. Good looking boat !
http://hunter.sailboatowners.com/resources/index.php?task=model&mid=29

 

[drohalloran]

Thank you so much!! That's really awesome information and I'm definitely going to check all of those components

 

[tjar]

Another good source of information is the model resources information on this website. Check out Owner Reviews where people note problem areas.

 

[Dale Fitch]

I've had my 1993 Legend 35.5 for about 11 months and love it so far. Mine was neglected for about five years, so there has been a bit of elbow grease required to bring it back up to proper condition. Here are some of the things that I discovered.
- The waste tank on these boats is made of aluminum and only holds about 13 gallons. They have a service life of about 10 years and mine was 23 years old. It hadn't started to leak yet, but when I removed it, there was a considerable amount of corrosion around the drain fitting. It sits aft of the rear berth and the wall needs to be cut out to change the tank.
- I had a small leak coming around the mast area. I removed the plywood cover in the cabin ceiling that goes around the compression post and could feel water pooling there after a hard rain. I was never able identify the true source, but somebody suggested squeezing silicone sealant into the wiring bundle pipe that goes up through the deck. That seems to have stopped 99% of the leak.
- I've had random electrical issues with my instruments. They will seem to work fine for a while and then suddenly one of them will stop working. I haven't been able to chase that problem down yet.
- The removable deck area that covers the steering cables is notorious for leaking and getting water into the core. It is due to Hunter not sealing around the emergency steering access plate. My deck is soft and although it's not too difficult to repair, it hasn't been on my high priority list.

Good luck with your purchase.

 

[Dale Fitch]

I have a 1994 37.5 and a friend with a Hunter 45, we both had problems with the holding tank a few years ago and had them replaced. If you look at the top of the tank, there's a plate with the manufacturer's name, phone number and part #. The area code for the phone has changed, but everything else is accurate. I called the manufacturer and they had the plans for the tank and made a replacement for slightly more than $225. The replacement appears to be an exact replica made of heavy gauge aluminum. The replacement process was really easy and without any mess. I've installed plastic tanks in other boats previously and this method was much better!

 

[Les]

I had a new 1993 or 4 for five years and it still is my favorite racing boat--won boat of the year in local races. It was a great boat and we cruised it a lot as well. The shower is a bit small and at that time we had CNG for cooking. The worse thing about the boat was the two batteries in the starboard locker aft of the aft cabin. Hard to get at and hard to service. I really disliked them at the time.

But good things about the boat were abundant. I really liked having the short bulb wing keel. We couldn't point with the rest of the racing fleet but we were FAST. It drove them crazy when we would go off on our own at the start and be with them at the turning mark. Fun. It was an easy boat to sail. I bought a 150 genoa and shouldn't have. A 140 would be more then amble. This boat drives with it's main sail.
The reason we sold her was the CNG. I didn't know how to convert safely to propane. I agree with others the aluminum tanks would have to go. Ten years is optimum. I would have put in a larger holding tank and fuel tank (in plastic). I also had started on rewiring the boat. Hunter does a great job but I wanted to be able to identify all wires to the navigation station. We added a Webasto hot air furnace and a dodger (we live in the northeast) But overall, one of my all time favorite sailboats.

 

[drohalloran]

Thank you so much to everyone! We went ahead with an offer on the boat we looked at and hopefully we will be closing in the next week or so.

There's a lot to do and I'll have a million questions so I appreciate any and all insights and info!!

 

[Steverhnm]

I have had my 1990 35.5 for a couple years now and love the boat, sails great with just a 110 jib, no need for anything bigger if you are just a cruiser. Lots of storage. Made a CNG refill device, its in the Owner Mods section.

I will say this about the Jib, if it has the original Hood 110 with the drum under the deck it can be a pain. The continuous furling lines go through the deck up from and that is a location for leaks onto the fwd deck core, be sure to check there. The under deck drum makes it a major pain to replace the forestay. Be sure to have the forestay checked, as it is the only thing holding up that rig. Any questions, change it out. Seco South does them, did the OEM for Hunter, very knowldegable and helpful.

Also check the forward water tank and see if it bulges or has adequate support when full. I just put in a water tank level sensor and found the tank was lacking support in the aft side of the tank where the wall meets the hull insert at the bottom. I will be adding additional support there. They did not do a very good job with structural support onthe aft portion of the water tank.

Lots of storage, excellent for storage, just can't remember where I put everything. Check all the hoses and and hose clamps. If it has the original brass raw water strainer, get rid of it, as de-zincing of that strainer will cause the stud holding the lid to pop off at the worst time. Don't ask me how I know that...

Feel free to message if you want to talk more.

Have fun, its a fabulous boat.

 

[skunther]

Hey Steverhnm,

I am on the verge of purchasing this 1993 Legend 35.5 with CNG, but am a bit leery as CNG seems pretty hard to find around here (Bellingham WA). How well does your CNG refill device work? Where can I find the instructions to make one?

Thanks

I have had my 1990 35.5 for a couple years now and love the boat, sails great with just a 110 jib, no need for anything bigger if you are just a cruiser. Lots of storage. Made a CNG refill device, its in the Owner Mods section.

 

[Justin_NSA]

Hey Steverhnm,
I am on the verge of purchasing this 1993 Legend 35.5 with CNG, but am a bit leery as CNG seems pretty hard to find around here (Bellingham WA). How well does your CNG refill device work? Where can I find the instructions to make one?

Thanks

This might be it. Different nickname - Sparkitus maximus

Hunter 35.5 Owner Modifications and Upgrades

Hunter 35.5 Owner Modifications and Upgrades

hunter.sailboatowners.com