Hi everyone, I'm a prospective H34 owner - I look at the boat on Saturday. Unfortunately I live in the mid/south west area of the US (Oklahoma) and there aren't really Sailboat focused marine surveyors here, so I really have to do the inspecting myself. I've been reading some Don Casey to help in this effort.
I have the hull number and I have seen before with Catalina for example there are sites that I can put in the hull number and see common defects/improvements for a series of hulls. Does something like this exist for the Hunters?
What is the best way to inspect the compression post on these boats without tearing apart the sellers teak covering on it? Just look for crushing around the bulkhead next to it and on the liner beam?
The boat is in the water, but there has been lots of flooding in this area. The lake is up 25 feet and is not forecast by the corp of engineers to be down to use the ramps again until November of this year. So suffice to say, I can't get the boat out of the water to do any percussive soundings or look for blisters or keel/rudder damage.
The seller has disclosed there is one minor leaking port - a small drip in a very heavy rain. Evidence in headliner of a leak but supposedly fixed. Port side storage bottom wood has some rot from the aforementioned leaking portlight. There is a bimini mount that has pulled out, needs epoxy filled, tapped and then rebedded. The knot meter is not working, there is no anomometer or windex. There is a part of the cabin sole that was crushed by an overweight cooler being dropped on it by a dumb kid. Supposedly the bilge is dry (doubt it with the false bilges in these boats). The aft water tank is leaking the full tankage in about 3 hours and the current owner didn't know how to get to the tank (I do) and says the water is not going to the bilge. I think thats really quite impossible even if it were going between the liner and hull. All rigging and Sails seems to be in good shape. Steaming light bulb is out. New VHF needs to be installed. Stove is out and was replaced with a mini fridge (grrr why????) No A/C installed, no AP. Newer batteries and charger. Some stanchions slightly bent - how would this happen? Supposedly no soft spots on deck and never painted except for grey over the non skid on the deck. Very little crazing and some normal wearing around cockpit entry from deck. New Dorade vents, Maxwell winches (needs serviced, but work, oh boy). New head and hoses 3 years ago. Engine did not have hours off hand. Disclosed that the previous owner or marina had put the wrong transmission fluid in upon service which gunked it up causing it to be hard to shift into gear (F and R). Current seller was told by a Yanmar mechanic to change the trans fluid every 6 weeks with regular oil and some marvel mystery oil and it would slowly get the gunk out and correct itself. Owner says this has worked and now goes to Reverse every time and F 90% of the time, has to bump rpm before shifting to gear the other 10%.
This is all that I know of the boat without having seen it in person. There is a laundry list here, but nothing seems unmanageable, though not being able to get the boat out of the water scares me. It is listed at $12,950 - which tells me that one, this seems like a low price. But also a price that I could get a good boat with some sweat equity and be very happy with. What does the experience from you other Hunter owners tell you? What advice do you have for me? Should I run? Worth looking at and sailing to make a decision? Sail it and if promising wait until I can get the boat out of the water in the fall before making an offer?
Thank you all for any help you can provide.
- Evan
I have the hull number and I have seen before with Catalina for example there are sites that I can put in the hull number and see common defects/improvements for a series of hulls. Does something like this exist for the Hunters?
What is the best way to inspect the compression post on these boats without tearing apart the sellers teak covering on it? Just look for crushing around the bulkhead next to it and on the liner beam?
The boat is in the water, but there has been lots of flooding in this area. The lake is up 25 feet and is not forecast by the corp of engineers to be down to use the ramps again until November of this year. So suffice to say, I can't get the boat out of the water to do any percussive soundings or look for blisters or keel/rudder damage.
The seller has disclosed there is one minor leaking port - a small drip in a very heavy rain. Evidence in headliner of a leak but supposedly fixed. Port side storage bottom wood has some rot from the aforementioned leaking portlight. There is a bimini mount that has pulled out, needs epoxy filled, tapped and then rebedded. The knot meter is not working, there is no anomometer or windex. There is a part of the cabin sole that was crushed by an overweight cooler being dropped on it by a dumb kid. Supposedly the bilge is dry (doubt it with the false bilges in these boats). The aft water tank is leaking the full tankage in about 3 hours and the current owner didn't know how to get to the tank (I do) and says the water is not going to the bilge. I think thats really quite impossible even if it were going between the liner and hull. All rigging and Sails seems to be in good shape. Steaming light bulb is out. New VHF needs to be installed. Stove is out and was replaced with a mini fridge (grrr why????) No A/C installed, no AP. Newer batteries and charger. Some stanchions slightly bent - how would this happen? Supposedly no soft spots on deck and never painted except for grey over the non skid on the deck. Very little crazing and some normal wearing around cockpit entry from deck. New Dorade vents, Maxwell winches (needs serviced, but work, oh boy). New head and hoses 3 years ago. Engine did not have hours off hand. Disclosed that the previous owner or marina had put the wrong transmission fluid in upon service which gunked it up causing it to be hard to shift into gear (F and R). Current seller was told by a Yanmar mechanic to change the trans fluid every 6 weeks with regular oil and some marvel mystery oil and it would slowly get the gunk out and correct itself. Owner says this has worked and now goes to Reverse every time and F 90% of the time, has to bump rpm before shifting to gear the other 10%.
This is all that I know of the boat without having seen it in person. There is a laundry list here, but nothing seems unmanageable, though not being able to get the boat out of the water scares me. It is listed at $12,950 - which tells me that one, this seems like a low price. But also a price that I could get a good boat with some sweat equity and be very happy with. What does the experience from you other Hunter owners tell you? What advice do you have for me? Should I run? Worth looking at and sailing to make a decision? Sail it and if promising wait until I can get the boat out of the water in the fall before making an offer?
Thank you all for any help you can provide.
- Evan
