Refer to my previous post that "My Keel fell off and sank". Anyway, I have sent some emails to info@huntermarine.com and I get no response for over a week now. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to contact them and get a response? I will have put my boat in drydock next week and take a look at the keel area. I believe the keel bracket is still there and unharmed and I believe the bolt holding the keel on simply broke as did the keel uphaul line and that is why it sank. I will have to confirm this when the boat is out of the water however. The idea to replace the keel (temporarily for the next 3 months as after I finish sailing over here I will ship the boat back to Seattle which is where I will live and can have an original installed again by the Hunter dealer -- but no price yet on this) with plywood and to glass on a few u-bolt's or something equivalent and insert the plywood in to the area where the keel retracts (3 feet deep and 4 feet long or so) and to bolt this plywood through the glassed on fiberglass "u bolts". It sounds like an ok idea and will enable me to sail again. I bought the boat over in SE Asia so I could spend the next 4 months sailing around Thailand and Malaysia (coastal cruising and island hopping only) and then to ship the boat to Seattle where I will normally use it. Does anyone have suggestions on this idea, or any other ideas? I don't need to trailer the boat at all over here, but will replace this temporary keel with the original hunter keel once in Seattle. Thanks for all advice,
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Tom Wootton
Phone: 386-462-3077
Ask for Mike in the parts dept. Make sure you call during business hours(EDT)Mon-Fri. You might also want to consider having one fabricated locally (as a permanent solution, not a temp fix). Maybe Mike can provide some specs. I think it's just fiberglass; it's not intended as ballast.
Ask for Mike in the parts dept. Make sure you call during business hours(EDT)Mon-Fri. You might also want to consider having one fabricated locally (as a permanent solution, not a temp fix). Maybe Mike can provide some specs. I think it's just fiberglass; it's not intended as ballast.
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David King
h26 keel
Pat, I have an h26 and removed the keel a few years ago for inspection. It seemed to weigh about 100 pounds. It didn't seem possible that it was just glassed plywood. If you can get proper specs on just how the keel was built, my guess is that you could get a quality replacement make in Thailand. David King "Molly"
Pat, I have an h26 and removed the keel a few years ago for inspection. It seemed to weigh about 100 pounds. It didn't seem possible that it was just glassed plywood. If you can get proper specs on just how the keel was built, my guess is that you could get a quality replacement make in Thailand. David King "Molly"
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Rick E.
Centerboard Details
Pat: As mentioned earlier, I do not have ready access to our H26 (in storage over the winter) & thus cannot send exact dimensions at this time. It might help to take a look at your manual. As I recall, it describes the way the lifting mechanism works, & has a diagram of the top end of the board. Under the "link" part of this website, there is a manual posted for the H240 & 260. It looks the same or similar as the H26 centerboard, & might be of some assistance in making a new one. Last year, I dropped our keel to repair the lifting line, & would agree that it is approximately 100 lbs. However, I could not tell if there was lead inside it or some other heavy material. A friend also took his centerboard off his MacGregor 26X, & it only wieghed about 25 lbs. so maybe there is something inside the Hunter board. I think I would also do what you are doing - make a temporary keel for now, & eventually get a new one from Hunter Marine. Rick
Pat: As mentioned earlier, I do not have ready access to our H26 (in storage over the winter) & thus cannot send exact dimensions at this time. It might help to take a look at your manual. As I recall, it describes the way the lifting mechanism works, & has a diagram of the top end of the board. Under the "link" part of this website, there is a manual posted for the H240 & 260. It looks the same or similar as the H26 centerboard, & might be of some assistance in making a new one. Last year, I dropped our keel to repair the lifting line, & would agree that it is approximately 100 lbs. However, I could not tell if there was lead inside it or some other heavy material. A friend also took his centerboard off his MacGregor 26X, & it only wieghed about 25 lbs. so maybe there is something inside the Hunter board. I think I would also do what you are doing - make a temporary keel for now, & eventually get a new one from Hunter Marine. Rick
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Crazy Dave Condon
material
There is no metal in the centerboard. It is made of fiberglass with foam coring and a peice of wood in the center. If it was metal, It would weigh more than 100 pounds. In fact the designed weight is 90 pounds appx. It is alot easier to order one from Hunter and have it shipped to you as it will cost you alot more to have it built and really you do need a mold but I doubt Hunter will send you thier mold. Contact Mike Thomas at Hunter Marine Crazy Dave Condon
There is no metal in the centerboard. It is made of fiberglass with foam coring and a peice of wood in the center. If it was metal, It would weigh more than 100 pounds. In fact the designed weight is 90 pounds appx. It is alot easier to order one from Hunter and have it shipped to you as it will cost you alot more to have it built and really you do need a mold but I doubt Hunter will send you thier mold. Contact Mike Thomas at Hunter Marine Crazy Dave Condon
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H.van Tilborg
metal in the centerboard
There is a large aluminium plate over the full lenght of the centerboard covered with foam and polyester wxt:22 cm x 1cm I know this, i saw 30cm off the board to shorten the draft.sorry about my enghlish
There is a large aluminium plate over the full lenght of the centerboard covered with foam and polyester wxt:22 cm x 1cm I know this, i saw 30cm off the board to shorten the draft.sorry about my enghlish
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Crazy Dave Condon
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Pat Dye
New, temporary Keel installed
Thanks for everyone's assistance. With the help of some local guys, I made a temporary keel out of marine plywood, fiberglassed it over, dropped the metal bracket, thru-bolted it, wedged some wood in the back portion to keep it from swinging or vibrating, put anti-fouling paint on it and now she is back in the water and ready to go. I took some pictures and will post them later if anyone is interested. The problem was in getting the replacement part and shipping. I was going to lose up to a month out of my 3 months sailing over here which wasn't going to work. When I'm done with my sailing over here, I'll just take off the current keel, throw it away and when the boat gets back to SEattle I'll get the original Hunter swing keel. Thanks a lot, Pat Dye
Thanks for everyone's assistance. With the help of some local guys, I made a temporary keel out of marine plywood, fiberglassed it over, dropped the metal bracket, thru-bolted it, wedged some wood in the back portion to keep it from swinging or vibrating, put anti-fouling paint on it and now she is back in the water and ready to go. I took some pictures and will post them later if anyone is interested. The problem was in getting the replacement part and shipping. I was going to lose up to a month out of my 3 months sailing over here which wasn't going to work. When I'm done with my sailing over here, I'll just take off the current keel, throw it away and when the boat gets back to SEattle I'll get the original Hunter swing keel. Thanks a lot, Pat Dye
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Rick Webb
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Pat Dye
Apparently, pin was lost
Although I just purchased the boat and a few months ago was unfamiliar that this could happen, when I hauled out the boat all that was left when I looked at it on drydock was the original metal bracket. I saw nothing about any bolt or otherwise. I believe what happened was that this special bolt was rusted and it simply broke off, then the keel was only being held on by the uphaul rope. At this point the keel was banging on the bottom of the boat and made some minor holes on the bottom (I was motoring through 3-4 foot waves at this point heading strait in to them), and it wasn't until a few days later that I could swim down for a look. I was shocked to find the keel was totally gone. The keel uphaul rope had broken within 20 minutes of my realizing the problem and it was gone. Anyway, I'm still concerned that this happened so easily, but I have hauled the boat out and installed a temporary keel and when I get the boat to Seattle I will replace it with an original. I have lost some faith in the boat design as a result, but I am an optimist and will consider it a "one-off" for the time being. This is my first sailboat and I am still wondering/testing if I like better motorboats or sailboats -- needless to say this whole episode has not helped me in my decision, Best Regards, Pat Dye
Although I just purchased the boat and a few months ago was unfamiliar that this could happen, when I hauled out the boat all that was left when I looked at it on drydock was the original metal bracket. I saw nothing about any bolt or otherwise. I believe what happened was that this special bolt was rusted and it simply broke off, then the keel was only being held on by the uphaul rope. At this point the keel was banging on the bottom of the boat and made some minor holes on the bottom (I was motoring through 3-4 foot waves at this point heading strait in to them), and it wasn't until a few days later that I could swim down for a look. I was shocked to find the keel was totally gone. The keel uphaul rope had broken within 20 minutes of my realizing the problem and it was gone. Anyway, I'm still concerned that this happened so easily, but I have hauled the boat out and installed a temporary keel and when I get the boat to Seattle I will replace it with an original. I have lost some faith in the boat design as a result, but I am an optimist and will consider it a "one-off" for the time being. This is my first sailboat and I am still wondering/testing if I like better motorboats or sailboats -- needless to say this whole episode has not helped me in my decision, Best Regards, Pat Dye
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John Pollitt
Motorboat ?
Stuff happens. Your experience may well have been due to the previous owner, more than the boat itself or any design flaws. But.....a motorboat? Egads!!! Sailing is as much about getting there, as it is about where you go. Where's the enjoyment, the satisfaction, in pointing the bow somewhere, pushing forward the throttle and going in a beeline? Not to mention the noise!!! If all you want to do is go from point A to point B, then you'd be better off with a motorboat. Shudder. John S/V Icymoon
Stuff happens. Your experience may well have been due to the previous owner, more than the boat itself or any design flaws. But.....a motorboat? Egads!!! Sailing is as much about getting there, as it is about where you go. Where's the enjoyment, the satisfaction, in pointing the bow somewhere, pushing forward the throttle and going in a beeline? Not to mention the noise!!! If all you want to do is go from point A to point B, then you'd be better off with a motorboat. Shudder. John S/V Icymoon
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