Hull thickness Hunter 27

[Steve Horswill]

Has the hull thickness decreased from the old 27s to the new 27s? Is this a safety issues for a coastal cruiser? A broker selling a Tanzer 27 has raised this concern for the newer models.Steve H.

 

[Steve Dion]

New hulls are as thick.

Steve:The new hulls are just as thick or thicker. This is really not a concern. Once you find the boat that you are going to purchase let the owners know and they will advise you.

 

[David Foster]

Steve, I thought the trend was lighter?

Our '77 h27 is 1 inch thick glass at the keel. I understood that better knowledge of material strength and design had allowed builders to lighten some sections, or substitute stronger materials (for example kevlar) where more strength is needed.The only other data point was the yard that reseated my keel after striking a rock in 2001. They said that the thickness of fiberglass lay-up, strength of the grid, and number of keel-bolts were all stronger thagtn more current boats.By the way, I don't object to the modern trend to lighter hulls - they mean higher speed, and lower cost, especially for the coastal cruising most of us do, and that Hunter is targeting with most of its current models. And if designed and manufactured well, they are just as good for their designed use.David

 

[Steve Dion]

Not how they have lightened the boat.

David:I believe that there is a misconception regarding hull construction of the Hunters over the years.There appears to be a myth out there that the Cheribini hulls were built thicker or stronger but nothing is farther from the truth. They were doing exactly the same techniques as we did in 1980, laying in the same amount of materials with overlaps in the same locations, etc. The only differences today are that thee use different materials such as ISO-NPG Gelcoats and Vinyl Ester blended resins and better stitched fiberglass.One of the main differences is the fact that they use hull liners today. The older boats had their stringers glassed in. They are able to use lighter spars because of the B & R rigs and other modern technologies. I think you will find that the kevlar is added for additional strength for their off shore ratings etc.My boat is a 1985 model. I have a stainless steel rod (about 1" diameter) that connects the chain plate to the hull. The Cherubini 30 had a large wood section that was glassed into the hull. I am sure that there are some engineers out there that can point out other weight saving measures too.

 

[David]

Thicker

David you are correct. The older vessels have more glass from the waterline down. From the transom forward to almost the stem base the glass is more heavily laid up along the centerline. The athwartship verticle floors in the keel stub area are close to being overbuilt in some of the older models. The only stringers I know of are the engine beds. On the later models the grid system supports the engine, rig, and keel therefore they don't need a heavily built hull. ( at least that was the way they were marketed when first introduced )