Hi hope someone can help I have a 140 that I just took out of storage for the winter. I was patting myself on the back for such great job I did storing the boat, cover stayed tight, no water in the boat, it was cleaning up nicely. Then I noticed a large crack starting just under the mast going all the way to the gunnel(?)!! The crack is 1/16" wide at the widest. I raised the mast and stood ontop of the crack to see if it moved, it didnt. any ideas? is this a stress crack? can it be repaired? otherwise the boat is in excellent condition. Thanks Steve
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Cracks in other boats as well !
Steve, What you have described is nothing new to the Hunter trailer sailors. I am aware of cracks in the 170's, 212 and possibly the 216 can't remember for sure. there have been several post on the subject of cracks and repairs here on this forum, I also would refer you to dennis@sailing-obsession.com under the "tack room" where there is an article about repairing this type of hull. As to your question "Is this a strees crack" I would say yes and here is why. can you think of anything that is maufacture where forces (internal or external) or weight is not a factor and it would crack on its own ? After seeing several of these cracks on an older H-170 I belive the average person can make these repairs and I'm sure we all would have different ways to go about the repairs but it would be to lengthy to do so on the forum. What you don't want to do is merely fill in the gap with a resin or expoxy, there is no strength in that, you need to add some thin fiberglass cloth to it to get the strength to it. before you start your repairs, read some of the post on this subject, by the way , Kryon white paint works well for touch up. how about a picture and keeping us posted ? One thing I do when my boat is sitting on the trailer is to release the tension on the bow strap to eye hook and my tie downs on the stern cleats, I snug them down only when I tow and not to tight. Glenn
Steve, What you have described is nothing new to the Hunter trailer sailors. I am aware of cracks in the 170's, 212 and possibly the 216 can't remember for sure. there have been several post on the subject of cracks and repairs here on this forum, I also would refer you to dennis@sailing-obsession.com under the "tack room" where there is an article about repairing this type of hull. As to your question "Is this a strees crack" I would say yes and here is why. can you think of anything that is maufacture where forces (internal or external) or weight is not a factor and it would crack on its own ? After seeing several of these cracks on an older H-170 I belive the average person can make these repairs and I'm sure we all would have different ways to go about the repairs but it would be to lengthy to do so on the forum. What you don't want to do is merely fill in the gap with a resin or expoxy, there is no strength in that, you need to add some thin fiberglass cloth to it to get the strength to it. before you start your repairs, read some of the post on this subject, by the way , Kryon white paint works well for touch up. how about a picture and keeping us posted ? One thing I do when my boat is sitting on the trailer is to release the tension on the bow strap to eye hook and my tie downs on the stern cleats, I snug them down only when I tow and not to tight. Glenn
146 cracks
Hi Steve, I had the same problem...two cracks ! one 26" second 14" had fixed at marina by a pro.....Hunter to cover repairs! I am waiting for check......cost $600 The marina felt I can expect more in the future???? I found instructions to repair ACP the pics were exactly the same cracks as I found in my boat. If I can help you can E_MAIL me walter@wolverinexray.com pete
Hi Steve, I had the same problem...two cracks ! one 26" second 14" had fixed at marina by a pro.....Hunter to cover repairs! I am waiting for check......cost $600 The marina felt I can expect more in the future???? I found instructions to repair ACP the pics were exactly the same cracks as I found in my boat. If I can help you can E_MAIL me walter@wolverinexray.com pete
Hunter 140 cracks...
I have a 1998 Hunter with numerous cracks. It has minor cracks at both side stays and one at the foot of the mast. I normally launch this with a hoist and bridle at our club. Over the 4th the top of the bow at the front stayed peeled back 4ft on both side. A local dealer wants $1000 for repairs. Having emailed Hunter about this, they acted like this was rare. They did give me info on the repair but that that was all. What can owners of these ACP hulls do to get Hunter to take responsibility???
I have a 1998 Hunter with numerous cracks. It has minor cracks at both side stays and one at the foot of the mast. I normally launch this with a hoist and bridle at our club. Over the 4th the top of the bow at the front stayed peeled back 4ft on both side. A local dealer wants $1000 for repairs. Having emailed Hunter about this, they acted like this was rare. They did give me info on the repair but that that was all. What can owners of these ACP hulls do to get Hunter to take responsibility???
Hunter cracks - Get BASF plastics involved
In Answer to the question regarding how to get Hunter to take responsibility for the ACP cracking issues - I really wish I knew. As I posted earlier, I spent a lot of time and money repairing ACP cracking issues that Hunter said were very rare. One of the people posting here mentioned waiting on a check from Hunter - is that really true that they are going to give you a check??? I could barely get Hunter to send me repair instructions. The ACP plastic is BASF Luran-s - BASF is trying (and succeeding) to get this used in more and more products. The daysailer division of Hunter while only a small spec in BASF's sales of this product is projecting a "black eye" regarding the use of this plastic in other boats. I would think that it would be in BASF's interest to get Hunter to get these boats made with their Luran-s plastic repaired and to get the production problems resolved. Do you think that there is the ability to get BASF involved? After paying for major repairs to my Hunter 140 I got nervous about even using it - so after it sat for 3 years I ended up selling it (please, please, please - I hope that all of the repairs have resolved the cracking issue). Unfortunately, I believe that many of the original JY Boat people involved are now gone, and as Hunter is just a division of a much bigger Company Luhrs Marine Group I think that there is zero chance they will do anything. All that can be done is make people aware of the ACP cracking issues on the web and hope that people do their homework before they purchase a Hunter Daysailer. It is sort of sad, my Hunter 140 was a great boat (and I have owned several small sailboats) - but I know that my next boat will not be a Hunter (or any of the Luhrs Marine Group brands)
In Answer to the question regarding how to get Hunter to take responsibility for the ACP cracking issues - I really wish I knew. As I posted earlier, I spent a lot of time and money repairing ACP cracking issues that Hunter said were very rare. One of the people posting here mentioned waiting on a check from Hunter - is that really true that they are going to give you a check??? I could barely get Hunter to send me repair instructions. The ACP plastic is BASF Luran-s - BASF is trying (and succeeding) to get this used in more and more products. The daysailer division of Hunter while only a small spec in BASF's sales of this product is projecting a "black eye" regarding the use of this plastic in other boats. I would think that it would be in BASF's interest to get Hunter to get these boats made with their Luran-s plastic repaired and to get the production problems resolved. Do you think that there is the ability to get BASF involved? After paying for major repairs to my Hunter 140 I got nervous about even using it - so after it sat for 3 years I ended up selling it (please, please, please - I hope that all of the repairs have resolved the cracking issue). Unfortunately, I believe that many of the original JY Boat people involved are now gone, and as Hunter is just a division of a much bigger Company Luhrs Marine Group I think that there is zero chance they will do anything. All that can be done is make people aware of the ACP cracking issues on the web and hope that people do their homework before they purchase a Hunter Daysailer. It is sort of sad, my Hunter 140 was a great boat (and I have owned several small sailboats) - but I know that my next boat will not be a Hunter (or any of the Luhrs Marine Group brands)
An observation
I suspect Hunter no longer considers the cracking issue rare, and if you haven't talked to them about this lately you might want to try again. They now have a customer service person dedicated to trailerables: Kyle Boyette, 800-771-5556. Of course, I can't speak for every single situation but I've been monitoring this board for 10 years and Hunter is generally good about accepting responsibility and making things right. I know they are fixing these problems when under warranty and in some cases, beyond that. But as I understand it, cracking can also be caused by storage heat, over tightened hardware, and other factors that cloud the issue. Also, consider age. Fiberglass boats that are 10 years old can start to look a little frayed, too.
Anyway, give Kyle a call. Don't rely on email. Let us know what you hear.
I suspect Hunter no longer considers the cracking issue rare, and if you haven't talked to them about this lately you might want to try again. They now have a customer service person dedicated to trailerables: Kyle Boyette, 800-771-5556. Of course, I can't speak for every single situation but I've been monitoring this board for 10 years and Hunter is generally good about accepting responsibility and making things right. I know they are fixing these problems when under warranty and in some cases, beyond that. But as I understand it, cracking can also be caused by storage heat, over tightened hardware, and other factors that cloud the issue. Also, consider age. Fiberglass boats that are 10 years old can start to look a little frayed, too.
Anyway, give Kyle a call. Don't rely on email. Let us know what you hear.- Status