Hunter 18 Center Board and Flap Access

[CurtisC]

I'm curious if any of you who own a H-18 have had to replace the centerboard flap? If so what did the job entail? Mine is currently on a small lift and just gaining visual access requires getting in the water and under the boat and my recollection of how the flap is attached is vague at best. Also, has anyone pulled the board and how did you go about it? My lift cradle is constructed similar to the trailer with a cross member preventing the board from rotating down more than 5-10 degrees and it would seem that the board needs to be primarily in the down position to be lifted out of the trunk. Lastly, has anyone beached their boat and tried to roll it over on its gunwale to inspect or work on that area? If so were any precautions taken to protect the finish and structure of the contact area?
Thanks!

 

[Hunter216]

I'm curious if any of you who own a H-18 have had to replace the centerboard flap? If so what did the job entail? Mine is currently on a small lift and just gaining visual access requires getting in the water and under the boat and my recollection of how the flap is attached is vague at best. Also, has anyone pulled the board and how did you go about it? My lift cradle is constructed similar to the trailer with a cross member preventing the board from rotating down more than 5-10 degrees and it would seem that the board needs to be primarily in the down position to be lifted out of the trunk. Lastly, has anyone beached their boat and tried to roll it over on its gunwale to inspect or work on that area? If so were any precautions taken to protect the finish and structure of the contact area?
Thanks!

Assuming that Hunter used the same approach on the 180 as they did on other models such as the 216 that I have the strips are attached with double sided tape and small screws with washers.

Getting at the bottom is the challenge.

I’m not sure what your complete repair requirement is but perhaps you could find a shallow area where you could flop the boat on its side and work in hip deep water?

 

[CurtisC]

Assuming that Hunter used the same approach on the 180 as they did on other models such as the 216 that I have the strips are attached with double sided tape and small screws with washers.

Getting at the bottom is the challenge.

I’m not sure what your complete repair requirement is but perhaps you could find a shallow area where you could flop the boat on its side and work in hip deep water?

The repair issue is one side of the flap got damage somehow and the thread is slowly unraveling and sheading. I periodically have to cut thread clumps off. At some point I assume I'll lose most of one side. So from your description I assume there's double sided tape between flap and hull with a line of screws thru the flap and tape into the hull? Assuming the board remains up for this job I should be able to do the work while on the lift. I like your suggestion on shallow water flip - avoids point loading the gunwale. My last 2 questions are geared at inspecting and possibly working on the leading and trailing edge of the board as a way of addressing board hum at higher speed.
Thanks

 

[Hunter216]

The repair issue is one side of the flap got damage somehow and the thread is slowly unraveling and sheading. I periodically have to cut thread clumps off. At some point I assume I'll lose most of one side. So from your description I assume there's double sided tape between flap and hull with a line of screws thru the flap and tape into the hull? Assuming the board remains up for this job I should be able to do the work while on the lift. I like your suggestion on shallow water flip - avoids point loading the gunwale. My last 2 questions are geared at inspecting and possibly working on the leading and trailing edge of the board as a way of addressing board hum at higher speed.
Thanks

I’ve never even seen a 180 so I’m only going on what I know to be the case on our 216 so please bear that in mind. I can’t see why the board would need to be down to do the work. Likely more of an issue at getting at the screws and being able to get the tape etc on straight with the boat on the lift or trailer.

If you are going to replace the strips you should probably contact the SBO store guys here and get the correct parts. I don’t see the 180 listed in the store although the 170 is. Best to be sure before you remove anything

Hunter resources, by model

Hunter resources, by model

hunter.sailboatowners.com

Flopping the boat on the water would let you at least inspect the board for dings etc. I’m not sure how your board is constructed so if you were going to fill and fair it that might include plucking it from the hull and I have no idea of how to do that.

 

[CurtisC]

Status update on my centerboard flap issue. After getting in the water with boat on the lift I got a good look at problem (see attached). The flaps are a stiff plastic with fiberglass cloth bonded to the outer surface. As you can see the cloth is de-bonding and subsequently the fibers are unraveling out of the weave. The replacement flap set (comes as 2 pairs) @ $180. Given the remaining plastic is sturdy and fairly stiff I'm not sure why they bond the cloth on to begin with? Subsequently I trimmed off the de-bonded cloth and fibers and plan to run it as is trimming additional cloth as needed.
After pondering the centerboard removal some more I think the easiest approach might be to float the boat in enough water to get the board full down and the use the main halyard to pull it out. If needed, add a snatch block and tie the halyard back off at the spreaders.

 

[Hunter216]

Status update on my centerboard flap issue. After getting in the water with boat on the lift I got a good look at problem (see attached). The flaps are a stiff plastic with fiberglass cloth bonded to the outer surface. As you can see the cloth is de-bonding and subsequently the fibers are unraveling out of the weave. The replacement flap set (comes as 2 pairs) @ $180. Given the remaining plastic is sturdy and fairly stiff I'm not sure why they bond the cloth on to begin with? Subsequently I trimmed off the de-bonded cloth and fibers and plan to run it as is trimming additional cloth as needed.
After pondering the centerboard removal some more I think the easiest approach might be to float the boat in enough water to get the board full down and the use the main halyard to pull it out. If needed, add a snatch block and tie the halyard back off at the spreaders.
View attachment 177305

The “flaps” on my 216 are just stiff plastic. As far as I know they are original and the boat is 2004 so I don’t see the purpose of the fibre either.