Hunter 31

[bobmorning]

I am about to put a deposit on a really clean and well kept 1984 Hunter 31 tall rig. Besides the compression post and rudder issues on Hunters and the obvious defects that any boat might have; what should I and the surveyor being also looking for.

Boat appears well maintained and cared for, seller is retiring and moving to a bigger boat for the 3-5 year retirement cruise.

Your thoughts would be most appreciated. Would it be unethical for me to post the inventory list of what conveys with the boat assuming I redact the info that would reveal the buyer or the actual hull id? I would appreciate any opinions both good, bad, and otherwise.

Bob M.

 

[Steve Dion]

Bob:

There were not too many problems with these boats. We never had an issue with out rudder, but out boat lived in the water 24 x 7.

Some owners have had problems with the cabin sole rotting out (water trapped below).

I would also check the water tank to make sure that it does not leak when filled. Same goes for the holding tank (built in under the v-berth). The other issue would be the head plumbing the orignal ones were plumbed for overboard discharge but that is a personal thing. New hoses are a SOB to replace, but it can be done.

You will enjoy this boat. We owned ours from 1987 - 2007.

 

[stephen Penny]

I purchased a 1987 31' Hunter last November. It was generally in great shape and most things worked. I wet sanded the bottom and re-painted and cleaned the prop and shaft while it was out for a survey. I checked all the systems, including electrical, shaft, propeller, sails, navigation instruments, standing and running rigging, etc. I cleaned and polished the fiberglass and replaced or repaired all the non-working items. The boat is extremely dry. I changed all the engine fluids and filters, sanitized the water tank and purged the old water. I also purged the head and holding tank. Hopefully you have a battery charger, newer sails, rigging (standing and running), navigation instruments and updated VHF radio with emergency distress signal capability with gps add-on. Great boat. I was sailed at 8.5 knots last weekend to SF and 7.5 knots back with a full dodger (new) and a 36 ft boat behind me who never caught me in the 2 hour sail.

 

[Chuck Creel]

i also am mkaing an offer on a 1987 H-31.

Boat is in pristine condition for age and sails are good.

Understand they can be a bit tender and light on their feet.

How do they do in light air?

 

[stephen Penny]

Like all cruising sailboats they need wind to get going. Suggest a lighter boat for light wind conditions. The 1987 Hunter 31 fin keel is relatively ast in the SF bay.

 

[george schmidbauer]

I've owned my 84 hunter 31 for 2 year now and love it. I have not had any major problems as of yet.At the survey the post and rudder looked ok. Have a yanmar engine which is still stong.Maybe I'll see you on the water!

 

[george schmidbauer]

Chuck, the boat likes to sail at about 5- 10 degrees of heel. I've never had the rail in the water. I fly a 130 genoa. Down wind I don't go wing on wing, I broad reach because of the spreaders and the boat goes just find. The prfh rating is about 174.By the way my boats draft is 4'.

 

[stephen Penny]

I purchased a 1987 Hunter 31 last November. The only issue the surveyor suspected was a water-infiltrated rudder. Two independent local boat yard service managers and Foss Rudder disputed this claim. So I saved $1500+ for an exploratory investigation. Inspect the boat’s systems, sails, running and standing rigging, sails, pumps, winches, etc. for functionality and operability. PO listed an a-spinnaker and douser sock and radar in the sales add. The a-spinnaker and douser sock were not provided after a checked the sail inventory. The rader did not work so I tossed it and replaced it with a new Garmin radar/chartplotter. I replaced the tired main and geneoa sails with 8.3 ounce dacron high moduls dacron sails. It sails great in the SF bay at 25 knots. As Steve Dion taught me, “reef early and often”. I double reefed today once I got out of the marina then furled in the geneoa 50% when I experienced 30+ knot winds and she was still was sailing comfortably at 7-8+ knots with the traveler fully out, heeled over and stable and without “round-up”. It is a strong boat.

 

[Keith13315]

We have had ours for 5 seasons and we love it. It is very good in all wind but we have a 150 Genny. We did a lot of little upgrades that made the Admrial happy. I put a stainless steel sink new scandivik faucets and corian top in the head. New galley faucets, a refrigerator conversion in the ice box. She re-covered the cushions in the cabin. BEST OF ALL MEMORY FOAM in the aft cabin and V berth. We sleep in the aft cabin. Oh DC fans in the main cabin, aft cabin and V berth. The sails were good the main was new high tech for raciing but we don't race the head sail needs replacing now after 5 years of additional use. As far as tender I don't think it's too bad. The one thing that absolutely needs to be done if it is not is the weap hole in the bilge needs to be made bigger and bleach water solution needs to be poured in under the v berth to kill the stinky water sludge that lives there then rinse with fresh water. Do thei several times a season or year. We had a foul oder and finely figured it out the water stays between the hull and liner and rots. But all smells well now.
Keith