Hoping for some feedback from some knowledgeable owners. I have found an 84 hunter 34, but the mast appears to have a significant bow to the stern at the upper spreader. The owner claims it is a factory bend and they are all that way, but... Also, the cockpit sole Is very spongy, anyone ever repair that one? Any info is greatly appreciated.
Hunter 34 mast straightness
- Thread starter Bubblehead
- Start date
- Status
The bend in the mast is normal.
I had a spongy cockpit replaced two years ago at Osprey Marine in Deale, MD. Cost was $2700. I hated to pay that much but it needed to be done and was one of those things I thought was best left to the experts. They did a gereat job.
Depending on all other factors I wouldn't let th.at be a deal breaker but definitely an issue to reduce the price. Get an estimate from a reputable yard.
Good luck.
I had a spongy cockpit replaced two years ago at Osprey Marine in Deale, MD. Cost was $2700. I hated to pay that much but it needed to be done and was one of those things I thought was best left to the experts. They did a gereat job.
Depending on all other factors I wouldn't let th.at be a deal breaker but definitely an issue to reduce the price. Get an estimate from a reputable yard.
Good luck.
The mast should have bend of about 5" measured by running a taught line ( main halyard) from tip to bottom of the mast. You should be measuring at the back of the mast.
Spongy soles and decks can be fixed as good as or better than new- just allow for it in the price.
Spongy soles and decks can be fixed as good as or better than new- just allow for it in the price.
Thanks guys, any other words of wisdom or known things I should check for? I am sailing it tomorrow morning, can't wait!
One of the biggest issues with the 34's is the compression post deterioration. I have an 83 model and never had the problem. Look in the archives under "compression post" for the H34. Lot's of stuff there. The rest is all standard stuff. I've owned mine for 10 years. It's a great boat for my type of boating which is in the Chesapeake.
Good luck.
Good luck.
Bubble...
As Joe pointed out, almost all of the issues with the H34 are known and have been addressed at some point on the forum. Check H34 pricing and if the owner doesn't give a significant reduction for the cockpit sole, walk away if you're not prepared to make the repair.
And, as Richard pointed out, the mast bend shouldn't be that significantly above the top spreaders. These are B&R rigged boats. A B&R rig should be tuned with its pre-bending done with the mast off the boat. The bend should be over the entire mast length, not nearest the top. Once the bend is set, the shrouds and stays should just be to align the mast on the boat. I put a B&R rig tuning guide on another post if you want to reference it.
It sounds like to me that someone has cranked in too much backstay tension--is there a moveable adjuster on the backstay split cables? If so, it could be the boat was a "racer" and you should look at the rigging with much more intensity.
As Joe pointed out, almost all of the issues with the H34 are known and have been addressed at some point on the forum. Check H34 pricing and if the owner doesn't give a significant reduction for the cockpit sole, walk away if you're not prepared to make the repair.
And, as Richard pointed out, the mast bend shouldn't be that significantly above the top spreaders. These are B&R rigged boats. A B&R rig should be tuned with its pre-bending done with the mast off the boat. The bend should be over the entire mast length, not nearest the top. Once the bend is set, the shrouds and stays should just be to align the mast on the boat. I put a B&R rig tuning guide on another post if you want to reference it.
It sounds like to me that someone has cranked in too much backstay tension--is there a moveable adjuster on the backstay split cables? If so, it could be the boat was a "racer" and you should look at the rigging with much more intensity.
- Status