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Chris J.
I am a moderately experienced sailor who just bought his first 'big boat'. I sailed on 50 foot offshore racing boats for a few years a while ago (did Newport to Bermuda and Bermuda to Annapolis), and have sailed 19 foot daysailers since. I just bought a 1981 Hunter 27 for $1,200. It was pretty neglected for the past few years. However with a lot of cleaning, some replacement parts for the plumbing and head, and some fiberglass polish and paint, it is turning out to be a pretty nice boat. The outboard is in the shop (renault diesel removed in 2002 by previous owner). I have heard of the blistering problems on this model, and had a diver look at the hull, and he reported it was in good shape, with little growth, and no discernable blisters or cracking. I have a few questions for those of you with more expereience with this craft.MAST BEND - the mast has a slight bend because the previous owner sailed the boat in light winds with the port upper shroud loose (in fact the spreader end cap fell off). I have been up the mast, and there is no crimping of the metal, and I have replaced the spreader end cap, tightened the rig, but there is still a slight curvature between the spreader and the main deck (only a few inches, but still noticable). Second, the paint seems to be blistering a little at mid-mast with some light oxidationunderneath. Corrosion is not bad at this location, but I still ahve concerns. Someone back east here has told me to just tune out the bend, and that the mast was pretty sturdy. If there was no crimping of the mast, then it should be good. He also recommended that the next time I step the mast, to have the corrosion inspected and corrected. Any ideas?HULL BLISTERS - I will pull the boat out of the water next spring, and was wondering if I can do any preventative work on preventing the blistering problem.KEEL BOLTS - the bolts look good, and the bedding has no crushing, cracking, or any structural deformities. The bolts and nuts seem to also be in good repair with no corrosion on them. Is there anything else I need to look at?NEW DIESEL - I have a retractable motor mount on the stern with a 9.9 hp outboard. It looks like the motor will run well, but I wanted to know from anyone out there if it is worth putting in a diesel again. The engine space makes a nice tool stowage locker. I plan on using the boat as a live aboard, for sailing up and down the Chesapeake bay, and along the Virginia and NC coast. I have two new deep cycle marine batteries, and a smart charger on shore power. I only plan on using the engine to get me into and out of the slip, and am looking at a fair amount of single handing. Any advice?HATCH PORTS - Mine are slightly fogged (original plastic), and I was wondering if anyone makes an economical replacement. They are tight and do not leak at all, so I am happy with them, except the fogging...OCEAN SAILING - What do I need to do to the rig to make the boat good for sailing on open water (Atlantic Coast)? It seems to be a sturdy rig compared to some of the other models I have seen, but am unsure just how seaworthy the boat really is... The owners seem to like the boat for its heavy displacement and strong rig. I look forward to any comments people may have, and look forward to some serious sailing in the coming years. Chris J.