Just brought a 1986 Hunter 23 home - The rebuild!

[Roughsawn]

That rusty keel... Yeah. Took a cup brush (wire wheel) to it in an angle grinder and got all the flaky, rusty stuff off. Then gave it a couple treatments with Naval Jelly. Here it is after a good wire brushing:

Didn't grab a pic after the Naval Jelly treatments, but it turned the rusty spots grey, much like new cast iron should look.

Today, I resealed the hull to keel joint with some 5200 and painted the keel with a couple coats of Royal Blue Rustoleum paint. Of course I couldn't do the very bottom and under the wings, as it's on the trailer, but hit everything as best I could with a couple good coats. May even hit it again this week weather permitting.

She's looking pretty good!

New tires/rims should be in this week, and I think the only big project left to do is replace the running rigging for the mast! Hope to get that order in this week! We will be off to the lake SOON!!!

 

[Roughsawn]

Ready to go sailing! Been a LOOONNNGGG day. Her interior is all cleaned up, new tires on, bearings greased, a good topside scrubbing, and about a thousand misc. things finished!

Still need to find a good upholstery person make some new soft goods, but can't let that hold up the fun!

I pulled the boat under the carport and back by the shop back in January. Had to strip off ALL the topside hardware and flatten the tires to fit. Today was no exception pulling her out! 20 lbs of air in the new tires gives me about 1/2" clearance!

 

[Roughsawn]

She's now parked in the front yard. Gotta put the topside hardware on early tomorrow morning, replace main and jib halyards, throw a cooler with some cold ones in there and we are heading to her dock! More to come!!!

 

[SuzaruID]

She's now parked in the front yard. Gotta put the topside hardware on early tomorrow morning, replace main and jib halyards, throw a cooler with some cold ones in there and we are heading to her dock! More to come!!!

Hey Roughsawn! Wondering how your summer season went and what new projects you might have going this winter on the H23? Hope you are well and I love seeing pics of what you've done to restore the boat. After a season of sailing and sleeping on our H23, we have begun to shape some plans for a refit inside.

SuzaruID

 

[KE5HVM]

Awesome, and very helpful thread.
I know this is coming two years since this was all posted, but I might be coming home with a Hunter 23 this weekend, and this restoration thread has helped answer a lot of questions and relieved a lot of anxiety about the possible purchase.

 

[CrispyCringle]

They are good little boats and there is a good supply of parts available, This is the right forum for Hunter boat knowledge. Congrats!

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

@KE5HVM

keep us posted when you get the boat and then I suggest a new thread noting it is either a wing keel or a swing keel, Year, with some photos. As a dealer, I introduced the wing keel version and sold the last one built by Hunter in 1990/1991
Crazy Dave

@Roughsawn
Still remember and enjoy your posts on your restoration