Larger sail on my "Hunter 170"?

[ddeand]

I put the name of the boat in quotation marks because my boat is something of a hybrid. Here's a step-by-step explanation on what I'd like to do - and I need some advice.

• I have a Hunter 170 that has a replacement Hunter 18 hull - the rigging and sails are 170, but the boat itself is a new fiberglass 18.
• The new Hunter 18 has different sail sizes - the mainsail is approximately 20% larger than the 170 sail. The jibs are very close to the same size in terms of square feet.
• I'd like to upgrade my 170 mainsail to a new 18 mainsail, but the mast and boom on the 18 are different from the mast and boom on the 170. My 170 mast is about 25' tall while the new 18 mast is 24.5' tall. The boom is almost a foot longer.
• My plan is to keep the 170 mast, all the rigging, and the jib and replace the boom and the mainsail with the larger 18 sail and boom. Given that the hull is set up for all the 18 stuff, it should be easy to just swap in the new boom and the new mainsail.

Does this sound correct? I'd like to hear from any of you who might have an opinion on this.

And while you're at it, are there any suggestions for cleaning the hull of a Hunter 18 at the end of the season? I just finished cleaning mine with a pressure washer and a hull cleaner, and I have to say that the whole operation pretty much kicked my ass.

Thanks for any help!

Dean

 

[esterhazyinoz]

If the mast height difference is only 6" it makes sense that the foot of the larger sail is longer. Your plan sounds logical but I would run it past Hunter with regard to the loads on the rigging for this hybrid.
Re cleaning, do you leave you boat in the water for the whole season? Maybe a mid-season scrub down, polish and wax would present you with less of a task later in the year.

 

[ddeand]

Thanks for the thoughts. Once the "take-out" season is over, I'm going to visit the local shop that handles Hunter rigging and go over the details of adding the longer boom and new sail.

As for the boat cleaning, I think I may have to take it out at mid-season to clean her up. The wax idea sounds good, too. I just wish there were some way to get the boat upside down for the cleaning.

Thanks again.

Dean

 

[esterhazyinoz]

While your hull is new, stay on top of it. It will be easier now than later when the smooth surface gets abraded.
It would be great if you could just flip these hulls over to make it easier to clean, polish and wax. I have a 'hairy' microfibre mob thingo on an extendable handle that allows me to reach under my boat with ease but to wax (having a new boat also I haven't needed to polish it yet) I have to crawl under the boat to reach the compete surface. I use a Autoglym brand wax that I found out that the boat yards use on their boats for sale because it lasts a long time. There are some good products out there now to clean, polish and wax. Even still it is a bummer of a job but even worse if you keep putting it off.
Cheers!

 

[ddeand]

Thanks for the additional info. I took the boat to winter storage today - it was kinda sad. I had dinged the prow in a couple spots and was able to patch those spots with gel paste - but it was pretty cold, so it took awhile to set up. I'll have to do the sanding next spring. I also will wax the boat next spring before I put it in the water.

I wish I had about six young friends who were very strong and just a little stupid - then I could talk them into turning the boat upside down on the lawn when I clean the bottom. Unfortunately, all my friends are old, have bad backs, and are fairly bright (or they're on to my tricks). This summer, I saw a guy tip his boat on its side while in waist deep water (a little like when the boat gets blown over in the water). With the mainsail off, he cleaned one side, then tipped it over the other way and cleaned the other side. The boat seemed to float well enough while he did the work. I'll check with the other Hunter owners who moor where I do - they might also have some ideas.

Thanks again for the help.

Dean

 

[esterhazyinoz]

The 'tip on the side' trick sounds good. The mast will give you the leverage to easily pull it down onto its side. If you have a little sandy beach nearby you can do it there without standing waste deep in water.
Our summer is just starting here and I am looking forward to getting back into my boat.
Have a good winter Northerner!
Cheers,
Hollis

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

May I suggest that you direct your question to customerservice@huntermarine.com att. Al Fooks. He can answer that very nicely for you.

As for the dings, you can order Plexis from Hunter for repair or there are some fillers that will work for this but must be plastic related as most other fillers to include bondo will not work.

When repairing with plexis, sand the area, and make sure the edges are at 45% angles from inside to outside. Let it dry and then sand with 220 wet and dry. Then spray a little black or gray paint and sand with 400 with the sandpaper over a board. You will then be able to determine the low spots to add more filler. Then sand with 400 and then 800 wet and dry. Ask Hunter which Krylone spray paint will match as I forgot that number but what you spray much be sanded and any overlapping I suggest that too be sanded with 400.

crazy dave

 

[ddeand]

Thanks for the info - I appreciate it. I checked with the local Hunter dealer, and we're going to meet sometime this winter and go over my ideas.

Thanks again,
Dean

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Oops, /when I responded earlier, I was thinking of the 170 , not the 18 hull which is fiberglass requiring a differnt style of repair. My apology folks.

crazy