Looking at a 1980 36' Cherubini Hunter tomorrow

[Alctel]

Hi all,

I am looking at a 1980 36' Cherubini Hunter tomorrow, mainly as a liveaboard in the Victoria BC area.

I've done a ton of my own research, but this seems like a fantastic repository of knowledge, so if someone could answer a couple of questions I'd be extremely grateful

- What are the main problem areas? I'm going to get a full survey done but I'd rather not waste my money if there are obvious problems. From my research the mast step area seems to be a bit of a problem area, any others? I'm slightly worried since this was a boat that got repossessed by the marina.

- I know this is a bit like asking 'what does fish taste like' since every boat is different, but how much should I be looking to pay? It still has original engine, a new stove and fridge, and everything looks fairly ok condition if a bit grubby (from the pictures)

- I've purchased (and been reading) This Old Boat, are there any 'must-have' books that anyone would recommend? Any tips?

Thank you very much for your time

 

[BayMan]

Had a deal fall through last year for an '81 Cherubini 37'- the reason? Wet deck core. Your surveyor should be all over that. Nice boat. Had all sails (3) out in test run in 20+kt wind and it was humming along nicely.

 

[David in Sandusky]

Survey for any boat of this age and value

Our survey on our '77 h27 we bought for $9,000 more than paid for itself. An h36 will be worth substantially more. That is because while our 30+ year old boats have common problems, each boat has a unique history, unique prior owners, and, therefore, its own set of issues.

Root causes of issues in the order of my memory of frequency in our discussions on this site include:

1. Water getting into wood, and causing rot. Possible places are the mast step, the deck, the grid below the floor, and the bulkheads.

2. Corrosion, especially for salt water boats. Possible places: wiring, standing rigging, cooling and exhaust systems.

3. The engine can be anywhere from very good to ready to die. It's not in the scope of a regular surveyor - I think it is worth hiring an engine specialist check it out, and test it.

The h36 hull is very similar to the h37c, so experiences of both can guide you.

I hope this boat works out for you. The h36 is a great design!

 

[teebutch]

For value the marina has no to little money in it but what the slip rent would have been for the last 12-18 months. The prior owner just left it so I would try to talk to the owners of boats near it to see if they know the story about the owner and boat. For negotiations I would start at 12 x the slip rent. The marina is in the business of renting slips not selling boats. Since the po left it they know more about the problems get the survey but negotiate the price hard. Maybe the po passed away. I would do a little research on them also.

Good luck

 

[jerrylawson]

I have owned a 1980 cherubini for three years and I think these are great boats, however I have spent over 25k totally restoring the boat from the ground up. As always every boat has been cared for differently.
If you are interested in a boat that is totally restored I will send you some info and pictures of Jolly Mon ,along with the complete list of work that has been done over the last three years. I would ask about 38k for the boat if I were to sell her.

 

[Alctel]

Thanks for all the advice!

 

[jwdickerson]

I bought my H37C 2 years ago for $12K and spent another $7,500 in the next 6 months making her fit to sail. If you're considering living aboard, mold may be one of the biggest issues you'll need to address. We ripped out all of the hull liner fabric and a whole lot of teak to get rid of the mold. Still a bit in really hard to reach spots.

Check chain plates for integrity; toe/rub rail bolts for security; swages on standing rigging for cracks; sail fabric and stitching for overall strength (I replaced inner staysail for $1350, but I think I have the original mainsail still working!). And don't even consider keeping the old cushion material - again mold and other nasties.

I had to replace a bend rudder; scraped and had the bottom re-done; replaced all of the through-hulls.

Always something else, but she sails beautifully and I single-hand her whenever my wife doesn't want to go.

Definitely get a good survey done. And take a sailing friend along with you when the survey is done so you can both see the whole boat out of the water - friends will see the blemishes and pimples, buyers see everything shinier.