Looking at buying a Hunter 36 with moisture in the deck

[Waves of Possibility]

Greetings Hunter Community,

I am a graduate student in Portland OR looking to buy my first boat while I finish school. I have found a beautiful Hunter 36 that seems perfect for my dream of a liveaboard for the next several years followed by some serious cruising. The second time I went to look at this boat I noticed a soft spot (slight give when stepping on the deck and hollow sound when tapped) on the port deck around the shrouds and a little to the aft. When I asked the broker, it came out that the starboard deck had a 15" x 48" chunk of deck removed and repaired due to moisture. The repairs were very well done and I would never have know. The port side is what worries me. I am hoping for a little advice from folks that have had moisture in their decks.

1) Is this a can of worms that should just be walked away from?

2) Is this the type of thing that I could get an repair estimate and then end up paying 2 or 3 times the estimate when the deck gets opened up?

3) If I move to the next step with this boat and have it surveyed, will the surveyor be able to accurately assess the extent of the moisture? Or does it really just need to be opened up?

4) Roughly, what kind of costs would I be looking at to replace a 15" x 48" section of deck?

Any advice or suggestions are welcome.

Thanks,
Tim

 

[KD3PC]

can be a can of worms, especially if you are paying for the repair....with the number of boats for sale, walk...

Yes, often the repair is quoted, then a contingency is added to cover "undiscovered" moisture that would need to be repaired.

A good surveyor can often give you a decent guess, but unless he has thermal/infrared gear or drills....there is no way to definitively know

$80-125 per hour plus materials, since it is around the shrouds, that will add time, and the chain plates/attachment may possibly have issues (you did not mention the age of the boat) that need to be addressed while in there. Not seeing the boat makes it tough to guess hours? Could be 10-12 at the low end to 30-40, depending on what you have to take apart and stabilize, is the boat on the hard or in the water, etc.

Walk...unless you can get the seller to contribute an equal amount of money to projected repair costs, even then I would walk...dry boats are out there

 

[kito]

If the soft spots are around shroud chainplates I would be more concerned about the chainplate bulkheads down below. You MUST be able to inspect them by taking the teak plywood covers off to see any rot of those bulkheads. This involves removing the chainplates which also means possibly having to drop the mast. I am in the process of restoring a Hunter Cherubini 30. What may look good from the outside may not look so good on the inside behind the teak plywood covers. I am replacing 2 of my bulkeads now.
Don't be discouraged, these boats are built like tanks and worth the time and effort to fix them up. What can you expect from lazy PO's that don't maintain their boats? Water leaks through improperly sealed chainplates..... rots the core and eventually rots the bulkheads.

 

[Jim Legere]

If the purchase price is really cheap and you are handy with tools and fiberglass, wet deck core can be replaced as a DIY project. Its not for the faint of heart. See the blog of a Hunter 37 Cutter owner here - He did a great job. Blog is in French and English BTW.

 

[okanogan mike]

I agree with Jim. If the price is right and your handy with the tools . But theres more to check out than just decks. The bottom is more important to me not to mention the rigging. The mast step is also a concern. Lots to know but you found the right place to find all the right ansers. My 36 is also from Seattle area. Good luck. Mike

 

[Joe23455]

deck work

I purchased Trinity in 2003 36' hull # 30 1980. I knew she had soft decks when I bought her. Put it on my todo list and replaced the core 2006.
If you have hands and some time it is not difficult.
I replaced the length of port & starboard cabin side, installed new marine grade ply as she was originally built.... Removed deck skin carefully,
removed rotted core. Relaid(epoxied in new core},reset skin removed and
laid up new non-skid coating. Must be done with mast out. Inspect your chainplates(very easy visual inspection on the 36ft). She is a fine sailing
sloop. I have done many changes and upgrades and very much enjoy sailing
her. Sailboat repairs are not complicated if you approach your work with
a thought out plan of attack. Everything is usually fit and refit a few times before your make a secure attachment.. Hope this helps.

Joe
s/v trinity

 

[Alctel]

How come relaying the deck needed to be done with the mast out? Is it because of the chainplates?

I have some deck softness on one side of my boat and was thinking about taking care of it this summer, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to take the mast down until the winter

 

[Joe23455]

If you are referring to my post, I had to lift the deck skin from around the chainplates so the mast could not be in place. But your right in thinking if the rot is not in that area then you can remove the deck without having to release the shrouds. The rot on my decks originated at the chain plate cover area
and the moisture migrated in both directions(for & aft)
Hope this answers your question.

joe
s/v trinity

 

[Joe23455]

fore

 

[Alctel]

If you are referring to my post, I had to lift the deck skin from around the chainplates so the mast could not be in place. But your right in thinking if the rot is not in that area then you can remove the deck without having to release the shrouds. The rot on my decks originated at the chain plate cover area
and the moisture migrated in both directions(for & aft)
Hope this answers your question.

joe
s/v trinity

It does, thanks!

 

[Waves of Possibility]

Thanks for the feedback

Thanks everyone for your quick feedback and suggestions. Over the last week of research and mulling over the pros and cons, I am going to make an offer. If the survey comes back with no other major issues and the owner is willing to drop the price a bit to cover some of the costs, I'll be happy. This is a beautiful boat and fits my needs perfectly. I'll keep you all updated as I progress. Thanks!

Cheers,
Tim

 

[JonnyQuest]

They are nice looking boats and a nice size to boot. Let us know if you make the sale.