Looking at H37C

[PamC]

Hi All,

My husband and I are going to look at a Hunter Cherubini 37 on Saturday. I'm looking for some guidance from those of you who are familiar with this boat. If you were looking at a prospective H37C what would be on your list of things to check? I mean beyond the Don Casey list. I'm pretty much a geek about doing my research ahead of time. I feel kind of like I'm cheating on my homework, but for this upcoming weekend we are looking at five different boats and just the study of the blister issue on the Valiant 32 we're looking at took a day on it's own We are giving this H37C very serious consideration. One of the things we look for in boats is an active support community like this one. I've read quite a bit here on this forum and in the resource area. Enough to know that I should open the hatch under the starboard v-berth mattress and give a good sniff. What else should I be checking for that is specific to this boat. The one we are looking at is a 1982.
Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

 

[Jim Legere]

Leaky Bomar Gray ports that can lead to wet core in cabin sides. Leaks around the escutchion plates for the chainplates that can lead to wet core in the decks. (a plastic headed hammer should reveal any core delamination). Leaks from the dorade vent boxes. Gate valves instead of proper seacocks (most will have been changed by now...) Cracks or delamination in the rudder. Play in the lower rudder bearing. Older models with the 2 cyl. Yanmar a a bit underpowered. Pinhole leaks in water tanks... Old electrical system. Unlikely to have issues with the hull or rig.

In short, all the sort of problems you might expect to find in a 30 year old production boat. These boats boats are pretty solidly built - a little care to find the right one and some TLC and you will have a great boat. Lots of info on the fixes here on this forum.

 

[PamC]

Thanks Jim! That's exactly what I was looking for. And your promptness was a bonus.

 

[rardiH36]

Re your reference to the Don Casey list. Presume that you are referring to his "Inspecting the Aging Sailboat? I had this publication in hand in 2007 when I bought my first and only sailboat, a 1980 Cherubini Hunter 36. Used it during about four hours inspecting the boat (which happened to be on the hard which made things a bit easier) to get a really good understanding of its likely condition. Two weeks later, after negotiating the price/terms with the owner, I had the boat professionally surveyed. Just about everything that I had noted based upon Casey's book was supported either approved in good condition or flagged for repair/upgrade by the surveyor. The book I think should be a must for any buyer, whether a rookie or someone who has done it before. My boat has afforded me no surprises over the past five years of ownership. I think not bad for a 32 year old machine.

 

[PamC]

Re your reference to the Don Casey list. Presume that you are referring to his "Inspecting the Aging Sailboat?

Exactly. Dave & I have both read this more than once and it's an excellent resource, not just for the boat shopper, but the boat owner as well. It's a good reminder of what to keep an eye on.

However every model of boat seems to have it's set of "issues" that owners discuss when they get together. It's so valuable to have an active forum like this one to refer to.

 

[Mathurin]

I would add these to what Jim already listed, look for a corroded mast base and mast step, delaminated stringers in the bildge, rusted out sheave assembly beneath the pedestal (you can access this by the little door in the rear cabin or by the stbd locker), look for a new waste thank (the original one under the shower seat was inadequate), leaky deck tu hull joint, etc.

But as Jim said, they are built strong, but need to be well maintained as the are 30 years +

 

[sandpiper10471]

A good list presented by Jim. I might also addthat the handrails can add to wetness of the decks. Since the deck coring is plywood blocks and since you likely don't own a moisture meter ( a really good investment), look along the decks for areas of glass that appear to be raised slightly. When the ply gets saturated it expands and the footprint of the blocks shows up in an uneven glass surface.

 

[rardiH36]

A good list presented by Jim. I might also addthat the handrails can add to wetness of the decks. Since the deck coring is plywood blocks and since you likely don't own a moisture meter ( a really good investment), look along the decks for areas of glass that appear to be raised slightly. When the ply gets saturated it expands and the footprint of the blocks shows up in an uneven glass surface.

--- And the all the screw holes securing the "eyebrow" along the length of the cabin side above the windows. And the mounting points for the dodger frame and the sunbrella twist attach points which I found on my 1980 Cherubini Hunter 36 to be totally devoid of any sealing caulk. But these causes of H2O ingress into the core is common to all boats ... not just the Cherubini Hunters.

I can see the plywood square images showing through my cabin top sides. But in my case the plywood core in this area hadn't been damaged by water. The plywood square images show because the gelcoat had completely oxidized away, exposing the original fiberglass layup through which the squares were imprinted. I repainted the area with Interlux 2-Part Perfection. I can still see the "squares" when I sight down the cabin side.

Another item which may or may not be the same on the 37 (as my 36) is that there is no core at the forward end of the cabin top where the sides and top are rounded to angle to the forward slope near the bow. Just the upper layer of frp and the lower layer. This caused my purchase surveyor to suspect water damage because because of the different sound when he tapped in the region. Later, when I removed the handrails, I discovered the area is hollow. Whereas, moving back toward aft, the handrail screw holes did reveal the wood core. (And it was dry!).

 

[rardiH36]

A good list presented by Jim. I might also addthat the handrails can add to wetness of the decks. Since the deck coring is plywood blocks and since you likely don't own a moisture meter ( a really good investment), look along the decks for areas of glass that appear to be raised slightly. When the ply gets saturated it expands and the footprint of the blocks shows up in an uneven glass surface.

--- And the all the screw holes securing the "eyebrow" along the length of the cabin side above the windows. And the mounting points for the dodger frame and the sunbrella twist attach points which I found on my 1980 Cherubini Hunter 36 to be totally devoid of any sealing caulk. But these causes of H2O ingress into the core is common to all boats ... not just the Cherubini Hunters.

I can see the plywood square images showing through my cabin top sides. But in my case the plywood core in this area hadn't been damaged by water. The plywood square images show because the gelcoat had completely oxidized away, exposing the original fiberglass layup through which the squares were imprinted. I repainted the area with Interlux 2-Part Perfection. I can still see the "squares" when I sight down the cabin side.

Another item which may or may not be the same on the 37 (as my 36) is that there is no core at the forward end of the cabin top where the sides and top are rounded to angle to the forward slope near the bow. Just the upper layer of frp and the lower layer. This caused my purchase surveyor to suspect water damage because because of the different sound when he tapped in the region. Later, when I removed the handrails, I discovered the area is hollow. Whereas, moving back toward aft, the handrail screw holes did reveal the wood core. (And it was dry!).

 

[PamC]

Wow! Thank you all! We've been on the road all day so I'm just now catching up here. I will add all of this to our list.

I appreciate all of you taking the time to share your time and experience with me. A support group like this is every bit as valuable when considering a boat as the equipment on board. In fact, more valuable to me.

Thanks again.

 

[med2463]

We bought our 37c almost 3 years ago. Although I like it better than any other sailboat we've owned, including the Morgan o/i41 (my husband like the o/i better), we lived on for 4 years, if we had to do it over again, we would have bought a trawler at this point in our life. There are many things we like about the boat. Things we don't lilke are the shrouds on the side decks, would prefer they be on the outside hull to make walking around the deck easier. The step from the cockpit seats and bridgedeck to the cockpit floor is high and hard on old knees. Currently we have a small step stool to make it easier to step up to the bridgedeck and cockpit seats. Soon we'll have a folding step in the corner by the bridgedeck and cockpit locker and then remove the step stool. It is also a big step from the side deck to the cabin top for me, so we are adding a folding step on the side of the cabin top. We'll eventually sell the 37c and get a trawler, but not sure when. We also want a bigger bed. We can have a daysailer at our dock for my husband to get his sailing "fix."

 

[PamC]

Thank you Mary. Accessibility is one of my husband's priorities as he's older than me, (but doesn't look or act it!). In fact for most of our boat search he wouldn't even consider a boat with a bridge deck for that reason. I'm sure those issues will come under his scrutiny as the placement of the shrouds will be one of my issues. I'm the one who prefers to be the deck monkey, so for me the route from stern to stem has to "fit".

I'm really glad you brought up these issues. I always feel kinda picky when I complain about these things, but when you're planning to live aboard half of the year, what may seem like a minor inconvenience, becomes a real thorn in your side.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Ergonomics are surely a very important part of your potential comfort on board. Also consider what I call the "oil dipstick check." Is it easy to get to or do you have to (like I did on a bareboat one time) take the cushions in the aft cabin apart to even get to it. Access to important routine maintenance issues becomes more and more important for us old geezers!