We recently purchased a Hunter 1991 30t that hasn't seen much TLC. Not really neglected, it just hasn't seen much upkeep or preventive maintenance. To make a short story long, things keep going wrong. Starter gave out, batteries aren't charging, Jib halyard snapped, cutlass bearing gave out, you get the picture. I'd love to hear from other Hunter owners that rehabilitated a money pit like ours and found many years of trouble-free sailing. In short, "happily-ever-after" stories to make us feel better about all the money we're sinking (bad term!) SPENDING on this lovely but troublesome craft. Thanks!
- Status
Hole in the water to pour money into!
Lynn: Haven't you ever heard about this? Starter going out! This is probably improper use. This sounds like there was misuse when the engine would not start properly. You should not grind on the starter. If the engine is hard starting, be sure to close the raw water intake until the engine starts, other wise you will now what a money pit is all about. You can suck raw water into the cylinders a really screw up the engine. Our Yanmar starts almost immediately (one-three revs) unless its been 4 or more weeks since last start. Batteries are just maintenance items. Depending on the charger and the battery type. Batteries last for a year or two upto 10-12 years. Have the batteries and the charger checked out. No sense in replacing batteries that are getting fried by the charger. If they are wet cell batteries and the boat has been neglected this should be anticipated. There has been many posts on some of the factory chargers, which probably should be replaced. You can check the archives. Halyard snapped? We just replaced our halyards after 14 years on our H'31. I am sure that would have lasted for another couple of years. Probably you should inspect the sheaves at the top and bottom of the mast to make sure that they are not eating the line. Cutlass bearing should have been checked during a survey. We just replaced ours last year after 13 years, but many boats have them replaced more often. Depends on engine alignment, shaft condition, prop balance etc. Didn't you have a survey on this boat? If you did, what the hell did this guy check out. The couple of things that you mentioned here should have and would have been caught by a competent surveyor. Ask him what he did for YOUR money? Did he check the boat to see if it was floating? We have done much of what you are going through now but we are comming up on 15 years. This past year we replace all halyards, battery charger, new batteries, new head, new main sail, and several other small items but you need to expect some of this stuff. I would recomend that you have your engine serviced and make sure that everything in the engine is set up properly. Should be easy to start. Change your oil every year or 100 hrs. which even happens first. Change you transmission oil too. Change your fuel filters, clean your air filter and check your fuel condition. If the fuel is not clean drain your tank and start fresh. Flush your holding tank and sanitize you fresh water system. Be sure that your hoses and belts are replaced and replace the raw water impeller. Check all of your running rigging. If you get ahead of some of these problems it should help you enjoy your sailing time a lot more. Good luck.
Lynn: Haven't you ever heard about this? Starter going out! This is probably improper use. This sounds like there was misuse when the engine would not start properly. You should not grind on the starter. If the engine is hard starting, be sure to close the raw water intake until the engine starts, other wise you will now what a money pit is all about. You can suck raw water into the cylinders a really screw up the engine. Our Yanmar starts almost immediately (one-three revs) unless its been 4 or more weeks since last start. Batteries are just maintenance items. Depending on the charger and the battery type. Batteries last for a year or two upto 10-12 years. Have the batteries and the charger checked out. No sense in replacing batteries that are getting fried by the charger. If they are wet cell batteries and the boat has been neglected this should be anticipated. There has been many posts on some of the factory chargers, which probably should be replaced. You can check the archives. Halyard snapped? We just replaced our halyards after 14 years on our H'31. I am sure that would have lasted for another couple of years. Probably you should inspect the sheaves at the top and bottom of the mast to make sure that they are not eating the line. Cutlass bearing should have been checked during a survey. We just replaced ours last year after 13 years, but many boats have them replaced more often. Depends on engine alignment, shaft condition, prop balance etc. Didn't you have a survey on this boat? If you did, what the hell did this guy check out. The couple of things that you mentioned here should have and would have been caught by a competent surveyor. Ask him what he did for YOUR money? Did he check the boat to see if it was floating? We have done much of what you are going through now but we are comming up on 15 years. This past year we replace all halyards, battery charger, new batteries, new head, new main sail, and several other small items but you need to expect some of this stuff. I would recomend that you have your engine serviced and make sure that everything in the engine is set up properly. Should be easy to start. Change your oil every year or 100 hrs. which even happens first. Change you transmission oil too. Change your fuel filters, clean your air filter and check your fuel condition. If the fuel is not clean drain your tank and start fresh. Flush your holding tank and sanitize you fresh water system. Be sure that your hoses and belts are replaced and replace the raw water impeller. Check all of your running rigging. If you get ahead of some of these problems it should help you enjoy your sailing time a lot more. Good luck.
you have just begun to spend 
1991 - thats a new boat, the tanks don't leak, the hoses are good, the engine runs, the rudder is not cracked, the keel bolts are all good, the stove works and most of the wiring -- heck sakes whatever are you talking about! I bet the bilge pump even works good luck and good sailing terry s/v stardust
1991 - thats a new boat, the tanks don't leak, the hoses are good, the engine runs, the rudder is not cracked, the keel bolts are all good, the stove works and most of the wiring -- heck sakes whatever are you talking about! I bet the bilge pump even works
good luck and good sailing terry s/v stardustIt NEVER ends...
You're just beginning to find out what B.O.A.T. stands for: Break Out Another Thousand. There is no point at which it's possible to enjoy years of boat ownership without expense...EVERYthing requires maintenance, adjustment and repair--from the first day a boat is delivered from the dealership. If the first owner thinks a new boat doesn't require any, the next owner gets a boat that needs a lot--as you're discovering. And even with maintenance, 10 years is just about the lifespan of most equipment on a boat--the point at which repair parts cease to become available and, one thing at a time, everything begins to require replacement. The upside: you have an excuse to replace obsolete with state of the art. There are those who find ways to keep the obsolete stuff going with chewing gum and bailing wire, but they lose as much or more when they sell the boat as they would have spent to do things right.
You're just beginning to find out what B.O.A.T. stands for: Break Out Another Thousand. There is no point at which it's possible to enjoy years of boat ownership without expense...EVERYthing requires maintenance, adjustment and repair--from the first day a boat is delivered from the dealership. If the first owner thinks a new boat doesn't require any, the next owner gets a boat that needs a lot--as you're discovering. And even with maintenance, 10 years is just about the lifespan of most equipment on a boat--the point at which repair parts cease to become available and, one thing at a time, everything begins to require replacement. The upside: you have an excuse to replace obsolete with state of the art. There are those who find ways to keep the obsolete stuff going with chewing gum and bailing wire, but they lose as much or more when they sell the boat as they would have spent to do things right.
Once / Over is enough
I've been there twice. I looked for a good buy, a boat that was basically good, but neglected and the price reflected. If it isn't a good buy forget it because you are going to spend a couple of grand to bring it up to a good boat. The main thing is the engine and the hull. DON'T WAIT FOR THINGS TO BREAK. Go over the boat from head to stern and replace what will need replacing in the next year. You mentioned a breaking halyard, this is general maintenace. You also mentioned replacing the cutlas, [general maintenace], check the engine alignment, this should have been done immediately. Sometimes we bring on our own headaches.
I've been there twice. I looked for a good buy, a boat that was basically good, but neglected and the price reflected. If it isn't a good buy forget it because you are going to spend a couple of grand to bring it up to a good boat. The main thing is the engine and the hull. DON'T WAIT FOR THINGS TO BREAK. Go over the boat from head to stern and replace what will need replacing in the next year. You mentioned a breaking halyard, this is general maintenace. You also mentioned replacing the cutlas, [general maintenace], check the engine alignment, this should have been done immediately. Sometimes we bring on our own headaches.
running rigging
A snapped halyard indicates some serious overdue maintenance, if not outright neglect. You ought to consider replacing all running rigging before you take your boat out in any kind of breeze. While you're at it, have your rigger inspect the standing rigging, which on most boats should be replaced every ten years. ... Lynn, a lot of people buy decade-old boats thinking that new cushions and canvas is all they'll need, and end up frustrated because the boats have to be completely re-rigged. It's a shame your surveyor didn't alert you to what your boat needs.
A snapped halyard indicates some serious overdue maintenance, if not outright neglect. You ought to consider replacing all running rigging before you take your boat out in any kind of breeze. While you're at it, have your rigger inspect the standing rigging, which on most boats should be replaced every ten years. ... Lynn, a lot of people buy decade-old boats thinking that new cushions and canvas is all they'll need, and end up frustrated because the boats have to be completely re-rigged. It's a shame your surveyor didn't alert you to what your boat needs.
It's partially up to you...
Boats are not cars. They are women. They make you pay if you neglect or mistreat them. On the other hand, if you give them attention, treat them with respect and TLC, they will only disappoint you every so often and even provide a little pleasure. Many of the problems boat owners have and spend $$$ on result from no or improper maintenance and/or misuse of the system. If you don't know how to use and maintain your batteries, they will not last. If you do not maintain and operate your engine properly, it will break down. If you do not keep your boat clean and washed down, your rigging will jam. If you do not clean your bilge, your bilge pump will fail. Etcetera. If you do not know what you are doing it is easy to do things that can cause big buck failures. I am presuming this is your first boat and you have little experience with them, if I'm wrong sorry about the blather. Before I bought my first boat a couple years ago, an 88 '35, I bought Nigel Calder's book: "Boat Owners Mechanical and Electrical Manual" and read most of it. You can find it at West Marine and BoatUS. I highly recommend it. A big red hardcover book. It covers in detail all the major systems on the boat, and is particularly excellent on the electrical systems. It covers some stuff you probably don't need (I'm not up to rebuilding transmissions) but it explains how everything works and explains how to fix or improve most everything. I feel the knowledge I gained from this book has saved me thousands of dollars and tons of aggravation. Not only that, when you know how things work, you at least have a shot of fixing things when if they stop working out on the water. You should also have a manual for the engine, Yanmar's or Sealoc (the latter being better for novices like me, IMHO - available in on-line bookstores). Finally, make it a point to regularly browse the HOW. I've learned lots of helpful tips on maintaining and using the boat. Even with all that it's a learning experience. My boat seemed fairly well maintained, but after I got it, I doubt that the fuel filters had been changed for years. Both primary and secondary filters were full of crap. The air filter had literally rotted away and been sucked thru the engine. Fortunately Yanmars are tough. I changed all the filters, lubrications, cleaned out the gas tank, and then had a mechanic check it out. Except for a clogged filter, haven't had a breakdown yet (knock on fiberglass). Had I not done this stuff I have no doubt I would have and probably had a messed up engine. I have not had to make major outlays in the 2 years I've owned the boat. Part of it is luck and who knows what will happen tomorrow. But if you learn about and maintain your systems, you should have fewer problems and hopefully minimize the expense involved.
Boats are not cars. They are women. They make you pay if you neglect or mistreat them. On the other hand, if you give them attention, treat them with respect and TLC, they will only disappoint you every so often and even provide a little pleasure. Many of the problems boat owners have and spend $$$ on result from no or improper maintenance and/or misuse of the system. If you don't know how to use and maintain your batteries, they will not last. If you do not maintain and operate your engine properly, it will break down. If you do not keep your boat clean and washed down, your rigging will jam. If you do not clean your bilge, your bilge pump will fail. Etcetera. If you do not know what you are doing it is easy to do things that can cause big buck failures. I am presuming this is your first boat and you have little experience with them, if I'm wrong sorry about the blather. Before I bought my first boat a couple years ago, an 88 '35, I bought Nigel Calder's book: "Boat Owners Mechanical and Electrical Manual" and read most of it. You can find it at West Marine and BoatUS. I highly recommend it. A big red hardcover book. It covers in detail all the major systems on the boat, and is particularly excellent on the electrical systems. It covers some stuff you probably don't need (I'm not up to rebuilding transmissions) but it explains how everything works and explains how to fix or improve most everything. I feel the knowledge I gained from this book has saved me thousands of dollars and tons of aggravation. Not only that, when you know how things work, you at least have a shot of fixing things when if they stop working out on the water. You should also have a manual for the engine, Yanmar's or Sealoc (the latter being better for novices like me, IMHO - available in on-line bookstores). Finally, make it a point to regularly browse the HOW. I've learned lots of helpful tips on maintaining and using the boat. Even with all that it's a learning experience. My boat seemed fairly well maintained, but after I got it, I doubt that the fuel filters had been changed for years. Both primary and secondary filters were full of crap. The air filter had literally rotted away and been sucked thru the engine. Fortunately Yanmars are tough. I changed all the filters, lubrications, cleaned out the gas tank, and then had a mechanic check it out. Except for a clogged filter, haven't had a breakdown yet (knock on fiberglass). Had I not done this stuff I have no doubt I would have and probably had a messed up engine. I have not had to make major outlays in the 2 years I've owned the boat. Part of it is luck and who knows what will happen tomorrow. But if you learn about and maintain your systems, you should have fewer problems and hopefully minimize the expense involved.
It Is Worth The Expense
Bought my 1991 30T five years ago from a man who hardly ever used it. A very experienced surveyor found only a couple of insignificant things to fix and started his report with "this boat shows as new." I started immediately on maintenance by taking construction sawdust out of bilge, drawers and lockers followed by changing all engine filters and fluids. Washed out fuel tank (dirty fuel) and fresh water tank. Within a year the things you describe started happening - replaced cutlass bearing, batteries, repaired sails, rigging, toilet pump, leaking faucets, gaskets on overhead hatches, broken ball valve at a thru-hull, engine exhaust elbow and the list goes on. Recently two major projects - last fall replaced the holding tank and last week the hot water tank. Both big jobs since a 30T is built around all the tanks. Bottom line is that they have all cost money and lots of time (mostly mine) but every dollar and minute is worth it. Don't dispair. Time on the water more than compensates for everything. If you need advice on any of your 30T projects let me know as I keep a written description accompanied by photographs. Happy sailing!!
Bought my 1991 30T five years ago from a man who hardly ever used it. A very experienced surveyor found only a couple of insignificant things to fix and started his report with "this boat shows as new." I started immediately on maintenance by taking construction sawdust out of bilge, drawers and lockers followed by changing all engine filters and fluids. Washed out fuel tank (dirty fuel) and fresh water tank. Within a year the things you describe started happening - replaced cutlass bearing, batteries, repaired sails, rigging, toilet pump, leaking faucets, gaskets on overhead hatches, broken ball valve at a thru-hull, engine exhaust elbow and the list goes on. Recently two major projects - last fall replaced the holding tank and last week the hot water tank. Both big jobs since a 30T is built around all the tanks. Bottom line is that they have all cost money and lots of time (mostly mine) but every dollar and minute is worth it. Don't dispair. Time on the water more than compensates for everything. If you need advice on any of your 30T projects let me know as I keep a written description accompanied by photographs. Happy sailing!!
Worth it all
OK, I'll give you the encouraging word!I got lucky and bought a really low hour '87 28.5 that had been well cared for. I have spent money on things I wanted like a larger genoa, full battens and "tune-up" of the main sail, new head since the old one was out of mfg. , but I have to admit that I'm able to throw away my catalogs now because I don't have a wish list anymore. I use my boat at least 1-3 times per week, 12 mo. per year and I'm amazed at how well it holds up. Fix it right the first time , don't cut corners, and other than wanting another 5 ft. larger boat, there is light at the end of the tunnel!!! All the previous posts give good advice.
OK, I'll give you the encouraging word!I got lucky and bought a really low hour '87 28.5 that had been well cared for. I have spent money on things I wanted like a larger genoa, full battens and "tune-up" of the main sail, new head since the old one was out of mfg. , but I have to admit that I'm able to throw away my catalogs now because I don't have a wish list anymore. I use my boat at least 1-3 times per week, 12 mo. per year and I'm amazed at how well it holds up. Fix it right the first time , don't cut corners, and other than wanting another 5 ft. larger boat, there is light at the end of the tunnel!!! All the previous posts give good advice.
Don't give up
Don't give up. I just had my one year anniversary of being a first time keel boat owner, a used 1989 Hunter 30. I had surprises right away. Any saftey related items need prompt attention but frills can wait. It isn't a cheap sport but costs can be kept down by doing repairs yourself and being a cost wise consumer. Some items at a marine center can be found for less at a discount hardware store. You must have bought your boat because you enjoy sailing and being on the water. Remember to enjoy yourself. If you find it is too expensive, you always have the option of selling. Good luck! Doug S/V Brenda Gail
Don't give up. I just had my one year anniversary of being a first time keel boat owner, a used 1989 Hunter 30. I had surprises right away. Any saftey related items need prompt attention but frills can wait. It isn't a cheap sport but costs can be kept down by doing repairs yourself and being a cost wise consumer. Some items at a marine center can be found for less at a discount hardware store. You must have bought your boat because you enjoy sailing and being on the water. Remember to enjoy yourself. If you find it is too expensive, you always have the option of selling. Good luck! Doug S/V Brenda Gail
- Status