My 1980 Hunter 30 rennovation

Jun 25, 2013
143
Hunter 30 Montreal
Hi everyone,

Here are a few pictures and a modest presentation of my last project who became a familial sailboat project rennovation. This is a 1980 Hunter 30. First of all, I let you know that I am not used to write in english, but I will try to do my best to be clear as possible!

We bought her in Vermont in april 2012 after 2 years of research and visiting sailboats of this category. We began to look only at Hunter 30, Catalina 30 and Ericson 29 built around this period of time and who were needing some TLC. We choose the Hunter for several reasons and we began to wait for an opportunity… we found one on spring 2012 and of course, this is not my first sailboat project, I knew what I was buying : time, work, and a bit of money… and it’s not finished!
So, here are some pictures I tooked when I bough the sailboat before I took here to Canada, in a marina near from my house, so I could work on it easily and minimise gaz (the boat was based in Vermont and it took me 3 hours each time I went there to see her. 6 hours total : very to far to let her staying there).


I will tray to detail each step in next weeks.

OK, the pictures have been deleted... so here are You Tube videos in wich I use all the pictures shown in this thread:

Part 1: The purchase and bringing her to Quebec


Part 2: The interior refit


Part 3: The hull and deck refit


Part 4: Davits and miscellanious



Exterior



Before, summer of 2012, I'm getting the boat to home



Fixing the deck for paint (summer 2013)




Here is the deck painted (september 2013)




Interior


Before :




After (ma

Here is a general list of what I did in the two past years :


- I took out the water heater tank, first thing I did when I sailed her for the first time. This tank took a lot a place in the cockpit. No need this thing!

- I redefined the water line, because she was false, too high at bow and too low in center and stern, not parallel.

- I fixed the hull because the gelcoat was scratched particulary on portside and stern. 3M mastic, epoxy and sanding.

- I painted the hull with a new color. 4 layers of Perfection Interlux polyurethan paint on 2 layers of Primekote Interlux epoxy primer. White lines were rolled and tipped with Interlux Perfection paint.

- I painted all the deck after fixing a lot of small holes in the gelcoat and several imperfections. I used Primekote Interlux epoxy primer and Intedeck Interlux with sand paint. Also, Prekote primer and 2 layers of Brightside Interlux one part paint using roll and tip technic.

- I cutted the exterior contour lines of the cabin ports because they were unsecure. I fixed one using automotive bumper epoxy.

- I fixed the cockpit panel (who gives a direct access to the batterys and stuffing box) by renforcing and raise the base with fiberglass. Cracks and old screws were leaking making water entering in the boat. Poor installation. I raised my wood cockpit floor on the same level, and put a foam selaer. Now it is really easy to remove the panel without using any tool and it is sealed.

- I changed all the plumbing, except the old hoses used for the hot water. They were in very good condition. All other hoses, collets, sleeves, kitchen and head tap, were changed by new ones.

- I removed all the stanchions (they were loose and crooked) and I fixed them. I used shims for some of these and I put butyl tap because they were leaking. Now, no water is entering!

- I did the same with all the bolts each side in the joint of the hull and deck. I alaways use butyl tape.

- I installed a black water tank with a new Jabsco marine toilet. Rigid and soft pipes have been used.

- I fixed the Bomar V-berth hatche, he was leanking and missing cylindre to maintain it in place. I add also a solar fan.

-I had a anchor davits I made in stainless steel to get my new Rocn anchor.

- All the electrical, except cabin lights, running lights and 110V wires, was replaced. I also maked my own cabin lights from brasilian mahogany with LED technology on my woodturning lathe.

- I took out 4 thru hull who were not in service. Epoxy resin and fiberglass clothe. I also took out a Dinast plate screwed on the exterior of the hull.

- I scraped all the wood in the cabin I could. A lot of woodworking have been done in my workshop at home, so only the parts I could’nt remove have been worked in place.

- I replaced a lot of wood pieces in the cabin by new ones made of brasilian mahogany.

- hand rails have been removed and replaced by new ones. Most of the exterior teak pieces have been replaced by new ones in mahogany.

- wood floor have been takken out and replaced by a linoleum wih wood aspect.
- Ice box have been reisolated.


- All bulkhead and electrical compartment have been painted with Bilgekote Interlux paint.

- Engine compartment have been cleaned up.

- I installed a new depth finder and removed previous.

- I made a new cabin table and fixe dit.

- All cabin wood have been treated with tung oil.

- I modified the kitchen drawers. I made new ones and bigger! I removed all the kitchen cabinet to fix it and paint the hull by interior.

- And so on…
 
Last edited:

kito

.
Sep 13, 2012
2,011
1979 Hunter Cherubini 30 Clemmons
Very Nice!. I like the warmth the mahogany gives with just tung oil. I can't wait to get my 79 H30 to the point your at. The previous owner slopped Cetol on every piece of teak inside and looked like hell. Looks like the upholstery was in good shape for you though.
 
Jun 25, 2013
143
Hunter 30 Montreal
Hi kito,

Yes, cushions were they only parts we just get back to home, washed and leave dry on the deck, stored and put agin in the boat few weeks ago without any modifications!
 
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Jun 25, 2013
143
Hunter 30 Montreal
Hi,

First of all, we began by taking out all pieces we can. So we passed the first three or four days and night by removing, unscrewing, cleaning up all in the boat. The Shop Vac did a great job!




I also had to modify the 6 supports for the hull. I bough them separatly and they were too high. I take some time to make new mast supports in wood to raise it up making more place to work on the deck and get on the boat by entering at the stern.





When the interior became empty, then we started to scraped all wood pieces. Looks like previous owner put a layer of varnish on oil or Cetol… these products did’nt fit well! We identified all the pieces to know were tu put them later.



As you can see, we also took out all the carpet glued on the interior part of the hull. This carpet was originally one colour, but with with the infiltrations of water, it smell not good and was very ugly. I tell you, this material is very well glued! My wife and me had some difficulties to acheive this part of the job!






 
Jun 25, 2013
143
Hunter 30 Montreal
Here are few more pictures:





When the big job of removing parts and cleaning up the old materials, I began to work in the V-berth by making an hole to my brand new water tank I ordered from California. By memory,I used a saw all with a ruff blade to acheive the work.

 
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Jun 25, 2013
143
Hunter 30 Montreal
Here is the hole for the black water tank.



I put some supports that I fixed them with polyester resin with thin fiberglass clothe on side and under the tank so she can't move anymore. Front support is not permanent, so it is possible to take out the tank easily without making any damages to the installation.



On the previous picture, you can see that the front cabinet and
the starborad bulkhead have been painted with a first layer of bilgekote Interlux paint. I had to wait for port side beacause I had to make more fiberglass work with filling old thruhull.
 
Jun 25, 2013
143
Hunter 30 Montreal
Because than thank was a little bit too high, I made a new panel with mahogany borders and a easy acess to see the liquid level in the thank. This panel is not screwed, so it can also be easily took out. There is still a little space to use between the hull and the tank for replacement parts or these we don't have te get at any moment.

 
Jun 25, 2013
143
Hunter 30 Montreal
I used as far as possible rigid piping to connect the toilet with the tank. To get done well, I had to make some space, so I cut a opening.



I removed the old plastic sink and cut a bigger hole to receive a universal round stainless steel sink I bought in a camping ground store. I found my taps also at this place.



On the next picture, you can see the opening, new sink and tap.



Because I took out the heater water tank, I connected both side with the same hose so even if you choose left or right, you got fresh water. The old tap was filled in rust. New one is all plastic, no rust possible. New connections, news hoses, news collets, vented loop. Sink is screwed and I used General Electric marine grade silicone to acheive the gluing (rest of the tube I used to fixed my V-berth hatch).

I used solid brass screws to replace the old one for all the teak and mahogany pieces. You can see also a new handrail I put for towels or bad weather.

Some holes have been filled with colored epoxy to match the gelcoat and I had to sand with water 2000 grit sand paper aome areas to clean them well. A little bit of conpund was necessary to gloss the surface.

The cabinets have been painted with 2 layers of Interlux bilgekote paint.


 
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Jun 25, 2013
143
Hunter 30 Montreal
Here is the actual toilet space (called head?) with a mahogany floor and a second vertical handrail:



I made the new hand rails in my small woodworking shop. We nver have too much handrails in a sailboat!





 
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Jun 25, 2013
143
Hunter 30 Montreal
Here is a different part of the project and not in chronological order. A cockpit table in cherry and american black walnut with solid brass hinges.



I used Epifanes gloss varnish. 8 layers according to instructions on the can product.





My daughters enjoy the table!



To be continued
 
Last edited:

kito

.
Sep 13, 2012
2,011
1979 Hunter Cherubini 30 Clemmons
Sweet!. Goes to show you what a little patience, the right tools and talent can do. I have to admit, you probably have more money in the new teak and mahogany wood than I have in my whole boat :) I have my v-berth pretty much done. I will attach a photo soon. I mostly used bamboo to replace the nasty fabric on the walls and just sanded down the existing teak. Still have the ugly original orange/brown upholstery though. It's actually in great shape.....just makes my boat look too country/western instead of nautical. Just curious, what adhesive you used to glue down your vinyl flooring?. It it a sheet or vinyl planks?
 
Jun 25, 2013
143
Hunter 30 Montreal
I have to admit, you probably have more money in the new teak and mahogany wood than I have in my whole boat :) just makes my boat look too country/western instead of nautical. Just curious, what adhesive you used to glue down your vinyl flooring?. It it a sheet or vinyl planks?

I kito,

let me tell you that I did'nt pay the brasilian mahogany, I get it by a free trade (exchange of service?). I made a mahogany cockpit floor (in french, we say a "caillebotis") for un friend and he gave me the rest of the wood (over 500ft). Deal! So I used some boards for house furniture, but I kept stored the wood for 5 years waiting for a nice project!

I would have kept the country/western style if my cushions would have been in good shape too!

I did'nt use glue for the vinyl because I wanted he can moves (dilatation) with winter and summer temperature differences. It is a sheet we cut with a little cutter as we did a brown paper pattern before. It's also easy to replace or clean the surface and we think that it will be a good idea with kids for next years. Cheaper than buying 2 sheets of teak veneer, and really easy to install!

I'd love to see pictures of your bamboo in the V-berth when you'll be set!

 
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kito

.
Sep 13, 2012
2,011
1979 Hunter Cherubini 30 Clemmons
Fuligule, Looks like you have quite a stash of wood to pick through. Getting all of that for services is a big money saver. I attached a few pics of my project in progress. Not as good as your job but I'm trying to stay within my budget. I was very pleased on how the bamboo walls etc came out. $60 for a 4 x 8 sheet. Forgive my mess.
 

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Oct 19, 2013
17
Hunter 30 Ithaca
Fuligule,

Absolutely beautiful job! You have inspired me to get to work on my "new to me" 1980 H30, Voracity..... Lots of great ideas from what you have done.

One of the areas on Voracity that needs attention soon is the cover to the engine that sits on the cockpit floor. It too was leaking pretty bad with screw holes left empty and little to no sealant/weather stripping to keep any water from pouring in. I temporarily put some basic weather stripping around the entire hole and covered the screw holes, but I recognize that this is just temporary. It would be great if you could shoot a couple of pictures of this area and how you addressed a proper repair/fix. I am curious to see how you built up the interior portion of the opening. Or if anyone else reading this string has done similar work, I would love to see pictures of your work as well....

I thank you so much for sharing your outstanding work!

Kudos to you....
 
Jun 25, 2013
143
Hunter 30 Montreal
I attached a few pics of my project in progress. Not as good as your job but I'm trying to stay within my budget.
Kito,

Looks great with bamboo! It's also interesting to see different configurations in the cabin. I see that your kitchen is not the same and that you don't have a triangular space in V-berth under the anchor pit.

Of course, I never had the budget to buy all the mahogany (really exotic for us here in Quebec) I used. Sometimes, I see handyman using other cheaper wood and using stain, but it is not a way I like to work. It is a personnal choice I think. I like what you have done with the wall of the kitchen.

Having the electrical panel right like yours seems to be very practical, should be a futur modification for me...
 
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Jun 25, 2013
143
Hunter 30 Montreal
Fuligule,

Absolutely beautiful job! You have inspired me to get to work on my "new to me" 1980 H30, Voracity..... Lots of great ideas from what you have done.
Hi Don Greenglass,

Well it's the reason why I decided to take the time to share all my pictures and give a little description even if my english is not so good... I hope you'll find a couple of nice ideas! I did'nt find a lot of sharing information about the H30 (1972 to 1983) on the net except here, so I would like to contribute on this site who seems the best way to find Hunter owners for this generation of sailboat.


. I am curious to see how you built up the interior portion of the opening. Or if anyone else reading this string has done similar work, I would love to see pictures of your work as well....

I thank you so much for sharing your outstanding work!

Kudos to you....
No problem, Next time I go to the boat, I will take few pictures of the opening because the only pict I found in my computer is not so good.

You can see on the picture below 4 wood pieces that raise the opening of 1/2 inches. I use fiberglass clothing with epoxy resin to fix it and seal the wood.

I discovered that with big rain the water was accumulating and not draining enough fast to avoid leaking. I put also a expandable foam. I let you know that I did'nt take the time to paint this portion of my work because no one can see it except me! So be patient and I will add an actual and better quality picture of what I have done.

Sebastien

Here is the only pict I have for the moment:


 
Jun 25, 2013
143
Hunter 30 Montreal
So, I continue with the kitchen.

Here is what she was looking when I bought the boat. Missing parts of the counter border (I don't know how to call it in english), delaminated shelf or tab in the dishes compartment due to deck leaking, heavy rusted hinges, dirty surfaces, broken plexiglass and rusted tap. I found the counter very ugly too. drawers were also very small and there was lost space between the drawers end and the hull.



I began to remove the dishes compartment and the counter, scrape end sand all I can. The counter has been sawed because it could not be took out of the boat: too big! The new one has been done in two parts.



Scraping, sanding...



I used Bilgekote Interlux paint to clean the area. I would never put my dishes on dirty surfaces like this!



Here is a fisrt test to look at the fit of the new counter with mahogany borders and 45 degrees angles instead of the round corners.



Here are the new drawers. Previous ones had a 12 x 12 dimension (by memory), now they are
13 x 28, 13 x 22 and 13 x 16!





Maximum space is used! And you can see that I add a construction foam for improving the isolation of the ice box that I painted too.







I don't know if it will make a difference, but I glued foam under the counter top and fill cracks with small expandable foam used in climate control units.



When painting these areas, I painted also the bulkheads and other compartments in the boat.





I put an additionnal handrail and new plexiglass doors. This part of the project with the water pressure piping replacement took more time and energy that I expected, but was a must to get a nice and clean kitchen space. Front drawer panels have been elarged with a mahogany border. I made a new bread board from maple and ipe.



To be continued...
 
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Jun 25, 2013
143
Hunter 30 Montreal
In an other way, I asked a local machine shop to bind a SS sheet to make my anchor davits. I make a carton pattern and asked to drill the bit hole. I rouded the corners with a zip cut and grinded surfaces with my 4" grinder. I also drilled other holes for locking my new anchor and fixing the davits on the boat.











To be continued...