Well I took the plunge and purchased a used Hunter 1985 25.5. I am very much a novice sailor as my small amount of experience was based on my 16' Compac. But I'm pretty excited for I have waited awhile for the right situation and I really love having a boat with a real cabin. She needs a lot of clean-up and TLC as has been sitting in dock for two years with no attention. Next week we pull her out and paint the bottom and haul the Honda 10 HP in for a major tune. I have a list of questions and would welcome input from those who have much more experience. Don’t feel like you need to respond to all questions, just the ones where you might help the most. 1. The gel coat is very dull from neglect; the topside has an almost powdery residue. I am interested in finding out the best way to restore it to a more original condition. What products should I use and what are the best brands? 2. The mast and boom have little bubbles or blisters where the outer coat is chipping off, do I need to sand and repaint, what is the best way to improve this? 3. The inside teak is in pretty good condition but is dirty and dry. What are the best products to use to bring it back? 4. The outside teak is very, very weather-beaten, what process (if any) would be best to try and revive it? 5. The teak floor has some grayish-black spots, how should I work on those? 6. The sheets all need to be replaced, what is a good brand that won’t fade its color? 7. The decals are all cracked and look crappy, what can be done about that? 8. The seal around the pop-up top is history, where might a find a replacement? 9. The ports are green with mold, what is the best type of cleaner that won’t scratch them as I think they are made of plastic? 10. Are there “Hunter” videos for this boat (or a similar boat) where I can learn how to rig it, as it is different from my little Compac. 11. Any other tips from those who have been here before will be received with great gratitude.
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Free advice
Congrats on the new purchase. It's almost time to start looking for a bigger boat! Just kidding -- you're going to love it. A boat that needs your attention allows you to make it part of yourself, and keeps you off the streets. 1 --- Comet green bathroom cleaner gel. It's made for plastic bathtubs so it won't hurt the boat. Lots of strong cleaners and mild bleach and nowhere is the word "marine" to be seen so the price is reasonable. Once clean try 3M restorer - wax. 2 --- Stripping and painting a mast is a decent size project. You have to strip, sand, clean, pickle, prime, and then paint. For now how about a light sanding of the corroded areas and a BRUSH touch-up. My previous owner used white spray and it looks awful. By the way, if the mast paint is oxidized with white coming off on your hands and clothes, scrub it down with with a Scotch-Brite pad and - you guessed it - Comet green bathroon gel, especialy the sail track. 3 --- I sand my interior wood and apply tung oil from Home Depot according to the directions. Less than 1/4 the price of the marine oils and it works better. 4 --- Sand and coat per instructions with Armada or Cetol if you can stand the color. Oil on exterior wood has to be redone almost weekly. Varnish looks great but is a major pain. 5 --- Not sure --- Mold or mildew? Mr Clean or Spic n Span? Maybe a mild solution of Comet green Gel? and a very thorough rinse? 6 --- All the name brands are good - all the colors fade - nature of the beast - sun bleach you know. Buy what feels good in your hand. 7 --- Scrape 'em off -- Get rid of them. Thats one of my winter projects on the 33 this year. Razor knife and heat gun or " eraser wheel". See the post in foto forum. 8 --- Try Hunter parts dept? 9 --- What else? You guessed it -- Comet green gel! 10 --- Look at other boats -- Talk to people --- Subscribe to the magazines: SAIL, Sailing and Soundings are my favorites. Get a copy of Chapmans guide- follow the posts on this site. 11 --- GO SAILING!
Congrats on the new purchase. It's almost time to start looking for a bigger boat! Just kidding -- you're going to love it. A boat that needs your attention allows you to make it part of yourself, and keeps you off the streets. 1 --- Comet green bathroom cleaner gel. It's made for plastic bathtubs so it won't hurt the boat. Lots of strong cleaners and mild bleach and nowhere is the word "marine" to be seen so the price is reasonable. Once clean try 3M restorer - wax. 2 --- Stripping and painting a mast is a decent size project. You have to strip, sand, clean, pickle, prime, and then paint. For now how about a light sanding of the corroded areas and a BRUSH touch-up. My previous owner used white spray and it looks awful. By the way, if the mast paint is oxidized with white coming off on your hands and clothes, scrub it down with with a Scotch-Brite pad and - you guessed it - Comet green bathroon gel, especialy the sail track. 3 --- I sand my interior wood and apply tung oil from Home Depot according to the directions. Less than 1/4 the price of the marine oils and it works better. 4 --- Sand and coat per instructions with Armada or Cetol if you can stand the color. Oil on exterior wood has to be redone almost weekly. Varnish looks great but is a major pain. 5 --- Not sure --- Mold or mildew? Mr Clean or Spic n Span? Maybe a mild solution of Comet green Gel? and a very thorough rinse? 6 --- All the name brands are good - all the colors fade - nature of the beast - sun bleach you know. Buy what feels good in your hand. 7 --- Scrape 'em off -- Get rid of them. Thats one of my winter projects on the 33 this year. Razor knife and heat gun or " eraser wheel". See the post in foto forum. 8 --- Try Hunter parts dept? 9 --- What else? You guessed it -- Comet green gel! 10 --- Look at other boats -- Talk to people --- Subscribe to the magazines: SAIL, Sailing and Soundings are my favorites. Get a copy of Chapmans guide- follow the posts on this site. 11 --- GO SAILING!
Spend Time On The Bilge
I bought a 26 ft, that was in much the same shape as the one you described. What you did not mention was odor. Because my boat has been sitting for so long, it had developed a musty odor in the interior. One of the major contibutors to the smell, we found, was a layer of green slime in the bilge. We spent extra time and really scubbed out the entire length of the bilge, it made an amazing difference in the smell. Enjoy your boat!!
I bought a 26 ft, that was in much the same shape as the one you described. What you did not mention was odor. Because my boat has been sitting for so long, it had developed a musty odor in the interior. One of the major contibutors to the smell, we found, was a layer of green slime in the bilge. We spent extra time and really scubbed out the entire length of the bilge, it made an amazing difference in the smell. Enjoy your boat!!
Congrats!
What a coincidence. I bought a 1985 25.5 last week. Sound like mine is in somewhat better shape and had really been cared for. I am realy trying to learn quick. My biggest challenge is learning diesel mechanics. Best of luck!
What a coincidence. I bought a 1985 25.5 last week. Sound like mine is in somewhat better shape and had really been cared for. I am realy trying to learn quick. My biggest challenge is learning diesel mechanics. Best of luck!
more free advice
Sam's advice is good. Only thing I would add is my preference for New England Ropes over Samson cordage. They are all going to fade, and white gets dirty. You can take them and wash them in a washing machine but you have to put them in a mesh bag or you will have a terrible mess and possible damage to your machine. Use fabric softener rinse to soften the lines. Use a product called No-Damp or Damp-It to keep the moisture level (read mildew) down inside the cabin. Basically its a tub with a basket that you pour calcium chloride into, and the moisture drips thru into the tub. It really works. Some people leave a light bulb or small space heater on, but I'm leary of that for safety reasons.
Sam's advice is good. Only thing I would add is my preference for New England Ropes over Samson cordage. They are all going to fade, and white gets dirty. You can take them and wash them in a washing machine but you have to put them in a mesh bag or you will have a terrible mess and possible damage to your machine. Use fabric softener rinse to soften the lines. Use a product called No-Damp or Damp-It to keep the moisture level (read mildew) down inside the cabin. Basically its a tub with a basket that you pour calcium chloride into, and the moisture drips thru into the tub. It really works. Some people leave a light bulb or small space heater on, but I'm leary of that for safety reasons.
pressure wash
i used to revive old lines in the washing machine, with great results, but have found recently that spraying lines with a pressure washer does a fabulous job, without having to de-rig or even take the lines off the boat. i use an inexpensive karcher pressure washer, which i believe retails in the neighborhood of $150 and runs on 110v AC. Does a great job on the deck, but be careful because it will remove cauking and paint.
i used to revive old lines in the washing machine, with great results, but have found recently that spraying lines with a pressure washer does a fabulous job, without having to de-rig or even take the lines off the boat. i use an inexpensive karcher pressure washer, which i believe retails in the neighborhood of $150 and runs on 110v AC. Does a great job on the deck, but be careful because it will remove cauking and paint.
Also new Hunter owner
I also have recently become a new Hunter owner of a 1982 Hunter 30. The prior owners took care of it which I appreciate. One the the first things I noticed was when the boat was for sale at a brokerabe for 6 mo, there was no moisture smell when I first looked at it. I also noticed two Damp-Rid bags hanging from the inside grab rails. They both had a lot of water in them. Home Depot has both the bags and tubs. I replaced the prior bags with new ones. They are only about 4 or 5 dollars. I continue to have a clean smell on the boat. I also wiped down the entire boat with a mixture of water, soap and a little bleach. This took care of the bulkhead mildew. My bilge was not bad but I cleaned it anyway. I am sure we will be going through a lot of the same experiences. Good luck.
I also have recently become a new Hunter owner of a 1982 Hunter 30. The prior owners took care of it which I appreciate. One the the first things I noticed was when the boat was for sale at a brokerabe for 6 mo, there was no moisture smell when I first looked at it. I also noticed two Damp-Rid bags hanging from the inside grab rails. They both had a lot of water in them. Home Depot has both the bags and tubs. I replaced the prior bags with new ones. They are only about 4 or 5 dollars. I continue to have a clean smell on the boat. I also wiped down the entire boat with a mixture of water, soap and a little bleach. This took care of the bulkhead mildew. My bilge was not bad but I cleaned it anyway. I am sure we will be going through a lot of the same experiences. Good luck.
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