New 1986 Hunter 34 Owner

[lovetorenovate]

Just recently bought a new-to-us 1986 Hunter 34. Despite getting much advice to find a boat in the best condition possible, we ended up with a boat that needs some work... :-/ I've been reading and researching as much as I can and figure I'll be asking for some feedback here so I ought to introduce myself.

A few things we'll be working on:

• boat has no electronics right now - eventually we'd like a gps, auto pilot (maybe the raymarine evolution 100?), and a few other gadgets - mostly because I like gadgets. speed sensor is broken, wind vane is broken, depth sensor seems to work. The boat is located behind our house - so depth sensor is key for us - we only have about 6 feet in that area of Tampa Bay. It's actually the biggest factor in why we ended up with this boat - needed a shallow keel and a boat that could sleep 7 - I know, it'll be cramped with 7, but it needs to be possible since we are a blended family with 5 kids.
• new cushions (completely missing in the aft cabin - and I imagine I'll replace all the foam anyway)
• new veneer for kitchen and bath countertops, new faucet, etc. a bunch of cosmetic/energy efficiency stuff like new lights, fans, etc.
• replacing the sole in the galley (the rest of the boat has been done - well, the main cabin anyway, and I removed a couple layers of vinyl tile and got to the fiberglass in the v berth - I'm not sure if this originally had a teak floor or not).
• the main sail is being repaired right now - there was a small hole, some tearing at the clew, and we're adding another reef point.
• brightwork (it's been 90% stripped and I've got to finish up then start the varnish process) - eventually I may decide it's too much maintenance but figured I'd better do it at least once so I know how much I'm talking about
• repaint the deck - this will be a mess - it was painted - very badly - and now is peeling, constantly.
• I'd like to add a hot water heater - was removed by previous owner due to a leak
• all sorts of other fun jobs like servicing the winches, the 150 genoa is smelly and stained (is there any hope for that?) and much deferred maintenance

We've had the boat about 3 weeks. We are not experienced sailors - I've done a week long Moorings charter in the BVIs and my spouse took an Annapolis sailing school course. We just finished ASA 101 and 103 on our boat last week.

I'm a general contractor in my spare time - so the amount of work the boat needs doesn't bother me too much - but it's different than a house in many ways. We've already gotten to know the local yanmar mechanic - somehow when the owner delivered the boat, he lost all the coolant and overheated the engine (he claims he got some grass in the intake but there were a slew of problems/leaks/etc). The yanmar guy fixed quite a few things that trip so we are in pretty good shape with the engine (aside from needing new engine mounts - ugh!). I did get a survey but honestly, total waste of money. I even got a partial refund - not sure what happened with this guy - who came highly recommended from the only other boat owner I knew at the time.

It does have a new bottom job, all new seacocks, new cutlass bearing, prop, - and a few other things that were pretty recently done.

We've named the boat Knot Waiting (I'm well known for just jumping in - the no regrets, why wait philosophy of life).

Amy

 

[dave lundy]

Same boat

Hi,
I have the same boat, an 86 with a Yanmar engine. I bought mine seven and a half years ago in St. Pete and I have it in Venice now. I day sail most days and race on Tue. eve all summer. You'll find loads of good info and advice on this site.
Good luck with the NEW boat.

Have fun,
Dave

 

[kloudie1]

Welcome aboard, Amy ! Lots of great info on the 34's here on the site.. Under the "Owner Resources" tab at the page top, check out "Boat Information by model" and "Owner Modifications". In the "Downloads" section, there are lots of original equipment manuals on things like the winches and info on the engine and things like the steering system, etc.. There are several of us H-34 owners on site for reference and pictures, etc.. Sounds like you've got quite a project on your hands.. She is a fine sailing boat.. enjoy !

 

[bryan crites]

hunter 34

I have been sailing a hunter 34 for many years. Lost my 1984 hunter in a marina fire in 07. Purchased another 34 1984 model 4 years ago. Do as I did make a list of needed projects, dig in one at a time. There are many pictures and information on this forum. I rely on it often and view it daily for great advise an troubleshooting and upgrades. Good luck you have purchased a fine vessel.

 

[a65sailor]

I bought my H34 and worked on it for 2 years before ever seeing it float. Launched this spring and really enjoy sailing it. I went with Garmin electronics they seem to have really nice stuff. Pulling wires through the boat can be tough. Might want to do that while the floor is apart. Enjoy!!!!

 

[Fast Ed]

Welcome to the Fun! I have sailed my 1986 H34 for 10 years now, and I'm a very happy owner. Take your list of things to do and prioritize them to get yourself on the water as fast as possible.

I had the same type of delivery that you had - You probably needed an exhaust elbow and some hoses. The hot water heater is easy. Defender sell an exact replacement for a couple hundred. The engine mounts on my boat were replaced for about $100 including parts (10 yrs ago.) so the labor can't be that bad if you know what to do.
Ed

 

[Fast Ed]

Amy,
On a H34 a 150 Genoa is strictly used for racing or light air. For casual cruising with your family you will probably want to replace it with a 110%.
Ed

 

[rardiH36]

Congrats about getting into sailing and the plunge into boat ownership.

Not owning a 34, I will refrain from anything specific to your model.

But all boats have sails. And dirty sails can be improved by oneself.

Presumably your sail is old. So not too much chance it still has it's "new" shape. Blown out is the normal term. But blown out doesn't mean the sail still isn't still ok for getting you around just fine. Just won't do it quite as well. Inspect the sail the ensure that the fabric isn't frayed/chaffed/torn. And it is structurally ok in regards to seams and stiching. And that the sunbrella uv border is in good shape.

Any chemical resins that might have been impregnated into the Dacron to stiffen it when the sail was new is likely no longer effective after many years. So possibly washing away any resin resin that might remain with aggressive cleaning shouldn't be a concern. Otherwise, Dacron and Sunbrella are pretty much impervious to any cleaners a DIY'er might use.

The method I have used to greatly improve the appearance of a dirty/stained sail goes something like this:

- Do early in the morning or in the evening so the wetted sail doesn't dry out quickly. Gives extra time for the cleaners to work. A clean paved/cement driveway is helpful. Or tightly stretch a strong line between a couple of trees. Lengths need to be in excess of your luff length. A couple of 6-7ft 2x4's will be needed to prop up the line in the middle to compensate for the sag. Drape the sail over the line like in the attached picture.
- The cleaners I use are actually from dollar tree. First thing is wet the sail with H20. Next is to spray-on Dollar Tree's tire/wheel cleaner or their auto degreaser. Both these are really quite strong, so as you do in your contracting business, take adequate protection for eyes and skin. I pore a couple of 32oz bottles into a 1 gal garden sprayer, then fill the rest with water.
- Let sit for a while to work. You can try to blast clean with a garden hose, but more recently I have used a small electric power washer on the fan spray setting. Keep close enough to dislodge the dirt and mildew, but never close enough to damage the fabric or stitching.
- Next I spray on a mild oxalic acid. Again from Dollar Tree. It's a tub and shower cleaner called "the Works". In a white/green squeeze bottle. As above, I apply with the garden sprayer. Oxalic acid will improve the tan/yellow tannin stained color of the sail. Also, but it generally takes several spot applications, rust stains will disappear or be signicantly diminished with oxalic acid.

Of course do both sides. End with an H2O rinse.

I have never observed any damage from the cleaning to my old Dacron sails. The sailing performance isn't any better, but flying the sail is no longer a visual embarrassment.

The sails in the attached pictures are 1980's old. They were yellow and rust stained prior to cleaning. On close inspection, still not perfectly white and some stains around. But an overall large improvement.