Just completed a very satisfying survey of an '86 hunter 31. A beautiful boat...Anything special to look for on sea trial? Have enough power? Speed? Your contribution very appreciated...
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Rip Edmundson
Bought a 1987 Hunter 31 in November 1999
Congratulations, I think you are looking at a great boat. One thing I learned (after I bought mine) was to run the engine at least 1500 RPM for 20 minutes or so under load. Watch for overheating. Open the engine compartment and look for fluid leaks and smoking from joints on the engine. Would indicate bad head gasket. Have the batteries been move to the centerline of the boat over the prop shaft. Provides better balance. Also makes it harder to watch the drip rate of the packing. Check the 36 rubber donuts holding up the lazaret covers in the cockpit. They tend to dry out and crack. They are easily replaceable. Good luck! Rip Edmundson rip@edmundson.com
Congratulations, I think you are looking at a great boat. One thing I learned (after I bought mine) was to run the engine at least 1500 RPM for 20 minutes or so under load. Watch for overheating. Open the engine compartment and look for fluid leaks and smoking from joints on the engine. Would indicate bad head gasket. Have the batteries been move to the centerline of the boat over the prop shaft. Provides better balance. Also makes it harder to watch the drip rate of the packing. Check the 36 rubber donuts holding up the lazaret covers in the cockpit. They tend to dry out and crack. They are easily replaceable. Good luck! Rip Edmundson rip@edmundson.com
Just finished a engine service seminar
I just finished up with an engine service this past week. The service person recommended that we run the engine for 45 minutes @1200rpm in gear every two weeks (of course, this is assuming that we are not using the boat). This idea here is to a.) get the engine heated up b.) to get lubrication to the upper end of the engine. What we are dealing here with is the fact that the oil drains down off the top end of the engine. When we start up the engine there is very little lubrication if any after the engine sits for extended periods of time. Be sure that the antifreeze that you are using on the fresh water side (in the engine) is the pink type (ie: Havoline extended life). The green stuff promotes electrolysis. The pink stuff is suppose to suppress it. Another important note: If your engine does not start after a minute or two. Be sure to turn off the raw water intake. What is happening here is the fact that raw water impeller in sucking raw water in thru the engine and into the water muffler. Of course there is no exhaust to push it out of the muffler. If you fill up the muffler you take a chance of flooding the engine via the exhaust system. Bottom line here is destruction of the engine. Just another tip that he pointed out. Take some bright colored nail polish and paint the engine bleed points to make them easier to identify. They are 10mm bolts with a phillips head. The idea of doing this identification is that if you ever need to do this in an emergency it makes it easier/quicker (for those of us who do not do it every day). During your sea trials be sure that your engine will rev to 3600-3900 rpms in neutral (it will not blow up the engine). When your engine is in gear you should be able to open it up to at least 3400 underway. The optimum RPM to cruise this engine is 2800+/- rpms. If you do not get the proper RPM's in neutral you may have mixing elbow problems which may cause overheating. If you do not get the proper RPM's underway you may just be overproped (like most H'31 are). A well cared for Yanmar is rated for 12,000 -15,000 hours before they SHOULD need rebuilding or replacement. Be good to your Yani and it will be good to you.
I just finished up with an engine service this past week. The service person recommended that we run the engine for 45 minutes @1200rpm in gear every two weeks (of course, this is assuming that we are not using the boat). This idea here is to a.) get the engine heated up b.) to get lubrication to the upper end of the engine. What we are dealing here with is the fact that the oil drains down off the top end of the engine. When we start up the engine there is very little lubrication if any after the engine sits for extended periods of time. Be sure that the antifreeze that you are using on the fresh water side (in the engine) is the pink type (ie: Havoline extended life). The green stuff promotes electrolysis. The pink stuff is suppose to suppress it. Another important note: If your engine does not start after a minute or two. Be sure to turn off the raw water intake. What is happening here is the fact that raw water impeller in sucking raw water in thru the engine and into the water muffler. Of course there is no exhaust to push it out of the muffler. If you fill up the muffler you take a chance of flooding the engine via the exhaust system. Bottom line here is destruction of the engine. Just another tip that he pointed out. Take some bright colored nail polish and paint the engine bleed points to make them easier to identify. They are 10mm bolts with a phillips head. The idea of doing this identification is that if you ever need to do this in an emergency it makes it easier/quicker (for those of us who do not do it every day). During your sea trials be sure that your engine will rev to 3600-3900 rpms in neutral (it will not blow up the engine). When your engine is in gear you should be able to open it up to at least 3400 underway. The optimum RPM to cruise this engine is 2800+/- rpms. If you do not get the proper RPM's in neutral you may have mixing elbow problems which may cause overheating. If you do not get the proper RPM's underway you may just be overproped (like most H'31 are). A well cared for Yanmar is rated for 12,000 -15,000 hours before they SHOULD need rebuilding or replacement. Be good to your Yani and it will be good to you.
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Bob Rutland
Great Boat
I own a 84 H31 and love it. Make sure you, or if your surveyer is still around, pay very close attention to the compression post. Look for an indentation in the headliner just foward of the compression post. Another sign is the head door sticks. This is due to the compression post failing and making the door jam out of plumb. Good Luck, Bob
I own a 84 H31 and love it. Make sure you, or if your surveyer is still around, pay very close attention to the compression post. Look for an indentation in the headliner just foward of the compression post. Another sign is the head door sticks. This is due to the compression post failing and making the door jam out of plumb. Good Luck, Bob
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Mark Johnson
The warning label on my boat says....
that you should drain the muffler if the engine does not start after 30 seconds of cranking.
that you should drain the muffler if the engine does not start after 30 seconds of cranking.
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Dave B
Hunter 31
We have had a 1984 Hunter 31 for the past 4 years and find it it be an outstanding boat. It sails well and has survived a storm with winds of over 90 MPH in the bay. It is a deep keel model which can sometimes be a problem. The engine which is a 2GMF runs well but not great against the tide. Overall this boat has alot of room and I plan on living aboard this summer.
We have had a 1984 Hunter 31 for the past 4 years and find it it be an outstanding boat. It sails well and has survived a storm with winds of over 90 MPH in the bay. It is a deep keel model which can sometimes be a problem. The engine which is a 2GMF runs well but not great against the tide. Overall this boat has alot of room and I plan on living aboard this summer.
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John
Stress cracks forward of keel
My `83 had stress cracks on the outside bottom, forward of the keel. They took the form of a 2 foot circle, and would be directly under the forward cabin floor. The cause is a lack of inner liner there to reinfoce hull, so the hull oilpans in choppy seas. I have seen it on 2 other H31's. Solution is to grind into the hull to a depth where the cracks stop, then re-glass and barrier coat. Also, blisters topside in the gelcoat are common. Nonetheless, the boat is worth the price. I love mine.
My `83 had stress cracks on the outside bottom, forward of the keel. They took the form of a 2 foot circle, and would be directly under the forward cabin floor. The cause is a lack of inner liner there to reinfoce hull, so the hull oilpans in choppy seas. I have seen it on 2 other H31's. Solution is to grind into the hull to a depth where the cracks stop, then re-glass and barrier coat. Also, blisters topside in the gelcoat are common. Nonetheless, the boat is worth the price. I love mine.
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