New Hunter owner has a couple questions

[tempus fugit]

We have just recently purchased a 1986 Hunter 31. Reviewed the existing survey and was impressed with the boat's general condition. There are a couple issues I would like to address before winter and would like to get a sense of difficulty levels for these tasks. I am looking at re-plumbing the entire head. I have purchased a new head and plumbing for it. The existing system has the "Y" valve for the tank and the discharge. I will be sailing this boat in the Great Lakes and will not use the discharge. Is there a way to plug the exisitng seacock for the discharge or should I find a way to "lock" the valve? In doing this whole re-plumbing task, what would be the difficulty level on a scale of 1-5. I will be inspecting the existing holding tank as there is an odor that was noted in the survey. I'm hoping the new piping will eliminate the smell, but want to be double sure.

The second major task I am about to undertake is re-finishing the cabin flooring. Upon inspection I noted that the flooring runs under the benches. Time is slowly running out (weather) so I was thinking of just sanding down the areas I can access freely and re-finishing them. Next year, after haul-out I plan on re-finishing the entire woodwork below and would tackle the areas neglected from this fall and also complete a re-finish on the bottom side as well. Is this an okay practice, or should I go after all the floors, top and bottom this year, and can anybody recommend a product to use for re-sufacing my cabin floor.

Thank you for taking the time to guide me through these projects. I love the site and have already begun to amass a great deal of knowledge and other "wish list" repairs for our new baby.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

these are relatively easy compared with some boat projects

Replacing the head itself is nothing more than unbolting it and replacing it with a new one, preferably one which will last more than a few years. The bolt pattern might be different but that is easily overcome. Difficulty in rerouting the hoses is a function of access - some are more difficult but usually not impossible. Note that the hoses more often than not are toe source of odor, not the tank unless it is aluminum and subject to crevice corrosion. If the tank is plastic, it's probably intact and not the source of any odor.

Eliminating the thru hull is not easily done in cold weather as glassing in the hole requires warm temperature for the glass to properly cure. There is nothing wrong with simply securely capping the extra thru hull eliminating that portion of the plumbing and Y valve with which you need to deal.

I'd suggest you do the floor as one project - trying to do only that portion exposed and subsequently doing the rest can often result in a patchwork finish. Be careful as the floor is probably a teak and holly veneer not very thick and aggressive sanding will go right through the veneer. It can be done but do so carefully. If you don't want to use the typical polyurethane finish, there is a product called Ultimate Sole which is excellent and maintains the non-slip surface while still showing a sheen to the floor.

Both are nice winter projects.

 

[Steve Dion]

Yes, I would lock the valve.

I think you can also find a plug/cap that will fit the thru hull fitting if you would rather go that way. The advantage of this method is you will not have any waste sitting in a hose that you cannot clear.

I agree with Don about the floor. Chances are you will go through the veneer if you sand very much. We just placed some Loncoin in the area in front of the galley. That was the worst place on the boat. The rest of the sole never got that bad so it was not an issue on our H'31.

 

[Nereussailor]

I pulled the y valve on my 83 h30 and capped the through hull. I wasn't sure if I was ever going to use it again, but ended up moving from Wisconsin to Florida. Im glad that I saved all the parts and didn't glass in the through hull. It was capped for 2 years and no problems. just check it when you haul out or put in.

 

[duality]

i second the ultimate sole! i used it when i had the 34 and had great results. i didnt refinish under the seats.

mike

 

[Ed Schenck]

Great lakes head plumbing.

Many if not most of us on the Lakes are plumbed directly to the holding tank. My own boat has a cap on the overboard thru-hull. The Y-valve and overboard pump were removed. There is one hose to the tank and the same size from the tank to the deck for pumpout. And a vent hose of course.

 

[Brett B]

The tank on our H31 is molded into the v-berth platform. A fiberglass lid is then screwed to the top of the tank and sealed with chalk. We had odor emanating from the chalk seem. We decided to remove the lid, use a jibsaw to cut the tank out. I replaced it with a plastic tank mounted on a platform I glassed to the hull below the old tank opening. I kept the lip that the lid mounted on and covered it with a plywood panel that can be removed for access. The tank is held to the new platform with ratchet straps. The platform has a cleat on each side of the tank and the straps hold it down and fore and aft. I used a rectangular tank (off the shelf). A custom one that fits the v of the hull would allow a much larger tank. I also had to avoid the depth sounder and knotmeter.

 

[newly anonymous]

consider resale

it's never too early to start thinking about your boat's resale value, especially given how easy it is to outgrow a 31 footer. Eliminating that thru-hull is paramount to eliminating potential buyers who might want to take the boat elsewhere to do some coastal cruising.

 

[reserche]

Cabin sole refinishing....

A bought a 1984 Hunter 32 this summer..congrads on your new Hunter!! I am loving it so far...
I spoke with a local shipwright who does beautiful wordworking - he suggested using shellac, of all things! I sanded the sole... then - applied the shellac. You have to work quickly, as it dries fast- but that's the beauty of it. You sand between coats with a fine grade sandpaper. I think I put on 3 or 4 coats. he said - put on enough coats so its sealed and nice - but not so many that it looks like plastic, so that's what i did. it looks amazing. he said if there some problem area- you can easily re-sand and finish just that little spot, rather than the entire floor.
So- that's what I did - it looks amazing.. Best of luck!

 

[reserche]

whoops!

Sorry- I meant to type a Hunter 31

 

[Fishbuster]

Thru-hull....

If it was a transducer or something to never be used again, then a professional patch would be the way to go, as the less holes in a boat below the waterline the better.

Since it is a valve that may be used again, I recommend replacing it and capping it. I can't tell you how many old boats I have seen have valves that are siezed up. 22 years is plenty reason enough to replace it. A good Marelon valve may set you back almost 100 dollars but it is money well spent. The integrity of below waterline fittings are what keep the boat floating.

As an ABSOLUTE MINIMUM, remove the valve and rebed it. 22 years would be way too long to go without rebedding all below waterline thruhull fittings.

 

[terry1404]

Refinish cabin sole

I had a Hunter 35 1988 , in 2000 I pulled all the sole boards about 17 of them and used a paint stripper and lots of steel wool to clean them. I then applied by spray 5 coates of Z-spar with a light sanding between coats and when I sold the boat in 2007 they still looked liked new.

 

[tempus fugit]

Thank you for your input.

Thanks to all of you for your input. I have installed the new head. I gad to drill two new holes to mount it properly. I have expoxied the old holes. As far as the plumbing of new hoses, I have decided to wait until spring, as they are pretty tight in behind the sink in the head. It appears that the discharge hose (head) runs directly to the holding tank, the siphon is conected to the discharge hose from the holding tank. The incoming water runs straight from the seacock. I'm thinking that I will cap the discharge seacock and put a siphon on the discharge line from the toilet before the holding tank and add an additional siphon to the incoming water as the toilet is located below the waterline. As for the floor I have sanded the entire surface with 80 grit, then a 180 finish. Looks good. I'm going with the Interprotect Goldspar to finish. Thanks again for all your input it was greatly apprieciated.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Re your head and holding tank plumbing

You said, "It appears that the discharge hose (head) runs directly to the holding tank, the siphon is connected to the discharge hose from the holding tank. The incoming water runs straight from the seacock. I'm thinking that I will cap the discharge seacock and put a siphon on the discharge line from the toilet before the holding tank and add an additional siphon to the incoming water as the toilet is located below the waterline.

If by "siphons" you mean vented loops (ANTI-siphon devices), I suggest you read the installation instructions for your new toilet before installing any...especially the one in the head intake, 'cuz the intake line between the seacock and the toilet pump is the wrong place to put it. And you don't need one in the line from the toilet to the tank.

You might want to check out the link in my signature...it'll take you to a comprehensive "marine toilets and holding tanks 101" manual that should help you learn how to install, operate and maintain your system to prevent most problems instead of fixing 'em. Prevention is always cheaper and easier than cure.