New Hunter Owner Questions

[24632]

Just purchased a 1993 23.5 Hunter and have some questions that hopefully someone could help us with:

1) Can't seem to get the boat tight on to the trailer ... winched tight in the water ... moment we pull out of the water the boat backs off about 3" from the rubber stop ... backed in refloated the boat winched in again still the same problem ... backed in refloated and Chained the boat in case the belt is stretching still no luck.

2) appears to be hairline cracks diagonally forward from the front of the bottom slot where the keel is pivoting from ... these are about 6 to 10 inches in length ... should we be concerned about these or is this normal ... there is no water in the bilge ... it is dry as a bone and shows no signs of ever having water in it.

3) there is a 1/8 crack in the trailing edge of the rudder about 12" long ... thinking it should be filled in ... what product(s) should I use for this and is there any precautions I should take prior to sealing up the crack ie does the rudder need to be dried out before filling?

4) There is grey paint on the bottom of the boat that just wipes off with a rag ... the paint turns purple then the White Gell Coat is underneath ... not familiar with bottom paint but supprised it wipes off so easily ... this is a fresh water boat never been to the sea ... should I leave this and get it repainted this fall?

5) Is there a special carpet product that is being used on the trailer? The edges are starting to wear through so just wondering what to fix this with.

 

[Steve O.]

Can't answer all ?s

But I can help with a couple. If the bottom paint is ablative paint (IOW, it sluffs off) then it is very soft and will rub off with a rag. Not sure why the PO would have used that type of paint on a trailer boat, though.

Any outdoor type carpet wiil work on the trailer bunks, but it will remove the type of paint that is on there.

 

[Rick Webb]

Lot's in the Archives on Getting the Boat All the Way up to the Stop

If you are going a short distance don't sweat it. It makes a big difference in how the trailer handles if you do get it snugged up and tied down. The boat stiffens the trailer up quite a bit.

I've had success two ways get it up to about ten miles an hour and stomp on the brake, crude but effective. Where I am now the lot is a mixture of sand or gravel depending on what the last storm left it like. Anyway stomping on the brake does not work. What I have done is cinched up the bow stap as tight as I dare then push on the stern and shake the boat on either side. I have alot of mass (maybe just ass) to help me with this if your a slight person it maybe tough to do. Cinch the strap again and repeat till it is against the bow stop.

Liquid dish soap on the bunks help either process detergent would work as well but it is tougher on the fishies.

 

[Steve A.]

Had same problem with my 21' Santana

The best solution I found was to snug the boat up to the rubber bumper and then lift the bow of the boat straight up while someone cranks the winch. In most cases, I had to just about lift the bow eye above the rubber. Once the boat appears to be tight, pull the trailer out of the water slowly -- on steep ramps especially, the boat has a tendency to slide back a little. The other thing I did (mine had a 500 lb iron swing keel) is to lower the swing keel into its rest and leave a little slack -- this allows the boat to float a little higher in the water. Anything to lighten the weight of (or in) the boat -- like a previous post said to empty ballast tanks -- makes sense to me. Notice in the attached picture that even after my best efforts, I still have a little gap. Boat and trailer towed file, but it always bothered me. Good luck.