New Owner of Old Boat Needs Help

[Frank Olson]

I just bought a 1977 Hunter 30. I want to fix it up and keep it for a while. I've sailed many times before, but have forgotten most of it and know very little about boat maintenance. I hope you can help me.(1) On the deck (where people can step, but not all over) appears to be a darker-colored (grayish) paint with a rough surface - perhaps sand in the paint. It is no longer even, there are patches where I guess it's rubbed off. What is this, and how can I get more to make it look even again?(2) The 8hp Yanmar motor is unusually loud for such a small motor, and shakes the boat at low RPM. Is it always like this, or should I get a professional to look at it?(3) We have a wasp infestation problem. Are there any products that are especially helpful in getting rid of them? (Orkin wants $150 to spray it, but if a $5 fogger will do it, I'd go with the fogger).(4) The main sheet and jib halyard are darkened by age and grime. They are natural fiber ropes, I believe. Will soaking them in bleach overnight destroy them or just make them whiter again? I don't want to buy new ropes if I don't have to (esp. the jib halyard which would be costly to run a new one through the mast). (PS - "main sheet" is attached to the boom and the sliding rail on the deck in the cockpit, but the "jib halyard" is the rope inside the mast that pulls the jib up, right? I'm trying to get my terminology straight).Hoping you can help,Frank OlsonAtlanta, GAfrank_olson@hotmail.com

 

[Jim McCue]

fog bomb

I'd be sure to disconnect the battery before using any fogger!. Some of those product are highly flammable and any spark can cause a flash fire. This fogger problem has been featured in articles and TV.Make sure it is well vented before reconnecting.

 

[Dan geltmacher]

Get a book

Frank, I too am a new owner of an old boat, an '81 H30. I bought a copy of "This Old Boat", by John Casey and "Marine Diesel Engines" by Nigel Carter. Both of these books and this forum have help me greatly in restoring my boat to fighting trim. These books will solve every problem but the wasps. Good luck Hawaii Dan

 

[Mac Lindsay]

Good old boat

Frank;Try a subscription to Good Old Boat. Go to their website at www.goodoldboat.com.They will send you a complimentary copy of their magazine. This magazine is dedicated to boats older than 10yrs and have good articles on restoring and refitting. Try it out.Mac Lindsay sv Kitkatla 1984 H31

 

[John Corcoran]

Wasp

I have use "nopest strips" for years and now have been told to put dryer sheets "BOUNCE ect." in compartments. I also was told to put them under the main sail cover to keep the wasps out of the main.Good luck