Opinions of the Hunter 28

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Alex

I have found a 1992 Hunter 28 that appears to be in very good condition with the exception that there is some water leaking from the keel ballast to fiberglass joint, even though the sump appears dry & clean. Has anyone else had this condition or can comment on the durability of this keel arrangement or the 28 in general? Also, I'd like to hear comments on the sailing qualities of this boat.
 
Dec 25, 2000
5,945
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
Alex, we had a H28 for three seasons and...

never experienced a problem with the keel stub joint. If water is leaking into the joint but not into the bilge you might want to have the joint resealed, a bit of a chore. 1. Remove keel bolt nuts. 2. Lift boat off of keel. 3. Clean/repair joint and reseal with 3M 5200. 4. Lower boat back onto keel. 5. Torque keel nuts. 6. Barrier coat keel stub joint. 7. Apply two coats of hard bottom paint. There are other steps involved like building a keel support so that it remains upright when you lift the boat. The joint may require some fiberglass repair. You can count on applying about seven coats of barrier paint. Terry P.S. The H28 was fun to sail. Fast, tender and nimble on her feet.
 
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Steve

Take her out for a sea trial

Definately take her out for a sea trial. I just bought a 1992 H28 and I really like her lines and sailing ability. You can go to the owner reviews on this site and get additional information on what people think about their H28s. What do you mean it 'leaks?' I have a small horizontal keel crack on the trailing edge up near the hull. When you tap gently with a plastic hammer, you can hear many areas that are hollow. I think that Hunter attached the lead keel to the hull with bolts and then slid a fiberglass cover over it. I am concerned that it water is getting in between the fibergalss and the lead, that when the water freezes (like it does in Maine) that it may cause damage. I am still trying to figure out what the best approach is to this. One suggestion was to drill holes and fill the gap with epoxy. Anyone have any better ideas?
 
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Alex

Leaking Keel joint

Thanks for the informative answers. The boat is "on the hard" and there was a wet area on the aft end of the keel where the lead ballast meets the stub keel for a couple of days after a freeze. I suspect there is a hidden void inside the keel stub where water penetrated and found a way out after the freeze. I may not have the opportunity to inspect for another bilge sump area other than the one most easily acessable under the floorboards. I too noticed that when rapping on the outside of the keel stub it sounded like I was hitting very thin fiberglass but from the inside it seemed to make a normal "Thump". What's up with this?
 
Dec 25, 2000
5,945
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
Alex, I'm only aware of the one bilge area...

on the H28. If the joint seal appears to have been compromised, water will come into the joint area, freeze and could cause damage. There are small pockets between the keel stub and keel where water can collect, which might explain the water leak you mentioned. The only right way that I know to repair this is to separate the boat from the keel, and follow the steps in my previous post. I don't know that drilling holes into the soft areas and filling with sealant or filler will do the job. If water is leaking past the joint seal, it needs to be resealed. You can try to scrape the joint clean without dropping the keel and reseal with 5200, but I've never tried that to know whether it will work. Terry P.S. Let us know what you decide to do and the result.
 
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WJM

No Problem !

I have the same situation on my 1990 28 which first appeared when she was new. After several calls and faxes to Hunter the yard crew drilled a 1/4" drain hole in the trailing edge. Each season at haulout this void drains about a gallon of water with no problems in 15 seasons. The area is not part of the bilge but a fairing behind the keel.
 
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Steve

Where on the trailing edge?

I have a 1992 H28 with the same situation. Where on the trailing edge did you drill the 1/4" hole? It seems obvious that it would be at the bottom, however, there are parts of the keel where it feels solid (like there is no void). Measuring from the point on the trailing edge of the bulb part of the keel, how far up did you put the hole?
 
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WJM

Drain Hole Location

Steve The location of the drain hole is on the starboard side, one inch forward, and about one inch up from the point where the radius of the bulb flattens on the fairing. This was confirmed hollow with a little tapping. The point is to get it as low as possible so it will drain. The fiberglass is only about 3/16 at this point,so if your not in by then, move up slightly. ( The "trial hole" can be filled with a little epoxie.) Good Luck
 
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