Roast my boat! 1994 Hunter 26

[towchristopher]

Roast my boat!

My story: Learned to sail in San Francisco Bay. ASA 101, 102, 103, 104, 108. Moved to Omaha, Nebraska. No shortage of wind. Nearest big lakes are Branched Oak and Lewis and Clark Lake.

My annual goals are:
-2 weekend trips
-2 trips with another couple
-2 trips with a friend
-3 single handed trips

Problem: No sailing clubs or charters available.

Solution: Bought a 1994 Hunter 26.

Here are a bunch of photos. I felt comfortable with the price, broker and seller and did not get an inspection. My thinking is that it was a 30 year old vessel that seemed to have a number of comfort features (autopilot, GPS, new ish depth sounder, roller furler, updated sails, rigging in the last 5 years, maintained trailer, engine with <20 hours). Feel free to tell me I made a big mistake if you think I bought a lemon.

Because I came in under my purchase budget, I have a $3k-7k budget for improvements this year.

It seems bottom paint and perhaps some fiberglass patching should be in my future.

I want to optimize for safety. If you have other amenities you suggest based on my use, all suggestions are welcome.

Lake suggestions are welcome, as well.

What improvements would you make to this vessel?

Is the water found near the stern of concern? Given it was stored outdoors over winter in Minnesota, snow/rain is plausible. Welcome other PoVs.

 

[Tedd]

Congratulations! I think the Hunter 26 and 260 are two of the better trailer yachts available in the U.S. And the 26s are an excellent deal, being very close to the same boat as the 260 for considerably less money. (Although, if you go by age there's actually not much price difference.)

It can be hard to tell from photos but it looks like a decent boat. I bought a boat of similar vintage about four years ago and the first thing I did was clean the heck out of it. I got rid of any signs of mold or staining anywhere, polished up the metal bits, and re-foamed all the cushions. Our cushion fabric was a bit moldy smelling but we fixed that by leaving them out in direct sunlight for a few days and then washing them thoroughly. We also fixed up the most noticeable gel coat dings. After that it felt like a brand new boat!

It's also worth giving the trailer a good going over, especially the brakes, wheel bearings, and wiring.

Another thing I did that was worthwhile was rigging and de-rigging it in my driveway a few times before going sailing. I worked out a pretty good rigging method and checklist, which made the first day at the boat launch go smoothly.

 

[MikeHoncho]

I came here for a roast.........Its not a Cherubini.....

 

[rgranger]

If you plan to keep it on a trailer when not actively sailing… you don’t need bottom paint

 

[shemandr]

Once it's cleaned up I'd consider a suit of sails to use up that extra money. But a cautionary note: I think it's wise to own a boat for a while before spending money on sails. For one you want to be sure the boat fits your needs. Also by learning to sail the boat you may gain some insight in how you want the sails made.

 

[towchristopher]

Sincere thanks for all of the replies!

 

[ingramsail]

We just started sailing a 1996 H26 in May. Purchased in Fed. spend the time clean checking systems out and adding new bottom paint. I like the way it sail and the comfort of the large cabin. It's not the fastest boat on the lake but it's handles 14
mph just fine.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Should I talk with this new sailor? Advice please
Crazy Dave

 

[Project_Mayhem]

A bimini will keep you from getting fatigued in hotter weather which results in more sail time. It also keeps the misses happy, which results in even more sail time

 

[Thaniel]

Looks like a good boat. Clean it up, add a motor and go sailing.

 

[bmorr]

I have had my H26 for a bit over 10 years. My biggest improvement was adding the Bimini followed by replacing some parts in the roller furing (company was very helpful), adding led lights for interior, and new sails. The most improvement came after talking to Crazy Dave and then tuning the mast. Since I am older (not old) I am adding a hand hold on the bottom of the boom for when I go forward. I like the bottom of the boom so I don't end up with a new place for birds to sit. It will be interesting to see if it works.

 

[rs1sensen]

Nice boat.

First focus on safety. Namely required equipment + rigging + engine tuneup + batteries. Inspect the blocks, many are likely due for replacement.

Then cosmetics. Clean it up. Inspect for leaks - it looks like you have several to find. Buff and polish the hull, make her shine. I put this stuff early on the list because a new owner is most motivated when the boat is new to clean it up - if you wait too long you’ll lose motivation for the level of elbow grease. Get a canvas cabin cover if you don’t have one - cuts down on the leaks a lot.

Then, make up for lost maintenance time from the prior owner. If it hasn’t been done, change the centerboard line.

Now, lets focus on her sailing characteristics. Replace the running rigging. (I like RiggingOnly.com) and have the sails refreshed or replaced (I like Precision Sails as a good value-minded option). On the mainsail, get at least 2 reefing points.

After that, its time for the fun stuff. Bimini, Electric cooler, LED light bulbs, etc.