Spring is here time to work on the boat.

[Karyon]

Well spring has arrived in Alberta, snow has melted, so it is time to start tinkering with the boat, instead of web sailing through out the winter months.
I bought our Hunter late last summer and the former owner removed all the striping and decals, so I had a nice clean slate.

I dressed our boat up with a few new stripes, and I'm pleased how it looks.

What are you trailer sailors doing to your boat before she gets splashed for the 2016 season.

 

[JohnVTX]

Good looking boat. Your trailer fenders are really close. I would put carpet on those fender edges.

 

[Ron20324]

+1 on those fenders, but I wouldn't depend on carpet to prevent the boat from bouncing on them. Raise the boat or get fenders with a radiused corner. I always thought if I owned a Hunter, I'd duplicate that "Flying Tiger" mouth, put it properly on the bow, and call it "Horizon Hunter". But, I discovered Beneteaus first.

 

[rgranger]

... and call it "Horizon Hunter". ...

 

[sesmith]

FWIW, we used to have a hunter 23.5, and the fenders on the trailer were never an issue, though it looks it from his pic.

Your 23.5 looks to be in really nice shape. On our 23.5, the best additions were a boom kicker, tiller tamer, winchers, and solar charging. In answer to your question, with the unusually mild winter around here, I've been working on our Seaward 25 all winter. I beefed up the cold box and installed a cold plate refrigeration system, improved battery capacity by replacing the group 24 house battery with 2, 6v deep cycle golf cart batts, installed a new pss seal (we have an inboard), raised the galley counter top by building a new counter with a storage drawer underneath, added a couple of new storage area doors, a couple of shelves, replaced the cabin sole, replaced the marine head with a C-head composter, added a second solar panel, new sails. There's more, but it's all becoming a fog...a busy winter. Should be like a different boat this season.

 

[BudGates]

Good looking boat. Your trailer fenders are really close. I would put carpet on those fender edges.

The fenders on my V-222 were about that close to the hull. After one or two trips to the ocean I noticed quite a gouge on the side. I added 2x6s to the bunks to raise it 1-5/8". One of the best trailer mods for that boat.

 

[Ron20324]

I just got an email the dock water is turned on ... but there is a busted pipe in my section, so no water yet. I'm hauling out in May to do the bottom, so I guess I need to run aground to get the barnacles off the keel.

 

[Karyon]

Don't have any issues with the fenders being close, this is a factory trailer, the fenders were bend a bit but easy to straighten out.
I will have to repack the bearings or replace them and re do the wireing on the trailer as it looks like a rats nest.

 

[Bad Obsession]

Whew...my spring list was nuts.

The biggest project was a mast rewire and I ran Coax in it for my new VHF. I also snaked the coax through the deck and to the radio location. That was quite a job but now I have a VHF with DSC and AIS run into my GPS. It is a great project for the type of cruising I do. I have all of my mast rewired and my deck connections done as well so that is all working good now. The entire VHF install was from scratch so everything in the system is brand spanking new, from the antenna to the radio. Networking the VHF with the GPS was also a bit of a job.

I have a new water tank from last year and new water hoses. I ran pressurized water pump into the system and put a new faucet and cold only cockpit shower.

I also ran a few more new wires in the boat. To this point my only original wiring is my navigation lights at the bow and the stern. They are working so I am not messing with them right now. Last year I re-did my house bank with two GC2 batteries and then backed them up with a 100 watt solar panel and a charge controller.

The mainsail went to the sail maker for a repair.

My fiberglass dingy was sanded to bare fiberglass and I did a small fiberglass repair. I then coated it with two coats of okay paint.

I had an old hole in my slide out sink area that I simply enlarged and put a cup holder in it. It now holds my soap.

I made a few sunbrella covers. I also made a cover for my tiller pilot.

I replaced a wooden patch on my bulkhead where old instruments use to sit. I did it with Starboard and I bedded it with butyl tape. It stopped a leak that I had in that area.

When I installed the VHF antenna I discovered that I needed to move my windex bracket back a few inches. I made an aluminum bracket and moved it back off of the mast by about 3 inches.

I added a brand new anchor rode for my Lewmar claw, 22 pound, with 30' 1/4" BBB chain.

I made a bracket on my bow sprit for my anchor to rest on so it doesn't scratch up the wood.

I still have to power wash my bottom and touch up the bottom paint in a few places.

I intend to wax my hull before she goes in the water.

I will refinish my exterior woodwork

I also have a lot of cleaning to do in the cabin to remove the construction dust. I think that I am missing a few other things but I was pretty busy. I should splash mid-April.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

skutsje;

Nice job. The trailer was built by Hunter after many issues with a local vendor that built the earlier trailers whose fenders use to fall off. The support was a major issue with KWS which is why you saw them on your trailer. As for bearings, I always suggested that yiou constantly check them to see if overheating by simply touching. Some warmth is natural but hot to the touch, you got problems.

 

[Karyon]

Thanks CD,

Just repacked the bearings the other day, so I'm thinking I'm good to hit the road.
Hoping to take her to Flathead lake Montana a 360mile trip oneway.