I am going to look at a 1981 HUnter 27 and had a few questions. This will be my second boat. My first was a Catalina 22 and we are looking for something bigger. The boat is supposed to have the sails and head replaced in 2004. It is a one owner. I know that this can be good (must be a sweet baot to keep it this long) and bad (sometimes upgrades are not done / complacent). This baot looks great in pictures but I have been disappointed by pictures before. What are somethings I should be focused on with a boat of this age? I have read here before about different types of thru-hulls, etc, and would like some input. I know I am not looking a new boat and will have to make allowances, but that is part of the fun of messing around in boats. Also, is this a Cheribini model. I apologize for the spelling. I just do not understand the difference in the models. I look forward to hearing from everyone. I am excited about this boat model and love her lines. Of course I will get a survey if I decide to make an offer and it is accepted.
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Buying A Hunter 27
I owned a 1979 Hunter 27 for about 15 years (it was 3 years old when I bought it). Previously, I also had Catalina 22. You should be very happy with a H27. They sail very well. Just remember to reef the main above 15 knots (the main gets reefed before the jib/genny). Probably the biggest thing to look for on these boats is that it has the Yanmar engine. Some in 1980/81 had a Renault engine and these were very problemmatic and are very hard to get parts for. My boat never had any blister problems or soft deck spots (but a survey will spot these). Also, any boat this old may need the ports removed and recaulked, but this is not a big deal. All of the systems on this boat are pretty simple, so many of the necessary repairs you can do yourself. Good luck.
I owned a 1979 Hunter 27 for about 15 years (it was 3 years old when I bought it). Previously, I also had Catalina 22. You should be very happy with a H27. They sail very well. Just remember to reef the main above 15 knots (the main gets reefed before the jib/genny). Probably the biggest thing to look for on these boats is that it has the Yanmar engine. Some in 1980/81 had a Renault engine and these were very problemmatic and are very hard to get parts for. My boat never had any blister problems or soft deck spots (but a survey will spot these). Also, any boat this old may need the ports removed and recaulked, but this is not a big deal. All of the systems on this boat are pretty simple, so many of the necessary repairs you can do yourself. Good luck.
Sturdy boats
Cherubini was the designer. Hunter built these boats from 1975 through 1984. It is a large 27 displacing 7,000 lbs. It came in two keel configurations a 3.4' shallow draft and a 4.4'. As most boats of that era they carry a high aspect main sail which can be described as high and narrow with most of the power being derived from the overlapping Geneoa. They were also configured with tiller or wheel steering. The Yanmar powered 1GM had a power output of 6.5HP. This small engine should power the boat to 5+ knots. These engines as they get older may start loosing compression and top speed decreases. Hunter built these boats to be the least expensive models in their class. In order to do that they skimped on the equipment, small winches, no traveller, no boom vang, anchor rollers, etc. Notwhistanding the hull and riggin were well built and very sturdy even by today's standarts. The boat has two inherent flaws, it has a shallow bilge and it is probably the worst boat to back up because of prop walk. We installed a chip controlled automatic bilge pump on our's to keep the bilge dry and learned to deal with the prop walk and use it to our advantage. We carry a 150% Genoa and with adequate wind 12-18 Knots consistently cruise at between 5.8 and 6.2 knots. We don't reef our main until we hit 20-25 knot winds. Boats with older sails will tend to heel excesively so perhaps that is the reason why some may recommend reefing earlier. The boat is heavy for its size and it is not tender at all. We get a comparative ride from the H320. Before I forget the factory through the hull valves are gate valves and by know most are starting to fail; I would replace them with ball type valves. Check for water leaks, seal and tighten pulpits, stanchions and all deck fittings. The hatches are not manufactured any more but Bomar makes units that can be adapted ($$) The portholes and parts and seals are still manufatured by Gray Industries out of Tampa, FL. They are now a Division of Pompanette, LLC. The prices for a good boat should be between $8,000 to $10,000. Highly recommend the boat.
Cherubini was the designer. Hunter built these boats from 1975 through 1984. It is a large 27 displacing 7,000 lbs. It came in two keel configurations a 3.4' shallow draft and a 4.4'. As most boats of that era they carry a high aspect main sail which can be described as high and narrow with most of the power being derived from the overlapping Geneoa. They were also configured with tiller or wheel steering. The Yanmar powered 1GM had a power output of 6.5HP. This small engine should power the boat to 5+ knots. These engines as they get older may start loosing compression and top speed decreases. Hunter built these boats to be the least expensive models in their class. In order to do that they skimped on the equipment, small winches, no traveller, no boom vang, anchor rollers, etc. Notwhistanding the hull and riggin were well built and very sturdy even by today's standarts. The boat has two inherent flaws, it has a shallow bilge and it is probably the worst boat to back up because of prop walk. We installed a chip controlled automatic bilge pump on our's to keep the bilge dry and learned to deal with the prop walk and use it to our advantage. We carry a 150% Genoa and with adequate wind 12-18 Knots consistently cruise at between 5.8 and 6.2 knots. We don't reef our main until we hit 20-25 knot winds. Boats with older sails will tend to heel excesively so perhaps that is the reason why some may recommend reefing earlier. The boat is heavy for its size and it is not tender at all. We get a comparative ride from the H320. Before I forget the factory through the hull valves are gate valves and by know most are starting to fail; I would replace them with ball type valves. Check for water leaks, seal and tighten pulpits, stanchions and all deck fittings. The hatches are not manufactured any more but Bomar makes units that can be adapted ($$) The portholes and parts and seals are still manufatured by Gray Industries out of Tampa, FL. They are now a Division of Pompanette, LLC. The prices for a good boat should be between $8,000 to $10,000. Highly recommend the boat.
Hunter 27 owner
I just bought a 1978 Hunter 27 (in July) after looking around for about a year. The previous owner had the boat for 10 years and didn't do much in the way of upgrades but he did maintain it properly. It came with a new main, a 110 lapper and 160 Genoa. The auxillary is a Yanmar 1GM which is barely adequate. There is some prop walk as Benny said, but I was expecting it since I had sailed on a couple of others with the same problem. I also sailed on a H27 with the Renault that seemed to have more power, but as Bob mentioned, parts seemed to be a problem with the Renault since it's been out of production for over 20 years. My Kenyon alcohol stove works like a champ (for an alcohol stove) and you can still get parts for it. All interior lighting is fairly new and it has 2 batteries which I consider the minimum. This may or may not be important to you. I have added a Bimini, a new sail cover and a sail bag. Roller furling would be nice, but I'm not ready to spend $2000+ for the convenience. Benny mentioned the shallow bilge which is quite true, but on the other hand, the bilge stays dry except for when you use the ice chest. It seems that the ice chest drains directly into the bilge..... The bilge pump makes short work of that but unfortunately won't remove all of the water. About 3/4 inch of water remains due to the pump not being able to draw below that level. If I dry it out manually, it stays dry until I use the ice chest again. Unlike Benny's, mine does have a traveler mounted in the rear of the cockpit. The outhaul and topping lift adjustments are in the boom. The winches are very basic single speed winches with no self tailing. I am sure this is standard. There is also a mast mounted single spreed winch for the Genny, but I don't know if this is standard. It seems to be a very sturdy boat and even though close to 30 years old, there are no soft spots in the deck and none of the portlights or hatches leak. Watch for cracked plastic that hold the dogs in place on the portlights. I had to epoxy one that I overtightened, causing the plasic bracket to break. All of the stanchions and cleats seem solidly mounted, so the previous owner may have done some work there. Check them out because they will cause you grief later if you don't. Look very closely at the standing rigging. Any frayed wires or badly corroded turnbuckles can spell big trouble, as in demasting in a hard blow. You can order exact replacement portlights and screens thru hunterowners. com I also found the exact replacement bow (running) lights for isail.com. Check the running, steaming and anchor lights. On an old boat, corrosion can make them intermittant or inoperative. That's why I know the the bow running lights are still available
My masthead light is completely out and I'm sure that is a bad socket (corroded) and replacing the bulb won't fix it. When I haul out this spring to clean the bottom and installed a knotmeter and depth finder, I'll attend to that. I have no desire at age 63 to climb the mast. This is my 3rd sailboat (after a 15' one design and a 22 foot overnighter) and I am very pleased with it. Better yet, my lady friend loves it (she thinks it's cozy) and wants to spend every weekend on the lake with me. Life is good.
I just bought a 1978 Hunter 27 (in July) after looking around for about a year. The previous owner had the boat for 10 years and didn't do much in the way of upgrades but he did maintain it properly. It came with a new main, a 110 lapper and 160 Genoa. The auxillary is a Yanmar 1GM which is barely adequate. There is some prop walk as Benny said, but I was expecting it since I had sailed on a couple of others with the same problem. I also sailed on a H27 with the Renault that seemed to have more power, but as Bob mentioned, parts seemed to be a problem with the Renault since it's been out of production for over 20 years. My Kenyon alcohol stove works like a champ (for an alcohol stove) and you can still get parts for it. All interior lighting is fairly new and it has 2 batteries which I consider the minimum. This may or may not be important to you. I have added a Bimini, a new sail cover and a sail bag. Roller furling would be nice, but I'm not ready to spend $2000+ for the convenience. Benny mentioned the shallow bilge which is quite true, but on the other hand, the bilge stays dry except for when you use the ice chest. It seems that the ice chest drains directly into the bilge..... The bilge pump makes short work of that but unfortunately won't remove all of the water. About 3/4 inch of water remains due to the pump not being able to draw below that level. If I dry it out manually, it stays dry until I use the ice chest again. Unlike Benny's, mine does have a traveler mounted in the rear of the cockpit. The outhaul and topping lift adjustments are in the boom. The winches are very basic single speed winches with no self tailing. I am sure this is standard. There is also a mast mounted single spreed winch for the Genny, but I don't know if this is standard. It seems to be a very sturdy boat and even though close to 30 years old, there are no soft spots in the deck and none of the portlights or hatches leak. Watch for cracked plastic that hold the dogs in place on the portlights. I had to epoxy one that I overtightened, causing the plasic bracket to break. All of the stanchions and cleats seem solidly mounted, so the previous owner may have done some work there. Check them out because they will cause you grief later if you don't. Look very closely at the standing rigging. Any frayed wires or badly corroded turnbuckles can spell big trouble, as in demasting in a hard blow. You can order exact replacement portlights and screens thru hunterowners. com I also found the exact replacement bow (running) lights for isail.com. Check the running, steaming and anchor lights. On an old boat, corrosion can make them intermittant or inoperative. That's why I know the the bow running lights are still available
My masthead light is completely out and I'm sure that is a bad socket (corroded) and replacing the bulb won't fix it. When I haul out this spring to clean the bottom and installed a knotmeter and depth finder, I'll attend to that. I have no desire at age 63 to climb the mast. This is my 3rd sailboat (after a 15' one design and a 22 foot overnighter) and I am very pleased with it. Better yet, my lady friend loves it (she thinks it's cozy) and wants to spend every weekend on the lake with me. Life is good.Renault
I have a 1980 H27, and I think you will find it has more useable room that most boats its size, and the design is quite good. I concur with the other contributors on most of the comments (the shallow bilge, the need to reef early), but I would not discount the boat if it has a Renault engine. Yes, the are sometimes tough to get parts for, but if you check this web site you will see they are available. All in all, they are pretty simple little engines and (like the old Volkwagons of my youth) they are pretty easy to keep running. I fried the transmission last year, but was able to rebuild it myself for less than $200. And it has one great feature: it can be pull started like a lawn mower. I consider it a great feature - I never worry about draining the battery! Regarding what to check: check the rudder. Look for corrosion around the steel/fiberglass junction. I had mine just let go and had to rebuild it. Good Luck, Dan
I have a 1980 H27, and I think you will find it has more useable room that most boats its size, and the design is quite good. I concur with the other contributors on most of the comments (the shallow bilge, the need to reef early), but I would not discount the boat if it has a Renault engine. Yes, the are sometimes tough to get parts for, but if you check this web site you will see they are available. All in all, they are pretty simple little engines and (like the old Volkwagons of my youth) they are pretty easy to keep running. I fried the transmission last year, but was able to rebuild it myself for less than $200. And it has one great feature: it can be pull started like a lawn mower. I consider it a great feature - I never worry about draining the battery! Regarding what to check: check the rudder. Look for corrosion around the steel/fiberglass junction. I had mine just let go and had to rebuild it. Good Luck, Dan
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