Is this as bad as I fear? 80 hunter 30

[dr3v01ution]

Ive been reading a lot of posts over the years and thankful for all the advice. I believe its the compression post? Between mast and keel.
Repairable? How bad is it?

Thanks,

Donald

[dr3v01ution]

Maybe this will finally work for me?

[dr3v01ution]

More pix

[skipmac]

Almost anything is repairable. Question is, how hard will it be to repair and is it worth it or is the boat worth it.

Can't say for sure from photos but the piece looks pretty rusted. I have cut into really rusty iron before to find strong, solid metal inside but have also seen pieces like your photo that were nothing but flakes of rust.

First question, how hard is it to reach that spot? Do you have to tear the floor out or just lift a couple of boards. If it's under the mast at the very least I assume you have to pull the mast. If you can pull the mast and easily access the whole area to pull out the rusted bits then it's a DIY project if you are moderately skilled. Not really high tech or high skilled work. You could go to a local welding shop and have them fab up a replacement for a couple hundred more or less. I might consider having the replacement made of something other than iron.

If it looks like a more difficult repair then the next question is how attached to the boat are you? Are you willing to invest what it will cost and is the boat worth it?

[JPA Cate]

skipmac's given you a very good answer.

The only thing I have to add is that if it was hard to find this particular doggy bon bon, how many others are better hidden?

Ann

[malyea]

Go here to talk with owners that did the same repair on their Hunter Cherubini (sp?)

https://forums.sailboatowners.com/index.php?categories/hunter-owner-forums.35/

We owned a ‘82 H30 Cherubini and lived it.

[Mplight]

Check out ‘Coast Life’ YouTube channel,
I believe they had to replace mast support in Their Hunter 34
Not sure of year, and possible it was deck stepped mast (?)
But they were able re- construct the support.
Good luck either way

[sazarac]

Originally Posted by dr3v01ution

More pix

Yes it is.

[taxwizz]

WOW.
Those photos look like they were taken inside a wreck that had been submerged for 100 years. Probably covered in coral.
Don't let your insurance company see them.

[Techtool]

I have a 1977 hunter 30 I bought it last year and redid the comp post this spring. I there any cracks in the cabin top around the mast step. If there is you will have to check for wet core and repair..( I had to do this. If no cracks in the deck step the steel post on the bilge is an easy repair. PM me and I will show you what I did.

[hpeer]

If you are looking to buy, it’s horrible.

If you own, it’s a PITA learning experience.

Im a steel boat owner, no direct experience in your situation. That said I don’t think you will really know until you get into the project. My gut says what you have is toast, but that’s not certain. On the good side steel is pretty easy to work with if you have good tools and a bad attitude.

IMHO, with far to little info, I suspect this is the road you are heading.
1-Unstep the mast.
2-Get down there and remove the bad section. An angle grinder with some cutting wheels will do the trick. Wear welders gloves! It will take a while and require learning several new curse words.
3-Once you have the area cleaned out then you can fabricate a replacement.
You may have to be inventive to get something that works in that space. It is likely good welder should be able to make what you need in 3 hours. A few hundred bucks.

If you can not do this yourself you are likely into a VERY expensive repair.

Why not call Hunter and see if you can get some guidance? The worst they can say is “No”. They should be able to provide drawings of the original piece.

[rbk]

Originally Posted by hpeer

If you are looking to buy, it’s horrible.

If you own, it’s a PITA learning experience.

Im a steel boat owner, no direct experience in your situation. That said I don’t think you will really know until you get into the project. My gut says what you have is toast, but that’s not certain. On the good side steel is pretty easy to work with if you have good tools and a bad attitude.

IMHO, with far to little info, I suspect this is the road you are heading.
1-Unstep the mast.
2-Get down there and remove the bad section. An angle grinder with some cutting wheels will do the trick. Wear welders gloves! It will take a while and require learning several new curse words.
3-Once you have the area cleaned out then you can fabricate a replacement.
You may have to be inventive to get something that works in that space. It is likely good welder should be able to make what you need in 3 hours. A few hundred bucks.

If you can not do this yourself you are likely into a VERY expensive repair.

Why not call Hunter and see if you can get some guidance? The worst they can say is “No”. They should be able to provide drawings of the original piece.

X2 but also add an osilating tool, they can be very handy in digging old backing out.

[hpeer]

Completely agree.

In tight spaces and in desperation I’ll even use an old blade as a one needle needle gun. Beasts rust of pretty effectively in a small confined space. Slow.

[dakno]

Yes it is bad. How bad? Does your bulkhead door going forward operate? Is there a depression on the cabin top at the mast step? Regardless, any Cherubini 30 (1977-1984) needs the compression post replaced and the iron I beam that supports it if it hasn't been already done. These are amazing boats with many admirers but the compression post is the achilles heal because it was made of iron and...you know the rest. Go to Hunterowners.com and you will find everything you want to know about/how to do this. Its not cheap or easy and as long as you are reasonably handy with tools its certainly affordable and worthwhile as long as your boat is in otherwise reasonable condition. Cheers