2000 hunter 340 sailboat

This affordable coastal cruiser has plenty of room for entertaining

T he Hunter design team was listening carefully to what potential buyers had in mind in the late 1990s when it came to building the ideal racer-cruiser, with an emphasis on the latter. The result was the Hunter 340, a sloop that would be fun to sail, comfortable and roomy enough for several friends or family, equipped with a gourmet galley, an enormous head and shower and suitable as a dockside summer gathering spot after a day on the water. 

First impressions

It’s almost impossible not to notice the integrated arch looming large just forward of the spacious cockpit. The arch, which supports the traveler, is among several key innovations that created a buzz in the yachting community. The in-mast furling (a popular option) and absence of a backstay also get attention, as do the portals that are oddly configured in different shapes and sizes like a museum of windows. 

And then there’s the massive cockpit, where a stainless 28-inch destroyer-style steering wheel is mounted to an instrument console with folding table, small cooler and storage compartment. There are two seats mounted on the stern rail, perfect perches from which to feel the wind and get the best view. The helmsman seat is hinged, making it possible to walk through the reverse transom to the integrated swim platform with its freshwater shower. Oh, and there’s no wood trim on deck, which translates to less seasonal maintenance.

Construction

The Hunter 340 is a fiberglass masthead sloop with a tall, fractional rig. It features a spade rudder and a bolted-on lead keel. Constructed by Hunter Marine from 1998 to 2001, the 340 was engineered to carry less weight aloft with smaller mast sections. This was accomplished by using swept spreaders and reverse diagonals as well as mast support struts, a system descending from the B&R design invented by the late Lars Bergstrom and Sven Ridder. The design eliminates the need for a backstay and allows for a large roach main to power the boat, while the 110-percent working jib provides stability. The drawback of swept spreaders is that they keep the main from being fully eased when sailing downwind. 

The hull-to-deck joint is through-bolted and fitted with a continuous rubrail. The mast and boom are aluminum. Most deck fittings are stainless steel. 

What to look for

Like any boat with a deck-stepped mast, excess compression over time and deck delamination from water infusion are problematic. The electrical system is, as one skipper put it, “bare bones” with few breakers and only one 30-amp shore power inlet. The swim platform opens to the bilge with only rubber latches to keep it secure, which could be a problem in rough seas. Some owners report thin line cracks on the hull bottom near the bolted-on keel. This most likely is fairing compound that overtime has become brittle and cracked as gravity and friction work against the keel. The keel was installed in bedding compound and then bolted. If weeping is evident, have the boatyard tighten the bolts. The boat’s gray nonskid deck paint tends to wear and peel.

The integrated arch accommodates the traveler, so there’s no need for the cockpit crew to move when tacking. Since the arch extends across much of the boat, the traveler can be longer and more efficient than those restricted by the width of the cockpit seats. It also protects the large cockpit from s flailing mainsheet and reduces overall line clutter. A bimini can be attached to the arch. 

The arch was made with fiberglass on the 1998 and 1999 models, and changed to stainless steel in 2000 and 2001. Owners differ in opinion on whether the change was made to cut costs or improve aesthetics. Skippers also use the arch to mount speakers, line bags and other accessories. 

The boat has plenty of cleats for docking, a bow pulpit, stern rail with two seats, double lifelines with gates, two dorade vents, hatches, an inboard jib track with cars, boom vang, roller furling jib, in-mast furling main, and stainless handrails. Mast shrouds connect to both the cabin exterior and the toerail, making it somewhat difficult for crew to make their way forward to handle foredeck tasks. The walk-through transom provides easy access to the integrated swim platform with its stainless, telescoping ladder.

The saloon affords 6 feet 4 inches of headroom. There’s a sprawling dining table for eight, and a gourmet galley with two-burner stove, oven, microwave, two-basin sink, refrigerator and freezer and Corian countertop. The boat carries 75 gallons of freshwater. 

It sleeps seven: two in the V-berth, two in the aft cabin and three on the convertible dinette and settee. The head is designed with a large shower. Light and ventilation are plentiful via ports that open and are screened. The boat has multiple hatches. The enormous head has a full shower. There are two private staterooms and three hanging lockers. 

The boat relies on a Japanese-built Yanmar 3GM diesel engine for auxiliary power. The engine is rated at 27-horsepower and is powerful enough to push the boat in a chop. The engine housing provides easy access to check fluids or change filters. The fuel tank holds 30 gallons.

Hunter Marine attempted to ease the effort of sail handling by using a large roach main. Although the sloop has a responsive helm, skippers have reported the combination of small genoa and big mainsail creates weather helm when sailing upwind, making it imperative to reef in 15 knots or more in order to balance the boat. Weather helm can also overpower the optional, battery-operated autopilot when the wind pipes up. 

The jib sheet winches are on the cabintop rather than the coaming and can’t be reached from the helm, which makes the boat difficult to singlehand. Some 340s were made with only one winch on the starboard side, so it must be shared. 

Owners note the typical upwind top speed is just over 7 knots. Although the Hunter 340 can be used for around-the-buoys racing, which it is in many locations, it’s more suitable as a coastal cruiser. 

The Hunter 340 is a spacious, comfortable, innovatively designed sloop ideal for day sailing with several friends aboard or a weekend of coastal cruising. 

SAILING’s Value Guide

(5-sailboat rating system)

PRICE:  The price of a used Hunter 340 ranges from $40,000 to approximately $65,000 for a hull in good condition.  

DESIGN QUALITY:  The Hunter 340 was designed by the Hunter design team. 

CONSTRUCTION QUALITY: The solid fiberglass boat is finished with a thick gelcoat. The hull-to-deck joint is through-bolted and trimmed with a continuous rubrail. Mast and boom are aluminum, the deck-stepped mast steadied by a series of support struts in addition to the shrouds. Hardware is stainless steel. 

USER-FRIENDLINESS:  The cockpit seats eight and is set up for socializing. The boat’s integrated arch supports the traveler. The boat isn’t easy to singlehand because the self-tailing winches aren’t mounted on the cockpit coamings and the traveler is bolted atop the arch. 

SAFETY: The boat is equipped with double lifelines and gates, stainless handrails, swim platform to aid offloading by dinghy. The Edson steering wheel is a rod-and-arm system bolted directly to the rudder, which avoids use of quadrants and chain connections that are often a source of breakage.

TYPICAL CONDITION:  The earliest models are just over 20 years old and owners say the hulls are holding up with no major defects or breakdowns. The gray nonskid deck tends to wear. 

REFITTING:   The boat could benefit from refitting, including adding a bowsprit, winches, sturdier latches on the swim platform lockers and installing an internal barrier inside the lockers. Some owners have added thick felt to the edges around inside of engine access panels to reduce noise and prevent rattles, and a sump pump so that the shower drains overboard and not into bilge.  

SUPPORT: There are about 60 members throughout the United States, Canada and Australia in the Hunter 340 Facebook group. Many owners use the website https://hunter.sailboatowners.com when searching for parts or advice.  

AVAILABILITY: At least ten Hunter 340s were for sale in the United States in early spring and other hulls were available in Canada and Turkey.

INVESTMENT AND RESALE:  The Hunter 340 holds its value, with boats that sold as used 10 years ago for $50,000 still priced at approximately $45,000, depending on overall condition.

LOA 33’9”; LWL 28’6”; Beam 11’8”; Draft shoal 4’6”, deep 6’;  Displ. 11,030 lb.; Ballast deep-draft 3,500 lb., shoal draft 4,100 lb.; Sail area  682 sq. ft.

General Market Price Data

$66,900 2001 Wisconsin

$52,500 1998 New York

$41,500 2000 Maryland

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The Hunter 340 is a 33.75ft b&r designed by Hunter Design Team and built in fiberglass by Hunter Marine (USA) since 1997.

The Hunter 340 is a moderate weight sailboat which is a very high performer. It is stable / stiff and has a low righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a fast cruiser. The fuel capacity is originally small. There is a short water supply range.

Hunter 340 for sale elsewhere on the web:

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• Boat Type : Monohull Sailboats
• Quantity: 1
• Horse Power: 27
• Type: Diesel
• Hull Material : Fiberglass
• Beam : 11'8"
• Length : 34'
• Net Weight : 11030 lbs
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2000 Hunter 340 boats for sale

2002 Hunter 340

Deltaville, Virginia

Make Hunter

Category Cruiser Boats

Posted Over 1 Month

2002 Hunter 340 The Hunter 340 remains one of the most popular cruisers ever produced by Hunter Marine.  "Indigo Winds" has been meticulously maintained, and is loaded with options.  The large cockpit makes entertaining a snap!  Options include In-mast furling, Frigoboat refrigeration, GPS, radar, and autopilot.  New head sail in 2012, this is a real beauty! Owner is selling as they moved up to a larger Hunter.

2001 Hunter 340

St Joseph, Michigan

2001 Hunter 340, The "Dream Catcher" is a great sailing vessel! This is an "A" rated blue water boat. The boat is immaculate and has only sailed in fresh water and has been to over a 100 ports in the Great Lakes. All original paperwork and manuals. Lots of Extras included!!! It has a solar panel and Inverter. The boat has a new water heater,Windex replaced and bilge pump replaced all in 2015. Complete buff and wax done in Spring of 2016.The boat has 2016 inspection sticker and passed with an A plus plus!Ultra Premium location at Harbor Shores Marina in St.Joseph, MI paid thru the 2016 season. NADA suggested retail is $64,670.00. $59999.00

2000 Hunter 340

Annapolis, Maryland

Category Sailboats

2000 Hunter 340 The perfect family cruiser for the Bay! Above decks the Hunter 340 is designed for easy sailing, easy and safe movement around the deck and comfortable, dry seating for the entire crew. Below decks there is a surprising amount of room and storage, and she sleeps 7. Features include:Reverse cycle air conditioningDodger, bimini, and connectorElectric windlassCockpit cushionsGPS chartplotter mounted at helm

Riverside, New Jersey

2000 Hunter 340 • Asymmetrical spinnaker – nearly new• Spinnaker winches, halyard blocks and lines• New Battery monitoring system (2015)• In mast furling• Windless (2011)

Clearwater, Florida

2001 Hunter 340 This frequently sailed, well maintained 34’ Hunter is ready for you to begin your sailing adventures right away. This boat is very easy to sail comes equipped with a furling main and jib, with all lines leading aft it can be handled solo and is great for beginners or for experienced mariners just looking to enjoy easy cruising. This boat has made the journey to Mexico, Fla Keys and Cuba. The spacious cockpit has room for the whole family or a group of friends. The cabin is well equipped with TV, full Galley, shower and head making weekend getaways or long day trips very comfortable. Newly equipped with Lowrance 3G RADAR displayed on a Lowrance 5HDS chart plotter with auto-pilot, Yanmar Engine with less than 1,100 hours and a new transmission.

Los Angeles, California

2000 Hunter 340 Very well maintained sailboat. A very roomy and well designed interior. She is well equiped with radar. auto helm and other electronics necessary for easy cruising. She is ready to sail with nothing needed. The owners have taken loving care of her and she can take you to Catalina and points unknown. This is a must see and she will sell (sail) fast.

Kemah, Texas

2000 Hunter 340 PRICE REDUCTION!!! Magic is a very well maintained 2000 Hunter 340.  She is loaded with electronics, autopilot, AC/Heat, refrigeration, roller furling main, roller furling jib, gel cell batteries, cockpit cushions, and  fresh bottom paint in August 2014. Boats this nice don't stay on the docks for long.  Call today to schedule a viewing.

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2000 Hunter 340

• Description

Seller's Description

Standard features

2000 Hunter 340 in Very Good Condition

Whether sailing for pleasure or racing around the buoys, the Hunter 340 can really make a difference with the tall, fractional rig carrying less weight aloft using swept-back spreaders and mast support struts. This combination provides superior strength without a backstay and increases the stability at the same time. By using a large roach main as the power sail, Hunter has eased the effort in sail handling and provided real versatility for all wind and sea conditions.

MANUFACTURER PROVIDED DESCRIPTION:

Starting with the tall, fractional rig, Hunter has engineered the mast to carry less weight aloft with smaller sections. This is accomplished by utilizing swept-back spreaders and reverse diagonals as well as mast support struts. This combination provides superior strength without a backstay and increases the stability at the same time. By using a large roach main as the power sail, Hunter has eased the effort in sail handling and provided real versatility for all wind and sea conditions. The deck layout reflects the innovation that accompanies the rig. An integrated arch protects the cockpit from snapping main sheets and blistering sun with the Bimini. This arch keeps the cockpit clear and open, where a custom console stands ready with the standard VHF and instruments. Single lever control and fold down table, along with engine instrumentation, complete the command station. The swim platform and walkthrough transom complete with shower and folding ladder are perfect for water sports or for boarding the tender. Storage abounds, and the non-skid is absolutely first-rate. Comfort is truly important whether one is on the boat for a week or a year, so Hunter has created an interior that not only looks good, but works well. Two private, large staterooms along with an enormous head with shower, a salon that can seat eight, and a gourmet galley will keep all the crew happy. Hunter Marines keel boats are the backbone of the Hunter fleet. These spacious and comfortable cruisers are incredibly appointed from the rich fabrics to the top-grade hardware.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

Deep Keel: 6.0’.

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2001 Hunter 340

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Bet You Didn't Know This About Hunters!

• Add to quote

So why did you use 3M 4200 instead of 3M 5200 for re-bedding the keel?  

On the advice of people far more experienced that I. We considered 5200 but there is ever another problem with the keel, getting it off is as bad, if not worse, than an epoxy bed. 5200 gives the flex but is still a cast-iron bastard to get off if something goes wrong. Since the bolts are there to provide the mechanical attachment to the boat and the bolts on the 340 are 4 1 1/4" and 1 1", they had plenty of strength. 3M 4200 is an adhesive and is still insanely strong. So we accepted it as a compromise to retain a lot of the original bond, allow the keel to flex like it is supposed to and make it actually possible to drop the keel in the event damage is done. And not at the cost of two solid days in the slings and damage to the keel stub in getting it off. 4200 will actually separate. They were recommending a straight bedding compound like they do on race boats. 4200 was the middle ground from a 5200/epoxy bed. Matt  

Is that the super shallow draft version? I hear that is an expensive option! To me it does seem to be strong, but only if there are no air gaps. But of course it is not exactly making for easy maintenance. Seems to me to be a more of a budget cutting measure as I am sure the epoxy that they buy by the tanker full is cheaper than 3M 5200, but is not made for any kind of repairs or maintenance. Kind of like the new "sealed for life" transmissions. Sure fine for the first owner, but not so much so for the second who has to have it rebuilt because they made it so you could not have the fluid changed as part of the scheduled maintenance.  

So, in all this, I'm still wondering what caused the damage in the first place. If it was cracked and leaking toward the aft end of the keel - that sounds like a pretty good grounding.  

We exposed the joint and it appeared to be a hairline crack towards the aft on the port side. Barely visible. There is no evidence of the boat ever having gone aground, we've never been aground since we bought it and the boat has spent its entire life on the Chesapeake Bay. Not impossible to ground and do damage but one of the safest places in the world to do it. I've seen keels with grounding damage. No scrapes, no dents, no chunks removed, nothing on ours. Only evidence of an issue on the keel was the cracking fairing compound and that is a common problem on externally ballasted boats. Inspection found no evidence of any keel damage at all. Our best speculation is given the thinness of the keel profile at the aft is more prone to flex and there isn't a lot of surface area there to bond to. And after putting the keel back on the long keel studs made it hard to get good torque on the nuts. Probably a combination of the long bolts, thin keel and perhaps a light amount of epoxy contributed. We sailed the boat in heavy conditions during a day race and we think that it started the crack to open just enough as the keel flexed in 30 knots of wind and short 4-6 foot chop. The amount of water was negligible. Perhaps a paper towel's worth a day after we splashed following our two weeks on the hard for inspection. I checked the boat twice a day for the six weeks leading up to the repair date. Even the surveyor said it was a long term problem and recommended against repair unless we planned to keep the boat a long time (more than 5 years). Just live with it, sell it and make it someone else's problem. This we obvious did not do. There was no corrosion on the studs and virtually no delamination in the glass in rearmost stud tunnels. So we caught it very early before it had a chance to damage the studs or wreck the rear sump laminate. Crevice corrosion on the bottom of the #4 backing plate but that is not uncommon given the shape of the sump in this area. As I said, speculation at best. Since the repair, the boat is back to being bone dry in the bilge. Matt  

Matt- FWIW "Hunter" went out of business about a year ago. The new owners, who bought the assets, may or may not be building the same way. 5200 requires no mixing but requires a fairly long cure time, days. Eventually it does get quite hard but I suspect it still is more flexible than many epoxies. Epoxy has to be mixed properly and typically cures in hours, or overnight. So besides price, there could be good reasons to use one or the other in the larger manufacturing process.  

hellosailor said: ...FWIW "Hunter" went out of business about a year ago. The new owners, who bought the assets, may or may not be building the same way... Click to expand...

Five, then I've been mislead. A member of one of the ofrums said they went by the Hunter yard and it was padlocked and closed. This was followed by news that they had filed for bankruptcy and subsequently, the new owners bought the assets of the company and were re-opening it again, with no mention that they were also buying the liabilities, specifically, no mention that they would honor existing contracts or warranties. If that's incorrect, then that's incorrect. As you say you've actually spoken to the new owner, it would seem that you've got better information. Have you seen any specific citation that the new company IS honoring past liabilities, including purchase contracts for existing hulls, and warranty expenses? It would seem that they should have been very proud to announce that, if that were the case. I missed the memo?  

hellosailor said: Five, then I've been mislead. A member of one of the ofrums said they went by the Hunter yard and it was padlocked and closed. This was followed by news that they had filed for bankruptcy and subsequently, the new owners bought the assets of the company and were re-opening it again, with no mention that they were also buying the liabilities, specifically, no mention that they would honor existing contracts or warranties. If that's incorrect, then that's incorrect. As you say you've actually spoken to the new owner, it would seem that you've got better information. Have you seen any specific citation that the new company IS honoring past liabilities, including purchase contracts for existing hulls, and warranty expenses? It would seem that they should have been very proud to announce that, if that were the case. I missed the memo? Click to expand...

"perhaps your friend visited them " I never mentioned a friend . or an acquaintance . I said someone on another forum. A friend is someone who will bring you bail money, or any other unlikely request, and ask questions later. An acquaintance is someone you'd be reluctant to call for the same reason as your friend. Some guy online? Could be a dog (old joke) for all you know on the internet. As you say, things change during a bankruptcy sale. The old company and the old ways didn't make a sufficient profit. The new company will make changes to ensure profits. And typically, that means, yes, they will do things differently. If the old company riveted on the wings (like Boeing) or welded on the wings, the new one might glue the wings on. As they are on some modern combat aircraft, even if those are also from Boeing. And with some stuff today, I see glue used in big plants and multiple expensive screws used in smaller plants, where they don't know what glue is. Yet. Slave labor is cheaper than glue. No way to tell unless you call Mr. Marlow and ask, huh?  

"They pretty much told him every single Hunter keel was put on with epoxy. " Heheh. Cheeki Rafiki? Maybe you didn't hear about, what was it, Thursday's Child? A boat custom built for the head of Hunter back around the late 80's, that lost its keel very soon after launching. One might suspect that event inspired someone to use epoxy on the later boats. Ya'think? As to 4300/vs/5200 and peeling off laminates, that sounds like someone doesn't quite have it right. If 4200 and 5200 have "almost the same" bond strength, they will remain bonded to a laminate, or not, in the same way. Given that the strength of laminates will also vary quite a bit, there would have to be a significant difference between the bond strength (4200/5200) and the 4200 would have to be significantly weaker in order to ensure it failed to bond, and released from the laminate. I don't know, I'm not looking those up. Just saying, the (non)numbers don't add up unless there is some significant difference. If you have, say, a six by 36 inch area to bond, that's only 216 square inches, but if the bond strength is 700# per square inch, that's still enough to keep a seventy-five ton keel attached. Assuming the laminate can hold up to that.(G)  

The notion that the keel was held in place by epoxy, and that the keel bolts are essentially superfluous, is very misleading. The epoxy is there to keep the water out, period. Epoxy is very strong stuff, but it is also prone to crack propagation (as you have apparently found out). Therefore, the material tensile strength (e.g., the value given in an earlier post in this thread) may seem pretty impressive, but that is determined using a very small homogeneous specimen under optimal conditions. One little flaw (and there are always flaws under real world conditions) and catastrophic failure is inevitable. Steel, bronze, and iron are much more forgiving, which is one reason they are used in applications with high tensile loads (like keel bolts). I can pretty much guarantee that without bolts your keel would have fallen off a long time ago.  

On a quality-built boat, a hull-keel attachment should be seen as a permanent bond, unlike deck fittings, stanchions, thru-hulls and other fittings that may need to be rebedded, and might be more appropriately sealed with butyl tape or silicone. The two places where 3M 5200 is the ideal adhesive are the hull-keel attachment and the hull-deck attachment. The problem with epoxy in the hull-keel joint is not lack of strength, it is that epoxy cracks. Cracks allow water ingress. Hence, we come to the problem at hand: a leaking keel. Some of you need to pay attention to terminology. There is a difference between "epoxy" and an epoxy putty or mix. Mixing epoxy with another substance lessens its tensile strength and may give it different material properties. "Such improvements are usually achieved at the sacrifice of tensile, flexural, and impact strength (when granular fillers are used). Most fillers reduce the coefficient of thermal expansion and shrinkage in proportion to the amount of filler rather than the type of filler used." from "Dow Liquid Epoxy Resins". http://msdssearch.dow.com/PublishedLiteratureDOWCOM/dh_0030/0901b8038003041c.pdf?filepath=/296-00224.pdf&fromPage=GetDoc I want the strongest, most flexible adhesive on my hull-keel joint. That is not pure epoxy by any stretch of the imagination. There is an Latin expression used in law: "res ipsa loquitur": "the thing speaks for itself". When you keel leaks and/or falls off, without any apparent, abnormal, impact - that speaks for itself. You can argue against reality all you want without changing it.  

jameswilson29 said: On a quality-built boat, a hull-keel attachment should be seen as a permanent bond, unlike deck fittings, stanchions, thru-hulls and other fittings that may need to be rebedded, and might be more appropriately sealed with butyl tape or silicone. The two places where 3M 5200 is the ideal adhesive are the hull-keel attachment and the hull-deck attachment. Click to expand...

jameswilson29 said: The problem with epoxy in the hull-keel joint is not lack of strength, it is that epoxy cracks. Cracks allow water ingress. Hence, we come to the problem at hand: a leaking keel. Click to expand...

jameswilson29 said: Some of you need to pay attention to terminology. There is a difference between "epoxy" and an epoxy putty or mix. Mixing epoxy with another substance lessens its tensile strength and may give it different material properties. Click to expand...

jameswilson29 said: I want the strongest, most flexible adhesive on my hull-keel joint. That is not pure epoxy by any stretch of the imagination. Click to expand...

jameswilson29 said: There is an Latin expression used in law: "res ipsa loquitur": "the thing speaks for itself". When you keel leaks and/or falls off, without any apparent, abnormal, impact - that speaks for itself. You can argue against reality all you want without changing it. Click to expand...

jameswilson29 said: I want the strongest, most flexible adhesive on my hull-keel joint. Click to expand...

Read the initial post. The OP refers repeatedly to Hunter's use of "epoxy", not epoxy putty or an epoxy mixture. My 37 year old Pearson keel does not leak and the bolts look great considering their age; my bilge is usually dry. I don't know what Pearson used in 1977 and I don't know when 3M 5200 came into widespread use. Pearson did do a good job with the basics. Just because many manufacturers do the same thing, does not make it right. Sometimes they use something or do something because it is easiest and/or most economical, or because everyone else is doing it that way. There have been many class-action lawsuits against the participants in particular industries who were all doing something wrong. It might, however, provide a legal defense to someone who follows the herd and uses the same methods and materials. No one is infallible. Every one should do his or her own research. No one should assume someone is always correct because he or she is an "expert" or a "professional". I know you do not like 3M 5200. I know you sell butyl tape and are an advocate for its use. I use butyl tape for the appropriate application. I also use silicone, polyester resin, epoxy resin, thickened epoxy putty, and 5200 for the appropriate application. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. I applaud the OP for paying attention to his hull-keel joint. As someone who just repaired his rudder, I share his concern for the basics. Too many boaters are concerned about the latest and greatest gadgets and ignore the basics. Any one who follows the boating news knows that boats are having rudder and keel problems that did not exist, or were not reported, 40 years ago. There is a serious builder and/or industry problem to be addressed when keels start leaking and/or falling off relatively-new boats during normal usage.  

jameswilson29 said: Read the initial post. The OP refers repeatedly to Hunter's use of "epoxy", not epoxy putty or an epoxy mixture. Click to expand...

jameswilson29 said: My 37 year old Pearson keel does not leak and the bolts look great considering their age; my bilge is usually dry. I don't know what Pearson used in 1977 and I don't know when 3M 5200 came into widespread use. Pearson did do a good job with the basics. Click to expand...

jameswilson29 said: Just because many manufacturers do the same thing, does not make it right. Sometimes they use something or do something because it is easiest and/or most economical, or because everyone else is doing it that way. There have been many class-action lawsuits against the participants in particular industries who were all doing something wrong. It might, however, provide a legal defense to someone who follows the herd and uses the same methods and materials. Click to expand...

jameswilson29 said: No one is infallible. Every one should do his or her own research. No one should assume someone is always correct because he or she is an "expert" or a "professional". Click to expand...

jameswilson29 said: I know you do not like 3M 5200. I know you sell butyl tape and are an advocate for its use. I use butyl tape for the appropriate application. I also use silicone, polyester resin, epoxy resin, thickened epoxy putty, and 5200 for the appropriate application. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. Click to expand...

jameswilson29 said: There is a serious builder and/or industry problem to be addressed when keels start leaking and/or falling off relatively-new boats during normal usage. Click to expand...

Threads like this always make me appreciate the encapsulated keel on my old Cal. Not that encapsulated keels are completely problem free (e.g., the hull/keel lamination can flex if not built thick enough)...but the issues in this thread are pretty much irrelevant to a boat like mine.  

MaineSail for the win. As usual.  

Not really in it for a win just to let folks now that there is more than one way to set a keel, none of them being wrong, just different approaches... Some very, very experienced builders choose epoxy set keels.....  

I love how that trawler mast looks on your boat E! There's been allot of dooms dayers here lately. Sigh.  

Wow, I did not know there were winners and losers in discussions! So, who "won" the SDR thread with the professional delivery boat captain against some douchebag?  

Heh-heh. The douchebag! Obviously! As you well know, counselor, winners and losers are always decided by the preponderance of evidence (see above). I'm just sayin'.  

Oh boy, you asked for it Maine. It's the new FightClub: http://www.sailnet.com/forums/vessels-lost-missing-danger/105421-rallies-gone-wrong.html  

Maine, presumably that green fallen keel was lead. Anyone who has worked with lead for a while would know that lead forms a thin layer of oxide, exactly the same way that aluminum forms a molecular skin and raw iron develops a rust blemish. And that lead oxide layer will prevent any type of adhesive bond to the lead itself. So all it takes is casting the keel on Monday and not cleaning it off when bonding it on Tuesday, and the bond will only be to the oxide layer. And it will fail relatively easily. Which is not to blame everything on the worker or the metal. I've used 5200 on properly cleaned stainless and seen it peel off like silly putty after it cured. No idea why--but it has me convinced that I can't trust 5200 on stainless. On wood or FRP, I trust it just fine. The greatest advantage to keel bolts, is that you can LOOK at them and get some idea about whether they are doing their job. At least most of the time. Looking at a glued joint, you can't tell a damned thing about how well it is working. So you have to trust the builder, who of course always has used the finest skilled labor and has the highest quality product in mind.  

Aloha, we are planning on taking out our Hunter Passage 45 and re-bedding the keel. We have one bolt that is leaking and the last time they took her out and painted her, they just tightened the bolts, after seeing about a cm of gap all around. They placed the boats full weight on the keel and tightened the bolts. Does that sound right? Now 4 years later she is leaking a bit again. Could you please place the pictures of your keel being re-bedded. Thank you  

so you can get it apart if you need to unlike true love 5200 is for ever  

on fiberglass  

Matt Not sure you are still monitoring this forum. I just saw your post today (May 5, 2016) and was curious to learn more and to see photos. Ours is a 2006 H36 with keel issue. First noticed a crack at the hull to keel sump joint on the leading edge and also on the sump to keel flange. This was repaired by sanding down to show no crack and to then epoxy and glass air. Can't recall how we did the keel to sump crack, but definitely did not drop the keel. After repairing from the outside, saw a hairline crack in the bottom of the inside of the sump at the leading edge. Proceeded to gouge out the gelcoat to repair to find water come out. Would like to chat with you on my dime if it is ok with you. regards, Peter  

mpickering said: Trouble-free when it works and beyond incredibly strong. The keel bolts are an afterthought. You don't need them. I have 5 keel bolts, 4 of them 1 1/4" monsters and in an epoxy joint, they are superfluous. Click to expand...

Does this need any special repair unlike the ones mentioned in this thread? Hunter 33 broke loose and grounded. Boat yard sales it needs its inner liner repaired?  

Attachments

Best bet for you would be to start a new thread, as this one is 4+ years old. Based on what I see in your thumbnails, yes it does need to have the keel dropped, the stub and liner and any stringers fixed, and then have the keel properly reattached.  

always good to see a main sail, smacky, and wilson thread dredge though. Ah the good ole days.  

mpickering said: My wife and I are the happy owners of a 2000 Hunter 340. Boat surveyed almost flawlessly a year ago. Had a good season, saw a little rough weather on the Chesapeake and spent the winter in the water. Come the spring, we noticed water kept appearing in the bilge. We'd dry it out, it would come back. Over a couple months, we progressively eliminated sources until we finally began to realize the water was coming from the #4 and #5 aft most keel bolts. Out of an abundance of caution, we hauled the boat, brought the surveyor out and revealed that we likely had a crack in the keel bedding that was letting water in via the keel joint. Recommended repairs was to expose the joint and fill it. Most yards stated the only sure way to repair such an issue was to drop and rebed the keel. After much hand-wringing, the need for safety won out. We contracted for a yard in Annapolis to do the work and got the boat in the keel stand. They pulled the keel nuts and backing plates and we saw water in the tunnels. That cinched it. Hunter owners out there, do you ever wonder why you rarely hear about issues with Hunter keels? Here's the reason: View attachment 35265 That's air. Air from the gap from the saw required to cut away the keel joint to drop the keel. Air across 90% of the joint save for the first 3 keel bolt holes. That is all that is holding 4600+ pounds of lead in the air still attached to the boat. All courtesy of Hunter's preferred bedding compound for keels: Epoxy . I learned a lot that day. The main thing being that Hunters don't have keel issues because the bond is so strong it takes a very hard grounding to damage them. Even the factory was surprised to hear a 340 was getting the keel done. For some reason, lots of builders are putting keels on with epoxy nowadays. It makes sense from a maintenance standpoint. Trouble-free when it works and beyond incredibly strong. The keel bolts are an afterthought. You don't need them. I have 5 keel bolts, 4 of them 1 1/4" monsters and in an epoxy joint, they are superfluous. All five nuts were off and the keel was hanging on the boat from three plugs of epoxy that had formed around the forward 3 keel bolt studs. But epoxy creates stiffness along a joint of dissimilar materials that can and does flex. Hence why you're supposed to bed with something flexible to allow for that motion. As long as it holds up it will be fine. But, as my experience shows, once a little fatigue happens or the joint flexes beyond the tensile strength of the epoxy, it doesn't bend; it cracks. That's what we think happened in our boat. That probably combined with a day at the factory where not enough epoxy was put on the day my keel was bedded on. And when you need to fix it, here's where you wind up: View attachment 35273 Enjoy that view (or cringe in horror) and see what happens when epoxy as a joint compound fails you. The end result, though, was a keel rebed that was better than new. The keel stub was repaired to perfection, the keel was rebedded with 3M 4200 and allowed the keel bolts to be actual bolts to hold the keel on and faired so beautifully you can't find the joint even if you knew where to look. Hunter has apparently been doing this forever. And with few problems to their credit. Until you have one like mine. And so are a lot of other makers which leads me to wonder where they will be once sailing stresses take their toll on what is a butt joint to the bottom of their hulls rather than against a dedicated sump like on my boat. But feel free to share this little tidbit with friends and fellow surveyors. Even our surveyor never knew this about Hunters. I have plenty of pictures of this experience if anyone is curious about the process of dropping an epoxy bedded keel and putting it back on. The end result for us is peace of mind. Matt Click to expand...

15Knots said: Hi Matt, I am faced with what seems to be a similar problem on a 1985 Hunter 28. We are hauling it out in May 2023, so we'll be able to see what's really going on. For right now, it seems to be keel bolt leaks. But I'm not convinced. Anyway, I would love to see more photos and, hopefully, be able to pick your brain on this. Can you reach out to me at [email protected] ? Click to expand...

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2000 Hunter 340

• Thread starter Yachtsman1686
• Start date Nov 23, 2019
• Forums for All Owners
• Marine Plumbing and Sanitation

Yachtsman1686

Hi all, I picked up a Hunter 340 earlier this year. The head works, but when we flush there's frequently an odor in the stateroom. There must be a hose that runs from the head (thru the stateroom) to the holding tank. I read somewhere that the hoses should be replaced (every once in a while) because they wear out - is that right?  

Hoses do age and if sewage is left in the hose, the odor will permeate. Once that happens the only cure is to replace them. The first step should be to get @Peggie Hall HeadMistress 's book. The New Get Rid of Boat Odors  

Peggie Hall HeadMistress

Hoses--not all, but some, especially the inexpensive single walled flex PVC--can definitely become permeated with odor and it sounds like that's the source of your odor. And yep, there's definitely a hose that runs from the toilet to the tank...another one that runs from the tank to the deck pumpout fitting, and a third smaller one--the vent line--from the top of the tank (or a side or end AT the top) to a thru-hull (USCG regs require that all waste tanks be vented the OUTside of the boat). At the risk of being accused of shameless self-promotion (people who've been hanging out here solving problems for 20+ years are allowed to get away with a little of that once in a while)...I have to agree with Dave's recommendation to buy my book--which not only deals with every source of odor on a boat and how to cure, or better yet PREVENT 'em, it's actually a comprehensive "marine toilets and sanitation systems 101" manual that explains the laws, describes all the types of systems and how they work, and will help you learn how to operate and maintain your system to prevent 99% of problems instead of having to cure 'em. 'Cuz you get to do any preventive maintenance on your terms when it's convenient...the need to cure a problem never happens when it is! And I'm always glad to answer any questions it doesn't--or even the ones it does. It's always available from the sbo.com store (see link in my signature below), but they've just begun offering signed copies for the holidays...order your book(s) from sbo.com...they send me the orders, I sign and mail 'em from my office. --Peggie  

Yachtsman, Welcome to the 340 club... it's a great boat. As for the head and the odor that can definitely be a challenge on this boat. I've tried a lot of things over the years to fix this problem with only limited success until recently. I've tried a number of additives, chemicals, and even a vent filter (that seemed to help more than anything else to that point, but didn't fully resolve the problem). I never tried Peggie's suggestion to make the vent hose shorter and straighter (the 340's vent hose goes almost straight up which doesn't lead to good airflow). I didn't want to put another hole in the side of the boat to achieve this so I admit I don't know if that would have made a difference. Now as to what did work: Installing a Raritan fresh head. This is a head that uses freshwater from your apple 75 gallon fresh water tank (340s have amazing tankage for a boat their size). It's actually the seawater that makes the head stink more than anything else, and when you remove this from the equation you get far less (or almost no) odor. Also you use less water per flush so you fill your holding tank more slowly (nice side benefit). The only downside is you have to buy a new head and the installation can be a bit of pain (have to tap into your pressurized fresh water system). However if you really want to solve the odor problem it's worth it. Wish I would have done this a while ago. Take care, -Levin  

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