Hunter hull numbers/grp failure

sealegsjim

sealegsjim

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I know that Hunter had problems with the grp on certain boats from mid 90's to 2000. Is there any way you can tell if a boat is one of the suspect ones from the hull number?. I am particularly interested in buying a Channel 27 or a Ranger 245
Thanks
 
I don't think there's an easy answer. This was the 'Official' response from Select Yachts (who took over Hunter) to a similar query (not from myself). Obviously Select are no more...

The following useful and perhaps reassuring information has been received from Gay Richardson, Head of Finance, SLG:

"Frank Colam has passed on an email that he had written to you in response to your query about 'osmosis' - can I please put this into context as the word osmosis has - quite rightly - such a bad reputation.

Firstly - and most importantly - we are unaware of any Hunter boats that have had an osmosis problem. What has happened to some boats built in the mid/late 1990's is that the layer of resin between the gel coat and the sealant of the core can turn into an isophthalic state - i.e. semi-liquid. The condition will sometimes show as blistering and can result in a high moisture reading which is the same as a boat with osmosis - but that condition is where the hull laminates are breaking down and is detrimental to the hull's strength and integrity, whilst the isophthalic resin is somewhat unsightly but is a cosmetic and not a structural problem.

There is no explanation that anyone can give as to why this has happened to some boats and why not in others. Some boats showed signs after moving into different waters several years after they left the factory - others show absolutely no signs and some showed symptoms fairly quickly after they were launched. Once the condition was seen Hunters changed the gel and seal products that they had been using even though they were using the highest quality levels that were available.

There is no 'start' or 'stop' date for boats with this condition - but it has only been seen in boats made in the mid to late 1990's. I have the records that Hunters have kept of all boats built in this period with comments added whenever we have had contact from an owner. Where we have no information it does not mean that the reaction has/ will not occur - just that we have no record of anything, but it suggests that nothing has needed treatment as owners are usually in contact to understand what has happened and what needs to be done.

{...}

I hope that this is of some help to you - I am sorry that we cannot give you a definitive list of boats with the problem - but the reaction does not occur in any predictable fashion. Obviously if an individual owner contacts me I can tell him/her what history we have (if any) regarding that hull. Please note that I would find it easiest to deal with enquiries if they were emailed to gr@selectyachts.co.uk rather than telephoned."
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(N.B. Select have ceased trading so that email address is no use.)

Andy
 
My first boat, a Hunter Ranger 265, suffered from this problem. It was built in late 1995 and was epoxied from new. From memory the hull numbers used by Hunter at the time were the number boats built of that particular model (i.e. ours was 013) rather than the more detailed HINs used later on.

The problem was discovered when we sold the boat in 2000 and the new owner had the professionaly treated for osmosis before re-launching so I expect many of the effected boats will have been similarly treated.
 
sealegsjim said:
I know that Hunter had problems with the grp on certain boats from mid 90's to 2000. Is there any way you can tell if a boat is one of the suspect ones from the hull number?. I am particularly interested in buying a Channel 27 or a Ranger 245
Thanks
Click to expand...

I have a Ranger 245 1999 hull no problems seen. Lightly for sale if you are interested, in Banff.
 
I had a 265(2005 model) which suffered from this problem.As I was the second owner Select said tough.Hunters knew of this problem but as their guy said to me just as they had sold to Select they did not go public as it would have sent them bust.Some people who found out about the problem when selling in the first year had it put right and Hunter paid.This was only a few boats.The problem exists for hundreds of boats so I understand.I have a series of E mails from Select telling me it was not a problem,but surveyors see it as a problem.I am sure you will have a survey done and if the boat has this defect you can walk away or reduce the price.
 
I would be surprised if it affected "hundreads" of boats. As I understand it Hunters were trying to claim from the resin manufacturer as it was a defect in the resin. After the problem came to light in the 1990's they switched to Scott Bader resins.

If you talk nicely to the new owner of Hunter boats in Southampton he may be able to help you. Interestingly I paid him a visit and he showed me my file (he has all Hunters files going back years). I was extremely impressed at the detail in the file. There was a very comprehensive bill of materials, labour times for each part of the laminating process together with temperature and humidity records for the moulding process. I think Hunters do ultimately know which boats are affected.
 
Likewise I can't see 'hundreds' of boats being affected, and I'm also surprised at a 2005 boat being affected - I was under the impression that 1998 was about the latest.

matt1 said:
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If you talk nicely to the new owner of Hunter boats in Southampton he may be able to help you. Interestingly I paid him a visit and he showed me my file (he has all Hunters files going back years).
Click to expand...

That's interesting - I didn't realise that Danny had the files. I contacted Select about our Hunter 323 and was pleasantly surprised at the records they had, but had assumed that these files had gone with the demise of Select.

(For info the new owner is Lauren Marine ).

Our 323 was built in 1995 (hull no.31) and (I believe) was treated for this problem at Hunter's expense sometime around 1999. The survey we had done when we bought her in 2008 gave a clean bill of health.
 
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