Moody 31 or Hunter Channel 323

[tyce]

Right, Thanks for all the info from you all on my last thread when i was deciding between a fulmar, moody 31 or sadler 32.
I have ruled out the sadler and fulmar and thought i was left with just the moody, but i have spotted a couple of Hunter Channel 323 at decent prices.
My initial requirements were fun to sail, quick, suitable for a spot of club racing, roomy and well built, able to take the grond.
So i am interested in peoples opinion of the Hunter and which one you would choose

 

[JimC]

Moody and Hunter both built/build good boats and neither is likely to disappoint I should have thought. Moody have possibly a more up-market cachet and a more elaborate interior fit-out. Hunters tend to be a bit more basic inside but their GRP "engineering" and general structural integrity are usually v.good. If you want a twin-keel version for drying-out then David Thomas's implementation as designed for Hunters is widely regarded as one of the best.

 

[BlueSkyNick]

I can vouch for this Moody 31, as I know the owners and they are fastidious.

 

[misterg]

We looked at both and ended up with a Hunter Channel 323. Never sailed a Moody 31, so can't comment, but the Hunter is fun to sail, and feels reasonably quick. I was also attracted by the self tacking jib.

These comments are partly influenced by the boats we looked at, but the Hunter felt much more modern & spacious than the Moody 31 which felt dark & pokey. I would have to say that the structural integrity of the Hunter is reassuringly solid, and I've got no complaints about the cosmetics, either. (we have a 323 which was a cosmetic make-over of the Channel 32, so possibly Hunter improved the fit-out?)

It feels a solid & seaworthy boat - I'm sure the Moody does, too.

Andy

 

[tyce]

Must say that one thing putting me of the 323 is the resin issues that hunter had around that time, does anyone have much knowledg on it and what to look out for.

 

[PeterR]

If you want to do a bit of racing the Hunter Channel 31 is a better performer than the 325 but is much finer in the bows and therefore less roomy for cruising. A lot of them wee made with bilge keels.

 

[misterg]

Must say that one thing putting me of the 323 is the resin issues that hunter had around that time, does anyone have much knowledge on it and what to look out for.

The following response from Select Yachts (deceased), who acquired Hunter comes from correspondence in late 2004 on the Hunter Association forum (visible to HA members only). I've been unable to find anything more definitive, although I have a vague memory of reading about the likely cause of the resin problem at some point:


"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 have attached a document that covers the treatment necessary to remove the gel / seal layers where the reaction occurs to give you some more information.

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 [email address removed] rather than telephoned."


Obviously Select Yachts are no more. Lauren Marine ( http://www.britishhunter.co.uk/ )have picked up the Hunter range from Select, and *may* have access to the details of which boats have been rectified - or you could buy a new 31 from them

Our 323 (built 1995) was affected by the resin problems which were rectified under warranty prior to our ownership. Absolutely no issues.

I think that any boats which were going to have problems will have done so by now, and will either have been rectified, or will show signs that would be picked up by anyone looking for osmosis (which one would check for on any fibreglass boat).

It didn't put us off, but it's as well you go into things with your eyes open.

Andy