Hunter 34 - 84' - Help with keel pan

[Iceblue]

Hi Everyone,

I recently checked a Hunter 34 from 1984 and got a surprise when checkin the bilge, i found the following (broken or previously cut glass) that you can see in the attached pictures. I will like to know a serious opinion about what could be happening here? is that a major issue? will you have to remove keel and work on correcting the glass?

Boat was on the water therefore could not check the keel, but owner said that the bottom was done few months back. Need advise as we are looking to purchase it in the next few days but want to square this out before deciding.

Thanks to everyone.

[Calif.Ted]

Seriously, it's difficult to impossible to judge something from photos but I see NOTHING positive in your photos. Only by a haul and survey will you be able to get any idea what the problem is. This looks like a poor candidate for any further effort to me.

[wyb2]

Odd, it does look cut. If broken it would look more irregular with splinters and cracks going every which way. Looks like part of the interior pan, but hard to tell exactly from the close up pics. The pan is part of the structure on some boats, and isn’t on others. Someone who knows that model should be able to provide better guidance.

I sure as heck wouldn’t sign up to buy it without a very good explanation and point by point walkthrough of how it is not a structural issue.

[wyb2]

This one in particular looks like someone was hacking away with a grinder or saw. There is other evidence too, but this is exactly what I end up with when I’m try to remove chunks of material and all I’ve got handy is the grinder or sawzall.

[Uncle Bob]

Judging from your questions, this is NOT the boat for you.

[Danm1]

Just guessing, but I believe the 34 has a "false bilge." Some owners cut through them , more or less neatly, to clean out the actual bilge which can develop odors. Search on Hunter 34 false bilge for more info. Not saying this is the case...hard to tell from pictures...but not a problem if it is.

[leecea]

Danm1 is correct that there are many posts on the Hunter Owners forum about cutting into the "false bilge" of the H34s to expose and clean out the accumulated stinky gunk.

But if that's what the previous owner was attempting, they didn't do it very well and didn't do it the way I've seen others do it on the forum. Plus, they didn't complete anything and just left a mess.

Not a good sign.

[Bowdrie]

Seeing the electrical nightmare and terminal strip below the floorboards in the last pic make me wonder what else in the electrical system may be lurking.
Wiring strewn around thru bilge areas usually doesn't bode well for any boat.

[cr180]

As others have said looks like perhaps these are intentional cuts, not cracks from impact to the keel. But no good vibes here. Why was bilge Pan being removed? Access keel bolts?? Should haul boat and inspect hull. But could have been repaired (maybe not so well) and covered up with bottom paint.

In any event, also agree with others. If the owner is ok with the bilge in this condition, chances are the rest of the boat has not been properly maintained.