Sudden Attraction to Hunters

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by forsailbyowner

My brother bought a 46 hunter. He ran on a bar on a falling tide and ended up laying in its side. Afterwards the joinery was so messed up you could stick a finger through a few places. I suspect that a couple of the glue joints that hold the liner to the hull failed. We counted 12 leaks during a hard rain at tabernacle hatches and somewhere from cockpit. When he went to change stinky head hoses he found out it required cutting numerous holes in the liner. The boat creaks and flexes in 1-2' seas at anchor. It is roomy and comfortable and looks great inside. Sails upwind well but not so hot downwind. with the small keel area and limited angle of the boom accidental gybes are common. The boat is at its best at the dock as a floating condo as long as its not raining

Originally Posted by rtbates

A brand new Hunter 45DS was launched at our marina. The second it hit the water it started to sink. Seems the keel was leaking like a sieve at the hull joint. Take from this what you will....

I found these gems on the third page of this thread. Awesome build quality! Let's hope the new Marlow company has made some improvements on quality control. I did like the interior woodwork on the new Hunter 40 at the boat shows, looks like they're making an effort to improve the brand.

However, I wouldn't want to be on a few of the Hunters mentioned on this thread if heading around Cape Horn was in my plans. Some of the failures could turn out to be rather..... inconvenient.

[autumnbreeze27]

I disagree with your 85% skipper, 14% luck, 1% boat.

The better the skipper, the less the boat or luck matters.
The luckier the skipper, the less the boat or captain matter.

They are all variables... there is no one solution.

[Coops]

Originally Posted by smackdaddy

Coops - let's not be rude. That's a long list of name-calling bro. Heh-heh.

Let's just stick to the subject at hand. What do you have to offer?

Oh, absolutely nothing more than my opinion, a not unusual phenomenon it seems. What I do not have is a sudden attraction to Hunters. But, before the alert button goes off in the minds of those who have one (an alert button, not a mind that is) I have no aversion to them either.

Coops.

[a64pilot]

Gentlemen and Ladies we have a winner, finally a thread that seems to have beaten any of the gun and maybe an anchor thread or two in silliness and hurt feelings.
Who cares what kind of boat others have, and why are some so darned determined to convince other that their boat of choice is a "real blue water" boat.
I thought long ago that term was determined to be meaningless?

[robert sailor]

I've always agreed that Hunters, Benni's, and Bavaria's and the like do OK in the lower latitudes, hell most circumnavigaters never see much over 30 knots and 10 foot seas. I also agree that there is little difference between one or the other as they are built using the same techniques and share the same equipment. As others have pointed out many small old production boats have sailed around the world so its not like you need a really well built boat to do the job as long as the sailor does his part.

[sailpower]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

I've always agreed that Hunters, Benni's, and Bavaria's and the like do OK in the lower latitudes, hell most circumnavigaters never see much over 30 knots and 10 foot seas. I also agree that there is little difference between one or the other as they are built using the same techniques and share the same equipment. As others have pointed out many small old production boats have sailed around the world so its not like you need a really well built boat to do the job as long as the sailor does his part.

I never sailed any of my Pearson's RTW. Same for my Winthrop Warner Yawl.

How about you? What did you choose to go cruising in?

[smackdaddy]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

I found these gems on the third page of this thread. Awesome build quality! Let's hope the new Marlow company has made some improvements on quality control. I did like the interior woodwork on the new Hunter 40 at the boat shows, looks like they're making an effort to improve the brand.

However, I wouldn't want to be on a few of the Hunters mentioned on this thread if heading around Cape Horn was in my plans. Some of the failures could turn out to be rather..... inconvenient.

I wouldn't want to be on an Oyster either considering their track record around Cape Horn.

[RTB]

Forget the Oyster, smack. If Kenomack will kick in the difference, I'll sink my Hunter and buy Ghost - Ghost | Vitters Shipyard Then, my hat will be bigger than his....

Ralph

[a64pilot]

Wow, what a white elephant for a "normal" person, You could give it to me and I'd file bankruptcy within a year or two just trying to "feed" her

[Coops]

It would be a good one or two years though.

Coops.

[smackdaddy]

Originally Posted by RTB

Forget the Oyster, smack. If Kenomack will kick in the difference, I'll sink my Hunter and buy Ghost - Ghost | Vitters Shipyard Then, my hat will be bigger than his....

Ralph

Honestly, Oysters are not my kind of boat. Definitely wouldn't choose one.

But Ghost - oh hell yeah!

[robert sailor]

Originally Posted by sailpower

I never sailed any of my Pearson's RTW. Same for my Winthrop Warner Yawl.

How about you? What did you choose to go cruising in?

First was a C&C, not a good choice, second was a CS, good choice, third was a Tartan, good choice and we are currently cruising a Moody, good choice.

[Kenomac]

'Just thought I'd chime in with a couple of comments in order to add some perspective to some of my previous comments for those folks who might not know where I'm coming from (most do by this time on CF). We owned a Hunter 450 for nearly three years, lived on the boat for one complete year in Southern California and sailed the boat down from San Francisco to Long Beach and then quite extensively in So Cal. Even spent many nights at anchor, sometimes in 50 knot winds inside the Los Angeles harbor breakwater. I know the boat well.

Had the boat performed good enough during that time in order for us to feel confident in it's ability to withstand longer passages and possible foul weather at sea.... we'd still be owners of a Hunter 450. The boat had shortcomings for this task too numerous to include in this post. It's a lightly built, daysailor best suited as a dock condo or cruising vessel for areas known for light winds and fair weather. In that capacity, it does a great job... we loved the boat.

For those who suggest that a 45ft Hunter or any Hunter for that matter, is a boat constructed by the manufacturer with circumnavigation, crossing the North Atlantic or "round the Horn" adventures in mind is completely ridiculous. There's a quantum leap in build quality and structural elements between a standard Hunter and a boats like a Halberg Rassy, Swan, Discovery, etc. etc. Most buyers understand this and accept the limitations. Hunter is a brand built to minimum standards to keep most buyers safe for the use intended as I've described above. For that purpose, it's a great boat and Hunter did a good job and now seems to be improving under new ownership.

Anyone who's ineptitude is so vast as no not allow them to process this sort of information in a critical way (butt headed), God help them if and when they decide to intentionally set out across an angry sea... the boat certainly isn't up to the task.

For those folks who own a Hunter like we did, I hope you're out there enjoying your yacht as much as us... they're wonderful when used appropriately.

Ken
Over and out...

[smackdaddy]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Even spent many nights at anchor, sometimes in 50 knot winds inside the Los Angeles harbor breakwater. I know the boat well.

Interesting citation for authority on judging the seaworthiness of boats.

Your posts are entertaining Keno, I'll give you that.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by smackdaddy

Your posts are entertaining Keno, I'll give you that.

You obviously don't know much about Southern California or Los Angeles harbor either. The Santa Ana winds blow 50-70 mph from inland. So from inside the outer breakwater, a boat anchored in the outer harbor, as I was many times... is exposed to high winds and the risk of ending up on the rocks.

I've been out many times in 40+ knot winds on our present boat in the Med and in 50 knot winds in the English channel and across the Bay of Biscay. I do know something about sailing in foul weather and what is required of a boat in these conditions.


Ken