Hunter Yachts ?

[sv-Mystique]

Come on - you got to be kidding me!!

I have a friend that just had a Chris White Atlantic 55 Chris White Designs built in Chile that cost more than $1.2 mm US and on their first leg the forestay turnbuckle snapped in half. Come to find out the foundry mixed the incorrect compounds when they forged the pieces, 49 other boats out there have faulty turnbuckles. They sent a team out to Easter Island and replaced the faulty turnbuckles - so is it safe to say Chris makes shitty boats??? By they way they'll make New Zealand by mid-November Cedar Mills Yacht Club on Lake Texoma scroll to the bottom for trip reports.

Things happen on all boats - let it go!!

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by S&S

Delivery guy I know (30 years exp) told a tale of a Hunter he was delivering to the USVI where the traveller tore out of the deck crossing the Gulf Stream.

'Nuf, said.

30 years experience so he may have been complacent and had fun destroying an otherwise oK boat. I am at full speed on some 'experts'

ALL the beneteaus going to charter in the caribbean come over the atlantic on the own bottom from France.


Mark

[S&S]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

30 years experience so he may have been complacent and had fun destroying an otherwise oK boat. I am at full speed on some 'experts'

ALL the beneteaus going to charter in the caribbean come over the atlantic on the own bottom from France.


Mark

What does Hunter have to do with Beneteaus? No, he was duly careful- It's just that Hunters are really more suited to coastal cruising (that's IMO). I wouldn't take one offshore. YMMV.

[Bash]

Some fact checking on how Hunter attaches those traveler arches might be in order here. Within the molds they embed thick plates of aircraft-quality aluminum wherever winches, arches or cleats will be installed. The arches are then through-bolted to large fender washers on the backside of the plates. Each arch has four "feet," and each foot is attached by four large bolts. So to rip that arch out of the deck, as this delivery skipper claims, sixteen bolts would have to be torn through four aluminum plates embedded in the fiberglass.

I don't think so. If something that spectacular had happened during a passage, photos would have been splashed all over the internet, and every time the Hunter bashers wanted to prove a point, we'd be seeing them over and over.

How many rum and cokes did this delivery skipper consume before spinning this yarn?

[S&S]

Originally Posted by Bash

Some fact checking on how Hunter attaches those traveler arches might be in order here. Within the molds they embed thick plates of aircraft-quality aluminum wherever winches, arches or cleats will be installed. The arches are then through-bolted to large fender washers on the backside of the plates. Each arch has four "feet," and each foot is attached by four large bolts. So to rip that arch out of the deck, as this delivery skipper claims, sixteen bolts would have to be torn through four aluminum plates embedded in the fiberglass.

I don't think so. If something that spectacular had happened during a passage, photos would have been splashed all over the internet, and every time the Hunter bashers wanted to prove a point, we'd be seeing them over and over.

How many rum and cokes did this delivery skipper consume before spinning this yarn?

Hey, don't shoot the messenger- he's a good guy and I'm reporting what he told me. I have no reason not to believe it happened as he told me. Also this was at least 10 years ago (if that makes a difference).

FWIW, it was not in light conditions, but I'd be happer with a set up that won't fail if jibed in heavy air.

Also, I didn't say it was completely removed so as few as four bolts could have failed.

If you're comfortable being offshore in bad weather in one, more power to you. I've never heard of Hunters being described as a first pick offshore boat anyway. I'm just more cautious I guess.

[Steve W]

uh, do the math: S&S stated that the traveler failed 30 years ago, long before Hunter started putting arches on their boats in the 90's. Also, Beneteau does deliver boats from the US on their bottom to charter service in the BVI's. St Barts Yachts out of Charleston handles the deliveries and there is a link on their website where sailors can apply to crew on these deliveries. Beneteau has a mfg plant in South Carolina.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Steve W

uh, do the math: S&S stated that the traveler failed 30 years ago, long before Hunter started putting arches on their boats in the 90's.

uh, no, he stated that the skipper had 30 years experience. then, in a later post, he claimed that this incident happened at least 10 years ago.

I'm pretty good at this sort of math, and in my opinion the story doesn't add up. I'm not in any way implying that Hunters are ideal yachts, but the original claim was that the traveler ripped out of the deck, and I'm not buying it.

[S&S]

He said: " tore the traveller out of the deck" so I'd assume that it wasn't on an arch. I did not ask specifics about model etc. As to the age of the boat, he did not say whether it was new so I have no information on that.

Believe what you want, Bash. No "skin off my nose" either way.

[Steve W]

Bash, that's what I get for trying to type and answer a call at the same time. I did see a Hunter with the original fiberglass arch that pulled the mounting bolts thru the deck (coamings?). The backing plates were left off during construction. No real damage, just a mad owner and the dealer took care of it. The stainless arches seem much better idea than the old "easter basket" fiberglass arches. Traveler is really handy to use when mounted on top of the arch, also makes a great bimini mount and handhold.

[Randall]

I think alot have the correct responce, it depends on what you use it for. I had a 33 and loved it never had a problem and the dealer was great. now waiting on a 41 ds

[Steve W]

Update today by the owner on latest repairs at the link provided in post #25 by fishfinder