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Review of the Hunter 37.5 by Brian Leney

Year built 1995  
Location of boat Solomon's, MD  
The boat is sailed on Bays, sounds, or protected salt water  
How the boat is used Weekends and longer  
Normal wind strength 10-15 knots  
Average size of crew 2-4  
Liveaboard?  
Owner bought the boat in 1995  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Absolutely. We have thoroughly enjoyed the boat for 2.5 seasons.  
Gear that's been added - Autohelm 4000-my first autopilot and we love it.- "Spring Cleats" bolted to toe-rail at mid-ship to substitute for the cleats Hunter left off that model.- Racor 500 fuel filter.- Bimini top.  
Structural or complex improvements  
The boat's best features - Liveability (see below).- Ease of handling even when shorthanded.- Tough toe-rail for encounters with pilings.- Value.- Peformance under sail.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. - Minor warranty repairs included some cracking gelcoat and a mis-positioned holding tank waste outlet.- Adhesion of bottom paint has been poor in some areas, which I believe is due to Hunter's recommended method of using non-sanding primer on the new gelcoat, as opposed to actual sanding, before putting on the bottom paint. This is a tough call, because "non-sanding" is done to keep the gelcoat intact, and to keep those nasty little blisters from appearing too soon.  
Sailing characterisitcs - Accelerates quickly and points exceptionally well.- We reef early to keep the boat upright and avoid excessive weather helm, but reefing is very easy.- My wife is not muscular by any means, but has no problem with any of the lines, including taking the mainsail to the top of the mast (with winch).  
Motoring characterisitcs Motor size seems just right for this boat (38HP Yanmar). Cruises at 6.5 knots easily. A little noisy but that is due to all the open accessable space and hatches around the motor compartment, which means servicing is a breeze.With standard 2 bladed prop, boat goes to Port briefly in reverse, but then stears very well in reverse once it has any way on at all, due to massive rudder. Best way to get into a slip in reverse is to take a long run at it, since it ensures stearability!  
Liveability Excellent. We looked at many other competitors in same length range but settled on this Hunter primarily for the liveability, in combination with our coastal cruising intentions. We are both tall, and so headroom and horizontal room were paramount. We were amazed at the lack of head and sleeping room in some other boats, given the same overall size. Hunter has a great design "downstairs". "Upstairs", we would have liked a slightly larger cockpit for catering to guests, but not as large as some of the newer models have. We like to be able to reach the other side of the cockpit with our legs, when the boat is heeling!  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) Only have done parts. Good. (Mike Thompson).  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any The experience with our dealer was one of the most pleasant big ticket purchase events of our lives, from negotiation thru' delivery. We purchased from Norton's in Virginia. The owners, Carolyn and Ken Schmalenberger, are personable and did everything within their power to make us happy. Norton's was rated number one on Hunter's 1996 Customer Satisfaction Service Award survey. I would recommend them to anyone looking to buy a Hunter in the Chesapeake area.  
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