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Review of the Hunter 35.5 by Claude Labrecque

Year built 1991  
Location of boat Lake Champlain NY  
The boat is sailed on Lakes  
How the boat is used Weekends and longer  
Normal wind strength 10-15 knots  
Average size of crew 2-4  
Liveaboard? No  
Owner bought the boat in 1999  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? I would certainley buy this boat again. It is our first sail boat and we love almost everything about it. In our area, this Hunter offered the best price/quality ratio. The size and draft are excellent for Lake Champlain. The boat is faster than most other in the same size range.  
Gear that's been added The boat had extra equipment installed or removed by hunter at the factory: Teak rails, seats and handrails on the outside were not installed and replaced by Stainless steel or White plastic to minimize outside maintenance. The previous owner had installed the following: 3 X 55 watts Siemens solar panels just in front of the dodger. 70 amps battery charger. 5 X group 31 batteries and 2 additionnal battery switches. Electric windlass, Dodger and Bimini with full enclosure, Autohelm: pilot, wind, speed and depth. Epoxy barrier coat from Interlux before first antifouling paint. Fixed 3 blades prop. Spinnaker pole vertical in front of mast. Cockpit table and cushion. Extra CNG tank. Alder Barbour Super cold machine with extra ventilation. We added CQR anchor with 100 feet of chain and 200 feet of rode as primary anchor.  
Structural or complex improvements Nothing complexe but few things usefull: Access doors in aft stateroom to help with battery maintenance. Support fixture in front of the dodger for the 3 solar panels. Added a large shelf in aft stateroom at the foot of the bed, 2 feet wide and 5 feet long.  
The boat's best features Ease of handling for two novices sailors with all lines lead aft, to the cockpit. Good speed with full sails in 5 to 18 knots of apparent wind. Interior space is very well divided. Extremely maneuverable while motoring at slow speed, both in reverse and forward with 3 blades prop. Minimal prop walk. Rear platform with large lockers is great for the kids to dive and swim. Roller furling works well but need some strenght to be activated in 10 to 20 knots of wind.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. I am 6' 4" and would have liked 2 additionnal inches of headroom! Rear balcony does not feel solid with 5 HP outboard attached to it. Battery maintenance is very difficult from normal access, you need long arms and must not drop a screwdriver, It will be gone for ever! No problems with the septic tank yet... aside than for small size. Two adults and one kid, we must pumpout every sunday night after weekend cruise. Stanchion base is not solid I have rewelded 2 bases so far. CNG is nice but only available in one location in 300 miles radius. We are lucky it is 5 miles from where we live. The cost to fill 2 thanks at 2500 psi: 1,50$ for both!. The dining table counter weight move inside the walls of the mast compression post . It is noisy at times. Motor could use more sound insulation. Caulking around ports ans skylight will have to be redone. It is not leaking yet but it is coming off when hot.  
Sailing characterisitcs Very nice, one of the best aspect of this boat. This is our first sail boat and my wife and I never had a competitive mind before we started sailing 2 years ago, however, for the past 2 years, every time we see a boat in front of us on the lake, we always try to catch them up ! Some time with success, some time without! We sail on Lake Champlain NY / VT in the North East U.S. Waves are generally between 0,5 to 2 feet. Our Knot meter was compared with GPS reading, 2 years ago, and the difference was never more than +/- 0,2 knots, pointing in any direction. There is no current in our area On a beam reach in 16 to 18 knots of apparent wind, with both 10 years old, standards Hunter UK sails, our boat will do between 7,1 and 7,5 Knots. This is towing our inflatable (without the motor) with a fixed 3 blades prop. Above 18 Knots, we take a first reef in the main. Our boat is always slower than our friends with the exact same boat. They, however, have a 2 blades prop and have the inflatable mounted on davits, not in the water, plus they have 15 years sailing experience! These factors give them a speed difference of 0,3 to 0,7 knots. Anywhere we go, they are always faster than us! This boat can exceed hull speed in many conditions. Downwind however, I feel the spreaders are to often in contact with the main sail. Most of the time we do not sail dead down wind, we sail around 135 to 150 degrees and gybe to our destination.  
Motoring characterisitcs With fixed 3 blades prop the boat will do about 6.6 knots at 2500 rpm. our crusing speed. However, i feel that at idle speed (+/- 850rpm), the boat move too fast for docking. I have to use neutral a lot. There is no porp walk in reverse or forward. I am very surprised since I had heard a lot of stories on this. When backing from our slip, the boat is easy to manoeuvre, even my wife like's to do this!  
Liveability Very good for two adults and one kid. We use the aft stateroom. No complaints here.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any  
Other comments We fell in love with this boat when it was out of the water and it is even better since we have been sailing it!  

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