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Review of the Hunter 27 by Craig Cook

Year built 2008  
Location of boat Lake Erie  
The boat is sailed on The Great Lakes  
How the boat is used Day sailing  
Normal wind strength 10-15 knots  
Average size of crew 2-4  
Liveaboard? No  
Owner bought the boat in 2015  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Im not sure. This model/year boat seemed like everything we currently need, however, this particular boat was lightly used since new so there are several system issues from lack of use that I have had to sort through. Also, the owner was hands off for maintenance, the mechanic he used was not a good one. The AC shore power system was partially wired wrong from the factory  
Gear that's been added Propane BBQ, claw style anchor, replaced all running rigging.  
Structural or complex improvements The surveyor and insurance company insisted that we add a ELCI main breaker to the shore power system. Other than that, just replacing pieces and parts that were broken or no longer functioned.  
The boat's best features cockpit size, room down below, aft cabin is very comfortable for overnighting, the galley is very functional for a 27 footer.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. Whew, where to start. The AC/shore power system was a puzzle. The only things that worked were the battery charger and outlets down below. The stove, microwave and hot water tank didnt work. All breakers and switches were checked many times. By accident I discovered that the circuits were labeled exactly like the photos in the owners manual but were wired wrong. The microwave switch turned on the hot water tank and the hot water tank sent power to the stove and microwave. I have yet to get the 12v cooler to work with the outlet under the galley, it will work with other 12v sources though, it does make a fine ice chest up to this point. Every faucet and sprayer was broken but made to look functional. I had to replace the galley faucet, shower sprayer in the head and the entire transom shower assembly. We suspect the mechanic who winterized the boat at the end of last season. The hot water tank has a thermostatic mixing valve on it, supposedly to keep you from getting scalded. It is a total pain. There is an in-line screen about the size of a nickel, it is constantly plugged with anything that happens to be in the fresh water tank. We have used the fizzy style water tablets on all of our boats, some of the other Hunter owners in our club said this is a huge problem for newer boats equipped with this mixer. The particles from the tablets get in the lines and plug the screen. This weekend my project is to remove that mixer, replace the tuning and fittings and take my chances mixing the hot and cold water at the faucet. I am not a fan. The in-mast furling has been a challenge. It was difficult to get the main on and we have yet to get it to operate without jamming. This was one of the biggest selling features for us so it is a huge disappointment. US Spar has a manual just for h27s with this option, it needs the halyard tension just right and the mast to be nearly straight (which it is not), also requires very careful furling to get it to unfurl I guess. We have yet to be successful.  
Sailing characterisitcs Hard to say right now, we really have not had a chance to sail this boat with everything working properly. We did get the deep keel, this was another selling feature for us.  
Motoring characterisitcs This boat motors beautifully. It backs relatively straight and turns on a dime. Moves nicely through the water.  
Liveability We have not stayed one board for any length of time just and overnight on a weekend and that is likely the longest we will ever be on board.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) I contacted the factory customer service department through their website trying to troubleshoot our electrical problems, never heard back from them. That was 6 weeks ago.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any Bought the boat from a broker, it was a disappointing experience. Without going into details, a couple of promises were made by the broker that were not kept. That cost us an additional $3,500. The broker was not much help with our issues although they sold the boat new they are no longer a Hunter dealer.  
Other comments We are hauling the boat for the winter in a few days, Im looking forward to solving our problems and trying again next spring. I will say that we have owned this boat since August 21, 2015 (7 weeks as of this writing) and have already discussed listing it for sale.  

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