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Review of the Hunter 26 by Mike Pajewski

Year built 1996  
Location of boat Manitowoc Marina, WI  
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 1996  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? It's been 4 years since I bought the boat. I would still buy this boat again if I was in the same situation. Funny part is that I have chickened out of trading up twice. She's affordable, safe and easy to maintain. I don't pay highway robbery winter storage. I do all my own maintenance at home and I don't have to wait in line for the travelift to launch. Best of all, how many 32 footers can make it from Davenport, IA to Bayfield, WI in 9 hours.  
Gear that's been added CDI Roller Furling Harken Lazy Jacks Spinnaker Halyard spinnaker Blocks & Padeyes sobstad 165 Cruising Spinnaker Bimini AM/FM CD Player ICOM VHF Radio GARMIN GPS-125 GPS/Fish Finder Raytheon ST2000 Tillerpilot Larger Group 27 Battery Tempo 9 gallon Fuel Tank Aquameter Saturn 149 Compass NICRO 3" Day Night Powervent Options Cloth Interior Remote Controls for Tohatsu 8 HP Stern Rail Seats Shore Power  
Structural or complex improvements Added a SEADOG 3 Breaker DC Panel with 3 fued circuit breakers, power point reeceptacle and battery monitor. Added spinnaker halyard and blocks Added electronics and wiring.  
The boat's best features Trailerability Ease of Maintenance Roomy Interior for a family of four. great Livability for weekends. Customer service has been good. Boat is fun and easy to sail.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. A couple of chips/hairline cracks in gelcoat, particulalry around the transom ladder and the padeye for the mainsheet. The Bimini is not very compatible with the sternrail seats. we are leaving it off this year. The plastic check valve fittings on the bottom of the water pumps. Try unscrewing them from the to remove the pump for servicing. They come apart like they were made of tissue paper. In fact, the water system is the cheesiest system on the boat. Anchoring is very awkward. The boat needs a roller and a better cleat arrangement. They fixed this on the 260. The standard 8 HP is barely adequate. After dealing with this Spring's modifications, I wish Hunter would have added a few spare breakers and a DC Receptacle. It was also nearly impossible to run power aft because there were no conduits to run the wires in. It took several attempts, with weedeater line, fish tape and string.  
Sailing characterisitcs Overall, the boat sails pretty well. Reef early to avoid weather helm, as she starts to heel heavily above 15 knots. Tacks easily in all winds except when the winds are very light. A great light air boat, especially when using the cruising spinnaker. Extrremely responsive to the tiller. Uncomfortable above 20 knots. Could use a traveler to allow pointing higher. The mainsheet could stand being upgraded.  
Motoring characterisitcs Under power, the 8 HP is barely adequate, especially when ddealing with high winds and steep waves. The high freeboard also makes docking tricky when its windy.  
Liveability A strong suit for sure. The aft berth is plenty roomy, the V berth less so. Mostly because, even with the table spun around, the extension cushion never stays in place. The sette cushions are narrow for adults to sleep on, and the fact that the table does not fold makes access forward inconvenient. Plenty of room for stores for a weekend. The head is probably the best you'll find on a trailerable. The cooler is convenient, but a regular icebox probably would offer more room.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) I have had very little contact with Hunter, and when I have, the response has been good. The phone system will disconnect you occasionally.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any The dealer (Sail Iowa) was a small dealerrship with limited resources. The people were graet to deal with and treated me very well. We had originally ordered the boat with wheel steering, but Edson was having problems with the system and never did deliver. The dealer made good on this issue. There was some disorganization on commissioning day, but this again was corrected. The dealership has since changed hands.  
Other comments Again, I have had a couple oppurtunities to trade the boat, but when I see all the big boats at the marina, tied to the docks or a look at the rate sheets for winter storage, launching, bottom paint, etc. I really appreciate the joys of trailer sailing. She is easy to sail and handle with a couple of people. I would recommend this boat to a freind, and yes I would buy another Hunter product.  

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