Hunter Owner Reviews

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Review of the Hunter 28.5 by James Hogle

Year built 1985  
Location of boat Upstate NY  
The boat is sailed on Bays, sounds, or protected salt water  
How the boat is used Weekends and longer  
Normal wind strength 16-22 knots  
Average size of crew solo  
Liveaboard? No  
Owner bought the boat in 1985  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Probably not, in the beginning I experianced numerous problems, both large and small. The workmanship and attention to detail is certainly not where it ought to be.  
Gear that's been added Yes, spinniker halyard winch, extra cam cleats and line clutches, jib downhaul, boomvang, backstay adjuster, cunningham, an extra reef in the full battened main. Electronics include depth, knot/log, loran and auto pilot. Down below I removed cheap carpet from hull sides and installed wood ceilings, removed white laminate from salon table and installed a maple ply (type) veneer. Added opening ports to hull in v-berth and turned useless aft-cabin into a storage area (dumped cushions and cabinetry). Also had all remaining cushions reupolstered in a nice black ultra suede material.  
Structural or complex improvements Had to remove some blisters a year after buying her. Hunter's lack of quality control failed to see the numerous voids in the junction of the molded in blue waterline stripe and hull. Water had an easy entrance to form blisters. I took close up photos and discussed matter with Hunter to no viable solution. I ground out blisters and recoated bottom and waterline (stripe) with Interlux epoxy.  
The boat's best features It is roomy and fairly quick for a "cruiser". After all these years she has become an old friend and I would have a hard time parting with her!  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. See above, in improvments catagory.  
Sailing characterisitcs A bit tender, but will hold up in a strong blow if reefed at the proper time.  
Motoring characterisitcs Never had any problems motoring, backs to port a bit but it is something one must compensate for.  
Liveability Ok, did spend an entire summer "living" on her.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) See above. I do hope they have improved their customer relations skills, my experiance with them is not positive.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any They tried their best to make up for Hunter's misgivings. They actually gave me the epoxy to coat the bottom with.  
Other comments Yeah, as stated, I've grown acustom to her, and hell, she cost alot less than the S2 30c I was going to buy (and their not in business anymore!) Guess she wasn't a bad choice afterall!  

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