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Review of the Hunter 170 by Jerry Allgire

Year built 2005  
Location of boat Grand Rapids, Ohio  
The boat is sailed on Lakes  
How the boat is used Day sailing  
Normal wind strength less than 10 knots  
Average size of crew 2-4  
Liveaboard? No  
Owner bought the boat in 2005  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Yes, it's an excellent little boat. It's light enough to tow with my Mazda P5 and big enough to carry more than just two people. I had, still have, a Precision 13 (looks just like a Laser). It's just as easy to trailer as the Precision.  
Gear that's been added Let's see... floating dock lines, PFD's, anchor, teak flag pole & flag, Minnkota 46, collapsable oar, fenders, spare tire & throwable cushion. Sounds like standard stuff, but on a daysailer this IS the added gear. :)  
Structural or complex improvements Nothing complex. I added snaps to the sheet bag at the bottom so it could be snapped to the hull. It prevents items from escaping when towing. I added a teak flag pole to the tiller, but it just clamps on. I did make a jig to pin the boom to while towing so that the sail could remain on the boom. I also made some jigs to keep the rigging under tension while towing. It keep the rigging off the boat.  
The boat's best features Low cost of ownership in a new boat. Very stylish hull design... they have broken away from the traditional daysailer design and created a very sexy little boat. One of the best Hunter features has got to be the Hunter employees and their network of dealers. Buying my 2005 H170 was a very enjoyable experience.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. I did have a problem with the center board sticking in the retracted position. I removed the center board and filed off the lip left on the hull during manufacturing. This lip looks like it should have been cut back further. I removed approx. 1/8" on each side of the board opening. This made for a very snug fit, but it now works as it should.  
Sailing characterisitcs I'm new to sailing and had only sailed my Precision 13 a half dozen times before buying my 170. It's a very easy boat to sail and has plenty of sail for it's size. It's comfortable enough that the wife & I took it out on Lake Erie only the fourth time we sailed it.  
Motoring characterisitcs Well the Minnkota 46 will push it along about as fast as other boats in a no wake zone. I only use it to get away from the dock and out the canals to the river or lake. If I kept it at a dock I would suggest a small gas motor instead so that you wouldn't need to charge the batteries.  
Liveability Well I don't think anyone is going to live on a 170, but I'd prefer it to sleeping in a car.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) My only dealings with Hunter directly was during my purchase at the Strictly Sail Show in Chicago. Very nice people. They treated me like I would want to be treated if I was purchasing a 46 footer. They took the time to personally introduce me to the dealer I would be taking delivery from and answered all my dumb new sailor questions.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any Don Pollard, nice guy. Don's guy Bob deserves a lot of credit. He spent the time with me going over how stuff worked on the boat and even gave me some sail tuning tips.  
Other comments I love the little sucker. I don't think I'll trade it in even when I buy a bigger Hunter.  

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