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Review of the Hunter 240 by Sandy Grant

Year built 2002  
Location of boat Brisbane AUSTRALIA  
The boat is sailed on Bays, sounds, or protected salt water  
How the boat is used Day sailing  
Normal wind strength 16-22 knots  
Average size of crew 2-4  
Liveaboard? No  
Owner bought the boat in 2002  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Not sure! Would probably go for a locally made boat.I liked the finish and the simplicity of the rig. US built trailers don't meet design standards here without major changes. I also did not realise the centreboard protuded below the hull when retracted so beaching the boat is impossible. Thats the one question I forgot to ask the dealer.  
Gear that's been added Boom tent for real sun protection when anchored. Mainsail boom bag and lazy jack system. Multi purpose sail for light wind reaching. 85% jib. 40 feet of decent gauge chain. The line supplied was not nearly up to the job as the boat fishtails at anchor (in a breeze) which causes the anchor to drag. I think the fishtailing is a result of the high freeboard- you cant have everything.  
Structural or complex improvements I have just added 2x 100 litre Plastimo water tanks which I plan to keep full. These are located in the hatch space on either side of the boat. I dont care what anyone else thinks - these boats are tender and I hate having to reef going upwind in 12 knots just when the sailing should be perfect. The difference upwind was amazing and downwind she felt much more stable - no annoying joggle when sailing in choppy seas. I plan to have these tanks plumbed in properly so we can carry water for weekend trips.  
The boat's best features Simple rig - brilliant mast raising sytem! Light weather performance. Water ballast is an advantage for towing! Space for the family - there are five of us.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. Rudder blades - onto the 3rd! They crack around the peak - the cheeks are just too small for the length of the blade. Jib lead cleats - the next job is to raise them so they can be engaged more easily.  
Sailing characterisitcs As designed, the boat is too tender for our conditions where often we experience moderate 15-20 knots of breeze.In a relatively shallow tidal bay a decent sized chop can develop and the boat was slow and uncomfortable. The addition of the water tanks described above is a huge improvement. Bing a Laser sailor too I sail with a lot of vang upwind to try to stop forestay sag (no backstay). I have also found that you can open the leech of the mainsail on a really heavy day by tightening the topping lift a little. This helps spill the wind as the boat (thankfully) has no mainsheet traveller to trip over.  
Motoring characterisitcs The high freeboard can make the retrieval approach to the trailer in a cross-breeze a little interesting but I have got used to it now. Otherwise it is OK. My next outboard will be a 10hp up from the 6hp I have now.  
Liveability For a 24 footer it is as good as it can get! We added a 2 burner meth spirit stove which I mounted on simple rails so it could be slid out of the way. Walk through transom is great for getting in and out and for the kids when swimming.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) Only via the dealer.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any It was OK.  
Other comments  

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