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Review of the Hunter 27_75-84 by Daniel Bryant

Year built 1980  
Location of boat Mathews, Virginia  
The boat is sailed on Bays, sounds, or protected salt water  
How the boat is used Weekends and longer  
Normal wind strength 10-15 knots  
Average size of crew 2-4  
Liveaboard?  
Owner bought the boat in 1996  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Yes, though just having bought the boat last August, I would not have to turn the clock back too much. I saw the boat as basically just too good to be true, and bought it for $6000. It took a lot of weekends and about $1000 of supplies, but I got the boat just the way I wanted it. Having grown up with boats, I wanted a sailboat that was cheap enough to NOT feel guilty about missing a weekend during season (windsurfing, bass fishing and kid's soccer games are competing for those leisure hours) but was comfortable for the family to spend some days gunkholing on the Bay.  
Gear that's been added The previous owner added a lot to the boat (holding tank, wheel steering, stereo system, etc.), so my work was largely to get the boat into shape after sitting in the water, undisturbed, for five full years. For me the biggest expenses have been new main sheet blocks, new running lines, new bilge pump, new battery and a hundred small repairs.  
Structural or complex improvements I had a problem with what I call gelcoat cracks; I distinguish these from blisters in that they are very small and do not appear to penetrate into the FG itself. I repaired maybe 200 of these with a dremel tool and epoxy w/ fairing compound last summer. All the thru-hulls had to be replaced as they were in the form of seized gatevalves (all seacocks now).  
The boat's best features The cabin is really well designed. The teak sole and bulkheads really look great after I refinished them and I find the bunks very comfortable (at 5'10" I don't have the problems that some of the other owners seem to have). The large, opening ports w/ screens, combined with the hatches, make for a good breeze when at anchor or dock. We have two little girls (ages 2 and 7) and there is plenty of room there for all of us, including the non-standard sailing gear we bring (coloring books, toys, sand toys) for the kids. We've figured out how to rig the port seatee into a crib, so we've found the boat to be flexible.The boat handles well in a chop and is very responsive. The stability is good and I have confidence in the construction.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. The bilge is tiny and the A-rig on the main sheet is a poor arrangement for close hauled sailing. The 8HP Renault, while reliable, is vastly underpowered.  
Sailing characterisitcs Great in light winds. Strong weather helm in strong breezes. Good speed, though I can not point very high (combination of old sails and the main sheet system)  
Motoring characterisitcs Again, very underpowered. I can motor at a top speed of 4 knots in still water, which drops with current and wind.  
Liveability Surprising good, being a '27 boat. Having the table fold up really helps. We've never spent more that 4 days on board, so we'll wait and see.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) N/A  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any N/A  
Other comments  

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