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Review of the Hunter 27_89-94 by Gene

Year built 1989  
Location of boat Lake McConaughy  
The boat is sailed on Lakes  
How the boat is used Weekends and longer  
Normal wind strength 16-22 knots  
Average size of crew 2-4  
Liveaboard?  
Owner bought the boat in 1989  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? In a heartbeat! This was our first sailboat and we have had no desire to move up as was the case with most ofour sailing friends. Since we can also trailor sail, we feel we have the best of both worlds. We have the comfort andfeel of the bigger boats without all thebig boat problems when it comes to haul-ing out. We can trailor to new areas with relative ease. Ease being definedas not having to depend on others toraise/lower our mast or launch/retrieve.  
Gear that's been added Wheel Pedestal Guard with full instrument-ation including Wnd/Knt/Dpth/GPS mountedin Pedestal Pods. Custom teak shelving and storage below deck. Stereo system with cabin and cockpit speakers. VHF Trans-ceiver. Weather station (decorative) above forward "V-Berth." Sail enventoryincluding cruising spinaker, roached main-sail, storm jib, 150% genoa, 130% rollerfurling. Custom teak drink holders and removable teak cockpit table. Force-10 bbq. Custom sailing bimini, sail cover,padded cockpit lifeline covers. Additionalbattery for cabin.  
Structural or complex improvements Replaced yoke main sheet with "Hood" two line control system. Two new Harken fiddle blocks to replace existingcabin trunk mounted yoke system hard-ware. Replace original (3) boom mountedcruising blocks with (4) Harken cruisingblocks. Threaded sheet to form two separate sheets to each side of cabin trunk. This dramatically improvedsail trim and virtually allows you to lock the boom in any position you want. We can now "point" with the best. We'vealso modified our trailor to allow singlehanded mast stepping/rigging.  
The boat's best features Best standard equipped boat you can buy for the dollar. This boat is very wellbuilt and designed for coastal cruising.While I would not take it blue watersailing its structual integrity hassurvived some extremely harsh conditions.Harsh conditions include sailing in stormconditions with 60 knot wind gusts. Wefound out that we were apparently morestreesed out by the experience that theboat was. Believe it or not, the only"knock down" we've experienced was duringa thunderstorm (wind shear) on a mooring.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. As mentioned earlier, we did replace theyoke main sheet system. We simply couldnot get the boat to "point" during club racing like other boats. Every thing else has been very good to us and haswithstood the test of time. Having completed our 8th sailing season, weconstantly receive compliments on ourboat. Time has indeed been kind.  
Sailing characterisitcs Having improved the main sail trim, wenow feel we have a wonderfully performingboat that is spirited, very responsiveto a wide range of wind conditions, yetforgiving for those who are still learn-ing to sail. We are cruisers by heart butenjoy the occasional challenge of clubracing. We have several club trophiesto attest to the boat's spirit. You canliterally sail this boat flat and comfortable for cruisers or on its edgefor those seeking the excitment thatcomes with a stiff breeze. I'm curiousto eventually see how a feathering propwould improve performance.  
Motoring characterisitcs The little one lunger diesel has been areal trooper. We have never foundourselves in need of more power. It candrive the boat at hull-speed if necessarybut prefers 4.5 to 5.5 knots at about 21 hundred RPM. This little engine helped keep us on a mooring one night fighting80 mile an hour winds for about an hour.(Our thunderstorms at Lake McConuaghy cantruly be a humbling experience.)  
Liveability The cabin and cockpit area are truly welldesigned. The cabin is open and airy andwell ventilated. While originally suffer-ing in qualify of cushions, Hunter quicklyup-graded and provided us with the up-grade. Guest are always amazed by the comfort of the boat. We spend 2-3 day weekends from April to September and whenwe can, we will spend a week to 10 dayson the boat in comfort. The electric hotwater heater with shower separates the experience from one of "camping." The sailing bimini has been the most significant comfort improvement made!  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) We have always been pleased with HunterMarine. As mentioned earlier, theyprovided us with up-grades as they becameavailable. Our hull number is "4" andpurchased with the understanding thatsome up-grades would be available for ashort period of time. The people at Hunter have also been very helpful whenchecking on technical information priorto conversions.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any We purchased our boat from Doug and Gail Lasater's "Rum Front Yachts" in Yuma,Colorado and they were wonderful in help-ing us get started. I honestly believedthey spoiled us since we have not had equal service since they sold the dealer-ship.  
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