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Review of the Hunter 260 by Bob Thome

Year built 1999  
Location of boat West Point Lake, AL  
The boat is sailed on Lakes  
How the boat is used Day sailing  
Normal wind strength less than 10 knots  
Average size of crew solo  
Liveaboard? No  
Owner bought the boat in 1999  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Absolutely. I wanted the largest trailerable I could get and this is it. I trailer to and from Florida several times a year and and find it hassel free. I can raise and lower the mast by myself and get the boat on and off the trailer by myself. The sail plan makes boat handling easy and I am comfortable flying an assymetric spinnaker with the main. My family likes the roominess of the boat and the ease of getting off and on while swimming.  
Gear that's been added Wheel steering, roller furling, bimini, marine head, self tailing winches,anchor roller, autohelm  
Structural or complex improvements I bought this boat new and ordered all the options I wanted. After 3 and a half years I still haven't changed anything.  
The boat's best features It's easy to sail shorthanded. It has lots of room for overnight stays. It's fairly fast and I do ok in my club races. My family likes to anchor in a cove on the lake and swim off the boat. It has easy through transom access for this. I have no problems docking and exiting the slip by myself.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. The weakest feature is the way the mast raising pole attaches to the deck. The pole flops side to side when raising the mast. I solve this problem by rigging guys to keep the pole centered.  
Sailing characterisitcs I was a fairly experienced sailor when I got this boat and I am pleased the way the 260 sails. I have mostly sailed on two large inland lakes in GA and AL and also have been on the St Johns River in Jax, FL numerous times. I have been in winds as high as 20 to 25 knots and the boat does ok if properly reefed. The boat is tender but I don't mind this and enjoy the thrill of heeling as much as 30 degrees. With the family aboard I can keep things stable with proper reef and sail trim. The only time I let the boat get away from me was sailing with a full main and spinnaker and getting caught in more wind than I expected. In 10 to 12 knots of wind this boat is a dream.  
Motoring characterisitcs I have a 9.9 Suzuki with a remote throttle mounted on the left side of the captains seat. I am very happy with this motor and it provides all the power I need.  
Liveability We have only spent 4 or 5 weekends on the boat but it is roomie enough to be comfortable. The bimini is a great feature and shades the cockpit very well.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) I had blisters on the keel and rudder after owning the boat a year and Hunter treated me very well.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any I bought my boat through Southern Sailing at Lake Lanier, GA and would not recommend them.They are now known as Weathermark and may be better under the new owners. When I bought the boat it took this dealer 5 weeks to prep and launch it. When I had warranty work done it took four months to complete a week's work. My boat was recently damaged in a storm that hit my marina and I chose to trailer it all the way to Whitneys Marina in Orange Park, Fl other than deal with Southern Sailing.  
Other comments Overall this is a great boat. When I bought it I compared it to the Catalina 250 and the McGregor 26. I am happy with my choice.  

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