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Review of the Hunter 260 by Darren Mayes

Year built 2003  
Location of boat Orange Park, FL  
The boat is sailed on Rivers  
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 2003  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Yes, although I would buy slightly used instead of brand new.  
Gear that's been added Here is my boat config at delivery: Merc 9.9, jib furler, stern rail seats, wheel steering, Raymarine ST40 speed and ST40 depth, upgraded fabric interior cushions, and bimini. Our townhouse is adjacent to Whitney's marina, so we opted to skip the trailer - at least for now. What I WISH I had gone ahead and had installed: wind instrument, midship cleats, and lazy jacks. I absolutely hate going up on top to tie down / flake the minsail while underway and in windy conditions. I have added minimal extras thus far: stern rail seat cushions (mesh ones from the chadlery here), stern rail cushions (from chandlery here), Pioneer AM / FM / CD/ XM stereo, Bose speakers, 12 volt power outlet for charging small devices, and the "down the hatch" wind scoop from West Marine for the front hatch.  
Structural or complex improvements No structural / complex improvements have been made so far.  
The boat's best features The stern rail seats are great - although I rarely get to use them. Any 260 purchase should include the stern rail seats. We really like the inside layout, and usually keep the table turned in the "sleeping" position. This opens the cabin up a bit more. The opening port under the starboard cockpit seat is nice for ventilation purposes.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. The centerboard system is pretty poor as far as I am concerned. I believe it takes too much effort to raise the centerboard and I don't think the rigging system for the centerboard really gives you much leverage. The starboard cam cleat is too low as delivered. It needs to be raised at least an inch I think. It works fine under very low load, but under heavy load, you have to hold the jib sheet down behind the cam cleat in order to get it to cleat.  
Sailing characterisitcs We usually are out early in the day before the breezes really kick up on the St John's River. We are at a point on the river that is 3+ miles wide. It is really a fun / relaxing boat to sail at 8-10 knots. Once it gets above that, I get a little nervous and tend to drop sail rather than reefing and continuing on. I am usually out with my wife and 1 year old, so I play it safe. Contrary to most of the other comments, I feel that the 260 points really well into the wind for a water ballast boat.  
Motoring characterisitcs Motoring has been fine with occassional problems when the river gets choppy. Under these conditions, my Merc 9.9's prop has been known to come out of the water.  
Liveability While we have yet to make an overnight trip, we bought the boat with the intent of spending at least a night a month out on the boat. We purchased this model instead of others (mainly the McGregor 26X), because the interior was so open. The large cooler will hold plenty for us three overnight or over the weekend. A couple of things that I will do once we are staying out overnight on it more: get the next size up port-a-pottie, add a house battery, add some type of refrigeration, purchase poptop enclosure to add more venitlation / bug control, and probably add a grill.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) I have only called Hunter to order the bi-color bow light after an unfortunate encounter with the dock. I received my order within three days (live only about 3-4 hours from factory).  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any My mistake in purchasing the boat was believing that it was like a car purchase. I think everyone would be better off going into a boat purchase (especially when buying new) like you are purchasing a house. Ask lots of questions and get everything in writing. Meet with the service department to discuss installation of any options that you select. Whitney's marina has been great in addressing issues as I have presented them. Note that every spring / fall Whitney's has a "discover sailing" day where you can view most of the hunter models, go out on 3-4 of them, and view all of the brokerage boats that they have on hand. In addition, they have an annual "Bahamas Bound" day-long seminar. At this seminar, experience sailors who have made the trip multiple times discuss issues like: equipping your boat, customs, facilities, medical issues, and routes.  
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