Hunter Owner Reviews

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Review of the Hunter 25_73-83 by Mark Tempelmeyer

Year built 1978  
Location of boat Austin Texas  
The boat is sailed on Lakes  
How the boat is used Day sailing  
Normal wind strength 10-15 knots  
Average size of crew 2-4  
Liveaboard?  
Owner bought the boat in 1991  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? I bought this boat in Florida to do coastal sailing in the Atlantic. We had a two year old at the time and it was attractive to have a smaller boat that I could handle myself. Faced with the same decision again, I'd have gone to a bigger boat, like a 27 or 30.However, I was very happy with this boat and never regretted buying it, and have since moved to a 35.5.  
Gear that's been added Added the following: - Traveller controls - Boom Vang - Adjustable Outhaul - Cunningham - Converted alcohol stove to propane  
Structural or complex improvements No major changes  
The boat's best features - Cost, value, and structure of the boat.- Boat was very easy to handle, and very forgiving in a blow  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. Boat had moderate blistering  
Sailing characterisitcs Boat sailed well, but took a bit of finese to sail well. Boat would tend to round up, but this was easily prevented by spilling the main. Also, the main could be easily depowered with the adjustable traveller.Boat is quite forgiving, and I had high confidence in her. She was very manuverable, and I could sail her in tight spaces without the engine. For a heavy underpowered boat, she sailed well in light air.Good sailing requires the mast raked as far forward as possible, at least a 135% genoa in all winds, and minimal rudder action.With a reasonable set of sails, this boat is much faster than rated PHRF  
Motoring characterisitcs Motoring any boat with an outboard is a hassle. The boat has to be moving ahead fast to turn effectively with the rudder, unless you want to hang over the transom and turn the engine.  
Liveability Three of us spent every warm Friday night on this boat, and still liked each other. Anything longer than overnight would be cramped, though.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) Superb. With this older boat, I've called their 800 number a few times to get information, and have been well taken care of. I now have a newer boat, could have bought anything, bought another Hunter. This says it all. I was going to buy a new Beneteau, and one of the reasons I chose not to was their lack of effective customer support.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any N/A  
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