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Review of the Hunter 40.5 by James Evans

Year built 1997  
Location of boat FL and Bahamas  
The boat is sailed on Open ocean  
How the boat is used Multi-week coastal cruising  
Normal wind strength 16-22 knots  
Average size of crew 2-4  
Liveaboard? Yes  
Owner bought the boat in 2008  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? We are very happy with the 40.5 due to it's fast and dry sailing in light and strong winds, negligeable weather helm, SHOAL DRAFT, beautiful teak woodwork, well though out human engineering (e.g. steps, grab rails, foot braces), spaciousness and great value for the money.  
Gear that's been added The tired aft foam matress was replaced with a full sized queen matress. Port side shelves were added to the aft cabin. Manual heads were replaced with electric heads with Y valves. A second VHF was added and a SSB radio was installed. The 16"x16" propeller was replaced with a 18"x10" feathering Autostream.  
Structural or complex improvements We have added a large aft arch that supports the dinghy high for ocean passages and low for Inter Coastal motoring. It also supports a wind generator and 4 85 W solar panels that provide power and an extension of the bimini for shade.  
The boat's best features The best features of the 40.5 is the sailing ability, comfort, cabin brightness, shoal draft and good quality.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. The boat sails well and does so at anchor too. It swings almost 90 degrees in a good breeze. A steadying sail helps very little and is not worth the trouble. The sugar scoop transome is very noisy in a slip if wavelets are coming from aft.  
Sailing characterisitcs The 40.5 is fast and dry in light and heavy winds. It has the lightest helm I have found in any sailboat. I sails well with just the 130% jib in 25+ knot winds.  
Motoring characterisitcs We have done a lot of motoring on the Inter Coastal and in the Bahamas. The 50 HP Volvo is noisy; but, does a good job pushing the boat at 6-7 knots. The turning radius is excellent.  
Liveability We live 6 months a year on the boat in FL and the Bahamas. The cockpit with a large bimini, folding tables is great. The deck is easy to manouver about at anchor and under sail. The cabin is spacious, bright and very attractive with varnished teak. We are working on brighter lighting. 330 Watts of solar power and a 4 Winds wind generator keep the refrigerator (Probably could run the freezer too.)and all electric needs going without running the generator. (The noisy and failed diesel generator was removed. Space more valuable. Carry a 2 KW Honda for emergencies.)  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) We have had limited need to contact Hunter. They were forthcoming on a few parts. The factory tour was fun.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any  
Other comments  

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