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Review of the Hunter MH 40 by fredanderson2000

Year built 2013  
Location of boat Solomons, MD  
The boat is sailed on Bays, sounds, or protected salt water  
How the boat is used Weekends and longer  
Normal wind strength 10-15 knots  
Average size of crew 2-4  
Liveaboard? No  
Owner bought the boat in 2014  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Yes, we had the standard list of boats that we looked at. some may have been faster (by tenths of a knot) or have less weather helm (with 2 rudders), but they were all in the same price range. This boat offered the most value and comfort (no caves for cabins) along with 2 heads. I believe that given the choice, the options would be different, but the boat is definitely a winner. We get her out a lot and she is seen in many of the harbors on the Chesapeake during the summer.  
Gear that's been added Autopilot, masthead tv antenna. Interior fans. OB motor lift. Zodiac rubber tender..  
Structural or complex improvements The boat was purchased as a dealer demo with 25 hours on the engine hour meter. She came with the Marlow package and the mariners package. When the boat was inspected prior to the purchase, there was some pink glue bleeding through the linin. This was a latent issue that showed itself after about 18 months. All the doors and one of the bulkheads needed to be cleaned and new linin glued in place.  
The boat's best features The available space and the layout is great, This is my first sailboat with a furling mainsail, Air conditioning, large mainsail, yanmar diesel, great galley, comfortable mattress / cabins, fold down transom, cockpit table, hard-top, all lines running to the cockpit. The dinette table is a combo cocktail table with a large overlapping dinette table. both tables are great, the cocktail table is perfect for my wife and I, while the larger table is great when we entertain below. The fold down transom is great and really expands the cockpit. it is the perfect platform to got on and off the zodiac and it offers the perfect place to store the zodiac when we are cruising (no davits). Solar panels keep the batteries charged while I am away during the week. The boat does not need to be plugged into dock power - this results is lower electron migration from the Zincs. Inverter works perfect. She has enough speed weather motoring, sailing or a combination that our 35-40 mile weekend excursions are easily within reach with time at the destination port to enjoy. She is large enough that we can come home in almost any weather condition if we need to.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. Since this was a dealer demo, 2015 was probably the first year the boat was sailed as a cruiser. There are several issues we had from the beginning. 1. When the mast was originally stepped, the vhf cable was crushed by the mast foot. 2. Interior decorative trim molding around the aft head has been coming loose and falling off. It has been nailed into fiberglass without any extra bedding compound. The forward head would have had the same issue, but it was all pulled off and re-bedded. 3. The forward port side port light leaks - a lot.. 4. The caulk between the acrylic cabin windows has come loose and is falling off. 5. There is a shroud around the sail drive that has been epoxied to the hull. This shroud is not allowing me to paint the upper portion of the sail drive with antifouling and making the inspection of the drive nearly impossible. 6. The aft AC controller needed to be reset a couple of times before the AC compressor would turn on. 7. The cockpit hard top has a sharp edge that will scar the head regardless of hair or hat. 8. Several of the interior lights no longer work. 9. The forward anchor chain locker gets jammed. The chain piles up and stops up the chain pipe. This causes the windless to jam. The chain locker has a sump pump that clears out the water. The pump does not appear to turn on. Since I have to remove the forward mattress to get to the locker and pull the chain down, I clear out the water with a bucket and sponge. 10. The anchor included with the boat is marginal at best. it is a Delta 33 I believe. It is the same anchor I had on my 1992 Hunter 33.5. It dragged a couple of times in 20+ knots. It held the boat in 5 knots of wind, or it may have been the chain that held the boat. 11. The anchor roller is marginal for the anchor and plumb bow of the boat. 12. Engine ran out of fuel while motor sailing. Gauge indicated 1/4 full. problem has not been resolved, but believe that the engine is connected to the generator pickup on the tank. 13. Remote for DVD player is troublesome. it does not work all the time even after new batteries are installed. 14. Cockpit speakers have never worked. They have been replaced and look great...but I have not gotten them to work yet. 15. Painted Hull does not have the lifting arrows for the sling. 16. The shroud tension is not easily obtained and needs to be published. 17. When the shrouds were tightened to the MH specification, the forward cabin door sticks as the forward head door sticks. 18. The refrigerator and freezer; when defrosted, leak out the front requiring removal of the floor boards directly under the doors. 19. The valves to change the water tanks from port to starboard are accessed from the galley-sink-cabinet-floor and difficult to access.  
Sailing characterisitcs winds between 15-20 knots, I reef the main to the first batten. full head sail. 20-25 knots second batten, full head sail. 25+ about 50% mainsail or just the headsail depending on direction and sea state. With 50% mainsail and 30+ gusts, reaching at 90 degrees, about 20 degree heel and 7 knots hull speed - wet ride!. at 150 degrees, we saw about 10+ knots surfing the swells. She points well to 45 degrees, pinched to 40 degrees apparent with main and jib. motor sail at 30 with main only. Great ride. some weather helm, but not enough to lock the rudder. too much wind will knock her down - tighten the shrouds correctly.  
Motoring characterisitcs We have the 54 hp with sail-drive. 6 knots at about 1800 RPM. Tops at 8 knots (2800). Motor sails well when winds are light. The large main helps (1-2 knots or more) depending on wind direction. The light winds during summer of 2015 had us motor sail a lot.  
Liveability lots of usable storage, but only one hanging locker in the aft cabin. Large locker on port side is turned into second hanging locker. second locker on port side would do well with drawers to help organize cloths. Many small cubbies are accessed through hatches on starboard side of cabin. Chair is great in aft cabin. Ultra-leather is great material. This is the most comfortable boat we have owned so far. We have spent 7 days aboard without incident and could spend longer if we had the time off. Refrigerator and separate freezer are perfect for keeping food. We store bottled water under the floor boards. We keep our folding bikes in the port cockpit lazerette and use the fold down transom to load them to the dinghy when we anchor out. When at marinas with floating docks, we use the transom to step off to the dock (or bike off).  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) I have dealt with Eddie in previous years on a different Hunter and had great results, but this was on a 20+ year old used boat. I have gone to the dealer to get information and they go to Peter (I think) for information. For future reference I will be asking Peter the questions directly (unless they are warrantee related). The few times I have gone direct to (Marlow) hunter my results and experience was great.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any The dealer experience was good. The boat was a demo, and had a few items that needed to be mended / repaired. The dealer and I collaborated to get the problems fixed. There are still one or two outstanding items on the original fix list. The boat was purchased and moved to a different state making it difficult to get to the dealer.  
Other comments I was in the process of purchasing a competing boat (also a dealer demo). The interior of that boat was scared and at some placed appeared to be unfinished. We stumbled on to this boat when we gave up on the other thinking we could never afford one of these. The boat is great for what we need and want. she has a few new boat issues, but nothing that cannot be easily repaired. She sails and motors well. We have had her out on a cruise every weekend since April this year with 2 - one week excursions around the Chesapeake Bay. We hope to take her farther next summer.  

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