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Review of the Hunter 450 by Larry Templeton

Year built 1998  
Location of boat San Francisco Bay area  
The boat is sailed on Bays, sounds, or protected salt water  
How the boat is used Weekends and longer  
Normal wind strength 16-22 knots  
Average size of crew 2-4  
Liveaboard? No  
Owner bought the boat in 2000  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Yes  
Gear that's been added Raytheon radar/chart plotter, raytheon 4000+ autopilot, Profurl in-boom furling system.  
Structural or complex improvements No  
The boat's best features Spacious, easy to sail, performs well under both sail and power, quiet, no apparent bad habits.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. The sea water pump on the Yanmar appears to be impossible to reach, especially in a seaway. The traveller rig is cumbersome. More hull blisters than there should be on a boat built in 1998. The stereo remote control in the cockpit is kaput and it appears that no replacement is available. The anchor roller assembly appears to have been designed by someone who never stowed two anchors. Cabin ventilation is essentially non-existent when all of the hatches and ports are closed which is the usual condition when under way. Same comment for when the boat is locked up. The fuel gage reads empty when the tank is half full. The last 15-20 gallons of fuel appear to be unusable when there is any significant wave action. There is no sump in the fuel tank, just a flat bottom. 80 amp standard alternator is too small for a boat that has electric refrigeration.  
Sailing characterisitcs Points quite well although there is also quite a bit of leeway when close to the wind. This is an unavoidable consequence of a shoal draft design. Hull speed appears to be about 8.5 kts and is reached fairly easily under either sail or power. In light winds, boat speed is about half the wind speed, which is fairly good. We start reefing at about 17-18 kts. Even in 30 kts of wind, we are able to cut the sail area by about 2/3 (33% remaining) and sail quite comfortably at 8+ kts.  
Motoring characterisitcs 2000 rpm = 6.5 kts, 1.1 gal/hr; 2500 rpm = 7.3 kts,1.4 gal/hr; 3000 rpm = 8 kts, 1.8 gal/hr; 3600 rpm = 8.7 kts, unmeasured fuel consumption. Steering is quite good in reverse.  
Liveability Aft cabin, galley, fwd head(with the exception of that silly medicine cabinet that blocks access to the sink) and saloon are excellent. Fwd bunk is about a foot too short (I'm 5-5 and it's barely long enough for my wife and I), aft head is not well designed. Improved ventilation would be a big plus. Shower in the aft cabin is wonderful. Water heater seems ample and works well. Cabinets in the aft cabin could be more efficient. Engine soundproofing was obviously designed by someone who doesn't understand the principles of soundproofing. Similar comment applies to the design of the heads.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) They took care of hull blisters that were detected during the pre-purchase survey and I've gotten good responses to most of my emails about other subjects.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any Bought the boat used from Greathouse Yachts in Seattle. They were excellent in every respect.  
Other comments The instruction manual is lousy, incomplete and inaccurate. An embarassment.  

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