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Review of the Hunter 450 by Wayne

Year built 1997  
Location of boat Sandusky, OH, Lake Erie  
The boat is sailed on The Great Lakes  
How the boat is used Weekends and longer  
Normal wind strength 10-15 knots  
Average size of crew 2-4  
Liveaboard?  
Owner bought the boat in 1997  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Absolutely. We have owned and Ericson 25, Catalina 30 and Catalina 42. The 450 is the best boat we have owned and sailed. We have not had one of our sailing friends on board that has not been blown away by both the 450's accomodations and to their surprise quality of construction.  
Gear that's been added Generator 9KW Kohler, Autohelm ST50 instruments, full wind screen, bimini and full cockpit enclosure with screens, Autohelm GPS and mast mounted radar, custom cockpit cushions with full backs, inner forestay, cruising spinnaker, electric main sheet winch, 12 CD player  
Structural or complex improvements Moved the batteries into the bilge (now standard), covered the ugly chainplate connectors with teak covers. Also removed the dish holders in the galley and moved the dishes.  
The boat's best features The living space down below, the entertainment space combining the center cockpit with the rear deck area (have 10 people in this area and not crowded), the swim platform and storage areas on the stern. In our case, we love the in-mast furling. While you give up a few degrees in pointing ability, the ease of furling, reefing etc. from the cockpit using the electric winch is outstanding. The galley is a delight for food preparation and we continually prepare gourmet meals aboard much to the delight of our guests.We also like the adjustable controls for the sound system in each cabin. Of course having an outstanding separate shower has made the boat a great liveaboard place.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. The number one issue as I read from some of the other reviews for us has been the fridge/freezer. The fridge is always full of condensation, runs much too often and also the drain at the bottom of the fridge will not drain into the sump. Grunert claims Hunter knows the problem so I hope it is fixed this winter. Also, I would like to hear if anyone else has had a problem with air lock on the fridge pump when sailing the boat on a heel or motoring fast. Also, our dealer did a poor job of sealing the base of the arch and we had water leakage into the aft cabin in very heavy rains. I too am concerned about long term strength of the arch, it creaks quite alot when under heavy winds. Also, the finish on our dinette table has crazed and needs to be replaced.  
Sailing characterisitcs The boat is fast, even with the furling mainsail and heavy displacement. In light air, we struggled to get going until we added a large 1.5 oz. cruising spinnaker from UK (flasher). It has been a godsend, moving the boat at over 4 knots in 8 knots of wind. The boat can take a lot. We reef to approximately 3/4 sail after 20 knots and the boat tracks great. We sailed the boat back from Canada this summer and got caught in some 45 knot winds with the mainsail 1/2 reefed, full jib downwind (other than being scared to death of no backstay) the boat sailed out over 9 knots. We have been out in 8-10 footers on Lake Erie (yes an inland lake can get those and bigger) and the boat just blasts through them. The Whitlock steering is great and suprisingly has good feel and in most case steers effortless. Very little weather helm if you balance the sails correctly.  
Motoring characterisitcs We leave the crowd behind. We normally cruise at 2800 to 3200 rpms with the Volvo 78 hp. This moves us along at over 7 knots in calm seas and at least 6.5 knots with a fairly strong wind on the nose. The Volvo manual calls for normal engine operating range of 4100 to 4500 rpms for the turbo diesel but the boat will scream at these rpms. The boat is extemely quiet and as with others we sometimes have to look overboard to see if the engine is running. I have seen the Yanmar installed at the boat show and like the access to this better than the Volvo, but not much we can do now. In reverse the boat is a dream, and in tight spots, when you really accelerate that big engine, the boat will really respond. We will add a feathering 3 blade prop this winter.  
Liveability "The best". We lived on board with at least 1 or 2 guests every weekend from Memorial Day through Labor Day. It's like living in a 2 bedroom condo. Sometimes you don't even know you have guests on board. We are planning to live on board within 5 years and head to the east coast, Chesapeake, intercoastal and on to the Caribbean. We do not believe we could have chosen a better boat.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) In almost every case outstanding. They should pin a medal on Gregg in customer service. Calls you right back, sends you what you need, answers all of the technical questions. I wish I could totally deal directly through Hunter and not go back to my dealer.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any In general, a good experience. Bought the boat from Toledo Beach Yacht Sales from the Strictly Sail Show in Chicago in February 97. Bought our Catalina 42 from the same saleperson but different dealer. They did not pay attention to several of Hunter's commissioning instructions. However, all of the installations of extras were outstanding, neat, clean etc. The only real major dealer complaint we have had was the leaking around the arch attachment points. We literally had a river over water coming in because the failed to put any caulking at these points. Hopefully it will be fixed this winter.  
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