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Review of the Hunter 23 by Steve Trost

Year built 1985  
Location of boat Iowa  
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 Wisc  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Most Definitely. This being my first  
Gear that's been added Does a beer cooler count?  
Structural or complex improvements None other than a rather nice mast raising system.  
The boat's best features To me, the Hunter 23's best features are it's size for a trailerable boat. Some people complain about stepping and unstepping the mast. But, if you come up with a good mast raising solution the difficulty is negligable and you have a really roomy boat for trailerling to other lakes. Love the cabin layout which is free of those typical  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. I have had some problems with water getting into the cabin and settling under the teak and holly sole floor boards. I recently pulled out the plexiglass cabin windows , cleaned and recaulked with a marine silcion between the plexiglass and the cabin and then use a white caulk around the entire perimeter of the glass. This eliminated nearly all my water problems. The only way I get water in now is if the companion slideing hatch is pulled aft far enough.I do wish that the lift over at the companionway was lower.  
Sailing characterisitcs It seems to well all situations except when pointing into the wind. It tends to falter a little farther of heading into the wind than most......then again it could just be how I trim her out!!! I think she is a very stable and predictable boat to sail.  
Motoring characterisitcs I have a 6 hp Suzuki and it pushes her around just fine. I don't sail large lakes but have been on some smaller lakes with 30-40 mph winds and she motored just fine. I usually just leave the motor pointed straight and use the tiller for steering. Just as with any boat, so long as you have a little speed you won't loose control of steering.  
Liveability I would only call her livable for two people at the most!! Let's put it this way....if it were the only shelter from a rain storm I wouldn't want to be in there long with anyone other than my wife.I think staying on it for a weekend for a couple and maybe a kid it might be ok. If you had a beach to camp on where you could spend most of your time, it would perform even better. Then you could just sleep on her at night.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any  
Other comments  

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