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Review of the Hunter 33 by Larry Long

Year built 2004  
Location of boat Oologah, OK  
The boat is sailed on Lakes  
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 2005  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Yes.  
Gear that's been added Yes. ST-60 instrument heads, Wind Machine, Autopilot, 17" Widescreen HDTV/DVD/Computer Monitor, GPS, laptop nav system with The Cap'n, Bimini $ Dodger, replaced microwave with Sharp Microwave/ toaster oven/convection oven, 230 amp hour house batteries. It came from the factory with 29HP Yanmar, Spinnaker Gear, In-mast Furling, Refrigerator, Heat/AC, Stereo, 2000w inverter, Folding Wheel. I special ordered it with a shorter mast to allow passage under bridges.  
Structural or complex improvements 48 foot mast.  
The boat's best features Galley/Salon livability. From the companionway foreward, this boat seems almost as large as our old 380. The seating is designed to allow a real human to relax. We really like the light colored "palm" upholstery.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. The stern seat/swim platform step feels unstable and flimsy. I'm willing to bet that it will not survive a year of use. The foreward edge is taller than the cockpit sole and is a tripping hazard. What was Hunter thinking?? I really hate the cleats Hunter chose for the jib sheets. I plan to add cam cleats that can be operated easily with one hand.  
Sailing characterisitcs It seems to be a lively performer and is incredibly easy to shorten sail to keep the Admiral happy. It is very well balanced and generally requires no hands on the wheel.  
Motoring characterisitcs I have always backed into my slip and other than a previous full keel boat, this 33 is the most difficult to back. I have never been on a boat with more propwalk. Hopefully, I just need more experience with this boat. The 29HP yanmar sounds like an Austin-Healy 3000. I love it! I like the pushbutton fuel shutoff. Hull speed is easily achieved. It is very smooth and silky with almost no vibration.  
Liveability We lived on our 380 for a year and this boat seems to be at least as liveable as the 380. We live in the galley, salon and cockpit. Those areas are just fine. I am usually asleep when I am in the aft cabin so I don't care how big it is as long as the bed fits me(and it DOES fit). As mentioned by other reviewers, the head is pretty small, however, it seems to serve it's intended purpose just fine, as I don't usually do a lot of primping when I'm on the boat anyway.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) I visited the factory twice to see my boat being built. That experience was fine. This is my third Hunter. I believe that should speak volumes about my opinion of their boats. I believe they have the bureaucracy that is typical of most companies, but they did manage do do a great job of building my non-standard boat in less than 30 days from the day of the order. So far, nothing has been encountered that requires a call to Hunter.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any My dealer, Redbud Marina, www.redbudmarina.com/ had my boat in the slip less than a week after it arrived on the truck. So far they haven't had to fix anything, because it was done right the first time and there simply isn't anything to fix.  
Other comments It seems to be everything we had hoped for and exceeds our expectations in design, equipment, materials and workmanship. It is easy and comfortable to singlehand.  

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