Hunter Owner Reviews

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Review of the Hunter Vision-32 by Rob Sherrill

Year built 1991  
Location of boat Jacksonville Florida  
The boat is sailed on Rivers  
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 I would. This boat is great and has a lot of room. Compared with a conventional sailboat you would have to go up to about 36-38 footer to have equal amounts of space.  
Gear that's been added The original owner stuffed a small Ferrymann 4.0kW generator in the port locker. It's great (somewhat noisy) for the hot/humid summers in Florida. I can lay at anchor and cool down the cabin with the AC. I also added a high amperage battery charger. With the generator going coupled with the charger I can restore my bank of batteries in short order.  
Structural or complex improvements None  
The boat's best features Easy sailing with the "Freedom type" rig. Works extremely well when sailing solo.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. Nothing major has broken. Access to the fuel tank and holding tank for maintenance is miserable.  
Sailing characterisitcs Light air under 10k is poor. The Vision is heavy and built for more than 10k in wind speed. Once it gets above 15k the sailing is great. I live in Jacksonville on the St. John's river and we have great river sailing. The nice thing is you can sail all the way to the ICW or Atlantic. Rough water is a breeze. Just don't fall overboard. There is no standing rigging to grab as you sail over the safety lines.  
Motoring characterisitcs Backs the best of any sailboat I have ever been on. The Yanmar works well and will keep it at 5-6k if the bottom is clean at about 2800rpm.  
Liveability The former ownern lived on this boat for two years in Daytonna. It would be excellent for one, good for two. Anymore than two would be a crowd. You need to use the facilities "head" as the holding tank is good for about 48 hours with two people on board.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) They are the best. They respond to emails and phone calls. Being as close as I am to the factory I can go talk to them directly if I need to. Did that once and got the help I needed.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any Didn't buy this one from a dealer but have worked with Whitney's here in Jacksonville. They are the best. They are excellent for any repairs on the hunter as well.  
Other comments Wouldn't change a thing. Well that's not true. I would buy the Vision-36 if I had to do it again.