Hunter Owner Reviews

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Review of the Hunter 27_75-84 by Jay Kent

Year built 1982  
Location of boat Sandusky, Ohio 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? No  
Owner bought the boat in 1998  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? yes, given the same circmstances as I had at that time.  
Gear that's been added bimini, second battery & switch, replaced charger,new cushiion / upholstery in cabin and in cockpit, new lines, direct water hook-up for at dock, microwave, new head and lines, new faucets, magna grill, new furling system, new life lines, new vhf radio and new antenna, complete coax, AM/FM CD radio, tv/vcr, replaced the companionway panels with brushed lexan  
Structural or complex improvements no  
The boat's best features this is a very stable and reliable sailing vessel. she handles high waves (we got into 8 foot waves at one point) and we still felt comfortable on board. she is a classic with the traditional cabin layout and has lots of storage. the aft quarter berth gives us even more room for storage as we can still sleep four without it.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. hot water heater died and refrigerator gave up, too -- but that is to be expected with this age of boat. The hatches and ports have had leaks, but we have reworked them. Toe rail has some places that lets a small amount of water in, but it is not worth the time, effort and energy to fix it. as mentioned before, we replaced the head, lines and the water faucets.  
Sailing characterisitcs sails well in almost any type of wind. has very little reaction to light winds as this boat is heavy for her size. points very well, with little, if any, weather helm.  
Motoring characterisitcs this boat has an 8 hp yanmar and is, in reality, underpowered. I would have liked more hp on a few occassions. prop walk in reverse to port is quite dramatic, but you can learn how to handle it  
Liveability comfortable. two of us use this boat at least every weekend from April to November. when we have guests on board, only rarely is it for overnight, which works well for us. we have added many creature comforts and enjoy our time on board.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) very pleasant experiences with their customer service people  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any purchasing experience was not an issue. however, follow up service has proven to be poor in organization, quality of work and the way billing is figured is highly suspect. service is not a word to describe what they do. we have chosen to not use them for any materials, supplies, labor, etc now, based upon personal, past experience. we are only about 10 miles from there, and we will do what we have to and avoid them for "service" issues.  
Other comments Overall, good value and solid boat for the money.