Hunter Owner Reviews

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Review of the Hunter 26 by Michael Bell

Year built 1998  
Location of boat Fern Ridge Res.  
The boat is sailed on Lakes  
How the boat is used Weekends and longer  
Normal wind strength less than 10 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. I like the trailerability. I haul it to the protected waters of Western Canada each Summer. I plan to haul it to the East coast some day. Maybe Baja as well. It’s a nice boat for the way we use it, and comfortable too. I’ve added a lot of niceties, but that’s half the fun – working on the boat.  
Gear that's been added ChartPlotter Water system Solid boom vang Lazy jacks Roller furling 110 volt system Built-in 110 volt heater Second reef set Sunbrella sewn to outer edge of jib  
Structural or complex improvements Nope  
The boat's best features I like the ability to pull the center board and get into shallow areas where others can’t. Roomy inside. I fit in the bed (I’m 6’5”)  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. Nothing really. I dropped the mast once, but that was my fault for not putting on small temporary side stays. I may have a problem with an inadequate water barrier coat under the gel coat, but am confident that warranty will cover the work needed.  
Sailing characterisitcs I think the boat points well if you’ve tuned the rigging correctly. It walks away from other boats if your going downwind (pull the center board up). You do need to reef the boat early as the wind builds. It’s a main driven boat, and that’s a lot of sail up there if the wind comes up hard. Once reefed, it handles well.  
Motoring characterisitcs I have a 8 horse Honda four stroke. It will push the boat to hull speed. What more do you need?  
Liveability The four of us have spent 3 weeks in a desolate area and livability was still livable. Nice weather helps of course, but the cabin area is much larger than other boats of the same size.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) I worked with Hunter sales and warranty staff. Both were very helpful and the experience was painless.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any The Hunter dealer I purchased my boat from is no longer in the Hunter sales, yet he still was willing to help me with a warranty repair was another Hunter dealer had yet to be established.  
Other comments My next boat could very well be another (larger) Hunter.  

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