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Review of the Hunter 450 by Kevin Byrd

Year built 2001  
Location of boat Eastern North Carolina  
The boat is sailed on Bays, sounds, or protected salt water  
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 2001  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? I would definitely buy the 450 again. It is the perfect boat for our planned open end cruising plans in the future. You get a lot of boat for the money and after studying the manufacturing process used in laying up the hull and overall structual integrity, I feel very comfortable putting the "Unlimited Offshore Rating" to the test to take my wife and I to most parts of the planet we want to visit. It is unbelievably easy to singlehand. You can afford to tweak it out just the way you want it with all of the money you save compared to other boats on the market of similar size. It is our floating condo. We believe in being comfortable AND safe while cruising. The 450 has it all.  
Gear that's been added Lot's! Custom built hard top with enclosure(I will post pictures in the photo album in a couple of weeks). 4 large siemens solar panels mounted on hardtop, 1300 amp hours Concord AGM batteries, Balmar 250 amp alternator, link 2000 battery monitor, Northern Lights generator with sound shield, Kato Dingy Davits, Inner forestay, Asymetrical spinaker with ATN sock, 4 Large Rule bilge pumps, Stainless rail all around replaced life lines, 2 Racor 500 fuel filters, Seafrost DC 5000 cold plate fridge, Forespar line control whisker pole, Splendide Washer/Dryer combo. I am waiting until just before we start our cruising life to purchase the electronics and watermaker to take advantage of the latest technology.  
Structural or complex improvements The best structural improvement by far was having hinged access doors with locking mechanism cut into the floorboards. This provided access to an incredible amount of storage room that is low in the boat. I installed the largest water tight hatch that would fit in the shower wall to give port access the the engine. I can now easily access the impeller, starter, and alternator.  
The boat's best features I would not know where to begin. The aft stateroom is where we spend most of our time while below. We have refered to it as our nest. We have home theater and a very comfortable bed. As for sailing, you just unfurl the sails like pulling down a window shade. When you are done, you pull a line and roll them back in. The selden In-Mast furling system is very well built. We have not had a snag with it in the 3 years we've had the boat. There is storage everywhere, espeacially if you open the area under the floorboards. We have a 10 foot roll-up dingy and 8 hp outboard stowed in one transom locker. The boat is huge.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. The only drawback I can see with the B&R Rig is the swept back spreaders that prevent using the main as an effective sail downwind. This is easily remedied by poling out the jib and just keeping the main off the spreaders to funnel wind into the poled out jib. Also the asymetrical spinaker is easy to deploy on the large foredeck. Nothing has broken or just did'nt work. The boat was well thought out in the design stage and uses quality hardware.  
Sailing characterisitcs The sailing is fast and easy. We often see 10 knots of speed in 18 knots on the beam. The trick is to reef or roll in a little more sail than you want to. The more level the boat is the faster it goes. I am amazed at how well it sails what seems like directly into the wind. Typically 8 knots of speed close hauled in 15 knots. The sturdy whisker pole is a must and is easy to use when sailing downwind. When it is not being used it is mounted at the base of the starboard stancions.  
Motoring characterisitcs It seems to drive like a car. I do not feel it needs a bow thruster or a different prop than what comes standard. It is easy to manuever if you use the prop walk to your advantage and you are not shy about using the engine to stop and start the boat moving. It will literally turn on a dime.  
Liveability It is the dream boat for a cruising couple. We each have a head. One electric, one foot pump. The shower is awesome. I like it better than the one I have at home. I already mentioned the aft stateroom "aka The Nest". I converted the forwrd cabin in to my garage. The bed is still in tack for napping. I use the drawers under the bunk to stow tools and spares. Once the cockpit enclosure is in place it will be like having another full room in the condo. The Air Marine air conditioning has worked flawlessly.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) My experience with Hunter has been very good. There will always be issues when commissioning a new boat. The first boat we bought, a 1994 Hunter Legend 37.5 was the worst nightmare imagineable. Not because of Hunter but the dealer. I am glad to say that dealership was revoked. The question is how the issues are handled. I am happy to say that dealing with Hunter has been very professional and I found them to be very responsive. Eddie Breeden in customer service has been very helpful, and Mike Thomas in the parts department can ussually find what you need and if he does not stock it, he can tell you who does with their phone number.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any As mentioned before, our first boat buying experience was dreadful, so we really did not know what to expect. I have high standards and Deaton Yacht Service in Oriental, NC is a family owned and operated full service boatyard who's employee tenure ranges from ten to over 20 years. These people are craftsmen in the highest degree. They made my hard top from scratch. I was so relieved to find that their standards are as high and sometimes higher than mine. I cannot stress how important the dealer is in purchasing the boat. Get references. This can serve as my reference for Deaton Yachts. It is worth traveling to have them work on your boat.  
Other comments I, like many others pondered for years on whether or not a production boat is well suited and safe for serious offshore sailing. I have read all the books about structual integrity and layup processes and hull to deck joints. The fact is Hunter makes a strong hull and strong rig. If you have that, you can literally modify the boat the way you have always daydreamed it in your head. I noticed as I was reading Steve Dashews Offshore Encyclopedia that most of the characteristics he decribes in the perfect cruising boat are in the Passage 450. Spade rudder for easier autopilot control, bulb winged keel vs a full keel so when in large seas you may slide down the face of a wave instead of tripping down the face of the wave and possibly broaching or worse. As Mr. Dashew says, I would rather have a boat that can out run a storm as oppose to have one that can take a beating. I think the Passage 450 can do both.  

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