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Review of the Hunter 25.5 by Bill Poletti

Year built 1984  
Location of boat Carlyle Lake, IL  
The boat is sailed on Lakes  
How the boat is used Day sailing  
Normal wind strength 10-15 knots  
Average size of crew 2-4  
Liveaboard? No  
Owner bought the boat in 2003  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Yes, the ideal first boat for us. She's a great boat for Carlyle. She sails great in the typical Carlyle conditions. The shoal keel with a 3'3" draft avoids a lot of the problems in more shallow areas of the lake. My preference is for boats with an outboard that can swing out of the water and be taken home for reduced maintenance costs. We have both in our 25.5. She's our first boat, but we sailed quite a few in the 21 - 27 foot range before making our decision.  
Gear that's been added Downhaul for jib (see below). AM/FM radio. Some optional safety equipment. The Admiral (SWMBO) completely decorated and outfitted the cabin.  
Structural or complex improvements No structural improvements. Considered roller furling for safety, but a jib downhaul solved our problems.  
The boat's best features Sails great. A little tender, but steadies at speed. Very roomy boat. Cockpit is larger than most of the rest of the boats in the marina regardless of size. Below seems a lot bigger than other boats in her size category. Pop-top increases headroom by about 12" but shouldn't be used when sailing since it interferes with the boom vang. Lots of storage area in the cockpit and the cabin. Easy maintenance.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. Cast iron keel. I don't worry about it anymore. Its going to rust but that's the nature of the beast. The rust only seems to affect paint adhesion. IMO, this is a very minor problem. Placement of the aft cleats results in constant chafing against the dock lines. Boat needs some kind of shield beetween the docklines and the gelcoat. Minor problem. Wiring / running lights need work. I daysail so its no big deal. I have some work-around lights if needed. No problem so far. If older, worn (fuzzy) or oversized halyards are used, the jib will probably need a downhaul. This is easily rigged, back to the cockpit using about 50' of 1/4" line and a couple of small blocks connected to the toerail. When we bought her last year, there was a deep layer of oxidation all over the boat. Took about one man-day of effort (spread over several days) to clean the oxidation, treat the hull topsides with Polyglow and seal the rest of the above-waterline areas with Johnson Future Acrylic Floor Finish. Now she looks great and keeps clean. Not a big maintenance item, just a few minutes from time to time to touch up. We have a slight leak (just a few drops when it rains) into the cabin through the starboard traveller hold-down bolt. Will remove and reseal the traveller in the spring. Very minor. The anchor locker drain has a tendency to clog. Minor problem and its easily flushed out. Boat seems to have a very slight list to starboard even with a single group 27 battery under the port-side dinette and the outboard on the port side. We haven't used the freshwater holding tank, but that's to starboard.  
Sailing characterisitcs She's a sweet sailing boat. A little tender, but makes up for it with surprising speed - even our shoal keel model. Quick to accelerate. With the right combination of sails, she's very well balanced with just a touch of weather helm on all points of sail. One finger can hold her on course in less than 15 knots and good sail trim. The tiller has great feel and performance feedback. A little rudder shutter, but that's just a little turbulence coming off the keel. Does pretty well in light winds. She'll get to hull speed without a lot of work or heavy breeze. Best windward performance seems to be with 12 - 14 knots and around 20 degrees of heel (full main and 150 jib). She points very high for a shoal keel boat. I've had her out in winds steady over 25 knots and gusting with the main reefed and a 110. A first time beginner was at the tiller and had great fun. Our boat sails best with the main reefed with the wind over 15 knots with a 150; reefed main and 110 used with the wind over 18 knots. She does not do well directly downwind due to the swept-back spreaders. She needs to be 15 degrees or so off the wind and sailed wing / wing. Mid-boom sheeting and a cockpit-wide traveller is a big plus for trimming the main, but this also results in the perception that the cockpit isn't as well-organized as it might be. The traveller also can displace some preferred seating area. A very small compromise for the resulting gains. The genny tracks could be a few inches longer to get the best trim angle on the 150. TIMO, they don't need to extend so far forward. All controls lead to the cockpit by design. I solo and have little trouble with sail management. We have a chute, but have not used it yet. She's forgiving of some errors, but gives positive feedback to the helm when she's sailed well. This makes for a great boat to learn the fine points of sailing.  
Motoring characterisitcs We have the outboard model with an old two-stroke Merc 7.5 long shaft. The outboard makes motoring in tight areas pretty easy. I turn using the rudder and turning the outboard at the same time. Turns on a dime. The 7.5 is more than adequate getting into and out of the marina. She has high topsides and can catch the wind. A little extra planning and maybe a helping hand is necessary to get into and out of slips during robust crosswind conditions. I'm not sure this isn't the case with a lot of boats. Under the heaviest conditions I've sailed, the prop can get pulled out of the water if there are people forward of the cockpit (especially to starboard).  
Liveability We have not yet spent the night on her, but are outfitted for that option. She's very beamy (greater than 9') with good designed use of the space. Lots of designed storage. Lots of space below. I'm 6'2", but we rarely use the pop-top. I have full standing headroom and more with the pop-top up, a slight stoop with it down. I'm very comfortable below. There is pretty good ventilation with the forward hatch open. Very good airflow with the pop-top open. She's supposed to sleep 6, but I think four adults could spend the night below in comfort and privacy, a couple of kids could be added on the settee and the drop-down dinette. Head (port-a-potty) has some privacy with a door to the main cabin and a curtain to the v-berth. Nice sink and vanity across from head. A couple could live aboard for a cruise, but might feel closed-in after a few days. Should have a second house battery for longer cruises along with some means of recharging. With the large available of space in the rest of the boat, there had to be one area of compromise. IMO, its the galley. Its just small considering the number of people the boat can accommodate. But as we use the boat for daysailing (we don't cook), its quite adequate. This might be a little challenging on a cruise. Very large ice box drains to bilge so it might be better to use freezer packs rather than ice cubes. Insulation doesn't seem too good.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) Two times dealing with Hunter. Satisfied with the information provided. Terrible documentation / boat operating manuals.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any The deal went smoothly, all the paperwork handled efficiently. The previous owner complicated the transaction at the last minute, but everything was worked out by the broker. I was satisfied with the purchase arrangements and transaction handling by the broker.  
Other comments She's a great boat for families. Much bigger than the other 25s. Huge cockpit allows comfortable seating for up to six adults and there's room enough in the cabin for all of them to take shelter or have a bite to eat.  

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