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Review of the Hunter 28 by Steve

Year built 1992  
Location of boat Newburyport, MA  
The boat is sailed on Bays, sounds, or protected salt water  
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 2004  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Yes. I bought it in a private sale from the original owner. He took extremely good care of the boat. I had the boat trucked to Newburyport for the winter of 2004. The plan is to sail up to Boothbay, ME in the spring of 2005 where she will be kept on a mooring. I'll write a second review when I complete the trip.  
Gear that's been added Not yet. However, I am considering adding an Autohelm ST4000 MkII, and replacing the Loran with a Garmin 172c GPS.  
Structural or complex improvements No. I have not found anything major that needs to be added or to be repaired.  
The boat's best features Excellent value. There is a lot of boat here for the money. It is a good length for the area I sail in and with a wide beam there is adequate room below. I like the forward facing galley, five opening ports and three hatches means plenty of ventilation and light. Easy access to the cabin through the companionway since you don't need to crawl over a seat in front of the opening to get below. The walk through transom makes it easy to board from the temder. A dodger and roller furling are a must.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. I am concerned about the aluminum holding tank that may be near the end of its life and the tank seems too small at 12 gallons. The sloped floor in the aft berth takes getting used to when you get out of bed to prevent slipping and falling. Head shower area requires you to sitting down to shower since the floor slopes in the head also. The plastic stuffing box is definately an area of concern, I will replace it with a bronze one before launching this spring. Will also replace the thru-hull plastic nipples with metal ones.  
Sailing characterisitcs I only took her out for one sea trial. It was a fairly windy day and I experienced a fairly heavy weather helm (I didn't try reefing to see if it made a difference but I understand from the forums that it would have been a big help).  
Motoring characterisitcs When motoring I noticed that if I let go of the wheel, the boat turned fairly hard to starboard. the 18HP Yanmar engine seems to be appropriately sized for a 28 foot boat. Seems to back OK and turns well going forward. I am experiencing propeller shaft vibrations that I am trying to track down.  
Liveability This is a good size for two people for up to a week long trip. could probably tolerate four people for a weekend if you are good friends. Having six for more than a day sail is not practical.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) I have called the Hunter help desk several times and sent email a couple of times. each time Hunter replied promptly and did their best to answer my questions.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any N/A - this was a private sale.  
Other comments I am looking forward to sailing from Newburyport, MA to Boothbay, ME in the spring of 2005. I'll write a second review when I complete the trip and have much more experience sailing, motoring and living onboard.  

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