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Review of the Hunter 23 by "EAGLE" hence the wingkeel

Year built 1986  
Location of boat Sarasota  
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 2005  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Yes- highly recommend the 23 hunter wingkeel. If 23 is the size you are seeking to purchase. We have owned multiple different brands and sizes of sailboats- for weekends and day sailing this is the best sailboat we have owned so far. If you are going to leave your boat in the water and not trailer it much- then I would go with the H26 it is much bigger inside and it sails faster, plus the open transom is perfect. but if you plan on keeping your boat on the trailer- this is the perfect boat.  
Gear that's been added Here is the list I have added to our Hunter 23: Roller Furling with a 145% New Mainsail with loose foot and full battens Stern rail Magma grill 9.9 mercury o/b new stripes and logo new cd stereo with speakers in the cockpit and two inside the cabin. Dvd player. New wood flooring inside the cabin. new cushions inside. new mainsail cover Bimini with window to see the main sail. knot meter depth sounder vhf cockpit cushions sternrail cushions and lifeline covers winch covers solar panel 2 batteries  
Structural or complex improvements no  
The boat's best features The way the boat handles and responds. The short wing keel allows us to go closer to sandbars and go swimming. pointing windward is great and with the new loose footed main down wind should be better and when I make the backstay adjustable it will be even better.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. The worst design flaw I found and maybe it is just our boat. But when it rains and the cockpit drain with the piece of wood above it clogs up. The cockpit rain water one time overflowed inside the cabin and warped the floor boards. Then to make matters worse the floor boards cover the keel bolts the floor water does not go back to the bilge under the cockpit  
Sailing characterisitcs Great sailing boat at 35 degree heel.  
Motoring characterisitcs I placed a 9.9 2 cycle o/b on the adjustable motor mount- It really gets me throw rougher and stronger current waters when under motor- Problem is really heavy motor and it is hard to raise out of the water- I am going to try a large motor mount, maybe that will help.  
Liveability weekends only- We went from a larger boat that had 6ft 2inch headroom to the 23 hunter- ouch that first overnighter waking up and hitting my head two times- I am now use to it.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) no need to yet.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any private sellers are the best for a used boat! They will give a better deal rather than going to a broker or boat lot- If you are going to buy new wait until hunter goes back to the full keel and stops the water ballast junk. I am not a fan of those water ballast designs when you are sialing- however if you want a boat that you are going to travel across the country with on a regular basis and sailing is not that important- then the water ballast design is great.  
Other comments My to do list during this winter is: adjustable backstay. bring all lines to the cockpit. reposition the winch for raising the main sail. have a custom wooden cabinet made above the step in the cabin for the circuit breakers and more storage. Switch the motor mount to opposite side. Make the traveler adjustable with blocks. Hatch cover canvas sides, which is on this site for sale at a good price. switch the lights to LED. hatch cover canvas for when the boat is not in use. boomkicker. controls for the o/b inside the cockpit- but leave the motor as a pull start. Then she will be 100 percent to our liking! We plan on keeping this boat as long as the hurricanes do not take it like our last boat- This why we went with this model hunter and we like the trailerable feature of the boat too. We leave the boat at the docks during the weekends and then during the week we leave on the trailer at our clubs yard. This way we leave the mast up and all we do is pull it out of the water and park it. I will submit some pictures of our boat after this weekends sailing venture. "EAGLE"  

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