Hunter Owner Reviews

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Review of the Hunter 40.5 by John Hunt

Year built 1993  
Location of boat Anacortes, WA  
The boat is sailed on Bays, sounds, or protected salt water  
How the boat is used Multi-week coastal cruising  
Normal wind strength 10-15 knots  
Average size of crew 2-4  
Liveaboard? No  
Owner bought the boat in 1995  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Most definitely. We chartered for 20 years before taking the ownership plunge. In that 20 years we kept a list of "likes" and "dislikes" about each boat. The 40.5 is the closest we've come to a perfect fit for us. Wish we'd done this sooner.  
Gear that's been added Power anchor windlass, all chain rode and 44# Bruce and Fortress FX-37; power main halyard winch; cruising spinnaker; Link 2000R regulator and battery monitor plus Balmar high output alternator and 800 A-H of batteries; Webasto diesel hot water furnace for both heat and hot water at anchor; Autohelm ST-6000 autopilot with helm remote; Garmin GPS-192C.  
Structural or complex improvements The Webasto hot water heating and Link 2000R to manage the 800 A-H of battery. Both are specific to our cruising needs and grounds.  
The boat's best features Easy for two getting older folks to sail; the Dutchman allows us to reef and douse the large main easily and works well with the power halyard winch we added. The boat is also very responsive and easy to handle around the dock. Lots of comfortable room below and a well set up galley for extended cruising.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. We have had to have both main salon side windows resealed as the factory caulking was apparently the wrong material (per the dealer); no problems with them since. The master berth had water leakage from the cockpit which was costly to repair; the leak was finally traced to a screw holding the deck plate down under the helmsman. THE FUEL TANK IS NOT 40 GALS AS SPEC'D BUT IS INSTEAD 34 GALS. I FOUND THIS OUT THE HARD WAY AND HAVE MEASURED IT SINCE TO CONFIRM.  
Sailing characterisitcs We don't raise the sails until there's at least 10 knots of apparent breeze (except the cruising spinnaker), but once we get past 10 knots she sails nicely. She is much better upwind than down with the factory jib. We have found a single reef works best at about 15 knots apparent - the boat remains flatter and faster (and much more comfortable).  
Motoring characterisitcs We cruise at 3000 RPM (83%) with a Martec 18Dx15Px11/4 2 blade and get a consistent 7.1 knots with a clean bottom. Boat does not track well with shoal keel and the autopilot was a must for either motoring or motor sailing.  
Liveability Excellent. The two of us usually cruise for two to six weeks between the San Juans and Desolation Sound, only going to marinas for water, fuel, ice and supplies. The added battery capacity was a must, but with that addition, we are happy "temporary liveaboards".  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) Excellent. Parts guys know the hull well and can always get me the right part, no matter how small, in a timely manner. They have even had items like the Delrin anchor rollers machined for me and charged me only a modest fee.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any N/A; bought from original owner, like new.  
Other comments She has held up quite well with a little TLC. I don't have a bad word to say, just good.  

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