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Review of the Hunter 38 by John Meyer

Year built 2006  
Location of boat Columbia River, Portland, OR  
The boat is sailed on Lakes  
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 2006  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Yes. Absolutely! I was a hard sell having always sailed Mast Head Rigs. Be that as it may, I've found this boat is a dream to handle under sail. I particularly like having the traveler and my primary winches back by the helm. The comforts below keep my wife happy when we're at dock.  
Gear that's been added Boat came pretty complete with Mariner Pkg. and vertical batten, in mast furling. We upgraded to the memory foam mattresses, leather interior and split dinette table. At the time of purchase I upgraded the anchor and amount of chain. I also exchanged the standard house battery for four Trojan T125 golf cart batteries. Lastly, I upgraded the folding wheel for a larger, 40". After delivery I added an Espar Hydronic Heater w/ two thermostats, water heater heat exchanger and all piping run on the starboard side, away from the holding tank and hoses. Dodger and Bimini with oversized SS were added by the best canvas man on the West Coast (thanks Hayden Canvas!). I still need to add radar to the C80 Chartplotter. I am in the planning stages of that now and will mount on a Garhauer Stern Pole as I did my last boat.  
Structural or complex improvements I unhinged the stairs over the engine and replaced with "push pin" hinges and braces at the foot. This allows me much better access to the forward engine components. I removed the primary fuel filter and replaced with a Turbo Racor 500 Series drop in filter. I plumbed this with shut off valves and a bypass valve and located more conveniently in the aft engine compartment. I added a Pyrex, clear tube in the fuel vent line to see when I've filled full. I also added a Lewmar 100 Fuel/Air separator on the same line to eliminate fuel overflow. I added a vertical 1.25" SS grab rail to the starboard side of the stairs - both as a stabilizing hand hold and to strengthen the vertical bulkhead, starboard side of the engine. I added more vents on the top side of the navigation table seat to keep the battery charger cooler. Original vents were at the bottom of this chamber where they did no good. I made modifications to the port lockers, both forward and aft staterooms to make more efficient. I added connections for portable MP3 to the Bose system. Made other cosmetic improvements below to keep the wife happy.  
The boat's best features Many great features- the boat is well designed. The first thing to impress us when we looked at this boat, was the placement of ALL thru hulls in one location. Just makes sense. The hull design allows for flatter, more comfortable sailing and the hull does a nice job of cutting through short chop rather than pounding. As mentioned earlier, having all line controls available behind the helm has been very important to both the wife and I.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. As mentioned previously, the piston lift engine compartment cover, although it looked great at first, turned out to be awkward to use for maintenance. I corrected this for a more conventional approach and problem solved. I found the primary fuel filter location very poor, but again, relocation and filter upgrade-problem solved. The removable floor panels squeak - I haven't reported this to my dealer yet as I'm waiting 'till end of warranty but I know they'll fix it easily. For a vessel with this many complex systems, I amazed that there hasn't been a few more issues. Hunter did a great job and made me a convert.  
Sailing characterisitcs We're still rigging her for sailing over the Columbia Bar, up the Washington Coast and into the British Columbia and Southern Alaskan waters so at this point I haven't really sailed this boat to it's full potential. However, playing around on the Columbia River with winds up to a max of 25, we've found her to be very stable and responsive. Actually, our proudest moment was when the water was almost calm and boats were sitting around us with their sails flapping - we sailed right by them. In fact, last season we never had another boat of the same size or up to 5 ft larger, overtake us.  
Motoring characterisitcs Forward as to be expected. Reverse has far more prop walk than my past, Catalina 34 had. I've always liked a little prop walk for docking but this has been too much. I have the standard 3 blade fixed. This spring I'm adding a Kiwi Feathering Prop. I've read nothing but good regarding this prop although all users state prop walk is gone and I may miss having a little. Transmission, single shifter both work great.  
Liveability Super! Inside of five years, we intend to spend the majority of our summer seasons living on a boat in the Pacific NW Waters and this boat was bought with that in mind.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) The few times I've had technical questions, Hunter has always responded within 24 hours AND, with good answers. This has been the biggest difference I've noticed with Hunter vs. their primary competitor.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any All of the people at the Sailing Life brokerage have been beyond spectacular. They really care. Buying a boat from them is just the beginning. Seeing what I've seen and knowing what I know now, I'll never buy a boat from any other dealer. Karen and Mike are sailors, business people and most importantly, caring humans. Thanks.  
Other comments At the docks, or down below, this boat looks like 40 ft plus. Sailing her in wind, she feels like a 40 footer. BUT, behind the wheel, bringing her into a marina, she feels manageable and at that moment, doesn't feel any larger than my previous 34. The best of all worlds. No wonder this boat received accolades from Cruising World and Practical Sailor.  

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