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Review of the Hunter 26 by Jeff Morrow

Year built 1994  
Location of boat Middle GA  
The boat is sailed on Lakes  
How the boat is used Day sailing  
Normal wind strength less than 10 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? Sure, given the sailing I currently do, that is mostly lake sailing. It is certainly tender but sails pretty well under most conditions. If the wind is above 12 knots it is is best to reef, but she handles well after that.  
Gear that's been added Fish finder, Bimini, Grille, larger porta-potty, Spinnaker, extra anchor, solar battery charger, extra battery, larger fuel tank  
Structural or complex improvements Added a link from the rudder to outboard for added control when motoring.  
The boat's best features My wife would say it's the large cabin and large cockpit, but I'd say the ease with which it can be trailered to another location. We have taken our boat to Florida's northwestern coast many times and I can take it down and put it up by my self. This boat is relatively quick and points pretty well but the rig has to be tuned properly.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. I think the biggest complaint I have is the poor design of the halyard sheeves. They are built into the deck and really don't function as they should. The system on the newer Hunter 260 is much better and I may see if I can convert our boat to something similar. The outboard standing rigging makes it pretty much impossible to add a larger head sail other than a spinnaker. Some complain about the rudder kicking up and I have experienced this as well. To resolve this, the wingnut that clamps the rudder in place needs to be as tight as you can get it. It would be nice to have the tiller removeable so that the cockpit would be clear (sounds like another project.)  
Sailing characterisitcs First, this boat is tender, but once you get used to it does fine. Second, the boat points pretty well. She tacks between 75-80 degrees. Third, when setup and sailed properly, the boat is pretty quick. Downwind performance can be enhanced with a spinnaker.  
Motoring characterisitcs I have a 8 hp Tohatsu that pushes the boat along just fine. However, it may not be enough in higher winds. The boat does have a high freeboard and if it's windy, will get pushed around when motoring. The best way to overcome this is to attach a link from the rudder to the outboard. Backing has the same as most boats, pulling to port until she gets moving.  
Liveability For a couple it's just fine. I wouldn't try any more though. Given the market the boat was built for it provides a surprising amount of space. There is a fair amount of storage but it can be difficult to get to. The table is somewhat large and probably needs to be reduced; another potental project. All in all though, for weekends and a little longer it is quite liveable.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) I have called them for parts and technical questions and they have been pretty receptive. The parts department is quite busy and at times it is difficult to talk with someone, but they always have gotten back with me. Service overall has been good.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any We purchased our boat from Weathermark Marine and the experience was pretty good. Our salesman went over the put-up and take-down procedures as well as other features of the boat.  
Other comments Great boat for the money. Easy to setup and sail. It is a very low maintence boat and most of our time is spent sailing.  

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