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Review of the Hunter 20 by Morgan Rothe

Year built 1983  
Location of boat Sarasota,FL  
The boat is sailed on Bays, sounds, or protected salt water  
How the boat is used Day sailing  
Normal wind strength Press here to select  
Average size of crew 2-4  
Liveaboard? No  
Owner bought the boat in 2008  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Yes I would. I have spent less than $1500 including the actual price of the boat and a good Tohatsu 5hp 2-stroke I found on craigslist. I really need new sails and the bottom and keel need to be sanded and re-painted as well as some cosmetic repairs of the gel-coat here and there where holes we're once drilled. I have sailed this boat on four different occasions including two trips thru the inlets into the Gulf of Mexico a couple clicks. It has been a great project boat because there are no major design features that I do not like. In my opinion there's still lots of room for interpretation by the do-it-yourself sailor.  
Gear that's been added I have added a VHF radio. I plan to add a depth-meter and compass mounted starboard of the companionway. I also hope to add a fixed SS swim ladder and eventually an anchor-roller bowsprit with the rode running back to the cockpit.  
Structural or complex improvements I have. I was inside the cabin of the boat in the back yard and ducking my head as usual when I looked at the cabin ceiling with new eyes all of a sudden. I suddenly saw no harm in removing the hanging coamings of fiberglass that seemed to make the ceiling annoyingly low at times. These coamings seemed to offer little structural gain and so they went away. The cabin now seems much more open and the areas that were trimmed will be sanded and trimmed out with some brightwork.  
The boat's best features I think the boat is not too hard on the eyeballs for a small production fiberglass boat.It is very stable and seems to point well. I like the cockpit dimensions and the simplicity of the boat as a whole. I like this size sailboat because it is bigger than a daysailor , capable of being pushed to hull speed by a 4-5 hp motor at half-throttle and capable of carrying lots and lots of camping gear but still small and intimate enough to jump out and push yourself back off a bar by yourself and keep going.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. Once again..I think the coamings that come down from the cabin ceiling in two places can be heavily trimmed to give more headroom without sacrificing strength of the roof. Just to make sure,when I trim these "shaved-off" areas with hardwood brightwork it will add some re-enforcement just for good measure. The shrouds chainplate or sidestays could have been more outboard to allow one more room to travel forward on either sidedeck. The deck footing could be better..will have to add some grip-strip. The hardware on the boat could have been heavier. I think the keel bolts should have mounted more carefully.Hunter's reputation has never been based on fine-finished craftmanship but was synonymous with a large-production boat company trying to save money to keep the sticker price down. I don't mind having areas that need beefing up like the rear bulkheads under the cockpit because it is fairly easy to add cloth/resin and re-design these the way I want them. Thankfully most of these flaws can be fixed with by upgrading them yourself and with a 25-year old boat these fittings need replacing anyways.  
Sailing characterisitcs Seems very stable so far..have only had it in 20-23 mph gusts I'd say but she seemed stiff.  
Motoring characterisitcs She motors nicely and easily with a 4 or 5hp motor. I almost thought I was going to have trouble getting my 5hp Tohatsu to fit the transom though...maybe it was the motor mounts on the motor but it was a tight fit with not enough room left to add a piece of backing plywood so I went with solid-brass thin plate to keep the mounts from digging into the transom.  
Liveability I think this boat is a great weekender or extended camper. It is not a live-aboard.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) I have not contacted them, probably because I get the impression they are not eager to give much support to a boat on it's third owner and almost 25 years old.From what I gather they are not a warm fuzzy-type company but are good at making solid inexpensive boats.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any  
Other comments I like this boat alot . This is my third boat over 17 feet in length and I think it has much to offer as an inexpensive family weekender. This boat is very easy to trailer at 1700lbs including the 400 lb iron swing keel. Has lots of storage. For a solo sailor or a couple this boat can be bought cheaply these days and upgraded into a stout micro-cruiser without major outlay of cash.  

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