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Review of the Hunter 410 by Jan P. Randles

Year built 1998  
Location of boat Mentor on the Lake, OH  
The boat is sailed on The Great Lakes  
How the boat is used Weekends and longer  
Normal wind strength 10-15 knots  
Average size of crew 2-4  
Liveaboard?  
Owner bought the boat in 1998  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Definitely. This is the third Hunter that we have owned and is the best so far.  
Gear that's been added Radar, chartplotter, Autohelm ST 7000 autopilot, cruising spinaker, air conditioning, cockpit grating (made by dealer), battery monitor, electric halyard winch and electric windlass, leather interior, dodger, bimini, cockpit cushions  
Structural or complex improvements No  
The boat's best features Spacious cockpit, great engine access, lots of space in the aft cabin and main salon, proper matresses in the cabins, good long bunk in the forward cabin. We are looking forward to taking advantage of the large freezer and refrigerator when we get it to work.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. We didnt get the freezer and refrigerator working properly throughout this seasonmaybe next year. The engine appears to be too smoky. I've had several discussions with the dealer and Yanmar on this but we ran out of time and will have to pursue again next Spring.We had excellent support from the dealer and Hunter to correct the following minor problems: porthole in the main salon installed at an angle, small void beneath the the gelcoat in the cockpit, caps on the stanchions blown away, support for bottles in liquor cabinet incorrectly installed, leaks in one of the cockpit lazarettes, scratches on the companionway cover, cabin sole movement, wind tranducer at the top of the mast not working properly. One of the reinforcing patches on the main sail to limit wear against the spreaders is in the wrong place.We also had to return the Autohelm chartplotter for a software upgrade - it would freeze up under certain actions.Design or equipment changes I would recommend: -the cockpit sole flexes too much -access to drinking water pump, AC and refrigerator pumps should be improved to make winterizing easier. -go back to the Dutchman furling system instead of the lazyjacks.Installing a topping lift helped but flaking sails is now a major task.-ensure that the cabin design takes into account the installation of a TV-change the catches for the refrigerator/freezer; they break too easily (we have replaced three so far).  
Sailing characterisitcs We dont race the boat and only get the chance to measure performance when matching our boat against others on casual sailing on the weekend or cruises with other boats. My previous boat, a hunter 35.5, was able to keep up with and occasionally beat a Hunter 40.5. I was disappointed that the 410 was not able to point as well or sail as fast as the 40.5s. I don't feel that eliminating the backstay and the more complicated rigging for the mast has paid off in performance. The problem may lie in my tuning of the boat something which I am going to work on next year. With the swept back spreaders this is not a boat for down wind performance unless you are prepared for sail damage.The cockpit is comfortable, with little heel in strong winds.  
Motoring characterisitcs The 50 HP Yanmar engine does the job. Compared to the 27 HP engine I had on my 35.5, it is quieter, and I feel more comfortable manouvering the boat in tight quarters and in reverse. The boat comfortably does 6.5 to 7.0 knots at the 2,800 rpm we run the engine. The engine puts out clouds of grey smoke on start up and when at normal running temperature still seems to have too much smoke. I am not sure if I have a problem and am in contact with Yanmars representatives on this.  
Liveability Excellent. Lots of room.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) Excellent. Greg Emerson returns phone calls, follows up, and there has not been any problem getting work done. As I don't have a Hunter dealer close by, some warranty work is being done by local experts with payment being made directly by Hunter.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any First class. Tony and Garrett at Tidewater are a delight to deal with. This is the third Hunter that we purchased from Tony Tumas at Tidewater, MD. We live in Cleveland and there is a Hunter Dealer on Lake Erie but we preferred to purchase from Tidewater because of the service and support we had received on our two previous boats. Tidewater rigged the boat on the Chesapeake and we spent 4 days sailing it and making up our list of necessary corrections. Then, after shipping to Cleveland, Tony spent two days rigging the boat again. Tony and Garrett (service) have supplied materials and advice on how to correct remaining small problems and, where outside help was required the slanting porthole, the void in the cabin Hunter have stepped in to cover the expense. I am glad we decided to stay with them.  
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