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Review of the Hunter 42 by Steve Hazlerig

Year built 1992  
Location of boat Bellevue, Washington  
The boat is sailed on Bays, sounds, or protected salt water  
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 1993  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Absolutely!  
Gear that's been added Autohelm CRT Chart Plotter, Raytheon GPS Antenna, Autohelm 7000 autopilot with 6000 head, Autohelm NAVDATA display, Autohelm TRIDATA display, Autohelm WIND, semi-custom cockpit table, 12V CD player, spinnaker halyard and lightweight cruising spinnaker. Ardic 041-D diesel furnace. Sunbrella cockpit cover and wheel cover.  
Structural or complex improvements I had the Maxwell windlass modified to provide power-down capability. Haven't switched to all-chain yet though to find out if I have the same chain-jamming problem that Phil Herring has reported.I also took out all the 110V stereo equipment that came with the boat, replaced the panel above the breaker panel, and installed a 12V CD player instead. Uses much less power and space, and makes room for future electronics.I've also replaced the original factory batteries with Gel Cells, which are working MUCH better. And I replaced the original factory alternator with a high-output alternator.  
The boat's best features Lots of room, good light and visibility from inside. Very comfortable at anchor and underway!  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. The single-line reefing doesn't work that well. The Dutchman flaking system isn't so great either.The original batteries didn't last long.It's difficult to find CNG, and it's quite awkward to replace the tank. Considering converting to propane.The heads have been somewhat flaky. And the aft shower doesn't drain worth a darn, even after modifications to lower the catch basin in the bilge.  
Sailing characterisitcs I'm not an experienced sailor, but it seems to sail quite well for me. Not too hard to handle with a short-handed crew. The most challenging thing is dropping the main.  
Motoring characterisitcs Motors great! The 62 Yanmar pulls well, runs all day if necessary. Easy to dock.  
Liveability Very good, due to having lots of room and lots of windows. Only complaint is moisture and cold in the wintertime. (Remember, this is Seattle.)  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) I've had quite a bit of difficulty getting through to Hunter on the phone. Enough that I avoid it if possible and work with the dealer.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any The dealer I bought the boat from went bankrupt, along with my luxury tax, which they'd never paid to the IRS. So when the luxury tax was repealed, I couldn't get mine refunded. Needless to say, I wasn't very happy with them.The current dealer (Marine Servicenter) does a reasonable job.  
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