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Review of the Hunter 42 by Phil Herring

Year built 1994  
Location of boat Seattle, WA  
The boat is sailed on Bays, sounds, or protected salt water  
How the boat is used Multi-week coastal cruising  
Normal wind strength 10-15 knots  
Average size of crew 2-4  
Liveaboard?  
Owner bought the boat in 1994  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Yes - it's been virtually a perfect boat for my kind of cruising and living. Ideal for the wind conditions and the sailing style of the pacific northwest.  
Gear that's been added GPS, MapTech Pilot, Autohelm 7000 autopilot w/remote, Furuno LCD radar, Amp Hours 2, ST-50 wind, plotter, cellular phone, additional 22 gallon holding tank/macerator/pumpout, Espar diesel heat, Marine Air AC/heat, 8kw Koehler genset, custom matress in aft cabin, UK gennaker, custom lighting in salon, my Bruce anchor (won't leave home without it), canvas boom tent .  
Structural or complex improvements Only the holding tank. It doubles the capacity. The aft head runs to the tank, which is located under the table in the salon. It's a mirror image of the factory installed tank which resides on the starboard side.  
The boat's best features The huge volume of the interior, both in the salon and the aft cabin. The centerline queen bed is one of my favorite features, making the boat great as an extended liveaboard -- even for us city guys who have to dress up now and then. The U-shaped galley is very efficient and functional. The standard factory rigging is easy to singlehand, something I've done up and down the coast of British Columbia. The aft sun deck is clearly the place of choice for crew to hang out.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. Anchor locker and windlass are not designed well. The chain pools under the windlass and jams - must be fed into the locker by hand, creating an extra hassle when weighing anchor. Difficult to singlehand. I keep a hammer up in the locker for the inevitable jams. CNG tank is in a very awkward spot. I have to lie down on the deck to swap it - not the easiest position to lift a tank from. Deck storage could be improved. the stern lockers collect water and the deck lockers are shaped like phone booths. The boat needs storage for small items and lines.  
Sailing characterisitcs The boat seems to like heavy air. Pretty fast in 15 knots of wind, but weak performance in light air (under 10 kts). The genoa is cut very long; a regular deck sweeper, which makes visibility poor to leeward. Overall, a good-sailing boat.  
Motoring characterisitcs Superb. Excellent handling in close quarters, responsive in emergencies. Fast enough with good power.  
Liveability that's why I bought the boat and I wasn't disappointed. It is truly designed for a liveaboard. Good space and excellent light - an important factor here in the gray northwest.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) Sometimes hard to get them on the phone. Email seems to work better. but once contacted I have found them to be helpful and resourceful.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any The dealer I bought from no longer sells Hunter and that's a good thing.  
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