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Review of the Hunter 23.5 by Steve Bryan

Year built 1996  
Location of boat Ripon, CA  
The boat is sailed on Bays, sounds, or protected salt water  
How the boat is used Weekends and longer  
Normal wind strength 16-22 knots  
Average size of crew 2-4  
Liveaboard?  
Owner bought the boat in 1996  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Probably. The 23.5 was our first sailboat and has been a real pleasure to learn to sail on. The price was reasonable and it came equipped with reasonably sturdy fittings. We were looking for a large enough boat for 3 on multi-day trips, but light enough to trail behind a Jeep Cherokee. The Hunter 23.5 has served us well. My wife particularly likes the well-lit, roomy cabin. I think Hunter could have improved its functionality by including more and better (drier) storage spaces in the cabin.  
Gear that's been added VHF, Auto-pilot, Depth Sounder, GPS, 80% jib, 2 additional anchors, 300 feet of rode.  
Structural or complex improvements Not yet. I'm just about ready to pull off the swing-centerboard and machine a new bushing for the pivot bolt. At anchor, in anything worse than flat, calm seas, the board slaps from side to side as the boat rolls, creating a very unsettling thumping sound. I've tried retracting the keel, but it doesn't help, and the boat then rolls considerably more.  
The boat's best features We really enjoy the ability to trailer the boat to various launch sites and enjoy varied weather and sea conditions. The fact that I don't need a truck to tow it is a huge cost savings (in fuel expenses alone!). The 23.5 has just enough room for my wife and I and our 12 year son on 2-6 day trips. It handles superbly in 5-15 knot winds and predictably in 20-25 knots, after one get accustomed to the large heel angle. When reaching under gusty conditions and 2-4 ft chop, one learns very quickly how to counter the boat's tendency to head up. The addition of a smaller jib has aided greatly in high winds frequently encountered in and around San Fransisco Bay, Monterey Bay, and at the Channel Islands.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. As mentioned above, the centerboard fits loosely and slaps when anchored in rolling conditions. The trailer is barely adequate, especially when the boat is loaded. Religious monitoring of bearing temperature and lubrication is necessary. One wheel bearing began to fail after just one season. I replaced both for $20 and an hour of my time.  
Sailing characterisitcs Conditions in and around San Fransisco vary greatly over the course of a typical day. Mornings usually bring light winds and flat seas (at least inside the bay) and one can solo extremely well under these conditions. In the afternoons, the wind generally picks up to 15-25 knots and the wave height increases to 2-3 feet or more around the Golden Gate and sailing solo becomes nearly impossible. A third hand is required to hold the tiller while the headsail is trimmed. We don't do any racing, (not officially anyway) but have had our GPS indicate a ground speed of 8 knots on several occasions.  
Motoring characterisitcs I've equipped the boat with a 6 hp Mercury with a long shaft. It runs smoothly and starts very reliably and is tolerably quiet when motoring at 3/4 throttle (5-6 knots). In rough seas, it occasionally comes out of the water, but I only use it to get in and out of harbors.  
Liveability Organization is paramount on multiday trips. We try to establish a location for each piece of equipment where it is easily accessible and yet doesn't have to be relocated when the cabin transforms from galley to bedroom to chartroom. I've lined most lockers with waterproof, plastic boxes to keep articles dry. Most storage is located where bilge-water would be if a large quantity of water got into the cabin.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) The Hunter factory folks have been very helpful over the phone when I've asked questions about the construction of the boat, but I've never had them perform any repairs.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any No comment.  
Other comments  

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