anybody seen the new hunter 25?

[Catigale]

I chartered a Hunter 32 a couple of weeks ago on Monterey Bay - it was a big step down from most of the other boats in this size range I have sailed.

Worst thing was the main sheet was fed back onto the boom with 5 turning blocks, one of which was running on a stainless shaft with no bearings..needless to say the force on the main sheet was really high...

This may have been a rigging rather than a manufacturers defect in all fairness.

[ALX357]

hull joints that can lie below the waterline, at a fueling dock.....

what the hull is that about.?... what engineer, boat designer, or idiot would allow that ?

how about having inaccessible water in the bilges, that can only be bailed out when heeling over in a good breeze..? So instead of sailing with rail meat, you need BAIL MEAT ?

[richandlori]

"chartering a Hunter 32"........that could cause you to be busted down in rank.

[RandyMoon]

I think Catigale should be reduced to a Bosen's Mate level for renting a Hunter.

[Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL]

Several of the Hunters have the hull/deck joint at or near the waterline at the stern. This simplifies the manufacturing process because the boat can be pulled straight out the back of the mold. My guess is that the ceiling height of the Hunter factory is lower than the MacGregor factory. The Mac's are lifted up out of the mold.
I sold a new 26M recently to a couple that was going to buy a Hunter. They went down to the Hunter factory where the Hunter people were comparing the MacGregor unfavorably to the Hunter.
They weren't aware of the 26M. They did a search and bought one from me.

[richandlori]

Great Story Bill. If the Macs are so bad, why are they selling like hot cakes? In the free market, the buyers know best.

[Catigale]

In one sentence, Macs sell to people who figure out they can use them, not talk about the plusses and minuses...

B'sun Catigale looking for redemption.

[Dave Deem]

I'm the latest newbie. I have been looking at trailor sailors since early spring. I had an opportunity to view the Hunter 25 at our local dealer. I was not impressed with the cabin. Less than 6ft of head room. But most disappointing was the cushion and cloth. I recall the 26M uses a fairly dense 5in. foam cushion. Whereas the H25 seating was approx. 3-4in. low density cushion and a very open weave cloth. The interior glass finish was rough in texture (difficult to wipe down) and fit and finish was not of M or X quality.

Of particular note was the general gasing off of the fiberglass resins and glues. My wife is asthmatic and the cabin set her off big time. We were in a new 26m at Boats for Sail the prior month. I estimated both boats were fresh from the mold in the last 30 days. The M had no significant gasing oders like the Hunter. The canary in the coal mine had no effects from the M. (mark me one step closer to a boat). Calif. VOC emissions regs. are the toughest in the nation and apparently the M is a direct result.

The Mac gets my vote.

The Seaward 26RK is impressive with the weighted retractable bulb keel and shallow draft. That combination runs about another 15-20k min. with 1 or 2 cyl diesel. Still limited to hull speed with engin. 2cyl yields another 1-2mph above hull speed.

Thanks to all of you for your knowledge and willingness to help.

[Randy Smith]

There is a Seaward at our marina. He likes his boat a lot, really liked it two years ago. It is very well made, yes, makes the Hunter look like junk. He has lately come to not like his boat as well. Over the last couple years he has come to know his boat as "being as tender as your Mac and not having the hull speed I thought". He says his max hull speed is 5-6 knots and usually can't get to that performance. He still thinks his Seaward is superior in most catagories, but has stooped to a few compliments regarding the Mac....this he would not have done two years ago...........I think if he wasn't retired he would find another boat..... Randy

[DLT]

Dave,

I just wanted to let you know that you will have some serious fiberglass smell come out of the ballast tank as you fill it the first several (maybe many) times...

If anyone is particularly sensative, keep them out of the cabin while that happens and ventilate the cabin well before they go in...

The odor does subside the more the tank gets rised with ballast water, but it is very nasty initially...

[AJ]

When looking at trailerables one of my major requirements was that it should be simple and comfortable to dry out on the beach. The Hunter shoal keel v.s the Mac flat bottom helped make my decision easy. Just spent 3 weeks in the tropical Whitsundays (20 ft tides), much of the time sitting dried out on the beach. Bliss!

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