I'm doing my research and looking at the Hunter 22, 23, 25. I think the weight of the 25 might be to much for my small truck to pull. So between the three models which is all around best for a weekender? Which boat is best in rough seas if caught out? I plan on pulling the boat on vacations to Maine (I travel there once a year) and once in awhile to the Florida Keys... otherwise it will be sailed on weekend on Midwest lakes. I'm not a new sailor but sold my 30 Columbia when I moved to Nebraska from the West Coast several years ago.
Trying to choose the right boat.
- Thread starter Scudrunner
- Start date
Nissan Frontier V6 4X4 with Reese hitch. I'm good for 6000lbs but prefer not to go that high.
My First Mate and I have owned a 1986 H23 since 2010. It sails like a dream and is comfortable and fun. It took us a long time to figure out the mast-rasing and tralering aspect of it, though. Once we figured it out, it really is not difficult. We use an A-frame made of conduit along with the mainsheet for raising and lowering the mast. Somewhere in this forum someone mentioned using a tow strap and a come-along for pulling the boat the last bit up on the trailer. All of this works very well. Although I can't speak for the other 2 boats I can say I highly recommend the H23. It's stable yet lively and has a nice cabin and lots of storage under the cockpit. Let me know if you need more information.
I found the thread. http://forums.hunter.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=158886 Brian M uses the strap in conjunction with bumping the brakes after the trailer is out of the water. I just used the strap and come-along. Worked perfectly for me.
I found the thread. http://forums.hunter.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=158886 Brian M uses the strap in conjunction with bumping the brakes after the trailer is out of the water. I just used the strap and come-along. Worked perfectly for me.
I have the 85 Hunter 22, and for the little time I have had her, I have enjoyed it! trailer to water takes about an hour, water to trailer takes about an hour and a bit. Much easier to leave in a slip! 5 Minutes and off we go! I want a bigger boat... when the kids are with us 4 people on a 22 isn't as fun! we pulled it without any issues with a Nissan Murano.
Though I am a bit partial, you may also want to consider a H240. They are newer (late 90s to mid 2000s), and if well-maintained, you won't have to do much work to get started. Also, with the water ballast, they are lighter on the trailer. The mast raising system is pretty easy, though it still takes a while. Ours has a CDI roller furling, so we could technically leave the jib on the furling when on the trailer. We leave it in a slip (so we don't have to bother with that), so we have not done this yet.
Also, at least on Lake Michigan, if the seas kick up, it gets pretty rough in a hurry. That being said, I am pretty sure that will be the case for any of the boats on your list. However, on Muskegon Lake (inland lake connected to Lake Michigan), I have been out in 25 knots sustained (gusts higher) and with the right reef in, things were pretty decent.
As a final note, things are pretty good with 4 people and if two people are willing to stay in the stern rail seats (I would recommend finding one with these), up to 6 is not too bad. The legal capacity is 8, but that will be pretty crowded.
Also, at least on Lake Michigan, if the seas kick up, it gets pretty rough in a hurry. That being said, I am pretty sure that will be the case for any of the boats on your list. However, on Muskegon Lake (inland lake connected to Lake Michigan), I have been out in 25 knots sustained (gusts higher) and with the right reef in, things were pretty decent.
As a final note, things are pretty good with 4 people and if two people are willing to stay in the stern rail seats (I would recommend finding one with these), up to 6 is not too bad. The legal capacity is 8, but that will be pretty crowded.
we had a 1989 23 for 14 or 15 years and it was a great boat . We sold it and now have a new to us 23.5 . I can't compare the two until I have spent some time on the water with the 23.5 . I like the simplicity of the wing keel . Cabin was nice , all in all a very good boat . I would buy another 23 if the price was right and I was going to keep it is a slip . If I were going to trailer it a lot I would have to go with one of the water ballast boats . My truck and van had aa towing capacity of 6000 lbs also . Wind resistance is something that comes into play as well as mountains etc . Good luck in your search . l
Nowadays one important consideration when towing a boat is the fuel mileage. The heavier the boat and the more wind drag it presents the lower the MPG. Your vehicle probably gets around 17MPG in the highway but you add a tow of some 4000# with some wind drag and it can go down to 10MPG. Taking frequent trips from Nebraska to the East Coast can add up the fuel costs rather quickly. For that reason I would not consider the 25'.
Not sure what your budget is but my $0.02 for you. This will be my third year owning my 1985 H 23. Love the boat but being so new, I'd love any boat. One big thing that I have learned is the winged keel doesn't make it the easiest to launch and retrieve. IF you have enough water it's a piece of cake. I'm on a 550 acre lake and I'm constantly watching the lake level. I could not launch the first year due to a drought and not enough water to launch. I've learned that a water ballast boat has it's advantages for where I am.
I own a 2008 H25 and love the sailing characteristics and spacious cabin and interior. Loaded on the trailer with all gear and water tank full she weighs is at 5200# so your V6 could handle it. The shallow draft fixed keel lets you cruise waters others can't and does not compromise stability (although pointing to windward is not the best). But I don't race so if it takes one more tack to get there that's OK.
If you are going to be doing a lot of towing or towing long distances, it might be better to look for something a bit smaller, like around the 19' range. You won't be able to overnight as many people, but the lighter weight and easier set-up reduces the hassle considerably and will let you go places that the larger boats can't (which is a GOOD thing in the Keys).
Having said that.. when we were looking at downsizing from our former H27, I looked at tons of boats in the 25' and smaller range; specifically because I wanted to be able to trailer it and not be slip bound like our H27 was. Of the three you mention:
H22: In my opinion, the H22 has one of the best cockpit layouts of any in this range, but I'm not that crazy about the keel locker obstructing the cabin space or it's somewhat constricted (to me) forward berth. With it's keel retracted, it can get into just less than 2 feet of water, but can lower to 5 feet when out in open water. Weighs in at 2600 pounds and is fairly easy to launch/retrieve.
H23: A bit bigger, gets rid of the obstructive keel locker (which allows the cabin to be converted to a queen sized berth), and actually weighs a couple hundred pounds less than the H22. Uses a sliding galley instead of the fixed one in the H22, which frees up cabin floor space, but effectively eats half of the port side berth. It's wing keel version has a 2'3" draft, but some early '85 models had a wing/swing keel that takes that down to just 2 feet with the keel up (4"11" with the keel down). Wing keel version weighs in at 2450 pounds, and wing/swing keel version is 2300 pounds.
H25: An older (Cherubini) design which began production in 1972 and I believe was the last Cherubini designed Hunter to be sold (ending production in 1983?). Very robust design and Cherubini's in general have a large group of fans for that reason. However, it weighs in at close to 4000 pounds and has a fixed keel that needs just a hair under 4 feet of water, making it harder to launch/retrieve as well as tow. We kept our H27 in Key Largo, and it's 4'3" keel was a constant problem on the bayside of the Keys (where it can get real shallow real quick), so the H25 might have some of the same problems down there as well.
Cheers,
Brad
PS: Nissan may say you can tow 6000 pounds, but it sure won't be fun, might not be real safe, and you wouldn't want to do it for any kind of long distances.. Chevy says I can tow over 10,000 pounds in my Silverado, but there is no way I would consider coming anywhere close to that kind of load unless I was just going down the block
I've found that trying to tow anything over about 3/4 of what my vehicle weighs starts to get a little froggy. ymmv.
PSS: I forgot about the newer (2005+???) H25's.. so if that is the one you were looking at instead, disregard my H25 comments above
Having said that.. when we were looking at downsizing from our former H27, I looked at tons of boats in the 25' and smaller range; specifically because I wanted to be able to trailer it and not be slip bound like our H27 was. Of the three you mention:
H22: In my opinion, the H22 has one of the best cockpit layouts of any in this range, but I'm not that crazy about the keel locker obstructing the cabin space or it's somewhat constricted (to me) forward berth. With it's keel retracted, it can get into just less than 2 feet of water, but can lower to 5 feet when out in open water. Weighs in at 2600 pounds and is fairly easy to launch/retrieve.
H23: A bit bigger, gets rid of the obstructive keel locker (which allows the cabin to be converted to a queen sized berth), and actually weighs a couple hundred pounds less than the H22. Uses a sliding galley instead of the fixed one in the H22, which frees up cabin floor space, but effectively eats half of the port side berth. It's wing keel version has a 2'3" draft, but some early '85 models had a wing/swing keel that takes that down to just 2 feet with the keel up (4"11" with the keel down). Wing keel version weighs in at 2450 pounds, and wing/swing keel version is 2300 pounds.
H25: An older (Cherubini) design which began production in 1972 and I believe was the last Cherubini designed Hunter to be sold (ending production in 1983?). Very robust design and Cherubini's in general have a large group of fans for that reason. However, it weighs in at close to 4000 pounds and has a fixed keel that needs just a hair under 4 feet of water, making it harder to launch/retrieve as well as tow. We kept our H27 in Key Largo, and it's 4'3" keel was a constant problem on the bayside of the Keys (where it can get real shallow real quick), so the H25 might have some of the same problems down there as well.
Cheers,
Brad
PS: Nissan may say you can tow 6000 pounds, but it sure won't be fun, might not be real safe, and you wouldn't want to do it for any kind of long distances.. Chevy says I can tow over 10,000 pounds in my Silverado, but there is no way I would consider coming anywhere close to that kind of load unless I was just going down the block
I've found that trying to tow anything over about 3/4 of what my vehicle weighs starts to get a little froggy. ymmv.PSS: I forgot about the newer (2005+???) H25's.. so if that is the one you were looking at instead, disregard my H25 comments above
Scudrunner,
Send me an email with telephone and location and I will call. I know all the boats as I am a retired sailboat dealer for Hunter, catalina, beneteau, Macgregor, precision, and others. I was heavily involved with towing and after 2 million miles, I have a lot o knowledge. This way, you will get a cross the board idea and some things to consider when trailering.
Send me an email with telephone and location and I will call. I know all the boats as I am a retired sailboat dealer for Hunter, catalina, beneteau, Macgregor, precision, and others. I was heavily involved with towing and after 2 million miles, I have a lot o knowledge. This way, you will get a cross the board idea and some things to consider when trailering.
Call Crazy Dave
He is the real thing! I can't think of a better advisor for you! Just regret we can't listen in on your call. Let us know what you learn.
He is the real thing! I can't think of a better advisor for you! Just regret we can't listen in on your call. Let us know what you learn.
Great write up, thank you. I'm leaning toward the H22 for size, weight and mast stepping. A friend of mine is telling me not to rule out the Potter 19... but he owns a Potter. While another is telling me to consider the Cal 22... which he owns. I've seen a ton of Cal 22 sailing in San Diego waters but have never seen a Potter.
If you are going to be doing a lot of towing or towing long distances, it might be better to look for something a bit smaller, like around the 19' range. You won't be able to overnight as many people, but the lighter weight and easier set-up reduces the hassle considerably and will let you go places that the larger boats can't (which is a GOOD thing in the Keys).
Having said that.. when we were looking at downsizing from our former H27, I looked at tons of boats in the 25' and smaller range; specifically because I wanted to be able to trailer it and not be slip bound like our H27 was. Of the three you mention:
H22: In my opinion, the H22 has one of the best cockpit layouts of any in this range, but I'm not that crazy about the keel locker obstructing the cabin space or it's somewhat constricted (to me) forward berth. With it's keel retracted, it can get into just less than 2 feet of water, but can lower to 5 feet when out in open water. Weighs in at 2600 pounds and is fairly easy to launch/retrieve.
H23: A bit bigger, gets rid of the obstructive keel locker (which allows the cabin to be converted to a queen sized berth), and actually weighs a couple hundred pounds less than the H22. Uses a sliding galley instead of the fixed one in the H22, which frees up cabin floor space, but effectively eats half of the port side berth. It's wing keel version has a 2'3" draft, but some early '85 models had a wing/swing keel that takes that down to just 2 feet with the keel up (4"11" with the keel down). Wing keel version weighs in at 2450 pounds, and wing/swing keel version is 2300 pounds.
H25: An older (Cherubini) design which began production in 1972 and I believe was the last Cherubini designed Hunter to be sold (ending production in 1983?). Very robust design and Cherubini's in general have a large group of fans for that reason. However, it weighs in at close to 4000 pounds and has a fixed keel that needs just a hair under 4 feet of water, making it harder to launch/retrieve as well as tow. We kept our H27 in Key Largo, and it's 4'3" keel was a constant problem on the bayside of the Keys (where it can get real shallow real quick), so the H25 might have some of the same problems down there as well.
Cheers,
Brad
PS: Nissan may say you can tow 6000 pounds, but it sure won't be fun, might not be real safe, and you wouldn't want to do it for any kind of long distances.. Chevy says I can tow over 10,000 pounds in my Silverado, but there is no way I would consider coming anywhere close to that kind of load unless I was just going down the block
PSS: I forgot about the newer (2005+???) H25's.. so if that is the one you were looking at instead, disregard my H25 comments above
I have considered the Cal 22. In fact, I started there first then graduated to the Hunter just for the looks and some of what I've found on this site. Thanks.
Scudrunner has sent me an email and waiting till I know where he is so not to call too early or too late. I may be glad I am doing this as I have his phone number now. For the record, name, phone and location will never be shared nor information kept as that is my policy for privacy and trust me, I know too many whom I have talked with in many positions. That's all folks.