Hunter DS/ Junneau Sun Odyssey DS

Oct 20, 2021
1
Hunter, Junneau 44 DS, 39&43 Sun Odyssey Jacksonville
Looking for feedback / experience from owners of these boats. I’m considering a purchase. Boats ranging from 39 - 44ft.

2006 Hunter 41 DS
2003 Junneau Sun Odysset 43 DS
2010 Junneau Sun Odyssey DS
2006 Hunter 44 DS
 
Feb 17, 2006
5,274
Lancer 27PS MCB Camp Pendleton KF6BL
@jamiefu, I have combined your postings to one post. No need to have multiple posts with basically the same question.
 
Feb 21, 2013
4,638
Hunter 46 Point Richmond, CA
Welcome to the forum!!

Depends on how you want to use the sailboat, e.g., cruising, racing, chartering. Make a table comparing each of the following parameters: age, price, waterline length, displacement, ballast, sail area, comfort ratio, capsize ratio, number of cabins, number of heads, engine hp, main cabin bed and shower configurations, arch, electronics and bow thruster, etc.. then you can make an selection based on the parameters that you value most.

Post #2 in this tread describes the author's construction differences: Jeanneau VS. Hunter or Bene? - Cruisers & Sailing Forums (cruisersforum.com)

Let the forum what your decision criteria was and selection.
 
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Nov 27, 2018
22
Hunter 41 DS Sandusky
I own a 2006 Hunter 41 DS so I'm a little biased. I also restore and deliver boats for a living so I've been aboard A LOT of them I can tell you from experience that the Jeanneau DS is not a great boat. The layup was quite thin in the keel sump and the bolts are lagged into the cast iron keel to a depth of only about 5". Personally I would not sail one across Tampa Bay much less across an ocean. However, every boat Jeanneau and Benneteau have made in the last twenty years are all the same and people sail them all over the world. (Sadly sometimes the keels fall off and kill everyone on board) Designing and building a boat out of sub par material with a designed EOL on the keel bolts is insane but that's what they do. Anyhow, I digress, the Hunter is better built, has a better layout, they used better materials in the interiors and are just all around better boats. That's not to say it's not without it's problems but what boat doesn't have problems. My recommendation would be to buy a Hunter built before 2008 (that's when QC when in the toilet and they switched to iron keels) and go cruise the world in it. Our 2006 DS has been an absolutely fantastic boat since I bought it. Good luck!!
 
Jun 15, 2012
694
BAVARIA C57 Greenport, NY
I am biased. I had a 07 41DS and now have a 2011 50. I looked hard at Jeanneau and Beneteau boats. When you see how just the keel is attached to the hull, there is no comparison to how it's done on the Hunter. I beg to differ that QC went out the window in 2008. I am extremely pleased with the construction of my 50, even with it's cast iron keel vs the 41 with lead. 6 years ago when I bought the boat I had a local yard sandblast the keel and apply 3 coats of epoxy. When the boat was pulled out of the water a year ago for the first time since the treatment, there was no rust and no additional work was needed on the keel.
 
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Likes: JamesG161
Nov 27, 2018
22
Hunter 41 DS Sandusky
Glad to hear the 50’s a good boat! I haven’t been aboard one but if we ever decide to move it the 50/49 is on my short list. Iron’s fine if you take good care of it. In my experience (especially with off charter boats) people and charter companies don’t take care of them. I love the 41 and presently don’t want the added expense a 50’ boat slip would bring me. Plus it’s just me and and my wife and the 41 has everything we need.
 
Nov 27, 2018
22
Hunter 41 DS Sandusky
My comment about build quality is confined to certain areas of the boats. Hunter did start to skimp especially in the later years of the company before the Marlow buyout. However, the problems I’ve seen are easily rectified if you know what to look for and how to fix them. I’ve fixed about two dozen sets of leaking windows on Hunter built between 2008 and 2014. They didn’t seal them properly. Some of them weren’t commissioned properly either but that’s more a dealer problem.
 
Jun 15, 2012
694
BAVARIA C57 Greenport, NY
I have only had to add some sealant to the outside bottom corners of the eyebrow windows. No other leaks. Not bad on a 11 year old boat. I would also be hesitant to purchase a MH early production boat.
 
Jan 4, 2013
269
Catalina 270 Rochester, NY
You should watch the You Tube channel Expedition Evans on what happens when a cast iron keel, on a 50ft Beneteau, hits a underwater object.
 
Jan 2, 2022
3
Contest 43-44 CC Boston
Looking for feedback / experience from owners of these boats. I’m considering a purchase. Boats ranging from 39 - 44ft.

2006 Hunter 41 DS
2003 Junneau Sun Odysset 43 DS
2010 Junneau Sun Odyssey DS
2006 Hunter 44 DS
Not trying to humiliate any Hunter owner here, but I would stay away from Hunters of these years as well as the 90's. In general, Jeanneau were always better built and the original builder (part of Group Finot, including Beneteau) is still in business and extremely successful - for these class of boats!
 
Jan 7, 2014
395
Beneteau 45F5 51551 Port Jefferson
However, every boat Jeanneau and Benneteau have made in the last twenty years are all the same and people sail them all over the world. (Sadly sometimes the keels fall off and kill everyone on board)
I hear this a lot but other than the Cheeky Rafiki, which lost it's keel due to damage from a prior grounding, what other Beneteaus and Jeanneaus have lost their keels?
 
Dec 1, 2020
37
Hunter 44 DS Deale, MD
Hi, I don't have extensive experience, but I've had a Hunter 44DS 2007 for a little over a year now. It has needed a lot of deferred maintenance taken care of, but all of the "bones" of the boat have been great. I haven't found anything that I'd consider a build defect. The gel coat cracking is the closest, but that is clearly visible and just cosmetic.

One big feature that the Hunters tend to have is a Generator. Most Junneau's apparently don't come with that standard. It can be quite expensive to retrofit. Being able to run the air conditioning when off the dock can be a life changer, depending on how you plan to use the boat.

I did have lots of trouble with the furling main sail, but that turned out to be due to the foil tension being way too loose. I tried everything else first because the descriptions of adjusting that in the manuals was really confusing and intimidating, but adjusting it wasn't really hard in practice.

Hope that helps.