I am considering a HUnter 25 and tested one out today. He seemed to heal an awful lot in 15 knot winds. I am a novice...is that typical or does it heal more than some other boats in the 20-25 foot range? I sailed an Ensign 21 and it seemed to be more stable.
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thanks...I guess I mis-spelled heel. Does anyone else know that to be true (that is what the last reply said. Just looking for other opinions on the subject. If the boat heels easy, but then becomes stable at some point, then I am not concerned.
I think you need to tell us if you are looking at a late model Hunter 25. My 2005 likes to sail with moderate heel. Too much heel doesn't give my boat more speed.
I think it is a matter of how the rigging is set up, sail trim and whether the sails are overpowering the boat or not.
I think it is a matter of how the rigging is set up, sail trim and whether the sails are overpowering the boat or not.
Heel is controlled by ballast location and sail trim. Optimum sailing angles of heel are generally around 20 degrees. As wind strength increases, reefing becomes another option for controlling heeling.
Your comment "seemed to heal an awful lot in 15 knot winds" doesn't say whether you were getting puffs, how much heel, or how your sails were trimmed.
Your comment "seemed to heal an awful lot in 15 knot winds" doesn't say whether you were getting puffs, how much heel, or how your sails were trimmed.
I have a 2007 H25 and it does heel quite a bit if you aren't used to a shoal keel. We were just sailing in 12 knot winds with gusts up to 20 kts. We weren't reefed so the gusts would push the boat over but it sailed well in the groove. I typically get 3-6 knots with 8-12 knot winds. It is a small boat so you can level out the heel pretty well by shifting your weight. We sail with two and I (180 lbs) usually ride the side high to lessen the heel. The biggest problem I've had is that you can't tack as tight as you can on a boat with a centerboard of deeper fixed keel. We've spent many hours tacking well over ninety degrees because the keel doesn't allow you to tack into the wind as well as you could on other boats. We picked the 25 because we move a lot and needed a boat that was trailerable. I don't know what your siutation is but if mobility is not a concern (or increased cost), you may want to look at the 27. Overall, we are very satisfied with the boat.
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