Odd question, is the Hunter 170 something to take into the ocean along the shore.

[Shorefun]

I am not planning on doing this. I was just curious if this would be something the 170 could do ok.

In my area around Ocean City or Longport there are cuts over to the ocean. Done it in a jet ski but I know I powered through some stuff.

My long term plans are to play with the 170 in a large back bay. I know it is a very good platform for learning true sailing. If the family finds it something worth playing with more I would consider moving up to a something like a Catalina 22. That I would take into the ocean in good weather.

 

[BobbyFunn]

Of course you need a calm day and the usual safety requirements including the hunter owner fate acceptence certificate.

The manual says hunter170 is a class d boat

A Class D boat is built for protected or sheltered waters such as canals, rivers, small lakes and sustain a force 4 and waves UP TO .3 meters (less that 1 ft).

It can handle 2-3ft waves no problem but keep a few things in mind. This boat is a flipper so 2-3 foot waves broadside unexpected could flip you. In addition, youll need to be better than the currents getting in and out of the cut, lastly, open transom. If you have any type of surf on way back in you will be swamped. I sail on the manatee river in florida often. Its usually pretty tranquel. Toughest part is sailing under the bridges with the currents, narrow channels, and squirrly winds around the bridge columns.

 

[David in Sandusky]

I’ve enjoyed sailing a Sunfish on the open ocean. It’s all a matter of conditions. Our last seaside vacation was a week on Folly Island in August. I could have sailed my Sunfish every day of the week - most of the winds were from the west.

Of course conditions in a cut or channel entrance are usually worse than the open water so you have to learn how to forecast them. That means knowing the tides and the winds and how they interact. My Navionics app shows tides and sailing is always about forecasting and watching the weather.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Thank you David

 

[JimInPB]

Of course you need a calm day and the usual safety requirements including the hunter owner fate acceptence certificate....

Thanks for that. I needed a good chuckle.

 

[JimInPB]

I am not planning on doing this. I was just curious if this would be something the 170 could do ok.

In my area around Ocean City or Longport there are cuts over to the ocean. Done it in a jet ski but I know I powered through some stuff. ...

As Bobby already documented, the little plastic day sailor was never really designed to be an ocean going vessel. That aside, mine sees the ocean more than it sees protected waters. When I take it out, I usually troll for mahi & tuna. That means that I'm out in pretty deep water most of the time. I've done this a bunch of times, so it can be done, but I'm the kind of guy that pushes his luck a little more than the average Joe. When I was a really foolish teenager, I even sailed a sunfish from Cape Cod to Martha's Vinyard once. I now understand that even in good conditions, that is a pretty stupid thing to do.

As brazen as I am in choosing where to take my little plastic boat, I do draw the line at taking it through certain, more treacherous, inlets. I'm also a little careful about picking the days that I take the little boat offshore. Being on the east coast of Florida, I only head out into deep waters on days that I have an East wind. If something does go seriously wrong, I want nature to push me back towards Florida, & not out past the Bahamas.

If you want to take the little 170 outside the inlet, please at least consider beefing up your safety equipment a little bit & let someone know where you are going & when you plan to be back. My 170 has a chart plotter, compass, motor, & 2 VHF radios, one of which has DSC. Having DSC on a VHF means that it has a little red button that calls the Coast Guard in an emergency & gives them your position along with an SOS signal.

 

[Shorefun]

I am not planning on doing Ocean. I have been through the inlets on a jet ski and do not like the idea of running through on this boat.
While the boat will only be the back bay, one of my goals is to let my boys take the boat out on their own. To be on the safe side I think I will get one of the radios with the GPS. The Horizon radio is about $200 and seems to be favoribly reviewed. Not in any rush at this point. Have about 1/3 the cracks V'ed. Need to finish the V and then make some depressed area for the longer cracks so I can glass them.

 

[JimInPB]

Some of the earlier DSC handhelds has a glitch when the DSC was active. The DSC ping would blank out the voice on the radio at regular intervals. I think that all the current generation radios have eliminated that problem. I'm not sure if Horizon ever had that problem.

In general, I have had very good luck with Standard/Horizon. I consider them to be just one notch below Icom, which is my favorite.

These days, I am leaning towards the handhelds that charge off of mini USB. That way I can do away with the charging cradle.

$200 is a good price for a handheld with DSC.

Good luck with the glass work