What would you like to see in your owner's manual?

[Rich Stidger]

My owner's manual was really pretty good...

For my 40.5 I received a 3-4" thick loose-leaf notebook with equipment info that were mostly original. There were also a lot of copies (all good one's). Sometimes the copies were dupes of the originals that were included.The only real wishes/complaints that I have is that the organization could have been better and that detailed info of the wiring schematics and the wiring/plumbing channels was given. To date I have only wiring info for the 410 which is the successor to my 40.5. Close, but not quite.Overall I was impressed with the completeness of the documentation that I received.I do echo the desire of the manuals on a CD. A linked pdf file with an index would be just wonderful.

 

[David]

small boats

JerryA's comment brings up a good point. Both he and I were referring to the manuals that come with the 170 and our comments are relevant to the smaller boats. It seems that most of these responses are for the big boats! I don't know about the other smaller boats, but as Jerry said the 170 comes with photocopied schematics (I haven't had to try to read a schematic since high school drafting class 30+ years ago!) and a couple of paragraphs on caring for the composite hull material. Some user friendly drawings/photos of rigging and unrigging - including figuring out the reefing system - would be real helpful. These are great boats, help the new user get on the water quickly! This HOW site has been a lifesaver!

 

[John Trautman]

Maintenance information and location

It would be nice to have schedule included for all periodic maintenance of all systems that are on the boat. Something where I could look at one sheet and know all the things need for annual and semi-annual maintenance. I am sailor of a couple years and do my best to know all boat systems but it would be nice to have a headstart somewhere. In addition, I think there should an entire inventory/parts list for each boat including model number and serial number. I just had a windlass problem and there is no documentation on my boat nor does the windlass have a model number on it. This is taking me many hours to research when it could be so easily documented in advance.

 

[Three Sheets]

Polars, Polars, Polars

I will second that request from Alan on LI.

 

[Denny Watson]

Help

Just bought a 1985 Hunter 34 and am looking for an owners guide book, preferable in a PDF form. Any ideas

 

[Sailgirl]

Polars????

At the risk of seeming totally ignorant, what do you mean when you say Polars? I would also like to add that having more operational guidelines available on the electrical equipment for those of us who are "electrically challenged", would be a great help. Something along the lines of various amp hour draws for things like, refrigerators, auto pilots, stereo, lights, etc.I would pay extra for a video that demonstrated in mast sail trim tips as well as operation and troubleshooting of these systems. (things like removing sails and reinstalling, dealing with emergencies, etc.) When we bought our first "new to us boat", the dealer had never sailed an in mast system and did not really know much about it's operation. In general I think Hunter does a pretty good job. I just wanted to add my "wish list"

 

[Danil Hancock]

*5 Agree with David -MI #41

I really agree with David's comment about haveing more specific details on rigging, raising and lowering the mast, horse-power requirements and electrical. I own a 1993 Hunter 235 and have not figured the best way to reef the main.

 

[James20195]

Hunter 170

I am new to sailing and purchased a 2005 170 this year and was very disappointed with the manual. Important topics such trailering tips and stepping the mast are completely ignored. I would think that an entry level boat should include very detailed and simple instructions for the new sailer. The Hunter web site shows the mast being raised by one person with the help of a mast support, my boat didn't come with a mast support and and there are no instructions in the manual.Have the people at Hunter even read the manual? The retrieving section mentions the ballast tank which the boat doesn't have.I love my boat, the basic design is great, but attention to detail is certainly lacking.

 

[Richard Schultz]

Diagram/schematics of electrical system

Each sailboat should have a diagram of the boats entire electrical system, with specification. I own a 1977 Hunter 25. I purchased it used. The previous owner(s) did something to the electrical system that doesn't make sense. Everything works but the wiring is not labeled and looks like night crawlers.I like order on a boat and this system is driving me nuts.Is there such a manual out there for and 1977 Hunter 25. In addition, such manuals should be provided with all sailboats.

 

[SailingSue]

Originals

We have a 2003 Hunter 44DS that we bought new in 2004. It's our first boat and boy are we still learning/confused. Here's my two cents:-Original (not photocopy) manuals.-Original manual specific to the Hunter I bought (my boat manual is a photocopy of a different Hunter model but I was told it's all the same!)-Schedule of maintenance for everything.-Wiring diagram/instructions for dummies!-Parts inventory/list with numbers, videos,these are fabulous ideas.-Typed up forms for the walk through with ample space for the owner to make notes.I agree with all the comments above, lots of good ideas/input. Sometimes when a user goes to a manufacturers website it's hard to find the correct info without the model/serial #/size of the part specifically installed on your boat. Newbies have a hard enough time figuring out if we have glowplugs on the Yanmar or not!!!I love my Hunter and I think they're a good company to do business with. Our ideas would just propel them to the top!

 

[Rick]

S.O.L.

When I contacted Hunter about my 1977 25' i was told S.O.L. when i asked for ANY info about my boat and even was willing to pay a little for it my boat is a bare bone set up and was interested in more about the hull/deck/maintence and the riggin tunning as that is all there is on my boat

 

[Gary]

Yeah, we are all SOL

I have been reading this thread with interest, but with so much skeptisicm I haven't commented. The Hunter 320 manual that came with my boat (I am the second owner but I am pretty sure it is all there) is a joke. Everything I look for (electrical schematic and I am an Electrical Engineer, no dummy) or (interior finish) is wrong or missing. I have no confidence they will do any better after seeing what I received. Prove me wrong Hunter

 

[Curt Morris]

Sail it or Fix It ...Better Manuals Are the Way

I am a pleased and loyal Hunter owner having bought two new yachts from Hunter over the past eleven years. This said, Hunter's owner manuals could be dramatically improved as could those of other yacht maufacturers. As a manager and published author with subtantial professional training expertise, this has been an item of personal concern for years. I think the core problem is that the recreational yacht manufacturing culture relegates manuals to a second priority; almost an after-thought. Manufacturers assume the buyers already know more than they do, or that the dealer will fill in the buyer's information gaps. Some builders assume the yacht will be professionally maintained. How many yacht buyers are really professional sailors, naval architechts, marine mechanics, or electrical/electronic technicians? I submit precious few yacht buyers fit such occupational profiles.Further, designers and manufacturers fall into the trap that many in the IT industry do. Simply, they assume they are communicating clearly and sufficiently to the manual-reading user. How many people really learn all the capabilities of their computers from poorly written and illustrated manuals? Unless they are computer science majors, most people learn precious little from manuals and end up just "scratching the surface" of the capabilities they just purchased. Private/commercial/ military aircraft manufacturers, and to some extent the Japanese auto makers...Lexus, Toyota, Honda,etc., learned long ago they needed to do a better job on manuals. A well-written,graphically illustrated set of manuals and visual aids enhances customer satisfaction, product reputation, reliability, and safety. Potential customers will flock to buy from manufacturers with reliable, well-supported products. At the same time clear manual packages undoubtedly contribute to more manufacturer market share and profits over the long-term. What is needed is a multi-faceted approach to writing and illustrating manuals from the standpoint of both yacht sailing (operations) and yacht care (maintenance). Yes, we need two different sets of manuals. Videos and on-line color diagrams, instructions and presentations need to be developed to accompany these written packages. Changes in systems or procedures, as well as, product advisories can also be sent globally to registered owners by the internet. A sailing yacht is an expensive, complex integrated system requiring a manual presentation package sufficient for user operators and maintainers. I applaud Hunter for recognizing the need for better manual presentation packages. I for one would be happy to offer Hunter additional insights and comment if requested.Curt Morriss/v Smooth Operator

 

[Mark Mynsberge]

Include Suppliers

I aggree with what all of the others have said but I would also like to see improvement carried over to the Hunter suppliers. I have a 1992 37.5 and had some fuel problem with my Yanmar diesel. The manual from Yanmar had many detailed drawings, if I were inclined to totally disassemble the entire fuel system. Unfortunately for me they had no instruction for priming the fuel line. I had to refer to a Nigel Calder book and then experiment to figure this out. They also do no list parts numbers for anything so that I have had to order two sizes of washer to make sure I have what I need.

 

[Eric]

Customized manual

I bought a year 2000 380 from a private party so I don't know whether I got the full manual, but one big problem for me being a new big boat owner was the overwhelming information on systems I was not used to on any boat. I have been a long time sailor, but didn't even own a boat with a single through-hull until I got this, now I have like 8 and air condo and refrigeration, etc. The problem with the manual was all the information in it that had nothing to do with my boat. Schematics on a generator I don't have, optional equipment I don't have, etc. As long as the manual is a bunch of 3-hole punched photocopies, can't Hunter just take the time to pull out the pages that don't apply?Second, couldn't they supply a specs sheet for the boat that was bought. I bought a boat with a special ICW rig and it would have been nice to know how high she is above the waterline without having to measure and figure that out and looking at the manual that says nothing doesn't help.Third, a good index would help. There wasn't any and the table of contents doesn't help, I have had to build one myself.Fourth, there are things in the boat that I didn't know what they were and other things in the manual which gave me no clue as to where to find them. For example, there was a vague loose page about "galvanic isolators", but I didn't know if I had one, why I needed one, where it was and whether I needed to do anything to maintain it? I happened to figure it out once, while being helped by a contractor, but I would have appreciated a little blurb saying I had one, where it was and that I really didn't/shouldn't do anything with it.