Hi, we're currently thinkng about purchasing this boat. It will be our first, and we will be learning on Lakes in Oregon. Any owners out there? What do you think of this model compared to a Catalina 22 or something similar? I have read that the hatches tend to leak, the mast is difficult to step, and the electircal syatems are not well thought out. Any other negatives? Positives out weight these? We'll likely keep the boat in the lake for the season. But have goals to do a few long distance trips. Anyone race her, how does she stack up? Thanks! Matt
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Mark Price
Great Boat
The h23 is a great boat! Mine is bone dry. I step the mast by my self, see archives for tripod info, I rewired the electrical panel, took about 1 hour, and Mike up in Indian Lake where the H23 Nationals are held, can point you to the racers. Mark Price S/V Wendy Lee
The h23 is a great boat! Mine is bone dry. I step the mast by my self, see archives for tripod info, I rewired the electrical panel, took about 1 hour, and Mike up in Indian Lake where the H23 Nationals are held, can point you to the racers. Mark Price S/V Wendy Lee
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Brian
good intro boat...
I bought mine around this time last year and my first season was a complete success...The bottom line is that this boat isn't too much to handle. Last year I turned her upside down looking for leaks and others little flaws here and there and only a short time later had gone over the entire boat knowing it inside and out. That was important to me as a newbie...I wanted to be able to diagnose any unforseeable problem on the spot...in effort to correct it myself.
I bought mine around this time last year and my first season was a complete success...The bottom line is that this boat isn't too much to handle. Last year I turned her upside down looking for leaks and others little flaws here and there and only a short time later had gone over the entire boat knowing it inside and out. That was important to me as a newbie...I wanted to be able to diagnose any unforseeable problem on the spot...in effort to correct it myself.
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Lee
Great Boat
We have had our H23 for 4 years on Lake Michigan. It's a great boat, easy to sail and maintain. Stepping the mast is a pain but building the tripod stepping device shown on this site makes it easy. The 5Hp engine is to small for the boat. A 9.9 is perfect. I have a 15Hp which is overkill. My wife and I sleep on the boat for a night or two. I rebuilt the galley and removed the stove and put in a microwave. This is a much better boat than a Catalina 22. Buy it and enjoy it.
We have had our H23 for 4 years on Lake Michigan. It's a great boat, easy to sail and maintain. Stepping the mast is a pain but building the tripod stepping device shown on this site makes it easy. The 5Hp engine is to small for the boat. A 9.9 is perfect. I have a 15Hp which is overkill. My wife and I sleep on the boat for a night or two. I rebuilt the galley and removed the stove and put in a microwave. This is a much better boat than a Catalina 22. Buy it and enjoy it.
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John
Buy it
The h23 is a good boat. I have sailed one since '93. There are some things I would like to change if I were the designer. Some quick solution to some of the "problem" you have heard about. 1. Hatch leak - The leak comes where the plexi-glass hatch is screwed into the wooden stop. A permanent fix is install a piece of rubber gasket between the wood and the plexi-glass. I HAVE NO MORE LEAKS!! 2. Mast raising - I have adapted a mast raising system listed in the catalina 27 home page (www.catalina27.org/wingtip/mastsys.html). The entire project cost about $50.00. Now, I raise and lower my mast with ease by myself!! 3. Lighting - I find the lighting to be adequate. I am 5'8" and head room is is my big negative. This is one of the design changes I would definately make! Make sure that you have a tongue extension for your trailer though.
The h23 is a good boat. I have sailed one since '93. There are some things I would like to change if I were the designer. Some quick solution to some of the "problem" you have heard about. 1. Hatch leak - The leak comes where the plexi-glass hatch is screwed into the wooden stop. A permanent fix is install a piece of rubber gasket between the wood and the plexi-glass. I HAVE NO MORE LEAKS!! 2. Mast raising - I have adapted a mast raising system listed in the catalina 27 home page (www.catalina27.org/wingtip/mastsys.html). The entire project cost about $50.00. Now, I raise and lower my mast with ease by myself!! 3. Lighting - I find the lighting to be adequate. I am 5'8" and head room is is my big negative. This is one of the design changes I would definately make! Make sure that you have a tongue extension for your trailer though.
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Grif Morpeth
good boat
Hunter make good boats. A 23 foot is perfect for a first boat. I own an 1986 hunter 23.I have a wing keel which I prefer over water ballest. Also,I think the older hunter 23s are better looking boats. I think the older hunters are more "nautical" looking that the newer ones. However the new ones are less maintenance because of less wood and they use available space more effeciantly. In the end I think the new models or the older ones will make a great first boat. Another boat that would be worth a look is the Catalina 22. Catalina is comparable to the hunter and is popular for racing. Grif
Hunter make good boats. A 23 foot is perfect for a first boat. I own an 1986 hunter 23.I have a wing keel which I prefer over water ballest. Also,I think the older hunter 23s are better looking boats. I think the older hunters are more "nautical" looking that the newer ones. However the new ones are less maintenance because of less wood and they use available space more effeciantly. In the end I think the new models or the older ones will make a great first boat. Another boat that would be worth a look is the Catalina 22. Catalina is comparable to the hunter and is popular for racing. Grif
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B. Leathen - bleathen@aol.com
H23 great boat
See my review in the owner review section. I bought my H23 wing keel in 95, have raced it since 96. Previous owner added most racing refinements including genoa tracks, improved the traveler car, adjustable back stays, harken roller furling, spinaker running gear and spinnaker pole. My boat is bone dry as long as I pay attention to the hatch cover. I have upgraded the wireing and added a 12v accessory socket for the kids portable sterio etc. Stepping the mast is not really an issue, but I have a robust son to help. Without him I would add the mast system everyone talks about. My only complaint is that for some reason Hunter chose to put the battery, motor and water tank, all on the port side of the boat. If I were to choose, I would put one of those on the starboard side. I may still do it if it does not violate the class rules. The fact that this boat is popular enough to have a "class" is a good indication that it is a popular and race worthy boat. The next thing to watch for is you don't want to put a lot of weight on the plexeglass hatch cover when walking around on the boat. But this may be true for many boats. Contact me at bleathen@aol.com if you want to discuss the boat in more detail. Good luck.
See my review in the owner review section. I bought my H23 wing keel in 95, have raced it since 96. Previous owner added most racing refinements including genoa tracks, improved the traveler car, adjustable back stays, harken roller furling, spinaker running gear and spinnaker pole. My boat is bone dry as long as I pay attention to the hatch cover. I have upgraded the wireing and added a 12v accessory socket for the kids portable sterio etc. Stepping the mast is not really an issue, but I have a robust son to help. Without him I would add the mast system everyone talks about. My only complaint is that for some reason Hunter chose to put the battery, motor and water tank, all on the port side of the boat. If I were to choose, I would put one of those on the starboard side. I may still do it if it does not violate the class rules. The fact that this boat is popular enough to have a "class" is a good indication that it is a popular and race worthy boat. The next thing to watch for is you don't want to put a lot of weight on the plexeglass hatch cover when walking around on the boat. But this may be true for many boats. Contact me at bleathen@aol.com if you want to discuss the boat in more detail. Good luck.
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mike
love mine
I must concure with the others. The H23 is a great boat! I love the layout and have no leaks. Mine is an 87. The Z spar mast is a bit lighter and with tripod and stepping plank can be stepped by one person. Although I prefer to have another person tailing the hoisting line. As mentioned by Mark Price we have 6 H23s in our club here in Ohio and we race weekly. Have had a dozen of 'em on the line the last 2 years in our Nationals. They are quite nimble boats. It's been said that the H23 has the rig of a 26' boat which makes them a good boat in light air. I also prefer the wing keel to the more modern water ballast boats. Of course the water ballast is convenient for the trailer sailor, but if you keep your boat at a dock you'll much prefer the performance from the wing keel. I'd be happy to provide more details if you email me at sailordog@hotmail.com
I must concure with the others. The H23 is a great boat! I love the layout and have no leaks. Mine is an 87. The Z spar mast is a bit lighter and with tripod and stepping plank can be stepped by one person. Although I prefer to have another person tailing the hoisting line. As mentioned by Mark Price we have 6 H23s in our club here in Ohio and we race weekly. Have had a dozen of 'em on the line the last 2 years in our Nationals. They are quite nimble boats. It's been said that the H23 has the rig of a 26' boat which makes them a good boat in light air. I also prefer the wing keel to the more modern water ballast boats. Of course the water ballast is convenient for the trailer sailor, but if you keep your boat at a dock you'll much prefer the performance from the wing keel. I'd be happy to provide more details if you email me at sailordog@hotmail.com
Go for it
The H23 is a great little boat except for when it's time to raise or lower the mast or get the boat on and off the trailer. The headroom below decks is a bit limited. However, if you keep the boat in the water and sit down when you're in the cabin, all those problems disappear. If you have to trailer the boat, there are solutions in the archives. Now for the good news.... Under mainsail alone, the boat is easy enough for an eight year-old to handle but in the hands of an experienced sailor it will plane at speeds near 10 kts and is competitive against one-design race boats like the J24. An H23 was single-handed 70 miles offshore (each way) to the Dry Tortugas last year. That's a pretty wide performance envelope. The H23 is a much better-looking boat than the newer trailerables (not as tubby) and will continue to look good for years to come. It looks fast even when sitting still. Real side-decks make going forward a lot easier than climbing over the cabin top. The wood in the cabin provides a warmer feel than the cold white gelcoat in the newer boats. The cabin sole is flat like a real boat (no centerboard trunk to bump into). I've had mine for five years and don't see selling it any time soon. Peter H23 "Raven"
The H23 is a great little boat except for when it's time to raise or lower the mast or get the boat on and off the trailer. The headroom below decks is a bit limited. However, if you keep the boat in the water and sit down when you're in the cabin, all those problems disappear. If you have to trailer the boat, there are solutions in the archives. Now for the good news.... Under mainsail alone, the boat is easy enough for an eight year-old to handle but in the hands of an experienced sailor it will plane at speeds near 10 kts and is competitive against one-design race boats like the J24. An H23 was single-handed 70 miles offshore (each way) to the Dry Tortugas last year. That's a pretty wide performance envelope. The H23 is a much better-looking boat than the newer trailerables (not as tubby) and will continue to look good for years to come. It looks fast even when sitting still. Real side-decks make going forward a lot easier than climbing over the cabin top. The wood in the cabin provides a warmer feel than the cold white gelcoat in the newer boats. The cabin sole is flat like a real boat (no centerboard trunk to bump into). I've had mine for five years and don't see selling it any time soon. Peter H23 "Raven"
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jay
Bought a 1990 four year ago...
and sail it on an inland lake. I step the mast by myself with a mast raising system at the state park where i sail. The boat has no leaks, Knock on wood, and performs well in all weather conditions. My family spends 6 or 7 weekends a year on the boat. I spend more and the boat is set up for single handling. I may eventually move the water tank to the starboard side. Catalina makes a good boat too. It may come down to price and any extras that come with the boat. Mine was a great price and loaded with some stuff I have not even used (autopilot for the tiller). Enjoy the sailing season and keep coming to this site for great infomation or to ask questions. sv winter solace
and sail it on an inland lake. I step the mast by myself with a mast raising system at the state park where i sail. The boat has no leaks, Knock on wood, and performs well in all weather conditions. My family spends 6 or 7 weekends a year on the boat. I spend more and the boat is set up for single handling. I may eventually move the water tank to the starboard side. Catalina makes a good boat too. It may come down to price and any extras that come with the boat. Mine was a great price and loaded with some stuff I have not even used (autopilot for the tiller). Enjoy the sailing season and keep coming to this site for great infomation or to ask questions. sv winter solace
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Steve Burke
H23 vs. C22
I owned a 82' C22(swing) for 5 years and sailed it extensively throughout puget sound...two years ago i replaced it with a 86'H23(wing)...just some comparasin thoughts: -H23 sails better, esp. in light air. -C22 is much easier to launch, the mast is much lighter than the kenyon. -I used a honda 7.5 on the C22 and a honda 8 on the H23, both seemed more than adequate. -i liked how the C22 sits lower on the trailer. -didnt like the maintenance required on the C-22 swing keel. -there are way more C22's than H23's...lots of upgrades are available at places like "catalina direct" id have to say for me the H23 is a better boat =)
I owned a 82' C22(swing) for 5 years and sailed it extensively throughout puget sound...two years ago i replaced it with a 86'H23(wing)...just some comparasin thoughts: -H23 sails better, esp. in light air. -C22 is much easier to launch, the mast is much lighter than the kenyon. -I used a honda 7.5 on the C22 and a honda 8 on the H23, both seemed more than adequate. -i liked how the C22 sits lower on the trailer. -didnt like the maintenance required on the C-22 swing keel. -there are way more C22's than H23's...lots of upgrades are available at places like "catalina direct" id have to say for me the H23 is a better boat =)
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Matt Lambert
Thanks!
Thanks for the responses everyone, great feed back, sounds like an awsome boat. We just drove past our local lake (Howard Prairie in Southern Oregon)...it looks abit small for a 23 ft boat, the dry years have really hurt the water line. Now we are thinking that a 212 might be the better option for our area, any thoughts? The dealer we are working with has a discounted 2002 model. I think I'll start a 21 thread as well. Thanks! Matt
Thanks for the responses everyone, great feed back, sounds like an awsome boat. We just drove past our local lake (Howard Prairie in Southern Oregon)...it looks abit small for a 23 ft boat, the dry years have really hurt the water line. Now we are thinking that a 212 might be the better option for our area, any thoughts? The dealer we are working with has a discounted 2002 model. I think I'll start a 21 thread as well. Thanks! Matt
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Frank Ladd
212 is a great boat too
A 212 is a totally different boat than a 23. The 212 tows and sets up much faster. This makes it a much better daysailor and racer. The accomodations in the 212 are much more spartan so it is OK for weekends but not as nice as the 23 for more than a weekend.
A 212 is a totally different boat than a 23. The 212 tows and sets up much faster. This makes it a much better daysailor and racer. The accomodations in the 212 are much more spartan so it is OK for weekends but not as nice as the 23 for more than a weekend.
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