2005 Hunter 33

[Scott B]

Glenn, I was debating posting, I don't really have many questions since we enjoy the boat so much. Easy to handle & responsive, I can do 6 knots easily in less than 15 knot winds. I like not having the backstay for the additional room in the cockpit. The furling main is great, being able to easily reef when the winds get to the 15-20 knot range and above.


Only downside I have is the narrow cockpit when we have 4 adults and a few kids on board and makes it difficult crawling over people to get to the Main controls on the cabin roof. I been told the design changed from the wider cockpits to the more traditional narrow cockpit for bracing while healing. Is this correct.


Only other minor complaint is the lack of drawers in the galley, but that was probably beyond your control.

 

[ghen]

Scott B,

The cockpit width was compromised to allow more room in the aft cabin. We do full size mock-ups in the design stage and with a wider cockpit, the aft cabin became very clausophobic. The foot bracing was a side benefit.

 

[Ken13559]

Glenn,
I've a H326 and my friend has H33. When we raft up, its almost always everyone ends up on my cockpit, for obvious reason. I've full batten Mains and the H33 In-mast furling. I out ran him every and anytime. Why? I've been told H33 hull design is slippery and fast. So is there something my friend didn't fo right? Every convinience onboard he has I have, including 3-blade prop.

 

[Scott B]

Ken, out of curiousity how does your aft cabin compare to his 33.

 

[ghen]

Ken,

The aerodynamics from a batten sail is obviously better but I feel pretty secure I could get the 33 hooked up. I don't know how your friend is sailing.

 

[Scott B]

Ken,

The aerodynamics from a batten sail is obviously better but I feel pretty secure I could get the 33 hooked up. I don't know how your friend is sailing.

That certainly makes me feel more confident in sailing ours without the battens. I've always felt ours was fairly quick ( 6 - 6 1/2 knots in 13-15 knot winds ) I'll have to read Don Guillette's Sail Trim book a few more times and bug him to do a piece on fractional rigs with battenless mains.

 

[Ken13559]

Ken, out of curiousity how does your aft cabin compare to his 33.

Scott, my aft cabin is no smaller then his. There's probably some difference to the cabin height. I got to check.

 

[Ken13559]

Ken,

The aerodynamics from a batten sail is obviously better but I feel pretty secure I could get the 33 hooked up. I don't know how your friend is sailing.

I'm trying to convince him with partial vertical batten for the Mains to increase the roach some. Is the In-mast furler entry slot large enough for a vertical batten ?

 

[Scott B]

Scott, my aft cabin is no smaller then his. There's probably some difference to the cabin height. I got to check.

Check the height above your head, which is probably where Glenn is refering to when he said it would be more clostrophobic with the larger cockpit.

 

[ghen]

The vertical battens make a world of difference.

Concerning cockpit width, the volume inside due to narrowing the cockpit allows more space from the sheer to the cockpit wall. That is where you sit up and also a needed visual effect of open space.