I am interested in buying a large trailerable and have been looking at Catalinas, Macgregors, and Hunters. The hunter seems roomiest. What is the difference between a Hunter 26 and the Hunter 260. They seem so similar. Are some years better than others?
26 or 260?
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Hake Yachts
I would not buy a catalina, hunter, or mcgregor unless you want a cheap boat. I have owned a hunter 26 and mcgregor 22. A couple of years ago I stumbled onto Hake Yachts in Stewart,Florida. They make awsome trailer boats. I visited the factory last summer. Pound for pound, dollar for dollar you would be much better with one of their boats. Why? -because they are constructed better and look better, having traditional lines etc. Google Seaward Eagle. Good luck.
I would not buy a catalina, hunter, or mcgregor unless you want a cheap boat. I have owned a hunter 26 and mcgregor 22. A couple of years ago I stumbled onto Hake Yachts in Stewart,Florida. They make awsome trailer boats. I visited the factory last summer. Pound for pound, dollar for dollar you would be much better with one of their boats. Why? -because they are constructed better and look better, having traditional lines etc. Google Seaward Eagle. Good luck.
Good grief okiman
Okiman - Let's see, somebody comes to the HUNTER small boat forum to ask a question about a Hunter and you think it's appropriate to slam them? That's pretty much the definition of how to start a flame war. *grr Six2Tall - There are some key differences between the 26 and 260: 1) 260 can have a wheel, 26 is tiller only (unless it's modified and then you can read a ton on that in the archives...) 2) 260 has a slightly larger sail area 3) 26 has a nice front hatch which is good for ventilation (and I don't think the 260 has that hatch, or at least not in the same configuration.) They sail about the same (having been on both) - are very room below and in general a great value. Are they of the caliber of a Tartan? Of course not - but one wouldn't expect that. If you are looking for a good quality sailboat that you can stay overnight on very easily, it's a good boat. While it has some drawbacks (e.g - I don't like going forward/topside when it's very wavy - because of the untradtional lines it just doesn't feel comfortable) we've enjoyed our H-26 very much. Dave Crowley s/v Wind Dreamer
Okiman - Let's see, somebody comes to the HUNTER small boat forum to ask a question about a Hunter and you think it's appropriate to slam them? That's pretty much the definition of how to start a flame war. *grr Six2Tall - There are some key differences between the 26 and 260: 1) 260 can have a wheel, 26 is tiller only (unless it's modified and then you can read a ton on that in the archives...) 2) 260 has a slightly larger sail area 3) 26 has a nice front hatch which is good for ventilation (and I don't think the 260 has that hatch, or at least not in the same configuration.) They sail about the same (having been on both) - are very room below and in general a great value. Are they of the caliber of a Tartan? Of course not - but one wouldn't expect that. If you are looking for a good quality sailboat that you can stay overnight on very easily, it's a good boat. While it has some drawbacks (e.g - I don't like going forward/topside when it's very wavy - because of the untradtional lines it just doesn't feel comfortable) we've enjoyed our H-26 very much. Dave Crowley s/v Wind Dreamer
H26 vs H260 vs Seward 26
Yes, the Seward boats are excellent vessels and have a great reputation and hold their value well - But have you priced one recently? Practical Sailor did a review on the new Seward 26RK in their April 1, 05 issue. You might want to check it out. Regarding the H26 vs H260. This boat does not try to be anything more than it is -- a inland lakes/coastal weekend family cruiser -- and is priced accordingly. I also looked at an older H26 very carefully before buying a H260. Dave covered the differences pretty well - suffice it to say that Hunter made "evolutionary changes" to the basic concept over the time as owners gained more experience with the boat. For example, why do you think Hunter eliminated the forward window in the H26? You get three guesses. More on this at this link: http://kobernus.com/hunter260/index.html
Yes, the Seward boats are excellent vessels and have a great reputation and hold their value well - But have you priced one recently? Practical Sailor did a review on the new Seward 26RK in their April 1, 05 issue. You might want to check it out. Regarding the H26 vs H260. This boat does not try to be anything more than it is -- a inland lakes/coastal weekend family cruiser -- and is priced accordingly. I also looked at an older H26 very carefully before buying a H260. Dave covered the differences pretty well - suffice it to say that Hunter made "evolutionary changes" to the basic concept over the time as owners gained more experience with the boat. For example, why do you think Hunter eliminated the forward window in the H26? You get three guesses. More on this at this link: http://kobernus.com/hunter260/index.html
One more response
We had a Mac 26 (not X) for our first step up from a Hobie. We enjoyed it a lot. Sailed pretty good. After 2 years, we got the "itch" for more boat. We decided that trailerable and beachable were important to us. My husband saw an H260 at the dock on our lake. He talked to the owner, and looked around. I thought he'd found a new girlfriend! The space, comfort and standing head room were impressive. We sold our Mac and ordered a new 260. We will never knock a MacGregor, but we love our Hunter.
We had a Mac 26 (not X) for our first step up from a Hobie. We enjoyed it a lot. Sailed pretty good. After 2 years, we got the "itch" for more boat. We decided that trailerable and beachable were important to us. My husband saw an H260 at the dock on our lake. He talked to the owner, and looked around. I thought he'd found a new girlfriend! The space, comfort and standing head room were impressive. We sold our Mac and ordered a new 260. We will never knock a MacGregor, but we love our Hunter.
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