'93Hunter 23.5 water ballast swing keel-Any proble

[John Sibley]

I'm new to sailing and looking for a nice family cruiser to warm up to sailing with. Found a guy that has a '93 Hunter 23.5 water ballast swing keel for $8995.00 with trailer and motor. (All 1993) The boat has had two owners and both have taken good care of her. She appears in good shape. Any problems with this model anyone is aware of? Any ideas in general would be appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Don]

Check the owners reviews on this site

for starters. It's under "Boat Info" for your particular model.

 

[Matt]

A good vintage

She will be ready for some new rigging soon (I got all new lines via eBay for a song)unless she has been covered. inspect the gasket that seals the through hull for tank filling, if it is not secured to the stainless valve it may prevent tank from filling (bad day sailing)but about 2 dollars worth of 3M sealent will make it good as new. I love mine, I NEVER thought I would buy a new boat untill I saw my 'Spirit II', a very worth small boat. (fast too)

 

[Bruce]

Great Boat!

I owned a '93 23.5 until just a few months ago. I was the original owner. This is a great boat, no problems to speak of (minor maintenence stuff). We sold her only to move up to the 260.  Go for it!BruceS/V Alli D.H260

 

[Mike]

Nice Sailboat

We own a 96 version of this boat and love it. Bought it from the original owner in great shape. Easy to set up and sail. Low maintenance. Trailer is a little underdesigned in my opinion, but with proper maintenace, works well. We use ours mostly for weekends on the Cheasapeke. I reccomend this boat and the price sounds about right for a 93MikeS/V Sail La Vie

 

[Greg]

I agree

I just bought a 94 version of the boat from the origional owner... I love it.The price sounds good too... book value on mine is 10k and i picked it up for 8700... Good LuckGreg s/v Passin'Wind

 

[Ghery Pettit]

Super boat

My wife and I sail our 1994 23.5 that we bought new. The water ballast boats are a bit tender, so she's always after me about letting it heel too far (but she gets upset when I bank the plane so she can see something close abeam, too), but after about 15 degrees they stiffen up pretty well. Ours has been maintenance free except for cleaning and painting the bottom every couple of years (we keep it in the water these days) and I had to replace the electrical panel this year when the switches fell apart.The trailer, as noted by others, is a weak point in the overall package. Really should have a second axel. Oh well, we did pull the boat from California to Washington state twice and the trailer is still in one piece, so I guess it isn't too bad.All told, looks like you've found a good deal. Buy it and have fun.Ghery Pettits/v Cougar Pride