Advice on first sailboat purchase... 86 Hunter 24?

[Brent]

Hello all,Thanks to everyone who responded to my original post, "Advice on first sailboat purchase... 22-29 ft". I posted it before going to bed, got up the next morning and left for vacation and got back this evening to see 19 great responses! Well, putting together all the great advice you've given and that I've gathered across the net and with going to marinas and talking with people, I have found a boat I want your opinion on.I'm looking at a 1986 24 foot hunter sloop. I went to the Marina and looked at it today and it appears to be in excellent shape. You probabably already know this, but it has an alcohol stove, porta potti, and single sink. For motoring, it's got a 9.9 Evinrude (outboard) with the hookup to charge the single battery in the boat. The interior was recently all redone and the bottom was repainted in 2001. It comes with a 90% mainsail in fair to good shape and a 135% jib (dumb question, what does the 90 and 135% mean... does it mean size?). It doesn't have a trailer but from your comments and rethinking what I'd want the boat for, I think I'd just take over the moorage in the marina it is at now. I would have to put in a bilge (the hole is there but the old pump went out), a vhf radio, and whatever other essentials there are. It was listed for $5800 but just went down to $5400 and I bet I could get it for $5000 or maybe less... what do you all think. I'll try to post the picture, but if that doesn't work, you can check it out at the "related link" site.Thanks in advance, Brent

 

[Jack Gorman]

Don't go there

As a former sailboat dealer, I'd advise that the Hunter is too old and too expensive (at $5000), especially for a novice. I don't know your budget, but if the boat is not to be trailerable, get a fixed keel boat with the approppriate depth for your sailing area. If you look carefully, you should be able to pick up a well-built Cal, Pearson, Morgan, C&C 27'size for less than $ 10M. even if older, they were well-built and will give you years of service.

 

[David Guthridge]

Jack knows!!

I looked around at no less than 30 boats before I bought my '72 Pearson 26. I had been aboard Hunters, Catalinas, and an assortment of others but whenever I went on a Pearson, Morgan, C&C, or Cal I noticed a difference. They were more solid. Felt heavier. My father had an old 1968 Pacemaker 44. Solid Mahogany. 23 tons of craftsmanship. Twin desels. That's the kind of small boat I wanted. I looked at 23-25s and they were to small for my family. The 30-32s were to big for me to single hand. So, the 26-27s were just right for me. Jack knows!!David