Hello fellow Hunter 26 owners, much thanks to the good feedback on the rudder system I sail on the Norwegian seas, and winds and sea-state conditions can be rough. Since I do not have much experience in handling my new water ballast tank sailboat, I would like to have some legitimate feedback from experienced sailors. I am not comfortable having too much sails up, I do not know how much side trim she can take, do to her unfamiliar design (compared to Norwegian standards) and due to my lack of experience with ballast tanks. - Have anyone videos/pictures of capsize testing? - Any bad/good related experiences? - Does anyone know the exact weight of the iron keel? Weak areas? Total effective ballast compared to fixed keel? - Does the keel take the weight of the boat while on land, precautions? - Any, do not do wrongs, concerning the ballast tank system for hunter 26? - The hunter 26 seems constructed for lake sailing? Best regards Kjetil Website: www.daatlandweb.com
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Topping lift
I don't have any rough water experience for you. The boat is designed for lakes and protected waters. I noticed in at least two of your pictures that the topping lift is tight when you are sailing. This makes sail trim difficult! Is it not adjustable? Some basics about the water ballast: Make sure it is full. It takes quite a while (10 to 20 minutes?). Make sure you close the value when it is full. As the manual says, leave the ballast value open when the boat is on the trailer for the winter. Do not leave the boat in the water in freezing conditions. Just because the sea isn't frozen doesn't mean the water ballst will not freeze. The hull insulates the ballast from the sea, leaving it exposed to the colder air in the cabin. The swing keel is not iron. It doesn't have much weight. On the trailer, the weight is partly of the folded up keel; partly (mostly?) on the hull. In strong winds, it should sail quite well with no jib and just a reefed main. On lakes (little or no waves), the boat will round up before it gets knocked over. Having large waves is surely a different issue, but I don't have any experience with big waves in this boat. You might consider adding blocks to give 4:1 purchase to the outhaul for flattening the mainsail. I did this to my H23.5. ...RickM...
I don't have any rough water experience for you. The boat is designed for lakes and protected waters. I noticed in at least two of your pictures that the topping lift is tight when you are sailing. This makes sail trim difficult! Is it not adjustable? Some basics about the water ballast: Make sure it is full. It takes quite a while (10 to 20 minutes?). Make sure you close the value when it is full. As the manual says, leave the ballast value open when the boat is on the trailer for the winter. Do not leave the boat in the water in freezing conditions. Just because the sea isn't frozen doesn't mean the water ballst will not freeze. The hull insulates the ballast from the sea, leaving it exposed to the colder air in the cabin. The swing keel is not iron. It doesn't have much weight. On the trailer, the weight is partly of the folded up keel; partly (mostly?) on the hull. In strong winds, it should sail quite well with no jib and just a reefed main. On lakes (little or no waves), the boat will round up before it gets knocked over. Having large waves is surely a different issue, but I don't have any experience with big waves in this boat. You might consider adding blocks to give 4:1 purchase to the outhaul for flattening the mainsail. I did this to my H23.5. ...RickM...
topping lift
quote I noticed in at least two of your pictures that the topping lift is tight when you are sailing. This makes sail trim difficult! Is it not adjustable? unqoute reply: No, I need to get that fixed, thanks, much appreciated Kjetil
quote I noticed in at least two of your pictures that the topping lift is tight when you are sailing. This makes sail trim difficult! Is it not adjustable? unqoute reply: No, I need to get that fixed, thanks, much appreciated Kjetil
Great Boat
Kjetil, I owned a 1996 H26 for four years. Sailed her on a terrific inland lake her in the middle USA. I usually put the first reef in at 15 knots and brought my jib in by one third. This kept my heel angle around 20 degrees. The second reef was put in if winds were consistantly over 20 knots and I would completley roll up my jib. In this situation I found it necessary to tack very quickly to keep her from going into irons. As you may have already found out on a few occasions puffs of wind will sometimes round you up. The most our boat ever heeled was 32 degrees but she would always head up into the wind and sit down flat. As noted by the others flaten the mail sail with the boom vang and outhaul as much as possible and don't forget to adjust your jib cars when furling. Jeff
Kjetil, I owned a 1996 H26 for four years. Sailed her on a terrific inland lake her in the middle USA. I usually put the first reef in at 15 knots and brought my jib in by one third. This kept my heel angle around 20 degrees. The second reef was put in if winds were consistantly over 20 knots and I would completley roll up my jib. In this situation I found it necessary to tack very quickly to keep her from going into irons. As you may have already found out on a few occasions puffs of wind will sometimes round you up. The most our boat ever heeled was 32 degrees but she would always head up into the wind and sit down flat. As noted by the others flaten the mail sail with the boom vang and outhaul as much as possible and don't forget to adjust your jib cars when furling. Jeff
H26
I mostly agree with Rick: The H26/260 is a safe coastal and inland sailor. You have enough experience with the boat to know how it sails under various conditions. However, I would think there are many better choices than the H26 for the conditions that you encounter in Norway. Under certain conditions almost any boat will capsize. There are many variables to consider. With a capsize ratio of over 2.0, it is unlikely that the H26 will easily right itself. However, it has sufficient inherent floatation which should prevent it from sinking. I've never heard of a H26/260 that capsized. The keel adds little righting movement to the design. It is really more like a daggerboard that helps keep the boat tracking upwind. When on the trailer, almost all the weight of the boat is on the side bunks. Because of the rudder design, under normal conditions the boat will round up before being in danger of capsizing. The key to comfortable sailing on this boat is to reef early. The main power is from the main so I usually reef the main first, then the jib. I've been in very rough conditions in my H260 and although it was a rough ride, I never was concerned about a capsize. When reefed, I always try to maintain some jib as the boat points better. One surprising thing about the boat is how well it sails off the wind with just the jib. Also, making progress upwind with the jib is also possible under the right conditions.
I mostly agree with Rick: The H26/260 is a safe coastal and inland sailor. You have enough experience with the boat to know how it sails under various conditions. However, I would think there are many better choices than the H26 for the conditions that you encounter in Norway. Under certain conditions almost any boat will capsize. There are many variables to consider. With a capsize ratio of over 2.0, it is unlikely that the H26 will easily right itself. However, it has sufficient inherent floatation which should prevent it from sinking. I've never heard of a H26/260 that capsized. The keel adds little righting movement to the design. It is really more like a daggerboard that helps keep the boat tracking upwind. When on the trailer, almost all the weight of the boat is on the side bunks. Because of the rudder design, under normal conditions the boat will round up before being in danger of capsizing. The key to comfortable sailing on this boat is to reef early. The main power is from the main so I usually reef the main first, then the jib. I've been in very rough conditions in my H260 and although it was a rough ride, I never was concerned about a capsize. When reefed, I always try to maintain some jib as the boat points better. One surprising thing about the boat is how well it sails off the wind with just the jib. Also, making progress upwind with the jib is also possible under the right conditions.
Good Job!
I too have a Hunter 26 on an inland lake in the middle of the USA (Jeff - I assume you're on Carlyle - West Access? GHII was on White 13). I agree with what everyone has said so far in this thread ... I just want to make some additional observations ... 1. WOW your Hunter 26 looks really good there in Norway! In this day and age where EVERYTHING in the world is imported from China - it's great to see a made in USA product looking that good! 2. Your interior looks like ours - very comfortable. 3. You are getting full use from your cockpit table. For some reason Hunter discontinued this feature with the 260 - IMHO - it's one of the nicest (hard to get in and out however) of our H-26. 4. You have the best of both worlds ... a tiller and stern rail seats. We only have the former ... maybe Santa will bring us the latter. 5. I assume the kids in the photos from AUGUST are yours? They look happy - I especially like the way the little girl has a boat brush in her hand ... you're training them well. Really enjoyed the photos. Regards & Merry Christmas Tom Grass Grasshopper II H-26 #174
I too have a Hunter 26 on an inland lake in the middle of the USA (Jeff - I assume you're on Carlyle - West Access? GHII was on White 13). I agree with what everyone has said so far in this thread ... I just want to make some additional observations ... 1. WOW your Hunter 26 looks really good there in Norway! In this day and age where EVERYTHING in the world is imported from China - it's great to see a made in USA product looking that good! 2. Your interior looks like ours - very comfortable. 3. You are getting full use from your cockpit table. For some reason Hunter discontinued this feature with the 260 - IMHO - it's one of the nicest (hard to get in and out however) of our H-26. 4. You have the best of both worlds ... a tiller and stern rail seats. We only have the former ... maybe Santa will bring us the latter. 5. I assume the kids in the photos from AUGUST are yours? They look happy - I especially like the way the little girl has a boat brush in her hand ... you're training them well. Really enjoyed the photos. Regards & Merry Christmas Tom Grass Grasshopper II H-26 #174
Hi neighbor
Hej Kjetil I visited Bergen last week in business. Seemed to me a beautiful landscape and all the boats in the water over the winter - no ice during wintertime! There are not many H26 in Scandinavia - you and I may have 50% of the fleet. I've sailed a number of boats up to 40 feet and in my experience all boats are tender and small when the sea gets rough enough. Since I bought the Celeste (H26) I've laid off the open sea sailing to Gotland and Finland. The extremely rich archipelagoe is quite enough for me - and with my new GPS-plotter I find beautiful nature harbours everywhere. Pulling up the keel I can reach the impossible places. If you get to Stockholm some day we could meet and I'll be very happy to share my experiences with my H26. And of course, if you use the trailer coming down to Stockholm, I'd be very pleased to show you a number of really beautiful places and how to get there safely. toomas thomas.oja@telia.com
Hej Kjetil I visited Bergen last week in business. Seemed to me a beautiful landscape and all the boats in the water over the winter - no ice during wintertime! There are not many H26 in Scandinavia - you and I may have 50% of the fleet. I've sailed a number of boats up to 40 feet and in my experience all boats are tender and small when the sea gets rough enough. Since I bought the Celeste (H26) I've laid off the open sea sailing to Gotland and Finland. The extremely rich archipelagoe is quite enough for me - and with my new GPS-plotter I find beautiful nature harbours everywhere. Pulling up the keel I can reach the impossible places. If you get to Stockholm some day we could meet and I'll be very happy to share my experiences with my H26. And of course, if you use the trailer coming down to Stockholm, I'd be very pleased to show you a number of really beautiful places and how to get there safely. toomas thomas.oja@telia.com
Thank you
Thank you, the litle girl is my daughter, the two boys are my brothers to children
I enjoy the boat very much, we use a banner 33 racer for competitions, and the hunter for comfort. Mary christmas
Thank you, the litle girl is my daughter, the two boys are my brothers to children
I enjoy the boat very much, we use a banner 33 racer for competitions, and the hunter for comfort. Mary christmas- Status