i've just returned from a 5 week cruise down the florida west coast in my 1995 40.5...we had a great time, and, as ususal, our boat performed wonderfully well...my wife and i continue to be quite satisfied with our boat for the fl and islands cruising that we do...although not perfect, she meets our needs wonderfully well.. i've admired the new 356, and upon our return, i was chagrined to read of the production problems which have plagued this new design...the leak situation is awful, and heads should be rolling at the factory...i sense in reading recent posts that this and other descriptions of problems have lead a heightened level of concern among various owners about their boats...i thought i'd share an experience from our recent cruise and other thoughts about boat problems based on 30 years of sailing experience and owning 6 different boats.... first, to state the obvious...all boats are compromises, and all boats, even the most expensive have problems....further all boats either have leaks, or will develop leaks in the future...i sailed on a nearly new hinckley in maine last summer, and there were a couple of minor leaks...leaks on production boats with interior liners are harder to get at and solve...but that's part of the trade-off for the $75,000 additionally you would have to pay for a new 40 footer built without liners and pans... on our recent cruise, we endured a 9 inch deluge over 2 days in the ft myers area...we had 2 minor leaks on our 7 yr old 40.5, one of which i was able to solve...from talking to other cruisers in the anchorage, we had the fewest leaks of all...after the storm, the lifelines of one tayana 42 were completely covered with towels used to sop up water from interior leaks... i hope and trust that hunter will get the production problems on the 356 straightened out, since she seems to be a great design...this bb is a great vehicle for identifying problems and trading solutions...but ownership of a cruising sailboat with complicated equipment and systems isn't for everyone...boats - any boat - can be a pain, and if you don't enjoy solving problems, you may end up frustrated.... also, the commissioning process for any complicated new crusing boat is frustrating, and, depending on the dealer, can be hell...this is doubly the case for any new design which is likely to have bugs.... the foregoing is not to excuse hunter's problems with the 356, or to minimize the owners' frustration...i just felt some perspective on these issues would be helpful...
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Very well stated Bob, . . .
thanks for the perspective. You are obviously well-qualified on the subject of sailing vessels. It's reassuring to know that knowledgeable and experienced sailors like yourself are sailing Hunters.
thanks for the perspective. You are obviously well-qualified on the subject of sailing vessels. It's reassuring to know that knowledgeable and experienced sailors like yourself are sailing Hunters.
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