We have zeroed in on buying a Hunter 33 2005. This is a new model and was wondering how owners like it or don't. Constructive feedback about the model. One concern is whether the cockpit is comfortable for 4 adults as it seems smaller that comptitive models. Thanks, Jack
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33
Jack - See my review on the 2004 model. This was my third season with it, and I have had zero problems. We routinely have 4 adults in the cockpit, both at the dock and under sail, and there is plenty of room. You could get a folding wheel for those times at anchor or dockside, but you don't *need* it. Lots of luck with it - keep us posted.... Gregg '04 H-33 Take Flight
Jack - See my review on the 2004 model. This was my third season with it, and I have had zero problems. We routinely have 4 adults in the cockpit, both at the dock and under sail, and there is plenty of room. You could get a folding wheel for those times at anchor or dockside, but you don't *need* it. Lots of luck with it - keep us posted.... Gregg '04 H-33 Take Flight
Same Concern
Jack, I have the same concern about the H-33. I like the boat but the small cockpit with the large folding table was the only thing holding me back from buying a resale 2005 H-33 this Fall. My wife and I have sailed together on the Chesapeake for the past 5 years and like an open cockpit with the jib sheet winches on the combings. With one of at the helm the other handles the sheets when we tack. The H-33 cockpit table with the fixed third leg that extends almost into the companionway you can't move across the cockpit to handle the sheets. The boat appears to be set up for single handed sailing and with the winches aft of the helm, the person at the helm is forcesd to steer and trim. I have talked to our local Hunter dealer about removing the cockpit table and that awful third leg. Are there any H-33 owners that have removed the cockpit table? Bob R
Jack, I have the same concern about the H-33. I like the boat but the small cockpit with the large folding table was the only thing holding me back from buying a resale 2005 H-33 this Fall. My wife and I have sailed together on the Chesapeake for the past 5 years and like an open cockpit with the jib sheet winches on the combings. With one of at the helm the other handles the sheets when we tack. The H-33 cockpit table with the fixed third leg that extends almost into the companionway you can't move across the cockpit to handle the sheets. The boat appears to be set up for single handed sailing and with the winches aft of the helm, the person at the helm is forcesd to steer and trim. I have talked to our local Hunter dealer about removing the cockpit table and that awful third leg. Are there any H-33 owners that have removed the cockpit table? Bob R
I would think twice ...
The third leg provides support for the binnacle. If you removed the leg you would probably have to replace it with a smaller angled leg or risk breaking off the binnacle the first time you pull on it. I would consider the removal a serious saftey issue. We have a 2004 33 and have never really found it to be in the way. We do have a folding wheel - which I believe is standard now. No significant problems at all this year with the rest of the boat after solving the Yanmar 3YM30 overheating problems (under warranty) once and for all. We often have four adults in the cockpit and below. We use our boat about fifty days a year with about twenty overnights. Because of this I have significantly upgraded the battery bank, alternator, and an inverter for AC voltage. Because we sail the New England coast up to Canada and down to Nantucket we have found it neccessary to also install a radar and GPS chartplotter (Raymarine). My mainsail was an early model in-mast furling system. It has no roach and *no* battens. We really miss the battens. After three years of furling use the sail's leach is beat up. No amount of tuning the leach line or vang will stop the constant flapping of the leach once the breeze picks up. I need to deal with that at some point, probably by replacing the sail with a vertical batten model. I could go on and on. Please ask any questions and I would be happy to answer.
The third leg provides support for the binnacle. If you removed the leg you would probably have to replace it with a smaller angled leg or risk breaking off the binnacle the first time you pull on it. I would consider the removal a serious saftey issue. We have a 2004 33 and have never really found it to be in the way. We do have a folding wheel - which I believe is standard now. No significant problems at all this year with the rest of the boat after solving the Yanmar 3YM30 overheating problems (under warranty) once and for all. We often have four adults in the cockpit and below. We use our boat about fifty days a year with about twenty overnights. Because of this I have significantly upgraded the battery bank, alternator, and an inverter for AC voltage. Because we sail the New England coast up to Canada and down to Nantucket we have found it neccessary to also install a radar and GPS chartplotter (Raymarine). My mainsail was an early model in-mast furling system. It has no roach and *no* battens. We really miss the battens. After three years of furling use the sail's leach is beat up. No amount of tuning the leach line or vang will stop the constant flapping of the leach once the breeze picks up. I need to deal with that at some point, probably by replacing the sail with a vertical batten model. I could go on and on. Please ask any questions and I would be happy to answer.
Andy...
I'd like to know how you upgraded your battery bank - which batteries, which alternator, any monitoring systems, any solar power... Gregg
I'd like to know how you upgraded your battery bank - which batteries, which alternator, any monitoring systems, any solar power... Gregg
Hunter 33 Power Upgrades
First off, I added a small portable solar panel I use to keep the batteries topped off during the winter and any especially long periods when I am not around (unusual). I added a regulator and a splitter (all as one device from here: http://www.jrenergy.com/ ) to charge the starting bank as well as the house bank. I also wired it to the deck so I do not have any visible cabling. I upgraded the alternator to an 70 amp Balmar series 6 alternator. I think the 33's standard is 60 amps. There is a lot of science to alternators and I am not an expert but what I understand is this - 60 (or 70) amps is what the alternator can put out at max RPM, not where we run our engines. They are also affected by operating temperature. Low engine RPM and heat *can* conspire to create low efficencies for the stock alternator. They never put out the full 60 amps. They do work fine for the small battery bank provided from the factory with the boat but did not keep up with my larger battery banks. In fact my original alternator melted the positive battery cable prompting me for the Balmar upgrade. The 70 amp Balmar is the max size the 3YM30 engine can handle. After that you have to be concerned about side pressures on the shaft (overloading) and you would have to upgrade to a two belt system or at least a larger belt width (1/2" vs. 7/16"). The stock alternator that comes with the Yanmar 3YM30 has a simple internal voltage regulator as does the Balmar alternator. However, the charge voltages for gel batteries are different than standard lead/acid batteries. The vcharge acceptance rates differ as well. They stock alternators regulator does not offer remote monitoring for overcharge and overheat situations. I upgraded to the Balmar Max Charger Digital Regulator with alternator and battery temperature sensors. Expensive to be sure but a once and final solution. I read (here) too many problems with the Balmar ARS-5 regulator not charging after an hour that I decided to pass on it and purchase the more expensive Max model. Probably overkill at this point as I am sure the ARS-5 has its problems addressed by now. I swapped out the single group 24(27?) lead/acid battery for two group 31's which now provide me with 200 Ah of power. I also matched the battery type on the starting bank with a Gel group 27. Matching the battery type has some importance as the charging voltages are different. Previously I had added a Xantrex Prosine 1000 inverter. http://www.xantrex.com/web/id/10/p/1/pt/7/product.asp Finally I finished the entire upgrade with a Xantrex battery monitor kit with battery temperature monitor. This allows me to run my engine less as I do not have to guess at my batteries state such as when they are fully charged. I can also keep a close eye on my power consumption and modify my own behaviors. Also, if you change out the battery type (eg. gel for flooded) remember to change the battery charging profile on the boats battery charger for those times you plug into shore power. A lot of good questions can be answered here: http://www.balmar.net/Page46-faq.html http://www.balmar.net/Page6-6seriesalts.html
First off, I added a small portable solar panel I use to keep the batteries topped off during the winter and any especially long periods when I am not around (unusual). I added a regulator and a splitter (all as one device from here: http://www.jrenergy.com/ ) to charge the starting bank as well as the house bank. I also wired it to the deck so I do not have any visible cabling. I upgraded the alternator to an 70 amp Balmar series 6 alternator. I think the 33's standard is 60 amps. There is a lot of science to alternators and I am not an expert but what I understand is this - 60 (or 70) amps is what the alternator can put out at max RPM, not where we run our engines. They are also affected by operating temperature. Low engine RPM and heat *can* conspire to create low efficencies for the stock alternator. They never put out the full 60 amps. They do work fine for the small battery bank provided from the factory with the boat but did not keep up with my larger battery banks. In fact my original alternator melted the positive battery cable prompting me for the Balmar upgrade. The 70 amp Balmar is the max size the 3YM30 engine can handle. After that you have to be concerned about side pressures on the shaft (overloading) and you would have to upgrade to a two belt system or at least a larger belt width (1/2" vs. 7/16"). The stock alternator that comes with the Yanmar 3YM30 has a simple internal voltage regulator as does the Balmar alternator. However, the charge voltages for gel batteries are different than standard lead/acid batteries. The vcharge acceptance rates differ as well. They stock alternators regulator does not offer remote monitoring for overcharge and overheat situations. I upgraded to the Balmar Max Charger Digital Regulator with alternator and battery temperature sensors. Expensive to be sure but a once and final solution. I read (here) too many problems with the Balmar ARS-5 regulator not charging after an hour that I decided to pass on it and purchase the more expensive Max model. Probably overkill at this point as I am sure the ARS-5 has its problems addressed by now. I swapped out the single group 24(27?) lead/acid battery for two group 31's which now provide me with 200 Ah of power. I also matched the battery type on the starting bank with a Gel group 27. Matching the battery type has some importance as the charging voltages are different. Previously I had added a Xantrex Prosine 1000 inverter. http://www.xantrex.com/web/id/10/p/1/pt/7/product.asp Finally I finished the entire upgrade with a Xantrex battery monitor kit with battery temperature monitor. This allows me to run my engine less as I do not have to guess at my batteries state such as when they are fully charged. I can also keep a close eye on my power consumption and modify my own behaviors. Also, if you change out the battery type (eg. gel for flooded) remember to change the battery charging profile on the boats battery charger for those times you plug into shore power. A lot of good questions can be answered here: http://www.balmar.net/Page46-faq.html http://www.balmar.net/Page6-6seriesalts.html
Thanks Andy...
All good info - I've got some reading and investigating to do before next season! I presently have a group 27 starting and a group 27 house battery. The one house battery has served me well, but I have not run an anchor light all night, or my fridge away from the dock, and I have no radar (yet). All things I would like to be able to do, and I figure it will take at least 2 group 31s, if not golf cart batteries, and a good charging system.
All good info - I've got some reading and investigating to do before next season! I presently have a group 27 starting and a group 27 house battery. The one house battery has served me well, but I have not run an anchor light all night, or my fridge away from the dock, and I have no radar (yet). All things I would like to be able to do, and I figure it will take at least 2 group 31s, if not golf cart batteries, and a good charging system.
Buying a H-33
I think your choice of a 2005 H-33 is a good choice. You should read my review if you have not. I sail on Lake Champlain NY. Four in the cockpit is fine. The boat is very responsive under sail. I have the vertical battans and love the ease of use and the roach. It is small for four adults for more than a weekend though. If I start to race seriously, I will change the big three blade prop for a folding prop. The big one really moves the boat though. I think one should buy as much boat as one can afford or justify. If you can afford a 38 I would go to that boat. I would not stop in the middle with the 36 though because I do not think it sails as well. If you are looking for a condo on the water though the 36 is a big up fromn the 33.
I think your choice of a 2005 H-33 is a good choice. You should read my review if you have not. I sail on Lake Champlain NY. Four in the cockpit is fine. The boat is very responsive under sail. I have the vertical battans and love the ease of use and the roach. It is small for four adults for more than a weekend though. If I start to race seriously, I will change the big three blade prop for a folding prop. The big one really moves the boat though. I think one should buy as much boat as one can afford or justify. If you can afford a 38 I would go to that boat. I would not stop in the middle with the 36 though because I do not think it sails as well. If you are looking for a condo on the water though the 36 is a big up fromn the 33.
Thanks..next step
Thanks all for the good information. Well we are stumped between the 2005 H-33 and a 2002- Beneteau 331. Both loaded and in excellent condition and about same price. Our quandary is how much does the 3 years difference matter relative to maintenance and value? (B-331 has 262 hours on engine and H-33 only 30 hours-very new and still on warranty).
Thanks all for the good information. Well we are stumped between the 2005 H-33 and a 2002- Beneteau 331. Both loaded and in excellent condition and about same price. Our quandary is how much does the 3 years difference matter relative to maintenance and value? (B-331 has 262 hours on engine and H-33 only 30 hours-very new and still on warranty).
It depends
Three years ago Hunter redesigned the H33 model. The difference between a 2003 and a 2004 was big. I am not familiar with Beneteau model changes but it may be a consideration. As far a three years of wear and tear I do not think it make much difference except for the sails. Our 2004 sails, now used three years, are showing wear and tear. Their shape is affected and will require some winter work to bring them back. Andy
Three years ago Hunter redesigned the H33 model. The difference between a 2003 and a 2004 was big. I am not familiar with Beneteau model changes but it may be a consideration. As far a three years of wear and tear I do not think it make much difference except for the sails. Our 2004 sails, now used three years, are showing wear and tear. Their shape is affected and will require some winter work to bring them back. Andy
2004 Hunter 33 Fast-Stable-Responsive
Jack, I own a 2004 Hunter 33. I sail primarily in Biscayne Bay and around the Florida Keys. I'd be happy to relate my sailing experiences with you. No problem sailing with four in the cockpit, and down below is fantastic. I may have to sell the boat as I am considering an overseas assignment.
Jack, I own a 2004 Hunter 33. I sail primarily in Biscayne Bay and around the Florida Keys. I'd be happy to relate my sailing experiences with you. No problem sailing with four in the cockpit, and down below is fantastic. I may have to sell the boat as I am considering an overseas assignment.
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