H-22 Offshore????

[me262]

I finally got my H-22 together and ready to launch. I am considering a drive to the Texas coast and doing some bay sailing. While talking to a boat dealer and avid sailor in a small Texas city about the H-22, the conversation went to Central America where I have travelled extensively in the last three years. This fellow sugested that I sail my H-22 to Costa Rica. At the time, I thought him out of his mind. But now I am reading about H-22's going across the Sea of Cortes and lots of other places I never would've thought. Maybe I'm getting sunstroke (or maybe I need to change brands of rum!), but do y'all condone such a voyage?

 

[Richard A. Marble]

What she got for a keel under her?

Type of keel and weight.

 

[David11054]

Possible but not recommended

I doubt any one of us would recommend the h22 as a blue water boat. Do you really want to be caught in a nasty storm front on the Gulf of Mexico in her?Can you load enough supplies for the journey in her?If they caught you broadside, 10 foot seas would easily capsize the h22. With a capsize ratio of 2.15 (see performance ratios on the h22 model page) she will probably stay inverted for a long time.Would you be comfortable in the cabin, with the boat being knocked around without much weight to steady her?Do you want to make the investments to make her seaworthy when trading up to a Cherubini h27 would give you a boat that has made a number of blue water crossings? This means strengthening/improving the hull, rigging, closures, storage, sails, and systems to support a blue water cruise.The h22 is a great package as a trailerable "pocket cruiser," and day sailor. Why not drive it down to Costa Rica, and enjoy the sailing there? Or take her up to the North Channel of Lake Huron (seriously - this is one of the great cruising grounds of the world.) Or take her to Key West to gunk-hole the keys. Or... And none of these options require any modifications - your boat is designed for this!You get the idea,DavidLady Lillie

 

[Beth]

Offshore/Coastal Cruising with a Hunter 22

;D What an interesting idea! I think the Hunter 22 is a sturdy little boat and if you did it right, you could make it a live-aboard for 2 people max. We have a Hunter 22 with a swing keel, spinnaker, and roller-furling. My husband just installed a fishfinder on a bracket mounted to our swim ladder on the back. There is also a speed component with it which is good considering our knot-meter down below doesn't work. We have a hand-held GPS, but for a bigger trip, I would get a bigger color unit. I have been entertaining the idea of doing longer cruising but staying in sight of land. We would also like to take our boat to Central America, but I think the 22 is too small for such a passage. Right now, we sail on Lake Michigan and have had the boat out in heavier air, but nothing like in the oceans. We are thinking of trailering our boat to the Keys and/or the Sea or Cortez and try it out there. Please let me know what you are thinking about this and share any upgrades with us. I love this boat and have had a lot of fun with it so far.