H23 stability

[Bkraut]

Hi, everyone. I found a 23 wing keel that I really think is a good deal and a good fit for my sailing plans, but I'm worried that it will be too tippy to convince my wife that sailing should be in our long term plans. I've read the reviews on here, but looking for some specific feedback about how the wing feels, especially since the majority of my sailing will be in coastal CT rather than lakes.

It also looks like it could be a beast to launch and raise the mast but I think that will be true for any vessel this size.

 

[peptobysmol]

If you think she'll be iffy about heeling my guess is the H '23 will be too tippy. Can she get used to it? Maybe. I've never been coastal cruising but I would be inclined to think that the rounded hull would not be very forgiving if it were to get very choppy. As for mast raising, it is a 2+ person job unless you have a mast raising system. Overall IMO the H '23 is a fast, light wind inland or protected water cruiser. HTH

Brad

 

[isaksp00]

All depends on experience. I find mine, which is on an inland lake, about like any keel boat - not too tippy, if you watch what you're doing. I am used to cruising sailboats in the mid 30's to upper 40's, and they all heel some. Keep in mind the bigger heavier boats also have much bigger sail plans, so they heel too. Is your wife used to sailing at all, where some heeling is inevitable? If so, and she has seen some action where the toerail gets a bit wet, I don't think the H23 would be any worse.

Now, I wouldn't take it out on LI Sound in rough weather. And I wouldn't attempt to use mine if I had to step and unstep the mast more than once a season - it is not something that is fast and easy enough to treat like a day sailer.

 

[carboman]

I have a 1987 Hunter 23'. It is a good boat, but does heel up quick in heavy air if you are not watching what you are doing. mast stepping is a bitch unless you have that conduit pipe rig you can learn how to make form sailingtexas.com.

The hull is not rounded as ssomeone else said in these replies. It is definitley more on the flat side. I know, I just got done scraping mine. It is flat. I sail mine in the intracoastal waterways of dunedin, clearwater and palm harbor and have no problems. I also go out by myself and really push it. heel it up to 40 degrees or so, and she handles like a dream, very smooth and responsive. Buy it!

 

[mojobently]

I love my H23. I bought ours to be a family boat and she has succeeded. With that said, it took a year for my wife and kids to get used to the feeling of heeling over as quickly as the hunter does. I think the hunter is a bit small for group cruises. More than 3 adults gets cramped, especially when your the only one that knows what your doing.
I found myself wanting a bit bigger more sluggish boat very quickly because we just cruise around the lake and relax. The best thing you can do is take the boat out and see if she will act the way you want her to. There is no way to know until your on the water.

 

[C Jones]

The h23 is no more tender than other boat under 25' I have been on.
As far as your concerns about your wifes fear of healing
Give her the mainsheet, she can control the heel.
Problem solved, Good luck, Charles

 

[Bkraut]

Thanks, everyone. Just brought it home last night. Can't wait to get it in the water. I figure I'll sail it a few times with some sailing friends and get the feel of it before the first family outing. Thanks again for the advice.

 

[isaksp00]

Congrats! I think you will like it.

I'd like to get the H23 owners to help each other better understand market values. Do you mind posting what you paid?

To get the ball rolling, I paid $4000 for mine in May 2010. Needed some work (cleanup, lot of keel rust flaking, exterior teak redone, etc.). 1991 hull yr, bought by prior owner new in 1994. Honda 8HP. Came with bimini, dodger, added stern pulpits on side, swim ladder platform, swing-up motor mount. Stock single-axle trailer w/brakes.

 

[Bkraut]

$1650 with original single axle (no brakes) trailer, original nissan 5hp, jib, main, anchor, pfd's, sail cover, vhf, watertender 9 ft dinghy and oars. Boat was only used from 86-92 and then stored for the last 20 years. Needs motor rehab (assume it doesn't run and needs carb cleaning and plug at a minimum), new thru-hulls, all new rigging on mast, new battery, new water container, bottom paint, teak refinish, and a bunch of elbow grease (in progress). The keel was rusty, but i spend all day yesterday grinding it and sealing it with Pettit anti rust primer. Figure i'll spend at least $1000 to get it up to speed before upgrades.

Bottom paint today, rigging tomorrow, hope to float it Tuesday.

 

[BillyBud]

In response to the question on how much did you pay for your H23, I purchased my '86 last August for $3800. Since then have spent about $1000 which includes: new bottom paint, new haylards, new main sheet, system that moves the haylards to the cockpit, refinished all the teak, transom ladder, rewired the mast light, new battery, installed a cabin stereo, and wet sanded the deck.....no wonder I'm worn out!

The boat came with two 4 hr outboards and the original trailer tires. If I make it through this year without a tire blowout, the plan is to replace both next year. I currently dry sail the boat at a local Ohio lake.

 

[isaksp00]

Must look kinda funny with dual outboards

 

[BillyBud]

May look funny, but with an short injection of nitro, I can actually pull a skier haha

 

[taichi]

Got my 1985 H23 for $2900 with decent sails, 155 jib w CDI furler and a nice 8hp Nissan outboard & the trailer - needed alot of elbow grease but it is very clean and solid now.
Stability - I've had her right over on her beam well exceeding her hull speed and she feels solid.

 

[C Jones]

$3500, 2 years ago and I,m afraid to add up the receipts for the mods on her since.
She came with a nice single axle trailer.

 

[Fly_H23]

We paid $1,800 for our 87 H23 which included the boat, trailer and 9.9hp outboard (way too much motor). It's solid with good sails but totally original. Replaced anchor locker and cockpit drain hoses and rebedded some leaky hardware. Needs bottom paint and new floorboards, hatches and halyards. Figure I will add a Bimini and recover the cushions soon. Gelcoat is shiney and overall think we got a fair deal.

 

[page.crow]

I just purchased my 86 H23 out of Chicago for $660.00. It was a Boat Angel Ministries auction on ebay. She came with a good trailer, tires shot. Her hull is sound, the mast & boom good. The interior is worn-out, needs new cushions & carpet. I got a Yamaha 9.9 4-stroke outboard & the motor-raising system on the transom. Nice compass & knot-meter on the back cabin. She's filthy, but bound to cover just a little more ground. The sails are tired. All-in-all, I still think I got a good deal. Some cleaning, new cushions and I'm going sailing next year in my first mono-hull. Oh yeah, the tiller is a work of art! It's a gorgeous laminated & varnished lay-up of woods. I'm pretty happy about it all. Cheers!

 

[isaksp00]

That does sound like a very good deal, assuming it is just elbow grease cleanup and the sails are usable and the outboard runs or can be cleaned up. The cushions sound like the biggest expense, and that can't be that high. If you need outboard advice, I use the forums on iboats.com and get a lot of help with my Honda 8 - with the shop manual I bought, and that forum for advice, I've been able to do most work myself, other than the initial job to get it running due to a very fouled carb (which, if I had known that was the cause, I could have actually done myself).

 

[MrUnix]

The cushions sound like the biggest expense, and that can't be that high.

Under a grand for a new set of OEM cushions in your choice of fabric. Contact US Yacht Cushions down in St. Petersburg. And those little outboards are pretty simple to work on, so that should be an easy fix.

Cheers,
Brad

 

[page.crow]

Thanks for the links guys. I found Brad's recommendation a couple weeks back online when searching for boat cushions. I did indeed need some net-support on what to do for the Honda 9.9. It turns, but isn't running right now. It will.

I'm stoked about my H23 boat, now that I hear encouraging comments from other like owners. Cool. <grinning> There's a really good video on youtube showing a H23 heeling like crazy on a close-reach. I took the North Sails Trim class (highly recommended). Bill Gladstone would say, "Set that traveler out, ease that main-sheet. The less-heeled boat will travel farther, faster..."

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

If you have the orginal trailer from KWS or Kens Welding, change the bearings in the axles and reconfigure the attachment of the fenders. Also, carry a spare tire.

Lauching is not easy with that trailer so I suggest a little help. You need a long ramp and not too steep.

Mast raising can be a bear but there are options to this. If you want some imput, send me an email after xmas and I can help. I was instrumental with the mast raise systems on the Hunter 23.5, 240, 26 and 260.

crazy dave