I'm shopping for a trailerable lake sailor which could also be used as a coastal cruiser for short hops and vacations. I had pretty much settled on the 260 when an acquaintence who owns one told me that if he had it to do over, he'd have gotten the 240. He said the 240 is only a foot shorter at the waterline and nearly the same beam. Although the cabin is smaller, he thinks it's better laid out. Most importantly, he claims that long setup time and difficulty getting the boat back onto the trailer has led him to keep his 260 in the water, which was not originally his intention. He thinks the nearly 8' shorter mast and lighter weight of the 240 make it less of a chore to trailer. He has experience with both boats, and he believes they have similar limitations as far as weather and seaworthiness are concerned. I would expect the 240 to be more tender, with the lighter displacement and ballast weight. Any comments would be appreciated.
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Bill
Boat Info
Check the "BOAT INFO" section on both this site and the Catalina site to compare the specs for Hunter 240, 260 and Catalina 250 along with owner reviews. Lastly, sail all of the boats and try and witness a rigging and lauching prodcedure. That should hellp you make up your mind. Good luck
Check the "BOAT INFO" section on both this site and the Catalina site to compare the specs for Hunter 240, 260 and Catalina 250 along with owner reviews. Lastly, sail all of the boats and try and witness a rigging and lauching prodcedure. That should hellp you make up your mind. Good luck
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Tom Myers
Head
Tom, IF I recall correctly from one of your earlier posts (but my memory is not the best), you wanted an enclosed head. I don't think the H240 has that option. Also, there is not as much head room in the cabin (I believe) in the 240. The earlier response is right on; rig and sail both. Personal experience is the best method. What one person thinks/ likes may not match your preferences. All 3 are good boats. Good luck with your choice. tom myers
Tom, IF I recall correctly from one of your earlier posts (but my memory is not the best), you wanted an enclosed head. I don't think the H240 has that option. Also, there is not as much head room in the cabin (I believe) in the 240. The earlier response is right on; rig and sail both. Personal experience is the best method. What one person thinks/ likes may not match your preferences. All 3 are good boats. Good luck with your choice. tom myers
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Bill Welsch
Its all in what you want
We have a 240 and it is very tender. And not nearly as roomy as our friend at the slip across from us who has a 260. 240's do not have enclosed heads- It all comes down to what you want. If you plan to trailer a lot and do one or two nights out here and there maybe the 240 is your choice. (Having said that, a lot of contributors to HOW take incredible trips in their 240's and would say you can spend weeks on one. Wouldnt be my preference) On the other hand if you need more space, privacy of a head, etc, the bigger boat may be better. I'm thrilled we have a 24O for the inland lake where we sail where the wind is often light. On the other hand not sure how comfortable I would feel bobbing around on the Gulf of Mexico in angry seas and 30 knot winds. Good luck Bill Welsch S/V Renewal
We have a 240 and it is very tender. And not nearly as roomy as our friend at the slip across from us who has a 260. 240's do not have enclosed heads- It all comes down to what you want. If you plan to trailer a lot and do one or two nights out here and there maybe the 240 is your choice. (Having said that, a lot of contributors to HOW take incredible trips in their 240's and would say you can spend weeks on one. Wouldnt be my preference) On the other hand if you need more space, privacy of a head, etc, the bigger boat may be better. I'm thrilled we have a 24O for the inland lake where we sail where the wind is often light. On the other hand not sure how comfortable I would feel bobbing around on the Gulf of Mexico in angry seas and 30 knot winds. Good luck Bill Welsch S/V Renewal
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Rick Webb
Make a List
I own a 23.5 and prefer it over the 240 for a couple of reasons though it is virtualy the same boat. There are several pros and cons for going for the big vs the other boat. If you are going to tow it at all and do not have a real truck (F150 or bigger) you are going to have to get one for the 260. My wife would really like the enclosed head on the 260 which seems like the only real difference other than size between the boats. As yet the advantage of the smaller boat and cost win out over the big one. Keep in mind that as the boat gets bigger so do the expenses though it probably would not be huge between the two once you have it paid for.
I own a 23.5 and prefer it over the 240 for a couple of reasons though it is virtualy the same boat. There are several pros and cons for going for the big vs the other boat. If you are going to tow it at all and do not have a real truck (F150 or bigger) you are going to have to get one for the 260. My wife would really like the enclosed head on the 260 which seems like the only real difference other than size between the boats. As yet the advantage of the smaller boat and cost win out over the big one. Keep in mind that as the boat gets bigger so do the expenses though it probably would not be huge between the two once you have it paid for.
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Neil King
Hunter 260
With regard to Hunter 240/260: I'm seriously considering a Hunter 260 because of the enclosed head and spacious interior. Does anyone have any experience sailing the 260? How does it handle, point, tack, etc.? How about launching and retrieving? How tender is it in a 15 knot wind?
With regard to Hunter 240/260: I'm seriously considering a Hunter 260 because of the enclosed head and spacious interior. Does anyone have any experience sailing the 260? How does it handle, point, tack, etc.? How about launching and retrieving? How tender is it in a 15 knot wind?
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Mike
I've had both.
We used to have a 23.5 (same as 240) and now have a 26. (Similar to 260) I did not see a big difference in riging the 23.5 over the 26, other than we installed many more extras on the 26 such as CDI Furler, Lazyjacks, radios etc. We've overnighted on both boats. The 26 is infinitely more comfortable. I would never consider doing it on the 23.5 now that the kids are teenagers. The enclosed head is a big item as far as the women are concerned. Personally, it was a pain to use the porta-pottie in the smaller boat. Someone always had to go at night. We would probably been better off getting the bigger boat to begin with. I don't regret trading up. Mike Pajewski H26 "Loon"
We used to have a 23.5 (same as 240) and now have a 26. (Similar to 260) I did not see a big difference in riging the 23.5 over the 26, other than we installed many more extras on the 26 such as CDI Furler, Lazyjacks, radios etc. We've overnighted on both boats. The 26 is infinitely more comfortable. I would never consider doing it on the 23.5 now that the kids are teenagers. The enclosed head is a big item as far as the women are concerned. Personally, it was a pain to use the porta-pottie in the smaller boat. Someone always had to go at night. We would probably been better off getting the bigger boat to begin with. I don't regret trading up. Mike Pajewski H26 "Loon"
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Ray Bowles
260, 260, 260.
The extra 2 feet in the 260 vs. 240 packs one heck of a lot of creature comfort. Set up time for the 260 is no longer than the 240. A lot of people are intimedated by the mast raising procedure. Do it at home a couple of times without anyone watching and you will question the nay sayers. My wife and I do our H26 in 50 minutes both up and down. (that's the full rigging, load up and launch) We loaded up the boat on the trailer Friday and ran home to install some more gear. Tomorrow we will take it to our summer lake vs. winter lake. Buy good equipment that fits ALL your needs, and learn how to safely and comfortably use it. You are not the other person and your skills are not his. Don't be sorry later for a miss led choice today. Ray
The extra 2 feet in the 260 vs. 240 packs one heck of a lot of creature comfort. Set up time for the 260 is no longer than the 240. A lot of people are intimedated by the mast raising procedure. Do it at home a couple of times without anyone watching and you will question the nay sayers. My wife and I do our H26 in 50 minutes both up and down. (that's the full rigging, load up and launch) We loaded up the boat on the trailer Friday and ran home to install some more gear. Tomorrow we will take it to our summer lake vs. winter lake. Buy good equipment that fits ALL your needs, and learn how to safely and comfortably use it. You are not the other person and your skills are not his. Don't be sorry later for a miss led choice today. Ray
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Tom
We have a winner!
Thanks to all for your responses. As it turns out, my wife and I got to do a side-by-side comparison this weekend. Her verdict--The 260/26, by a head. Who am I to argue?
Thanks to all for your responses. As it turns out, my wife and I got to do a side-by-side comparison this weekend. Her verdict--The 260/26, by a head. Who am I to argue?
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