Hi,
What model and size of boat do you have?
1996 Hunter 376
Did you feel safe when you were offshore?
Yes but not much scares me so I'm not a good test subject
How far offshore did you travel?
My longest....across the gulf twice.
Waves were 10-12' with occational 14' with about 6-8 second intervals. Winds were about 35 knots for a day before the race. At the start of the race it was about 24 knots true with gust up to 27. Boat's shower bulkhead creaked louder then ever before (I've had a problem with it creaking for a couple years). Aft cabin creaked a little. Other then that, it did fine minus a few wiring problems and a bad tank of diesel clogging the fuel line. You have to know your boat very well and know how to fix just about everything on it if you are going to take it offshore. You also need to have all the tools and spare parts to fix possible problems and that goes for any boat you take offshore.
What did you learn about Hunters that you did not know before?
That even though I have a wing keel, I can still point fairly well offshore.
If you have never taken your Hunter offshore, why not? And would you ever in the future?
Planning on doing the Race to the border (Galveston to South Padre) in June. Planning on spending 4 months in the Caribbean in a year. Assuming I think my boat can still handle it, I'm planning on sailing it around the world (5 year tour) in 3 years.
This is where I give the good advice. Every boat is different, even the same year and modal, but especially between modals, so don't just go by the maker's name. You will need to find people who know about the boat you have and who are not biased. There are a lot of Hunters I wouldn't take off shore as well as other makers. I have spent a lot of money and time getting my boat ready for these trips. Almost everything on my boat is new and I installed it myself so I know how to fix them.
When I say offshore, I mean a trip taking longer then 4 days as I'm sure you are smart enough not to go if the weather report is bad.
Another key point is, you gotta know the best weather windows for long trips. Don't try to cross the Atlantic starting in June. Don't try to cross the Atlantic starting in Feb. Don't take long trips in the Caribbean in late summer. Be very careful about long trips in the Gulf in early to mid summer. Each region of the world has it's own windows. Find the window best for your area for those long trips. The window I am looking for to sail from Costa Rica to Hawaii is April so I can get back to the western shore before the fall storms hit. I figured that leg is going to be 30 days.
Last advice, if you are taking a ocean crossing, take a Jordan Series Drogue with you. It can make a weak boat strong and a weak captain a strong captain.
