Hunter 170

[Tim Hayes]

Hello All,I just wanted to get your general feelings about the 170. I currently own a Hunter 23 and am considering getting a 170. The reason I am considering this is I want something real easy to rig and sail alone or with my wife. She doesn't like the 23 as it is too hard to rig, so with that in mind how would you owners of the 170 rate it in the following areas.1. Ease of rigging2. Stability3. Ease of sailing.Let me know,ThanksTim Hayes

 

[John Radcliff]

Fun boat

It is an easy boat to rig, easy boat to sail. If you have ever sailed a Laser, I find the 170 very similar. Very responsive, turns and tacks quick, sensitive to sail changes. Stability - that is a subject of debate here. If you expect to sit and sail, then you will get wet. You have to be mobile on this boat. My winter project is to add a hiking strap. There were a couple of times that my crew and I were on the rail, and we had to ease sail or round up. But it did feel like it would round up, not dump over.Hope this helps. Also try a search for other issues. It looked like in 2000 they added weight to the centerboard to help with stability.

 

[Mark]

My 170 experience

I'll second what John said with the exception of the getting wet part. The 170 is the driest and most stable dinghy I've sailed. The only times I've felt at risk of getting wet is in gusty winds in excess of 15K, and then with an inexperienced "crew". I almost got blown down a couple of times, but found the boat very forgiving relative to other dinghies.You and your wife will have to pay more attention to the boat's balance and trim on this boat. If she's not nimble and willing to move to keep the boat in balance she probably won't enjoy this boat any more than she does the h23. If the setup is her main gripe though, then the 170 may be a good solution - setup for 2 people is 30 minutes or less. I'd recommend a "test drive", including setup, with your wife to see for yourself. Good luck!

 

[Frank]

Easy to rig

I use the 170 on a lake behind my house. Rigging is dirt simple, though I have the luxury of leaving the mast up most of the time and I can almost do it single handed (could if I had a certain brace that comes with newer models). The only thing that bothers me is it is very sensitive to wind and rolling. You cannot take your hands off the tiller for a second. But, it is easy to sail single handed (I do it all the time) and I enjoy it a lot. Just wish it was more stable. Any gust at all sends it reeling.

 

[Tim Hayes]

Thanks for the information!

All,Thanks for the information about the boat. I think that I will try to arrange a sail on one of them to see what I think.I like the fact that it can be sailed easily single handed as finding crew is sometime hard.You all have been a great help.Thanks,Tim