Hunter 260 VS Hunter 25?

[wetsocks]

Just wondering if anyone can give me their thoughts about a Hunter 25 (2006) VS a Hunter 260. I've seen the 260, and love it, but haven't seen a 25 yet.

I found some info on the 25 here:
http://www.usyachts.com.au/Hunter-Y...ple-to-sail-trailerable-25foot-yacht-keel.htm

Thanks in advance!

 

[Kivalo]

As a 260 owner, 3 things come to mind. First the table in the 25 is likely going to be easier and looks to be able to form a berth. That's something to consider if you have children or guests for the overnight. In the 260 the stock table is big and sometimes unwieldy. Check the modification section, many have made some really good improvements to the 260's table.

Secondly, being a keel boat the 25 will be tougher on your tow vehicle. Depending on your situation that may be an obstacle. One of the nice things about a 260 is it's ability to dump before towing.

I dont know about sailing characteristics of a 25 so I can't compare them to my 260. I can say that many 260 sailors, myself included, know the saying "reef early, reef often", my guess is that applies to the 25 as well being a shoal draft boat.

Lastly, it appears that the rudder assembly on the 25 is significantly different. The 260's rudder assembly has been known to crack at the weld. This is not a huge issue mind you but an issue none the less.

In conclusion, I love KIVALO(my 260) and it has served me very very well since I bought her new in 2006. Unless I get rich in the near future I plan on keeping KIVALO well into the future. Which ever boat you choose, enjoy it and fair winds.

 

[Juice6576]

See if you can find one to look at

I owned a H26 for 15 years. It was a good boat but it had some faults. Water ballast works and is easy to dump, but it is less effective until the boat gets some heel on, end result is a quick motion but then steadies up. The 25 has a more friendly layout in my IMHO. The u-shaped cabin settee is less useful in the 26, and the v-berth arrangement never worked very well. The v-berth at same level as the settees will be more comfortable. Moving around the cabin will also be easier. The 26/260 has the pop top and with the optional camper canvas, the cabin gets full standing head room and good ventilation. We bought ours from the HOW store, with the upgraded screens and plastic windows. Although we ordered our H26 with a wheell, Edson pulled it because of reliability issues, so we always had a tiller. We used a Raymarine tiller pilot and it worked great.