Hunter 27 Edge Owners?

[rsgooch]

Are there any Hunter 27 Edge owners who will share there opinions of this boat? Please include factory options and dealer add-ons you may have. I am considering a purchase and would like the good, the bad, and the ugly!

Thanks!

 

[John Curry]

Try this link for a full review in Practical BO

http://www.zinio.com/browse/publications/index.jsp?productId=191863143

Click on the contents and then on the page for the review, you have 4 zooms and should be able to see and print the article.

 

[heli_av8er]

Hello,
I bought a Hunter Edge last fall and so far I am very happy with it. A little background on my buying situation; I am a sailor and my wife and daughter are not. The only way I could buy a sailboat was if I comprimised and bought one with a large engine for pulling a tube or avoiding weather. So far I don't feel like I comprimised that much, because it sails pretty good. Obviously, my buying choices for a trailerable motorsailor were a Macgregor, Hunter, or Odin. But, the Odin was too expensive and hard to find, and I sailed on a freinds Macgregor 26m and noted a couple of shortcomings for my family. First off, there wasn't a swim deck, and we spend a lot of time swimming in Lake Huron and Lake St Clair. Second, the Mac heeled to easily - and my non-sailor wife wouldn't enjoy that. So, last fall I had a test sail on an Edge and definetely noticed a difference in the stability of the boat and the open feeling of the cockpit - plus it has a swim deck. The Edge weighing over 6000#'s loaded, an 8'6" beam, and a weighted center board and rudder really make a big difference in stability. Just last weekend we were out on Lake Huron and the waves were running 2-4' with the wind blowing at 10-15 kts out of the North. We motored out of Lexington harbor and once we were in open water the boat was rolling a lot, but as soon as I put the board and rudder down there was a noticable difference in the roll. And, once the sails were up it was very stable with a comfortable heel. I also noticed that Hunter uses much more stout mast/boom and standing rigging. The main, jib, and spinaker halyards are all run inside the mast. Plus, the single line reef system, outhaul, and one extra/optional line are run inside the boom. There are a couple of things missing for sail control; it doesn't have jib/genoa fairlead tracks or a main sheet traveller, but right now I am not worried about it. As for options, my boat is pretty loaded, I have pretty much every option except the refrigerated cooler. So far I have only spent about 10 hours using the boat, but I really like it. A freind has a Hunter 260 water ballast, and in many ways they are comparable. He has sailed on my boat in rough windy conditions on Lake Huron and was impressed - maiinly because he didn't expect much out of a motorsailor. This summer I will race him and see what happens, but I am sure he has the faster boat. One other thing, the rudder and center board are very large, so windward sailing is pretty good. As for motoring; the Luhrs influence is very evident, it is rock solid on plane and handles very well. There aren't any hard chines on the hull, but there are strakes on the aft of the hull for motoring - it is a good mix between displacement and a planing hull. Again, compared to the Mac it feels much more stable under power. I haven't pulled a tube yet, but I am sure it will do fine. With a full ballast tank I can motor at 12 knots, and with the tank empty about 19. As for the price, it is about 20k more than a comparably equiped Mac, but for me the extra price is justified, because it has everything I want so I won't be changing boats for many years to come. If you have any other questions let me know.

 

[Sightline]

Hunter Edge 27

I too am interested in the Hunter Edge 27 and wanted to know your thoughts on it after having it for a few months? Is there anything you don't like about it, or improvements you would like to have? How has the performance been? Has the boat held up ok? Your unbiased input would be greatly appreciated for my decision to purchase it. Thank you,

Ray

 

[heli_av8er]

I too am interested in the Hunter Edge 27 and wanted to know your thoughts on it after having it for a few months? Is there anything you don't like about it, or improvements you would like to have? How has the performance been? Has the boat held up ok? Your unbiased input would be greatly appreciated for my decision to purchase it. Thank you,

Ray

Well overall the boat is great and it is a perfect fit for my family. I pulled a tube for the first time yesterday and it did great. The ballast tank was empty with two 9 year old girls on a 2 person tube and the boat could easily hold about 13-14 kts, and it still had some throttle left. The handling of the boat was also very good, it didn't skid and it tracked straight with minimal wheel inputs. I did notice that it is very sensitive to where the weight is on the boat. If my wife goes forward the speed will increase, or if there is a lot of weight or people in the cockpit it has a hard time getting to top speed and the bow stays very high. The engine (75HP) has no problem getting the boat on plane, but it doesn't seem like the power trim has any authority. I am considering adding some fins to the engine to see if it is any better.

Some of the problems that I have had with the boat are fairly minor and could have been prevented with the use of Locktite prior to use. All of the following problems were from loose nuts and screws. The rudder came disconnected from the steering linkage, a through hull valve handle fell off and others were ready to fall off, and the linkage for the entry way top fell off.

Another minor problem is the trailer didn’t appear to be adjusted correctly for the boat. No matter had many times it was loaded on the trailer there was always about a 4-5 inch gap between the bow and the trailer bumpers – very frustrating. I adjusted the trailer to let the boat sit in its natural position and I applied liquid rollers to the bunks and haven’t had any problems since.

The fiberglass and gelcoat are standing up great. There are some minor spider cracks showing by the swim ladder, so I use a small step ladder for boarding while it is on the trailer. The rudder and center board work flawlessly. The standing and running rigging is all working great, but I do have one gripe about the roller furler.

The barrel for the furler is made out of plastic and has two small alignment tabs that somehow can contact the furling line and cause binding or break the tab like it did on mine. Since the tab broke it has been fine, and now the remaining tab is on my mental set-up checklist, and in a few months I will see what the dealer can do about it. The tabs are redundant because there are screws holding it together, so it works fine, but I want it right.

The entry way hatch is great design, but it needs some weather stripping added to the piano hinge to keep it from leaking in heavy rain. Plus, it could use a stopper to keep it from scuffing the cabin top.

One of the main improvements that I am planning is a lazy jack system, because the main sail is huge and is very unruly when letting it down. Also, a genoa or drifter would be nice. I am also planning on running lines aft to the cockpit, and thankfully Hunter has provided more than enough line to complete that task. It is just a matter of routing the lines.

I hope this helps and can honestly say that I haven’t regretted my decision to buy this boat. All the problems that I have listed, in my opinion, are very minor, and they still don’t affect how I feel about the boat. It is very well made and is built by a pretty reputable company. I really would do it all over again.

 

[Capt. Kermie]

The Hunter Edge 27 will require a truck with at least a Class 4 tow rating (7500 lbs)given its' weight with trailer so make sure for insurance reasons that your vehicle is rated to tow a load of that weight.
I have not sailed on the Edge but I did do a good inspection of it at the boat show and as previously mentioned it does not have any headsail tracks or traveller so therefore no sail trim controls, something I personall did not like. There was just some micky mouse attachement on the deck for a bullet block to thread the jib sheet through, but you could not move the bullet block fore and aft for trim like other sailboats. There was also no hardware for a larger genoa headsail or spinnaker.The price was also considerably more than it's nearest competitor. It does take a bigger engine and the rudder system was inovative but the Edge was not what I expected from Hunter, I was a bit disappointed in it.

 

[heli_av8er]

The Hunter Edge 27 will require a truck with at least a Class 4 tow rating (7500 lbs)given its' weight with trailer so make sure for insurance reasons that your vehicle is rated to tow a load of that weight.

With the ballast tank empty the boat weighs about 5000#'s on the trailer. Plus it is a tandem axle trailer with disk brakes on each wheel. Most full size trucks can easily tow it; I have a k2500 Suburban it pulls it very easily - even a panic stop is really a non-event.

 

[Capt. Kermie]

The K2500 Suburban is no slouch when it comes to towing, it has all the HP and torque with a 3/4 ton frame, a 3.73 rear axle ratio and class 4 towing capabilities.
Class 1 = 0-2000 lbs
Class 2 = 2000-3500 lbs
Class 3 = 3500-5000 lbs
Class 4 = 5000 - 7500 lbs
Class 5 = 7500 - 11000 lbs
The Hunter edge with the trailer is in excess of 6000 lbs which falls into the class 4 tow range.
You need a substantial truck frame based vehicle to achieve a class 4 tow rating, most 1/2 ton trucks barely make a class 3 rating and almost all todays SUV's are a Class 2 at most and are a car based frame not a truck frame. You need to move up to at least a big V-8 Explorer, Expedition, Excursion or V-8 Trailblazer, Suburban, Tahoe/Yukon or some other big truck size SUV or big F350 superduty truck to pull a Hunter Edge with. Preferably 4 wheel drive to pull up those slippery launch ramps!

There are many SUV owners out there who would not be willing to trade their economical light duty SUV in for the heavy gas guzzling tow beast required to tow the Hunter Edge with.
The tow beast should also weigh as much or more than the load it tows and have at least 130 - 136" wheel base to prevent the tail from wagging the dog or have the tail shove the dog around.
Again you really need a substantial tow beast to safely lug the Edge around. Try doing it with something under powered and under rated and when you get into an accident the insurance company will not cover you. You will get sued for everything you own.

If you do not already own an appropriate vehicle to tow the Edge with then factor in a new/used Tow Beast as part of the cost of purchasing the Edge.
There are far more vehicles out there that are rated for class 3 and under than there are class 3 and over, adding another vehicle to the equation just increases the cost of ownership for the Edge.

 

[Enigma]

questions

I have a new TheEdge as well and I have some questions, especially since I'm a new sailor.
I cant seem to flake the top of the sail all the way down to the boom because of the topmost batten, do you remove it? Also, does everyone else have to loosen and lower the headsail halyard a bit before you can furl it in? Just another darn reason to leave the cockpit when I'm solo and I hate that. Thanks!

 

[heli_av8er]

Yes, I do remove the top batten. No, I don't have to loosen the jib halyard to furl it. Is it binding? I did have to reposition the line to the furler so it was at closer to a 90 degree angle to the drum. Also, check the plastic alignment tabs in the furling drum - do they stick out a little? They should be tight and flush so the line doesn't come in contact with them.

 

[Enigma]

Head

Thanks, I fixed the headsail problem ok. Now the BIG mystery. Me toilets gut three lines running itno it and one waste tube running to the tank. i cant get water to fill my bowl for a flosh and I cant, nor can other people who have looked, figure out why. I dont see a valve that could be closed? It doesnt use the fresh water tank does it? I emailed Hunters tech support....no answer yet.

 

[Enigma]

Thanks, I fixed the headsail problem ok. Now the BIG mystery. Me toilets gut three lines running itno it and one waste tube running to the tank. i cant get water to fill my bowl for a flosh and I cant, nor can other people who have looked, figure out why. I dont see a valve that could be closed? It doesnt use the fresh water tank does it? I emailed Hunters tech support....no answer yet.

sorry about the bad grammer and typos, too much coffee. I'm not trying to sound like a pirate.

 

[heli_av8er]

There is a valve that draws outside water for the toilet; check your manual to see which one it is. Also, concerning the valves - put lock-tite on all of the nuts holding the handles on. One of mine fell off, and the others were loose. Let me know what Hunter says about the toilet, because I am not totally sure that mine is working correctly.

 

[sightline]

Thanks for the honest opinion, sounds like the boat for me. I have a Mac 26X and have had a blast with it for the last 4 years, however, I was never really impressed with the lack of quality for creature features and sail hardware. Hunter boats have always been in my opinion several steps above the Mac in quality and design. I have been looking to upgrade to a better trailerable sail boat and with you felt the Oden was way to expensive for what it is. Time to sell the Mac and get the Edge!

 

[Enigma]

There is a valve that draws outside water for the toilet; check your manual to see which one it is. Also, concerning the valves - put lock-tite on all of the nuts holding the handles on. One of mine fell off, and the others were loose. Let me know what Hunter says about the toilet, because I am not totally sure that mine is working correctly.

The Hunter rep told me the ball valve is closed and its located next to the waste holding tank. Go figure, I should have seen that.

 

[Enigma]

Thanks for the honest opinion, sounds like the boat for me. I have a Mac 26X and have had a blast with it for the last 4 years, however, I was never really impressed with the lack of quality for creature features and sail hardware. Hunter boats have always been in my opinion several steps above the Mac in quality and design. I have been looking to upgrade to a better trailerable sail boat and with you felt the Oden was way to expensive for what it is. Time to sell the Mac and get the Edge!

So far I love me Edge. She does handle a little slow when turning the wheel, but maybe Im just used to a tiller after three years. Sails close hauled better than I expected, raising the mast was a snap and the interior is so roomy I still cant get over it. Trailer is one sweet machine too. Do yourself a favor and go for the WHOLE package, I did and it's worth the money. There is alot of freeboard though so the wind will push her around more than a Catalina 22 but thats also comparing apples to oranges. It's a nice Hybrid, don't let the other "true sailers" tease you. She handles nicely and I'm not trying to win the Americas Cup anyway.

 

[heli_av8er]

Thanks for the honest opinion, sounds like the boat for me. I have a Mac 26X and have had a blast with it for the last 4 years, however, I was never really impressed with the lack of quality for creature features and sail hardware. Hunter boats have always been in my opinion several steps above the Mac in quality and design. I have been looking to upgrade to a better trailerable sail boat and with you felt the Oden was way to expensive for what it is. Time to sell the Mac and get the Edge!

I also love my Edge. I tuned the rig a little and it seems to sail much more efficient. It won't break any speed records, but it is a safe stable boat. Another nice thing is, the boat is very balanced while sailing and with the slight amount of friction in the steering the boat with self steer very nicely. I let it self steer for about 20 minutes on Lake Huron and it did great; it held it's heading within about 10 degrees - I was very happy. I also had a chance to use it single handed and it was a breeze.

 

[Enigma]

I also love my Edge. I tuned the rig a little and it seems to sail much more efficient. It won't break any speed records, but it is a safe stable boat. Another nice thing is, the boat is very balanced while sailing and with the slight amount of friction in the steering the boat with self steer very nicely. I let it self steer for about 20 minutes on Lake Huron and it did great; it held it's heading within about 10 degrees - I was very happy. I also had a chance to use it single handed and it was a breeze.

heli_av8r do you have a jabsco flushing toilet installed or the port-a-potty? I cant find my bowl water intake hose end to turn on the ball valve like Hunter tech support told me to. I simply cannot locate the hose or thru-hull point back in the stern? Any ideas? The bowl has a water draw-in line running to it. They said the ball valve for the hose was next to the waste holding tank under the cockpit and I do NOT see it. When I pump the head and try to bring in water, nothing comes into the bowl, I have only pumped maybe 3-4 times and then quit. Do I have to keep pumping longer than that to draw in water?

 

[heli_av8er]

heli_av8r do you have a jabsco flushing toilet installed or the port-a-potty? I cant find my bowl water intake hose end to turn on the ball valve like Hunter tech support told me to. I simply cannot locate the hose or thru-hull point back in the stern? Any ideas? The bowl has a water draw-in line running to it. They said the ball valve for the hose was next to the waste holding tank under the cockpit and I do NOT see it. When I pump the head and try to bring in water, nothing comes into the bowl, I have only pumped maybe 3-4 times and then quit. Do I have to keep pumping longer than that to draw in water?

I don't know the brand, but it is marine flushing toilet with a holding tank; I really haven't had any problems with it. Check your owner's manaul for the location of that valve, and I am pretty sure that they are labeled. Next time I am on my boat I will check.

 

[Enigma]

I checked the manual, the boats manual reads like a comic book, not very technical. The toilets manula is a little ambiguose too. I went back and under to where the holding tank is but there is no valve to be seen other than for the ballast tank. A third white house runs into the head compartment from somewhere and is obviously meant to supply water but I can find the other end of it where the valve or thru-hull. I'll keep reading the books, over and over, but for now this has me stumped.