Hunter 28

[sdstef]

I recently sold my Oday 25 and now ready to buy a new boat, well a 91 H28. I read a review by David Pascoe, and he was very negative about it from just about every angle. Is it really that bad? I am going to be using it on inland lake, but staying aboard on weekends. The boat seems to be fairly fast, and has been in fresh water it's whole life. If you own one of these models, please advise. Thanks in advance.

 

[Mikem]

Hmm. I just looked at the review page on this website and did not see a review by Pascoe among the 42 written. Take another look on this website

 

[Phil Herring]

There are 40+ reviews of the boat here:

http://hunter.sailboatowners.com/reviews.php?mid=18&model=28

Reading all or most of those will help diffuse the opinions of any one owner.

 

[Jackdaw]

He's referring of course to the review posted on-line some time back by Mr Pascoe, who is a well known Marine Surveyor.

http://www.yachtsurvey.com/boatreviews/hunter28.htm

Mr Pascoe takes a rather harsh view of the boat; a lot of attention focused on the typical trait of Hunter trying to cram a lot into their boats. This probably does show up worst in 28-ish footers; the very small end of the fully equipped cruiser range.

In general you can expect outside reviews to be more critical than owner reviews; after all the owners had thought enough of any particular boat to buy it in the first place!

 

[Meriachee]

Mr Pascoe seems to dislike the product.
Given the penchant towards litigation with our neighbors to the south, I'm surprised he didn't get his posterior sued off for it.

 

[Terry Cox]

We purchased a 1989 H28 in 1999, our first. Cruised her for three years before purchasing our current boat. The family really like the boat. A bit tender, well built, and most amenities needed for short cruises (two weeks maximum). Hunter did a good job with this boat. Private aft double berth, private head and hot and cold pressure fresh water system. Ours also came with a Wallas forced air kerosene furnace that helped extend our cruising season. Did a nice job heating the cabin during those cold evenings.

The two burner alcohol stove worked well for cooking; no oven, however. A large cooler had room at the bottom for blocks of ice that kept our perishables cold for several days.

A nice step up from your current boat and an adequate size for a live aboard. Have a surveyor check the boat. Our surveyor gave the H28 high marks.

Feel free to pose any other questions. We would purchase another H28. No regrets here.

 

[Sailgunner]

I had a 91 30T and really like that vintage boat. The holding tanks all needed to be replaced so make sure that has happened. A friend of mine had a 28 and as I recall he had to cut the old tank out - quite a project. Other than that they are nice boats. I would go for the 30 rather than the 28 as there is a lot more there and the cost shouldn't be much different now. Good luck.

 

[Phil Herring]

In general you can expect outside reviews to be more critical than owner reviews; after all owners had thought enough of any particulate boat to buy it in the first place!

Agreed. With a surveyor review, you're going to get a critique of the boat against a specified standard. With an owner review, you're going to get a real-world look at what doesn't work. True, there is a bias as the owner thought enough of the boat to buy one, but presumably, they've also used the boat long enough to build up some frustration with its failures. Both have value in different ways.

 

[sdstef]

Thanks to all of you who have replied about the H 28. I am going for it! This will be my first sailboat with a diesel inboard and all the usual stuff like holding tanks, hot water heater and so forth. I will need to replace some electronics and add a few other items. This boat comes with a road trailer, but I will be keeping it at the lake during the off season. Thanks again!

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Over the years I have watched surveyors with various degrees of experience as to their reports or discussions with their clients about many different brands of sailboats. I recall one involving a Hunter 44 wherein the surveyor advised the boat was not built well contributing to the damage. I looked at the surveyor and reminded him of the concrete, rebarb, coral, etc. embedded in the keel and hull which showed signs of the owner running aground at high speed and so on with part of the keel separated from the hull not to mention that a third of the rudder was missing. Then I pointed out that there were over 50 bottles of liquor all opened at one time or another. I also pointed out that the owner felt removing fishing tackle caught in the rigging came under warranty. I walked away. I later learned the surveyor never liked Hunter. I sent Hunter a detailed report with photos as to the damage and the hull and rudder based on experience when handling insurance claims. I recommended that the warranty be denied from that point due to the extensive damage and they agreed.