Hunter 295 - What do I need to know?

[painthappy]

I currently own an old Tanzer 26 from 1975... She's a good boat and was my first large boat to practice on.

There's a good condition Hunter 295 for sale at my marina and I'm thinking of upgrading to that.

The long term solution is this: Keep it at the lake for one more season and then move it over to Cape Cod and sail the bay side to start dipping my toes into the ocean sailing. This Hunter 295 will be my stepping stone to my dream boat that I'll purchase 6 to 8 years down the road.

While the 295 doesn't have the ideal layout and I'd prefer something in the mid 30' range, I think this makes a bit more sense right now. It's just myself, my wife, and my daughter so the 295 layout will work.

Will this boat work for what I'm thinking about or should I be looking at something different? I like the Hunters for their geometry, size, and overall layout.

Thanks in advance everyone!


Carter

 

[Dave602]

Love our 29.5. We've had her about 5yrs and It really has lots of room and is fun to sail. She is really seems like a bigger boat than what she is. Also tons of storage. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have.

 

[chriscycles]

I've narrowed my search down to a Hunter 29.5. I'm glad I've seen overwhelmingly positive reviews on it.

 

[Daddio]

We just finished our first season with our '96 29.5. We absolutely love it. Easy to sail, tons of room up and down. The horseshoe layout is great for entertaining. Can't say anything bad. The only thing I would like is the winches at the sides of the cockpit. Our boat does not have them but it is on the list of things to buy for the boat. If you have more questions let me know.

 

[ScottsHunter306]

When I transported my 306 the arch was also removed, I highly recommend pro help with removing and reattaching if required.

 

[bobby g]

Call me at 609-617-1103

 

[Sailm8]

We are doing just what you are planning to do only on Charlotte Harbor in Florida. The PO set the boat up with a furling main which we really love. We have spent as much as 2 weeks with another couple cruising the West Coast of FL. My wife and I have spent a month cruising without feeling cramped. We have had as many as 8 for dinner on board. Our boat seems to end up the party boat because of our large cockpit. (Or it could be my single malt supply)

The boat is very easy to handle under power. It turns in its own length and backs with very little prop walk. I wish I could fit a big genoa since we get a lot of light air days. I wish the shrouds were further out board so going forward was easier. I have a cabintop mounted traveler so the cockpit is very open. The tankage is very large for a boat this size with 40 gal water, 20 fuel, and 20 waste. We can go 6 days without rationing water and use about .5 gal/hr cruising at 2800 RPM.

We replaced the Jabsco head with a Raritan from this site and have had no problems with the head since. The hatches (head and galley) leak and I cannot find either the gaskets or replacement parts for them. I'm going to bite the bullet and replace them this summer. I also need to replace the big windshield since it is badly crazed.

We have been through many storms both sailing and at anchor and have felt safe and confident in the boat. We once were herded by the Navy out into the Gulf Stream against a North wind and experienced the biggest waves I have ever seen. The boat did fine we were the ones freaked.

We would like more storage but get by using the Vee berth in the winter and the aft berth in the summer for storage tubs. The boat has A/C and refrigeration so many of the normal storage spaces are used up.

Ask if you need more info.