Hunter 45DS Pros and Cons

[Second Wind21298]

I would like to know more about how the Hunter 45DS owners like their boats. This web site does not have any owner reviews on the 45DS which is not good in my opinion. I had a 2007 Hunter 41DS and loved my boat and posted a good review of it. My wife had other ideas and seven years later, I am back to buying another Hunter since I think they are great boats. Has anyone had any issues with their 45 DS (sluggish performance in light winds -under 8 knots), visibility is not too good from the cockpit, creaking sounds possibly coming from bonded joints that were not fiberglassed properly or any other structural issues, engine or generator problems, mast issues besides the Selden recall issue, etc. ? Any help on the pros and cons of your 45DS's would be great to hear about before I buy one.

Thanks,

Ray Reinhardt

 

[rishackie]

I would also be interested in this topic. We are looking at a left over 2013 demo boat. None of the doors close properly and many of the floor covers over the various compartments below are very difficult to pull up. We heard they had been modified due to shrinkage. In talking to surveyors they mention a shift in the interior pan vs. the hull as one possibility of cabinetry fit issues. Kind of scarey. Most of the time they say the issue is improper rig tuning. Not too encouraging either. I was not aware of a Selden recall. I'll have to check that next.

 

[BrianH]

I pretty sure that the 45DS is the same boat as the 44DS with a split helm. I had the 44 and was very happy with the overall performance in light winds. Anything over 4 knots of wind was an enjoyable sail. It did pretty good in stinky weather too.

It did have a few creeks and groans that I was able to track down and correct.. Mostly what I found them to be were the cabinets and the way they set against the flooring. A little shimming, and/or slicing and I was able to eliminate them.

 

[Rick486]

I own a 44DS which is very similar to the 45DS and both share the identical hull. I have owned my boat for 7 years now and can honestly say the only issues I had were:
1. Several bilge deck covers groaned when walked on. Corrected at no cost by gluing shims under covers.
2. The o-ring on the port water tank fill was an incorrect size. Corrected for < $1.00 at local hardware store.

No kidding. Hunter builds a high quality product. She sails well and motors well. We motor past larger boats all the time.

I would recommend careful attention to maintenance on the Panda genset however. Mine has about 700 hrs with no problems but I know other guys who have had issues, expensive issues.