Hunter bashing

[Jared1048]

I'm getting tired of people bashing on Hunters. Seems to be the racing folk who are the most critical and usually these are people that don't even have their own boat! So what if you crew on a j boat with carbon sails. Its not your boat so it doesn't give you the rights to even enter the conversation. Cruisers are a more friendly group and seem to be happier. I don't think I've yet to have a snide remark from one yet and most are positive.

Where do these feelings come from? Yeah the compression post is !@#$ but so are other deck stepped masts. The problems are not limited to hunters.

Maybe its the production numbers. If there 10,000 Hunter 31's and only 50 swans your going to hear a lot more problems with Hunters based on the numbers alone.

anyways...rant over...

 

[dehler25]

I've always found the bashing interesting and it seems to be a bash against production boats in general. Like yourself I would much rather be out happily sailing on a quality production boat that would take me anywhere I choose to go then hitchhiking a ride for another round the buoys race on someones Oyster. Sure, there is a difference in builds of different boats, but not so much that I would pay the price. I have very nice cars and not one says Bentley on the nose.

 

[Steve Dion]

All boats have issues. Like you mentioned the more they make the larger the number of problems may occur.

I don't remember this ever happening to a Hunter, Catalina, Beneteau etc on this site but never say never.

Well those J boats, that may be a little different.

http://www.j24class.org/news/keel-bolt-maintenance-bulletin/

 

[Rick D]

Yea, Less Hunter Bashing Now...

It did tend to come from racers. And, as you note, lots of it was from big-mouthed wanna be boat owners and some arm-chair cruisers. I race. Just placed second on elapsed and third on corrected in the 66th Newport Beach to Ensenada, Mexico race (in class of course). A lot less bashing these days. Lots of Hunters racing altho most in Cruising classes. Not a lot of Hunters with $20K of Kevlar sails, but a few. The older 40's are hot rods. I rate the same as a Catalina 42 which ticks me off but time has proven to be accurate. Things change over time. I had my Vision 32 for 9 years and am on my 14th on my 40.5.

Edit to add: 8 years of N2E races, one first and four seconds (plus this third).

 

[kloudie1]

I have had folks aboard who have the "builder" boats.. After spending a few days aboard my boat, every one remarked how well the boat sailed and how she was pretty quick and how everything worked and how dry the boat is inside.. I have sailed a good bit on their boats too and they are good boats but every one had things like a sink that would not drain on port tack.. or a perpetually leaking chainplate .. Hatches that weren't properly installed at the builder.. Plumbing from the head that necked down to 1" at the thru hull, virtually guaranteeing a plug every few days..
Every boat has its good and bad things.. every design has compromises .. The trick is to select a boat that suits you and your needs, and don't worry about what the other guy is sailing if your boat makes you happy.. Folks that bash Hunters usually are ignorant of the facts about the boat.. (rant over)

 

[Stu Jackson]

CHILL.

Hunter-bashing only shows how stupid the guy saying it is.

Work with that.

 

[Kite Runner]

As a proud Hunter owner I can guarantee that 95% of us Hunter owners enjoy the union of all sailors no matter what make or size of their boat...the sailing community is a great community to be a part of. Don't let the snobs annoy you...they are a very small and insignificant minority that annoy the auto, motorcycle owner communities too!

If, you ever encounter a sailing snob, I suggest you turn your head to the opposite side where you will meet a fellow sailor who truly enjoys the merits of sailing...they're all over my marina and all the hot spots I sail to.

Now, if we could just do something about those motor boats owners.

 

[Mikem]

I've heard some of that in the past. To one "basher" I asked what kind of a car he drove and when he replied Chevy or Ford or whatever I asked him why he didn't drive a Rolls Royce. To another I asked him to describe his boat. He didn't have one. Both cases, end of bashing.

Enjoy your boat and encourage others to enjoy theirs.

 

[FourPoints]

Learned a new term from the bartender last night. The restaurant/bar is the only one that as dock space, and is frequented by these professional OPB Sailors. The bartender informed us they are known as MGA's amongst bartenders world wide...

For those who haven't guesses yet, it stands for Mound Gay *******s.

 

[Scotty C-M]

I grew up sailing, and there were always some guy being snotty about someone's boat. My Dad told me ..."Never make fun of another man's (woman's) dream."

 

[JK_Boston_Catalina310]

I have to confess I am not a big Hunter fan. It really comes down to two main design features on the later models: the hull to deck joint and the rig with no backstay.

A lot of the bashing I hear of Hunter has to build quality during certain years. You can hear the same about Catalinas. I think people forget how lean boat building got for a period. For both of these companies, Hunter and Catalina, to have survived while 70-90% of their competitors went out of business was no small accident. They had to cut cost and keep the price of boats reasonable. Sometimes that resulted in an inferior product but that was all anyone could afford anyways. Once the market turned around and they were still in business the quality of the build went back up.

And on the design issues that I don't personally like, I was recently discussing the rig with a couple of friends and fellow sailors. When I mentioned my concern both felt it was unneeded. One sails a Freedom, no stays at all, and the other has been sailing catamarans for over 30 years, many cats have the same set up. We came to the conclusion that I didn't like the rig simply because it was different than what I was used to, than my image of what a sailboat should be. I had no evidence or research to support my opinion on the lack of a backstay.

My point is Hunter takes risks and does things that are not traditional and that is another reason why they tend to get bashed. But that should be a good thing. We want innovation.

 

[FourPoints]

The only reason I feel they get that reputation is that they A) make frequent design changes that prevent any one design type competitive club races, and B) they clearly gear their boats towards cruising, and often don't even consider things like phrf rules and ratings when designing the boat, so they are not as competitive since they are not tweaked to get the most favorable rating at the expense of comfort.

Personally, and as a Hunter owner, I don't like the styling of most of them in the last 20years, but a few, like the one I own, I really like.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

While introducing the Hunter water ballasted sailboats, I got alot of interesting stares and comments some of which came from folks well known which I will not mention their names. Yet, years later, they are still going strong and the 260 for example is well sought after. Kloudie1 hit it on the nailhead to find the boat that serves your puropose and needs.

I would tell the water ballast Hunters were designed for the ease of trailering. At one ramp, one fellow with a well known racer with fixed fin keel was loading up his boat and eventually take the mast down while I was beside him arriving at the same time. I got the Hunter 26 on the trailer, mast down and tied off ready to leave. I went back to the other boat and helped the fellow get his boat onto the trailer and since he was by himself, helped him to get the mast down. I never said anything but he had kind remarks on how easy everything was. Funny thing, years later, he bought a Hunter 260 and still has it.

Most of you should remember that racers only compromise maybe 5% of the fleet. Since the J 24 was mentioned, I use to take a stock Hunter 26 and 260 at Smith Mt. Lake when demonstrating to new customers and everytime, I would surpass those boats in a race even with them using spinnakers. Alot had to do with knowledge of the boat and area plus what I always preached never heel so bloomin far over using the sail control of either spilling or reducing or a combinattion thereof.

One time a well known racer who bashed the smaller Hunters, after beating him in two races with him on larger boats, he was not only shocked but not willing to congratulate me on the wins. The third time he started to brag, I walked over to Steve and said to him, you want to race betting him $1,000 further stating put up or shut up. He shut up.

As a salesman, I have always instructed salesmen never to bash the competition but merely show what your product can do. I ignored all the bashers and kept on.

crazy dave condon

 

[Claude L.-Auger]

The problem with this thread is that most bashers don't read it ! So all of us who have owned and enjoyed Hunters for years can speak until we're blue in the face it will not stop the bashing. I've had my 34 since Spring of 2000 and logged over 18000 miles mostly singlehanded in those years. Is my boat perfect ? Heck no ! Is it perfect for me ? You bet ! Affordable and easy to sail, I can still enjoy her as much as I can while those naysayers are still wondering when they'll be on the water next and with whom ! I know very well that all boats are compromises, but Kloudie is right: if you find the one that satisfies you, you learn to appreciate her in spite of the areas that are not as perfect as you'd like them to be. And I do join Stu in his appreciation of the bashers.

 

[Steve Dion]

"B) they clearly gear their boats towards cruising, and often don't even consider things like phrf rules and ratings when designing the boat, so they are not as competitive since they are not tweaked to get the most favorable rating at the expense of comfort."

Interesting comment! Mr Rick Dinon normally places in the top three each year in the Newport to Ensenada race each year. I wonder what he thinks about his "non-competitive vessel". :dance:

 

[Jackdaw]

Interesting comment! Mr Rick Dinon normally places in the top three each year in the Newport to Ensenada race each year. I wonder what he thinks about his "non-competitive vessel". :dance:

I've got a ton of admiration for Hunter in general. They have survived by understanding their market, and taking care of their customers. Lots of so-called better boat builders have gone away by not understanding that.

 

[FourPoints]

"B) they clearly gear their boats towards cruising, and often don't even consider things like phrf rules and ratings when designing the boat, so they are not as competitive since they are not tweaked to get the most favorable rating at the expense of comfort."

Interesting comment! Mr Rick Dinon normally places in the top three each year in the Newport to Ensenada race each year. I wonder what he thinks about his "non-competitive vessel". :dance:

I mean they don't often get as competitive of a rating compared against boats of similar size, not that the boat cannot sail competitively.

 

[Scott B]

When we were looking for a boat, we checked out everything available in our price range. We were impressed by the Hunter's interior and the fact that I could stand at the helm and single-hand the boat.

Now, 6 seasons later, I can't hear all the nay-sayers about in-mast furling, Hunter Arch, B&R Rig, blah, blah, blah, because I'm having way too much fun out on the water and leave them all at the dock.

And when the winds are right, you take your lady to the dance, you lead and she follows..... ain't never gonna wipe that huge grin off my face.....

 

[centerline]

it isnt only a hunter boats that get bashed.... its usually any boat that is different than what some self righteous, uninformed jerk owns.

there is no reason to bash something that is different, or criticize someone else or their decision to own whatever they want. although, it is completely normal to notice the difference and be able to talk about it.... but some folks are too self centered to understand that others may have different likes, dislikes, requirements and pocketbooks than they have....

I think its good to be able to have options and make a choice, rather than being stuck with owning a boat that is someone else's design or opinion as being the ideal boat for everyone.

being out on the bay in a small, filthy little tub is infinitely better than standing on the shore wishing you could be out there.... I know, cuz I've been there and done that when I was a kid and remember it well.....

 

[Les]

Scott B, you are downright poetic. I like your style.