They have discontinued their 240 and 260 for a short keel/centerboard combination in their new 25 and 27 models. Does anyone know the reason or would care to comment or speculate on it. Could it be liability? An improperly operated water ballast boat can be very dangerous. And we know there is a few out there that need all the help they can get. Could it be maintenance? Are the valves and the system prone to leaks and failures. I have always considered the short keel/ center board combination to be a superior design for trailerable boats. Has Hunter just seen the light?
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None of the above
The reason I was told was the production cost of the 240 and the 260 were prohibitive. My 260 is now conming up to 5 years old and I have never regretted for one moment buying her. Hunter service has been outstanding for the few "minor" items that needed attention. She sails really well and the accomodation is fantastic. Mind you I deliver yachts all over the place for a living ranging from 25 footers to 70 foot cruisers. I do enjoy getting back to my little pocket cruiser!
The reason I was told was the production cost of the 240 and the 260 were prohibitive. My 260 is now conming up to 5 years old and I have never regretted for one moment buying her. Hunter service has been outstanding for the few "minor" items that needed attention. She sails really well and the accomodation is fantastic. Mind you I deliver yachts all over the place for a living ranging from 25 footers to 70 foot cruisers. I do enjoy getting back to my little pocket cruiser!
None of the above
The reason I was told was the production cost of the 240 and the 260 were prohibitive. My 260 is now conming up to 5 years old and I have never regretted for one moment buying her. Hunter service has been outstanding for the few "minor" items that needed attention. She sails really well and the accomodation is fantastic. Mind you I deliver yachts all over the place for a living ranging from 25 footers to 70 foot cruisers. I do enjoy getting back to my little pocket cruiser!
The reason I was told was the production cost of the 240 and the 260 were prohibitive. My 260 is now conming up to 5 years old and I have never regretted for one moment buying her. Hunter service has been outstanding for the few "minor" items that needed attention. She sails really well and the accomodation is fantastic. Mind you I deliver yachts all over the place for a living ranging from 25 footers to 70 foot cruisers. I do enjoy getting back to my little pocket cruiser!
Agree with Mark
I had spoken to some of the Hunter reps and they all said it was production and cost to build these boats. Or you can say "There was very little profit margin". I really liked my H260 while I had it and it fills a nich in the market that is hard to beat. Lots of size, fun to sail and you can take it just about anywhere on the road. Jim S/V Java
I had spoken to some of the Hunter reps and they all said it was production and cost to build these boats. Or you can say "There was very little profit margin". I really liked my H260 while I had it and it fills a nich in the market that is hard to beat. Lots of size, fun to sail and you can take it just about anywhere on the road. Jim S/V Java
Cost to mfg and new buyer perception
I know I thought twice about the intelligence of adding water to a boat to make it more stable. What I discovered as an incorrect assumption was already known by many who have enjoyed the flexability that these great trailerable designs offer. The WB quandry is still a bias that many Keel/cntr board sailor(and perhaps the public) find difficult to grasp. Anybody know how many were made? The cost to design/mfg and properly seal in a 2000lb wtr tank, has to be tricky(oh yeah let's put a 6' swing keel in the middle of it too) and costly. combined with the very normal misunderstanding of it's stability by anyone expecting a 2 ton deep keel type stiffness gives it a real marketing challenge. I'd be curious to see how well the new (very)short keel boats point compared to the "old" WB swing keel boats. For us, the flexable abilities of the WB boats fit our demands perfectly so I'll miss any design enhancements the newer models might have brought. With a ragin' Red Tide currently in SW Fl I'm really happy it trailers easy. But I know too, that another boat waits for our next "must have" upgrade. When I'm too tired to pull one around it will probably be a keel boat tied to a dock somewhere. Aloha, Michael
I know I thought twice about the intelligence of adding water to a boat to make it more stable. What I discovered as an incorrect assumption was already known by many who have enjoyed the flexability that these great trailerable designs offer. The WB quandry is still a bias that many Keel/cntr board sailor(and perhaps the public) find difficult to grasp. Anybody know how many were made? The cost to design/mfg and properly seal in a 2000lb wtr tank, has to be tricky(oh yeah let's put a 6' swing keel in the middle of it too) and costly. combined with the very normal misunderstanding of it's stability by anyone expecting a 2 ton deep keel type stiffness gives it a real marketing challenge. I'd be curious to see how well the new (very)short keel boats point compared to the "old" WB swing keel boats. For us, the flexable abilities of the WB boats fit our demands perfectly so I'll miss any design enhancements the newer models might have brought. With a ragin' Red Tide currently in SW Fl I'm really happy it trailers easy. But I know too, that another boat waits for our next "must have" upgrade. When I'm too tired to pull one around it will probably be a keel boat tied to a dock somewhere. Aloha, Michael
Economics...
...of boat building favor larger boats - if you're a manufacturer. I think Jim's got it - no sense making two boats for sale to the same crowd. Split the difference, make one boat at that "price point," and hope you can steer the buyer up a few feet. They're such rascals. But we love our boats!
...of boat building favor larger boats - if you're a manufacturer. I think Jim's got it - no sense making two boats for sale to the same crowd. Split the difference, make one boat at that "price point," and hope you can steer the buyer up a few feet. They're such rascals. But we love our boats!
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