I was showing some friends my marina Sunday, and we were looking at a newer Hunter 41. There was a guy on a neighboring boat looking at us like we were suspect, so I told him that I was just "an older Hunter owner looking at a newer Hunter". He replied with "My condolences!". I have seen this attitude before, and I would like to know what the history/justification is. I know my 81' H30 isn't the nicest boat in the world, but I think it does it's job (day sailing in the harbor and bay) pretty well. What gives?
- Status
Something to be Jealous About!
Perhaps a boat with great looks, good value, solid performance and outstanding service gives more than one an opportunity to be jealous! What kind of boat was he on?
Perhaps a boat with great looks, good value, solid performance and outstanding service gives more than one an opportunity to be jealous! What kind of boat was he on?
I have heard that in the early 70s
Hunter-Luhrs was taken over by AMF,Remember the AMF Pacer or who could ever forget the Gremlin? They also took over Harley Davidson and almost bankrupted them for ever. Harley Davidson's where made real cheaply at that time! AMF no longer produces cars, Harley Davidson took Harley back and saved their rep, Hunter-Luhrs marine did the same but I don't think they spent much time-money revamping their product name, so it has just kind of stuck with some people. Below is how Slickcraft describes its AMF past. "In 1969, Leon sold Slickcraft to the AMF Corporation. He stayed on as President to head up three AMF companies (including Slickcraft), but eventually realized that the large corporation's business principles did not match his own and left after four years." This Leon Guy left and started S2 Yachts, pretty damn good boat. Hunter-Luhrs must have been one of the other two companies he ran. Hunter has nothing about this past on any of their websites.
Hunter-Luhrs was taken over by AMF,Remember the AMF Pacer or who could ever forget the Gremlin? They also took over Harley Davidson and almost bankrupted them for ever. Harley Davidson's where made real cheaply at that time! AMF no longer produces cars, Harley Davidson took Harley back and saved their rep, Hunter-Luhrs marine did the same but I don't think they spent much time-money revamping their product name, so it has just kind of stuck with some people. Below is how Slickcraft describes its AMF past. "In 1969, Leon sold Slickcraft to the AMF Corporation. He stayed on as President to head up three AMF companies (including Slickcraft), but eventually realized that the large corporation's business principles did not match his own and left after four years." This Leon Guy left and started S2 Yachts, pretty damn good boat. Hunter-Luhrs must have been one of the other two companies he ran. Hunter has nothing about this past on any of their websites.
When you want to sound salty...
...you criticize Hunters (and Catalinas, and Beneteaus, etc.) If you're really salty, you'll argue that a blister-infested Valiant 32 with the cabin rails rotting away is a much better boat than a newer Hunter of about the same size. I just sail my boat, I don't give a @#$ what anyone else thinks about it.
...you criticize Hunters (and Catalinas, and Beneteaus, etc.) If you're really salty, you'll argue that a blister-infested Valiant 32 with the cabin rails rotting away is a much better boat than a newer Hunter of about the same size. I just sail my boat, I don't give a @#$ what anyone else thinks about it.
Over on the CWBB you will find the same thing.
I think they expect everyone to buy a boat that can go around the world, when all I want to do is some easy costal cruising.
I think they expect everyone to buy a boat that can go around the world, when all I want to do is some easy costal cruising.
hunter great boat and service for the money
I am the 2nd owner of a passage 42 1992 We intend to cruise the Caribbean starting in 04. I have had the boat for two years and am totally happy with the roominess,the service from hunter corp. the quality and vast amount of extras that came standard on the boat,the way she sails to weather and her displacement is the same as many so called bluewater boats. Is she squirrly in big water? You bet! I have sailed a 40 ft Beneteau in the Pacific in really huge confused seas and she held up very well. Since all these snobs like to lump benehuntalinas together then I guess you can say hunter will come thru fine also. I can tell you ,you will never find more room and standard luxury items on a boat for the money with any other boat builder. And do not get me started on brightwork. Who needs it.
I am the 2nd owner of a passage 42 1992 We intend to cruise the Caribbean starting in 04. I have had the boat for two years and am totally happy with the roominess,the service from hunter corp. the quality and vast amount of extras that came standard on the boat,the way she sails to weather and her displacement is the same as many so called bluewater boats. Is she squirrly in big water? You bet! I have sailed a 40 ft Beneteau in the Pacific in really huge confused seas and she held up very well. Since all these snobs like to lump benehuntalinas together then I guess you can say hunter will come thru fine also. I can tell you ,you will never find more room and standard luxury items on a boat for the money with any other boat builder. And do not get me started on brightwork. Who needs it.
Big step up from what we started with
WARNING - Personal Opinions Below - Read at Own Risk We sailed a 1976 26 foot Clipper Marine for 18 years. We loved it and it did the job but it sure lacked a lot of amenities. We bought our 1987 Hunter 31 3 years ago and felt like we were in the lap of luxury. Yeh, there are nicer boats but if we waited until we could afford one of those, we would never have gotten a bigger boat. In the meantime, we have great cruises around Lake Michigan and feel comfortable and safe. I have been over our boat with a fine tooth comb. It is well built, even if the skantlings aren't as sturdy as a Pacific Seacraft. It has good systems, even if they aren't built with the redundancy of a Caliber. It has many fans, even if they are not as blindly devoted as Island Packet lovers (who have driven their prices far out of sight). I have to say I am not wild about current models of Hunters. I HATE the arch. I much prefer my metal gunnel strip with all the handy holes to attach stuff to. The current rub rail looks cheap. And Hunter needs to hire a pure design person who would make them use the same shape ports everywhere, like Tarten. If I were to buy a new boat, it would probably be a Catalina, but not because I think it is a better boat. I prefer masthead rigged jibs to Hunter's 7/8ths. I prefer positive stays to the B&R rig. I guess I'm just old-fashioned. We don't race seriously, just cruise. But we'll never buy another boat. This size is perfect for a couple to handle and we are adding small things to increase comfort and convenience. It came with dodger and bimini and we added Bottomsider cushions for the cockpit. It had lazy jacks and boom vang. We added a Boomkicker and removed the topping lift. It had marginal instruments which we replaced up and down with Raytheon ST60s and added a Garmin chartplotter. I really began to appreciate the Yanmar 20GM2F engine after I attended a Mack Boring class.It is the epitome of simplicity and ease of operation. The only thing I don't like about Catalinas is the Westerbeke's they used to use. Now that they install Yanmars I'm hooked. My personal opinion is that it is just as bad to buy too much boat as to buy too little. If money was no object, I might do things differently, but for us money is ALWAYS a factor. People who bash Hunters don't KNOW Hunters like we do and are just showing their ignorance. Lots fewer people would be sailing bigger boats if it weren't for Hunter and Catalina. I am prejudiced against Beneteau because of their country of origin.
WARNING - Personal Opinions Below - Read at Own Risk We sailed a 1976 26 foot Clipper Marine for 18 years. We loved it and it did the job but it sure lacked a lot of amenities. We bought our 1987 Hunter 31 3 years ago and felt like we were in the lap of luxury. Yeh, there are nicer boats but if we waited until we could afford one of those, we would never have gotten a bigger boat. In the meantime, we have great cruises around Lake Michigan and feel comfortable and safe. I have been over our boat with a fine tooth comb. It is well built, even if the skantlings aren't as sturdy as a Pacific Seacraft. It has good systems, even if they aren't built with the redundancy of a Caliber. It has many fans, even if they are not as blindly devoted as Island Packet lovers (who have driven their prices far out of sight). I have to say I am not wild about current models of Hunters. I HATE the arch. I much prefer my metal gunnel strip with all the handy holes to attach stuff to. The current rub rail looks cheap. And Hunter needs to hire a pure design person who would make them use the same shape ports everywhere, like Tarten. If I were to buy a new boat, it would probably be a Catalina, but not because I think it is a better boat. I prefer masthead rigged jibs to Hunter's 7/8ths. I prefer positive stays to the B&R rig. I guess I'm just old-fashioned. We don't race seriously, just cruise. But we'll never buy another boat. This size is perfect for a couple to handle and we are adding small things to increase comfort and convenience. It came with dodger and bimini and we added Bottomsider cushions for the cockpit. It had lazy jacks and boom vang. We added a Boomkicker and removed the topping lift. It had marginal instruments which we replaced up and down with Raytheon ST60s and added a Garmin chartplotter. I really began to appreciate the Yanmar 20GM2F engine after I attended a Mack Boring class.It is the epitome of simplicity and ease of operation. The only thing I don't like about Catalinas is the Westerbeke's they used to use. Now that they install Yanmars I'm hooked. My personal opinion is that it is just as bad to buy too much boat as to buy too little. If money was no object, I might do things differently, but for us money is ALWAYS a factor. People who bash Hunters don't KNOW Hunters like we do and are just showing their ignorance. Lots fewer people would be sailing bigger boats if it weren't for Hunter and Catalina. I am prejudiced against Beneteau because of their country of origin.
Thanks for the update!
Thanks for all the info! As for the boat he was on, he told me the manufacturer, but I didn't recognize it, so I can't remember it. It was an older boat though. It looked like a 60's or early 70's design. I know companies like Moody make more Blue water capable yachts than Hunter, but not everybody has $500K to spend on a boat, and, as for me personally, I don't want to make an ocean passage in ANYBODY's 40 footer! It is interesting that Hunter, Beneteau, and Catalina get lumped together, as they (with O-day) seem to make up the majority of the boats I see. Hopefully, I will find someone who can't stand the thought of owning a Catalina 400 or Hunter 40 footer one day, and will sell it to me cheap! Thanks again!
Thanks for all the info! As for the boat he was on, he told me the manufacturer, but I didn't recognize it, so I can't remember it. It was an older boat though. It looked like a 60's or early 70's design. I know companies like Moody make more Blue water capable yachts than Hunter, but not everybody has $500K to spend on a boat, and, as for me personally, I don't want to make an ocean passage in ANYBODY's 40 footer! It is interesting that Hunter, Beneteau, and Catalina get lumped together, as they (with O-day) seem to make up the majority of the boats I see. Hopefully, I will find someone who can't stand the thought of owning a Catalina 400 or Hunter 40 footer one day, and will sell it to me cheap! Thanks again!
It all apparently goes back to the 70's
Back in the days of the oil crisis, a lot of sailboat manufacturers (including Hunter, from what I understand) "skimped" on the gelcoat, so, consequently, there were a lot of problems with stress cracking, gelcoat blistering, crazing etc. My last boat was an '82 h27 and it was a wonderful boat. My current boat is a 29.5 and I love it. Everybody has an opinion...I have friends who will touch nothing but Catalina's, and other friends who have stayed with Oday's. They're all nice boats for the money. I like Hunters best...though I do miss the toe rail...
Back in the days of the oil crisis, a lot of sailboat manufacturers (including Hunter, from what I understand) "skimped" on the gelcoat, so, consequently, there were a lot of problems with stress cracking, gelcoat blistering, crazing etc. My last boat was an '82 h27 and it was a wonderful boat. My current boat is a 29.5 and I love it. Everybody has an opinion...I have friends who will touch nothing but Catalina's, and other friends who have stayed with Oday's. They're all nice boats for the money. I like Hunters best...though I do miss the toe rail...
Consider this...
I've had a Catalina and a Hunter, and I think it's fair to say Hunter sets the trend for style and innovation, only to be copied by Catalina. Yet Catalina never quite captures the lines or the efficiency, always looking just a bit too boxy.
I've had a Catalina and a Hunter, and I think it's fair to say Hunter sets the trend for style and innovation, only to be copied by Catalina. Yet Catalina never quite captures the lines or the efficiency, always looking just a bit too boxy.
Tell him straight
We do down under with a phrase like this. "What part of F#@% off don't you understand"
We do down under with a phrase like this. "What part of F#@% off don't you understand"
I'm on my first sailboat...
a '79 h33. For $9,000 I motored away from the dock and was soon sailing up the Chesapeake. After many enjoyable hours of updating maintenance neglected over the past 20 years we christened the new interior this past weekend and thoroughly enjoy our Hunter. Would I buy another when I'm ready? You bet. And I would like to add whenever I have called Hunter about a question on a product they sold over 23 years ago I have always received a polite and accurate suggestion or response. I thank them for making sailing affordable for my family.
a '79 h33. For $9,000 I motored away from the dock and was soon sailing up the Chesapeake. After many enjoyable hours of updating maintenance neglected over the past 20 years we christened the new interior this past weekend and thoroughly enjoy our Hunter. Would I buy another when I'm ready? You bet. And I would like to add whenever I have called Hunter about a question on a product they sold over 23 years ago I have always received a polite and accurate suggestion or response. I thank them for making sailing affordable for my family.
Opinions are like belly buttons....
And I have one too. I love my Hunter-33, 1982 model which I purchased new and still own her today.. this boat seems better than ever. We just completed a week at anchor for vacation. Had some bad weather, one storm was recorded on wind instrument at 50 mph top wind, steady at 30 for almost an hour. Freebird did great, next storm topped out at 60 mph and Freebird still did great, our dingy bit the big one twice, sank, lost mast and dagger board, but our Hunter did not leak a drop and I never felt safer. What can I say, I love this boat. So, someone with a Swan wants to look down on my Hunter, that's ok, they paid a price for that privilege.
And I have one too. I love my Hunter-33, 1982 model which I purchased new and still own her today.. this boat seems better than ever. We just completed a week at anchor for vacation. Had some bad weather, one storm was recorded on wind instrument at 50 mph top wind, steady at 30 for almost an hour. Freebird did great, next storm topped out at 60 mph and Freebird still did great, our dingy bit the big one twice, sank, lost mast and dagger board, but our Hunter did not leak a drop and I never felt safer. What can I say, I love this boat. So, someone with a Swan wants to look down on my Hunter, that's ok, they paid a price for that privilege.
Another belly.., er' opinion.
The bad raps are not all without merit I hate to say. There are some statistics that support the quality concerns. The one that sticks in my mind is the average number of commissioning problems, all boats(10+) versus new Hunters(20+). I attribute that to quantity over quality. Hunters are extremely popular despite what some think and say. This, I believe, has overworked the facility causing a lot of shortcuts to be taken. QC is missing things that the new owner is having to discover. Most of the time these things are minor. But losing a mast because the chainplate was incorrectly installed is not.
The bad raps are not all without merit I hate to say. There are some statistics that support the quality concerns. The one that sticks in my mind is the average number of commissioning problems, all boats(10+) versus new Hunters(20+). I attribute that to quantity over quality. Hunters are extremely popular despite what some think and say. This, I believe, has overworked the facility causing a lot of shortcuts to be taken. QC is missing things that the new owner is having to discover. Most of the time these things are minor. But losing a mast because the chainplate was incorrectly installed is not.
Ed has a point, HOWEVER
I have a personal philosophy of never buying a boat brand new. Even if it is only 2 years old, at least your typical commissioning issues have been addressed and hopefully corrected.
I have a personal philosophy of never buying a boat brand new. Even if it is only 2 years old, at least your typical commissioning issues have been addressed and hopefully corrected.
hunter haters dont sail
when im out cruising on my 35.5 i have never meet another cruiser that gave a second thought to the fact that my boat was a hunter(having to much fun to care),usually you will only find that attitude at the docks from boat owner that rarely leave the marina.
when im out cruising on my 35.5 i have never meet another cruiser that gave a second thought to the fact that my boat was a hunter(having to much fun to care),usually you will only find that attitude at the docks from boat owner that rarely leave the marina.
Hunter is a "Liner Boat"
When we were boat shopping in the late '80s the "other" dealers would say Hunter is a "liner boat". Most boats built then used bulkheads and structural members that were hand glassed in where as Hunter had a number of fiberglass liners like a pan for the bilge and one for the inside of the coach roof. Structurally, the pan liner seems like a good idea because there are longitudinal and transverse structural beams. The problem is there are voids that can't be reached and the pan liner only works well when it is properly glassed to the hull. The coach roof liner is, to me, the worst thing because there is no way to tell where the water leaks are coming from. Another drawback is you generally can't access the hardware fasteners from the inside of the boat. With coach roof winches Hunter puts in an access panel but that’s about it. The handrail screws, turning block bolts, etc. are not accessible from under the coach roof. The new Hunters are starting to use removable liners, which, if the Velcro holds up (or what ever they use) should be an improvement. Maybe a person can follow the wires now. The deck-hull joint was another place for finger pointing and so were the "plastic" fuel/water/waste holding tanks. Frankly, we lucked out in the tank department as we've never had a problem with our "plastic" tanks. For me the water leaks from around skylights and ports was a major issue which I took care of personally due to lack of support from Hunter. Another class of boat at that time that was common for dealers to point fingers at were the Taiwan built boats. Some of these were really good and some were not. Some Hunter models have issues that are more significant than others, but probably every boat model has issues. Find out as much as you can and give it your best shot. The perfect-for-you boat probably doesn't exist so compromise the best you can and enjoy what you get.
When we were boat shopping in the late '80s the "other" dealers would say Hunter is a "liner boat". Most boats built then used bulkheads and structural members that were hand glassed in where as Hunter had a number of fiberglass liners like a pan for the bilge and one for the inside of the coach roof. Structurally, the pan liner seems like a good idea because there are longitudinal and transverse structural beams. The problem is there are voids that can't be reached and the pan liner only works well when it is properly glassed to the hull. The coach roof liner is, to me, the worst thing because there is no way to tell where the water leaks are coming from. Another drawback is you generally can't access the hardware fasteners from the inside of the boat. With coach roof winches Hunter puts in an access panel but that’s about it. The handrail screws, turning block bolts, etc. are not accessible from under the coach roof. The new Hunters are starting to use removable liners, which, if the Velcro holds up (or what ever they use) should be an improvement. Maybe a person can follow the wires now. The deck-hull joint was another place for finger pointing and so were the "plastic" fuel/water/waste holding tanks. Frankly, we lucked out in the tank department as we've never had a problem with our "plastic" tanks. For me the water leaks from around skylights and ports was a major issue which I took care of personally due to lack of support from Hunter. Another class of boat at that time that was common for dealers to point fingers at were the Taiwan built boats. Some of these were really good and some were not. Some Hunter models have issues that are more significant than others, but probably every boat model has issues. Find out as much as you can and give it your best shot. The perfect-for-you boat probably doesn't exist so compromise the best you can and enjoy what you get.
Mark AMF was not AMC
I typically stay away from this topic, however I just read Marks reply and wanted to clarify something. AMC or American Motors Corp was the manufacture and designer of the Pacer and Gremlin, they were headquartered in Southfield MI AMF was a conglomerate during the same time and bought Harley Davidson, Brunswick, Sunfish and others. Don't know if they ever owned Hunter. (everyone did better after they were sold by AMF) Russell
I typically stay away from this topic, however I just read Marks reply and wanted to clarify something. AMC or American Motors Corp was the manufacture and designer of the Pacer and Gremlin, they were headquartered in Southfield MI AMF was a conglomerate during the same time and bought Harley Davidson, Brunswick, Sunfish and others. Don't know if they ever owned Hunter. (everyone did better after they were sold by AMF) Russell
- Status