Hello to Hunter owners: I have been researching and looking into getting a sailboat. I am very partial to the hunter 29.5 for some of the different things it provides. There are some classes on sailing in my local area in a fresh water lake here in dallas. My timeframe is to buy a Hunter 29.5 in about 2 years so this will give me ample time to learn to sail, get out on a few crews and really understand what it takes to be a savy sailboat owner. Im joining the forum here to get some better understanding of sailing in general, some of the terms, pick up tips, some good books etc and get my research and sailing time in before doing the big buy. The idea is to be where I want financially in two years to buy one outright and pay maybe a years doc fees and possible maint up front and have the used boat prepped and good to go for some enjoyabe times without having to worry about anything. I am 41 with a family of 4 so I think the boat should be big enough and maneagable for 1-2 people although its going to be my project/hobby etc. So any tips for this newbie, what to look for, read, magazines to pick up etc. is greatly appreciated and I have an open mind to anything you guys can offer. Jules Dallas Texas
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Two things I recomend
Two things I would recomend to someone getting into sailing. Take a good sailing course. I did a one week course in Hilton Head with Offshore sailing school which was excellent. Then just buy the boat as soon as possible. You will start learning as soon as you own a boat. Try to get help from experienced sailors in your area with the same size or type of boat. They have a lot of information that will help you. Good luck.
Two things I would recomend to someone getting into sailing. Take a good sailing course. I did a one week course in Hilton Head with Offshore sailing school which was excellent. Then just buy the boat as soon as possible. You will start learning as soon as you own a boat. Try to get help from experienced sailors in your area with the same size or type of boat. They have a lot of information that will help you. Good luck.
In The Right Place
Jules, I have found that there is a lot of experience and knowledge on this board not to mention that some really great people hang out here. You'll learn a lot, I have. If you are new to sailing the local class will not only get you started but you will probably make some friends that already have boats who will invite you to sail and you will meet their friends who sail and well, you get the picture. I don't know how others here feel about this but I think if you can locate an older inexpensive dinghy in good repair it is a good idea. Fourteen to sixteen feet or so, get a member or two of the family involved, PFD them and go get wet. I think as a foundation the small boats give you a better understanding of what's going on and you'll find that with a small sailboat in a good breeze that things happen right now leaving little doubt about what takes place when you pull that sheet, push that tiller or fail to see that gust coming across the water. Just my 2 cents, welcome to sailing!
Jules, I have found that there is a lot of experience and knowledge on this board not to mention that some really great people hang out here. You'll learn a lot, I have. If you are new to sailing the local class will not only get you started but you will probably make some friends that already have boats who will invite you to sail and you will meet their friends who sail and well, you get the picture. I don't know how others here feel about this but I think if you can locate an older inexpensive dinghy in good repair it is a good idea. Fourteen to sixteen feet or so, get a member or two of the family involved, PFD them and go get wet. I think as a foundation the small boats give you a better understanding of what's going on and you'll find that with a small sailboat in a good breeze that things happen right now leaving little doubt about what takes place when you pull that sheet, push that tiller or fail to see that gust coming across the water. Just my 2 cents, welcome to sailing!
GO FOR IT
Hey Jules, I just bought a used 27ft hunter 1983, ive sailed before a long time ago. But im taking a class to refresh. This site is a wealth of knowledge. Personally i would not recommend buying your first boat brand new. The beauty of owning an old boat is that i have to fix everything, which means when i buy a new boat i will have the knowlegde of how everything works. Also if something happens touch wood, it wouldn"t be a huge financial loss. Also get a boat whatever size only you can really learn how to sail people can only teach you basics.
Hey Jules, I just bought a used 27ft hunter 1983, ive sailed before a long time ago. But im taking a class to refresh. This site is a wealth of knowledge. Personally i would not recommend buying your first boat brand new. The beauty of owning an old boat is that i have to fix everything, which means when i buy a new boat i will have the knowlegde of how everything works. Also if something happens touch wood, it wouldn"t be a huge financial loss. Also get a boat whatever size only you can really learn how to sail people can only teach you basics.
Chaptmans Piloting
Available at fine West Marine stores everywhere. It has everything you need to know about sailboating. Which ropes do what, how to dock, how to un-dock, emergencies, USCG requirements and the all important where to fly your club burgee and officer flags protocols ;-)
Available at fine West Marine stores everywhere. It has everything you need to know about sailboating. Which ropes do what, how to dock, how to un-dock, emergencies, USCG requirements and the all important where to fly your club burgee and officer flags protocols ;-)
You will find...
the 29.5 very easy to singlehand, but resist that and do everything you can to get the wife and kids involved. If they don't get involved and have fun out on the water sailing, you may just find yourself singlehanding more than you want!!! Two excellent and inexpensive books are the "text" books used for ASA 101-104 classes (American Sailing Assoc.). You could probably find them in a used book store or certainly on the internet used. They are 1) "Sailing Fundamentals" by Gary Jobson and 2) "Crusing Fundamentals" by Harry Munns. After that, "Chapman Piloting" is sort of a "bible" to lots of people. Personally, I'd say read as many of the books put out by the "old salts" like Slocum, Herreshoff, the Pardys, etc., etc. to get as much history of sailing and how the advancements have influenced it. Take your time and look at a LOT of boats before actually buying and try to sail on as many as you can.
the 29.5 very easy to singlehand, but resist that and do everything you can to get the wife and kids involved. If they don't get involved and have fun out on the water sailing, you may just find yourself singlehanding more than you want!!! Two excellent and inexpensive books are the "text" books used for ASA 101-104 classes (American Sailing Assoc.). You could probably find them in a used book store or certainly on the internet used. They are 1) "Sailing Fundamentals" by Gary Jobson and 2) "Crusing Fundamentals" by Harry Munns. After that, "Chapman Piloting" is sort of a "bible" to lots of people. Personally, I'd say read as many of the books put out by the "old salts" like Slocum, Herreshoff, the Pardys, etc., etc. to get as much history of sailing and how the advancements have influenced it. Take your time and look at a LOT of boats before actually buying and try to sail on as many as you can.
boat buy
sir, the 29.5 is alot of boat for a beginner,. i would suggest you find an entry level boat ,say a san juan 21,a catalina 22,HUNTER 21,22,23, or something similar. you should be able to find a boat of this stature in your area easily. buy it, learn to sail it on some smaller lakes,have a ball instead of waiting,. i had wanted a boat all my life[58 yrs so far]i finally bought ,quite impulsively once i saw it, an australian design rl24[RLYACHTS.NET]. I HAVE SPENT 3 YEARS SAILING IT WITH A FEW FRIENDS. I CAN SINGLE THIS BOAT, AS WELL AS SAIL CAMPING. YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SPEND 3 TO 4 K AND BE SET UP ADEQUATELY. I JUST FOUND A HUNTER 25.5,SHOUL KEEL, AND CANNOT WAIT TO GET IT IN THE WATER, AS SOON AS SPRING ARRIVES HERE IN SW MONTANA. GOOD LUCK
sir, the 29.5 is alot of boat for a beginner,. i would suggest you find an entry level boat ,say a san juan 21,a catalina 22,HUNTER 21,22,23, or something similar. you should be able to find a boat of this stature in your area easily. buy it, learn to sail it on some smaller lakes,have a ball instead of waiting,. i had wanted a boat all my life[58 yrs so far]i finally bought ,quite impulsively once i saw it, an australian design rl24[RLYACHTS.NET]. I HAVE SPENT 3 YEARS SAILING IT WITH A FEW FRIENDS. I CAN SINGLE THIS BOAT, AS WELL AS SAIL CAMPING. YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SPEND 3 TO 4 K AND BE SET UP ADEQUATELY. I JUST FOUND A HUNTER 25.5,SHOUL KEEL, AND CANNOT WAIT TO GET IT IN THE WATER, AS SOON AS SPRING ARRIVES HERE IN SW MONTANA. GOOD LUCK
Just want to echo
MKing - take a class, read a book. And then, practice skills in a small boat. You don't have to buy one. Small light weight boats react very quickly to natural and human inputs. In a few afternoons you will develop a seat-of-the-pants feel which quickly becomes instinctive. You won't get that seat-of-the-pants feel on a cruising boat. But, those instincts will pay big dividends on heavy cruising boats where things often start to happen slowly but have an inertia that can get you in trouble if you don't react quickly.
MKing - take a class, read a book. And then, practice skills in a small boat. You don't have to buy one. Small light weight boats react very quickly to natural and human inputs. In a few afternoons you will develop a seat-of-the-pants feel which quickly becomes instinctive. You won't get that seat-of-the-pants feel on a cruising boat. But, those instincts will pay big dividends on heavy cruising boats where things often start to happen slowly but have an inertia that can get you in trouble if you don't react quickly.
Easy
Jules, I wish to take a different approach to your question. Sailing is an easy sport. I was able to "master" the basics in one afternoon. You will quickly learn that the boat does not go directly into the wind, sailing with the wind at your back can cause the base of the big sail to swing around violently, and some angles away from the wind will cause you to go faster than others, and which ropes does what on a sail boat - oh, these terms like ropes, wind angle, and big sail all have fancy names but you don't need to know them in order to sail. With that being said, the real difficulty is handling the boat. Here I would recommend that you go out with someone and learn how to drive the boat. Learn it pivit point, how it handles under power and sail and the difference between the two - a boat does not turn in the same manner as your family car. Finally, learn the rules of the road. Once you learn how to handle the boat, what the rules are, and if you still like the sport, buy a book, take a class, but keep things simple and have fun.
Jules, I wish to take a different approach to your question. Sailing is an easy sport. I was able to "master" the basics in one afternoon. You will quickly learn that the boat does not go directly into the wind, sailing with the wind at your back can cause the base of the big sail to swing around violently, and some angles away from the wind will cause you to go faster than others, and which ropes does what on a sail boat - oh, these terms like ropes, wind angle, and big sail all have fancy names but you don't need to know them in order to sail. With that being said, the real difficulty is handling the boat. Here I would recommend that you go out with someone and learn how to drive the boat. Learn it pivit point, how it handles under power and sail and the difference between the two - a boat does not turn in the same manner as your family car. Finally, learn the rules of the road. Once you learn how to handle the boat, what the rules are, and if you still like the sport, buy a book, take a class, but keep things simple and have fun.
Consider this
This is a word of advice that I feel is important. One thing about getting into boating almost always we buy something and shortly want something bigger. Considering the trouble of selling, the money you'll most likely loose that could of went into what you really want, I'd answer the question as to what you plan to do with the boat. As far as sailing, do you plan to race it, just cruise, and camp out on it? That being the case be sure to get one big enough. Don't plan on jumping into something and thinking you can sell it and trade up later. To me the perfect size is a 35 to 38 footer. Give you about everything the average sailor would want incluing keeping the first mate happy and comfortable. Including a get away place for the kids. Thats important! I agree with the above, you can learn the basics in an afternoon. Its not difficult, sailing is like everything else, jump in and lean as you go. Great times ahead..
This is a word of advice that I feel is important. One thing about getting into boating almost always we buy something and shortly want something bigger. Considering the trouble of selling, the money you'll most likely loose that could of went into what you really want, I'd answer the question as to what you plan to do with the boat. As far as sailing, do you plan to race it, just cruise, and camp out on it? That being the case be sure to get one big enough. Don't plan on jumping into something and thinking you can sell it and trade up later. To me the perfect size is a 35 to 38 footer. Give you about everything the average sailor would want incluing keeping the first mate happy and comfortable. Including a get away place for the kids. Thats important! I agree with the above, you can learn the basics in an afternoon. Its not difficult, sailing is like everything else, jump in and lean as you go. Great times ahead..
29.5
Jules, the 29.5 is a great boat and ideal for 2 folks. We learned on a Capri 22 but knew we wanted something that had more of the "big" boat components without a huge huge financial investment. We purchased a used 29.5 and sailed her around the chesapeake for about 3 years. At the end of last season, we felt confident enough to make the plunge to a 36 footer. The 29.5 is a great price point to get started....not too old that everything should need replacing (assuming some TLC from prior owners) and has many of the features you will experience on a larger vessel, such as a yhead, stove, bolge pumps, winches, reefing systems, anchors, inboard diesel, holding tanks, battery banks, etc etc etc that you probably won't experience on the smaller vessels mentioned. For me, it was important to get real hands-on experience maintaining these systems before moving up. One piece of advice is make sur ethe sails are in good shape. My sales only lasted about one and a half seasons before I had to replace the main. Not cheap but wow what a difference. My old 29.5 is for sale and I still visit her often at the broker. she is a great learning boat before you make that jump up.
Jules, the 29.5 is a great boat and ideal for 2 folks. We learned on a Capri 22 but knew we wanted something that had more of the "big" boat components without a huge huge financial investment. We purchased a used 29.5 and sailed her around the chesapeake for about 3 years. At the end of last season, we felt confident enough to make the plunge to a 36 footer. The 29.5 is a great price point to get started....not too old that everything should need replacing (assuming some TLC from prior owners) and has many of the features you will experience on a larger vessel, such as a yhead, stove, bolge pumps, winches, reefing systems, anchors, inboard diesel, holding tanks, battery banks, etc etc etc that you probably won't experience on the smaller vessels mentioned. For me, it was important to get real hands-on experience maintaining these systems before moving up. One piece of advice is make sur ethe sails are in good shape. My sales only lasted about one and a half seasons before I had to replace the main. Not cheap but wow what a difference. My old 29.5 is for sale and I still visit her often at the broker. she is a great learning boat before you make that jump up.
New Boat
Hi - I am in the market for a 29 Hunter. I live just off the Magothy River in the Cheaseapeake Bay area. Does anyone know of any for sale? Brian
Hi - I am in the market for a 29 Hunter. I live just off the Magothy River in the Cheaseapeake Bay area. Does anyone know of any for sale? Brian
Hi Jules, I agree with Shippy, the 29.5 is a ...
great starter cruiser. Our first boat was an H28 and cruised her for three years before we purchased our current boat. The only course I took was the one offered by the Power Squadron, "Boating Safely". The rest I studied and practiced. Lots of good books on the topic...Chapmans is a good book to have in the library. As far as sail trimming skills go Don Guillette has many very good articles on this site covering what you need to know about sail trim. Check the archives for his material. He also has published sail trim material that others recommend. Good luck on your new experience...it is highly addictive. Terry
great starter cruiser. Our first boat was an H28 and cruised her for three years before we purchased our current boat. The only course I took was the one offered by the Power Squadron, "Boating Safely". The rest I studied and practiced. Lots of good books on the topic...Chapmans is a good book to have in the library. As far as sail trimming skills go Don Guillette has many very good articles on this site covering what you need to know about sail trim. Check the archives for his material. He also has published sail trim material that others recommend. Good luck on your new experience...it is highly addictive. Terry
If your interested
happened to have heard that the Hunter dealer in Memphis (TN) [Rooke Sails} is trading for a 29.5 and will have it for sail/sale soon. Sorry Phil, I know its "knot" a commercial site, but if Rooke sells the boat, Jules should by some options through the Chandlery here, right? We owned a 29.5 for ten years. If you want to email me through this site I will tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly. (BTW, most of it's good). Since you are new to sailing, it is on the upper end, but I see it like this. If you really like it, the 29.5 is plenty big to keep for a long time. If you don't like it, it may be easier to sell than the smaller boats. Seems to be a glut of smaller boats from people that want to move up or move out. Also, for what its worth-sailing school is money well spent. Compare it to this-people go to the Rockies, waste two days trying to teach themselves to ski, get frustrated and go home early. If they would have taken a lesson or two they would have enjoyed the trip much more and go again next year. Take a vacation to a resort location that offers sailing lessons. Enjoy yourself, have fun, RELAX, and learn. For US, it was Annapolis Sailing School. Hawk's Cay Resort is another suggestion. And certainly there is something in the Gavleston area, or even a trip to Texoma.
happened to have heard that the Hunter dealer in Memphis (TN) [Rooke Sails} is trading for a 29.5 and will have it for sail/sale soon. Sorry Phil, I know its "knot" a commercial site, but if Rooke sells the boat, Jules should by some options through the Chandlery here, right? We owned a 29.5 for ten years. If you want to email me through this site I will tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly. (BTW, most of it's good). Since you are new to sailing, it is on the upper end, but I see it like this. If you really like it, the 29.5 is plenty big to keep for a long time. If you don't like it, it may be easier to sell than the smaller boats. Seems to be a glut of smaller boats from people that want to move up or move out. Also, for what its worth-sailing school is money well spent. Compare it to this-people go to the Rockies, waste two days trying to teach themselves to ski, get frustrated and go home early. If they would have taken a lesson or two they would have enjoyed the trip much more and go again next year. Take a vacation to a resort location that offers sailing lessons. Enjoy yourself, have fun, RELAX, and learn. For US, it was Annapolis Sailing School. Hawk's Cay Resort is another suggestion. And certainly there is something in the Gavleston area, or even a trip to Texoma.
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