For David (dserrel)
First off, I still have much to learn....about boats, cats, my wife of 52 years, etc. I start from the point that I have much to learn. And I'm not rich by any means. All our boats were bought on credit (interest deducted from the Feds) I just happen to like boats and look for good buys on good boats. An example. I bought the Hunter 380 for $129000 in 1999 and we sold it in 2008 for 121000. Yes, we did add "toys" to it and did have a slip cost per year and insurance but that is the cost of having this hobby. Other friends who travel have paid large amounts to cruise large ships and another friend loves golf so his costs are appropriate. For me when we sold the 380, I immediately purchased the Hunter 27 and because I had purchase previous Hunters, the company gave me 9000 off their advertised price. Perhaps it was the turndown in the economy, perhaps they were going to drop the price because of new building techniques--I really don't know but it worked out that I essentially got the same price back for my 380. The other kicker on this purchase is that because I was downsizing, I didn't have to pay sales tax in this state. Big plus there for me.
Next question: why this boat and not an IP or a Swan or Oyster or a Hallberg-Rossey? I dislike the overall question, what is a good boat? Everyone and I do mean everyone has a different idea of the words "good boat." I don't believe there is an operational definition of that term. Everyone who discusses it uses different terminology. What I think is good, you may say "ho-hum" and the next person thinks we both idiots.
I had the pleasure and the work of being a 100 ton skipper with my ticket given to me by the Coast Guard many years ago. I didn't go to the weekend classes as they have now. Because of that I was able to teach cruising, sailing, piloting and seamanship for local chartering companies and the ASA. This afforded me the opportunity of sailing on many different sailboats including the Cotton Blossom, a famous fifty foot wooden sailboat restored by Dennis Connors a few years back. I've sailed J's, San Juans. Cals, Scepters and a host of others--some called blue water boats like the IP. There are all good boats--I've never found a boat that was so terrible that I wouldn't go out on it. I didn't care for some--the Fast Passage 39 drove me crazy because it would not turn. Once you started it, it would go straight. It would be a good blue water boat if you wanted to go to Hawaii. Just aim the sucker. There were other good boats that I just didn't feel comfortable aboard. Not a thing wrong with them--just not my style.
I think buying a boat is like getting married. And there is no accounting for taste.
Now for the question: why did I buy a Hunter 27 in stead of a IP 27 or a West Wright Potter or....... I am seventy six and getting long in tooth. Jumping off my Hunter 380 was beginning to worry me. I don't jump as well any more. My wife and I had already decided our long distant cruises were a thing of the past. We both had medical problems that kept us closer to home. But day sailing and overnighters seem to be okay. Also we wanted to reduce our costs--there are no pay increases in my type of retirement. So I made a list of what I thought we needed. Furling main and jib, marine head (for the old guy), Yanmar engine (I have come to appreciate them), a small cook stove (to heat water), a light weight boat (I live in an area of light winds around islands), a dodger and most of all, a Max prop (so I could control the boat coming into a dock). We looked at a number of boats and the Hunter (on paper) fit our needs. I wasn't looking for a piece of furniture (the IP, Swan, Hallberg Rossie), just a toy to day sail by myself and for the two of us to enjoy in the afternoon. I wanted a sailboat that could go from Bellingham (WA) to Friday Harbor (San Juan Islands WA) to perhaps Sydney BC (Canada). The Hunter 27 has been able to do all that. I've enjoyed the boat very much and it does what I want. I can also jump off of it when coming into our slip and hold it in place. I am happy with this boat. NO regrets
There is a funny part to this story of buying a new boat. When we first saw the Hunter 27 in reality, both my wife and I did not like the hatch cover. Hard to push away and it was scratching the fiberglass cabin top. So we told the yard crew to fix it. They called Hunter (the company) and were given some sort of up-grade. When I got the boat home to Bellingham we still didn't pushing the hatch open. Very hard. So I told Signature. Our salesman looked at it and said he see what he could do....with the look of someone who had no idea of what he was going to do. Shortly after that, we had companion way door installed from Creative Conceps (can be found on this web site) and I don't know what he did with the hatch cover--he added something to fit the doors but the hatch now pushes easily and is 100 percent better. So what do I know--or Signature--or the ship yard or Hunter for that fact. If someone says how did I fix my hatch cover, I would tell them, buy companionway doors from Hunterowners.com. They would probably think I'm crazy.
My best to you..
