I am curious as to why there are at least 26 200x Hunter 33 Owners, but only 1 review. Is it because the boats are so incredible that no one wants to spend the time reviewing them ? Hopefully, it is not due to insurmountable problems with this model.
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Hunter 33
I had one since spring this year and it's great. There are some issues but would recommend it. The sailing performance is good, the interior is great, and it is a comfortable boat. On the negative side, I had a hose leak with the Yanmar engine which caused the throttle to stick and the drive coupling came off once. The dealer is still working with the tank level indicator system.
I had one since spring this year and it's great. There are some issues but would recommend it. The sailing performance is good, the interior is great, and it is a comfortable boat. On the negative side, I had a hose leak with the Yanmar engine which caused the throttle to stick and the drive coupling came off once. The dealer is still working with the tank level indicator system.
Hunter 33 Issues ?
Would you please elaborate on what other issues you experienced ? I take delivery of my Hunter 33 Oct 29.
Would you please elaborate on what other issues you experienced ? I take delivery of my Hunter 33 Oct 29.
We love our 33.;D
We bought our Hunter 33 in February of this year at a local boat show. We have only once wondered if we were certifiably crazy, and even at that, we love our 33. Our biggest problem was a whine in the engine from about 1600 to 1800+, that we and the dealer worked on and worked on, that finally went away when Hunter sent a new propellor. No one is quite sure why that fixed it, since it looks, feels, and weighs the exact same as the old one - but it worked. We, too, are still having problems with the tank indicator system. The fresh water and holding tank indicators seem to work fine, but the fuel indicator can read empty to whatever, even when we know the tank is full. The only thing I wish was different in the interior is storage space in the galley, but I work around that, and at present, we are out no longer than a couple of days at a time. We have the refrigerator, which keeps things cold for about 24 hours if we get it real cold before we take off, but it is small. We mostly use the small ice box in the galley and the cooler we bring from home. We did replace the standard exhaust in the head with a 24 hour powered exhaust. The interior is wonderful. One of our ASA instructors told us it was as roomy as his 44 foot live aboard. If you have more specific questions, I or my husband would be glad to answer. As to why we haven't filled out the review - I guess we just hadn't thought about it. I will suggest my husband do so in the near future. Elaine
We bought our Hunter 33 in February of this year at a local boat show. We have only once wondered if we were certifiably crazy, and even at that, we love our 33. Our biggest problem was a whine in the engine from about 1600 to 1800+, that we and the dealer worked on and worked on, that finally went away when Hunter sent a new propellor. No one is quite sure why that fixed it, since it looks, feels, and weighs the exact same as the old one - but it worked. We, too, are still having problems with the tank indicator system. The fresh water and holding tank indicators seem to work fine, but the fuel indicator can read empty to whatever, even when we know the tank is full. The only thing I wish was different in the interior is storage space in the galley, but I work around that, and at present, we are out no longer than a couple of days at a time. We have the refrigerator, which keeps things cold for about 24 hours if we get it real cold before we take off, but it is small. We mostly use the small ice box in the galley and the cooler we bring from home. We did replace the standard exhaust in the head with a 24 hour powered exhaust. The interior is wonderful. One of our ASA instructors told us it was as roomy as his 44 foot live aboard. If you have more specific questions, I or my husband would be glad to answer. As to why we haven't filled out the review - I guess we just hadn't thought about it. I will suggest my husband do so in the near future. Elaine
My experiences
Alan, I too have a 2004 H33 (Hull 172). My wife and I love it. We use it for day trips, weekends trips, and one extended 15 day trip. I had a few relatively minor issues. The most significant was Hunter delivering to my dealer about a month late. Unless you have seen the boat in your dealers yard I would expect delays. And limited straight answers. I have not experienced the whining engine or tricky tank indicators that many others have, though I do have the 29HP engine and three-blade prop upgrades. The two issues of concern that I have had are a failed engine compartment fire extiguisher sensor (surefire), which failed several hundred miles from home and was repaired through a factory recall. There is an override switch for this so it was no major inconvenience. The other issue was a pronounced engine vibration that I found to be all but one of the engine mounts had become *very* loose. I tightend them and the issue was resolved. We have the furling main and jib and both furlers have perform very well. The Main's leech flaps considerably above 15kts (even with a tightend leech line) so I am trying to figure that one out. Be careful if you have a bimini and do not have it up. The mounting channels on the arch are very sharp and destroyed our traveller lines one windy day. I am going to grind them down this winter and I will have to replace the lines. Read all of the manuals carefully to learn about the regular maintenance. I missed one thing, the intake strainer, and the engine overheated. I probably should mention that after years of daily rentals this is our first boat owned. Good luck and have fun. Andy
Alan, I too have a 2004 H33 (Hull 172). My wife and I love it. We use it for day trips, weekends trips, and one extended 15 day trip. I had a few relatively minor issues. The most significant was Hunter delivering to my dealer about a month late. Unless you have seen the boat in your dealers yard I would expect delays. And limited straight answers. I have not experienced the whining engine or tricky tank indicators that many others have, though I do have the 29HP engine and three-blade prop upgrades. The two issues of concern that I have had are a failed engine compartment fire extiguisher sensor (surefire), which failed several hundred miles from home and was repaired through a factory recall. There is an override switch for this so it was no major inconvenience. The other issue was a pronounced engine vibration that I found to be all but one of the engine mounts had become *very* loose. I tightend them and the issue was resolved. We have the furling main and jib and both furlers have perform very well. The Main's leech flaps considerably above 15kts (even with a tightend leech line) so I am trying to figure that one out. Be careful if you have a bimini and do not have it up. The mounting channels on the arch are very sharp and destroyed our traveller lines one windy day. I am going to grind them down this winter and I will have to replace the lines. Read all of the manuals carefully to learn about the regular maintenance. I missed one thing, the intake strainer, and the engine overheated. I probably should mention that after years of daily rentals this is our first boat owned. Good luck and have fun. Andy
Do I Have To...
Alan, We are one of the early owners (hull #128). We ordered our boat at last year's Annapolis show after seeing hull #1. It was Built in February and we took posession in May. Previously, I had owned two Catalinas - 1988 22 and 1996 270. I was all set to buy a Catalina 320 when we saw the 33. My marina is 50% Hunters, and (almost)everybody likes dealing with the local dealer - Norton's Yacht Sales. Having a responsive dealer is an important part of the buying decision. Anyway, Greg's review says alot about the boat. We are certainly happy with ours. Barry Bear Necessity
Alan, We are one of the early owners (hull #128). We ordered our boat at last year's Annapolis show after seeing hull #1. It was Built in February and we took posession in May. Previously, I had owned two Catalinas - 1988 22 and 1996 270. I was all set to buy a Catalina 320 when we saw the 33. My marina is 50% Hunters, and (almost)everybody likes dealing with the local dealer - Norton's Yacht Sales. Having a responsive dealer is an important part of the buying decision. Anyway, Greg's review says alot about the boat. We are certainly happy with ours. Barry Bear Necessity
Thanks to all who Complied
Very informative, and I'll definitely printout this thread and take it with me to my walkthrough. Thanks again, and Happy Sailing
Very informative, and I'll definitely printout this thread and take it with me to my walkthrough. Thanks again, and Happy Sailing
Yanmar Belt
If you are overheating, check the belt on the seawater pump and the coolant pump. Some of the 3YM30 engines went out with a 20" belt on the seawater pump instead of a 19" belt and it is impossible to have adequate tension with the belt that is too large and overheating will occur.
If you are overheating, check the belt on the seawater pump and the coolant pump. Some of the 3YM30 engines went out with a 20" belt on the seawater pump instead of a 19" belt and it is impossible to have adequate tension with the belt that is too large and overheating will occur.
Tank Indicator
This has never worked on our new 33. There are special instruction which must be obtained from Snake River for calibration of the diesel tank only(this is the one that does not work). Even if it is calibrated correctly, it will not work correctly with a loose ground. I am still complaining about ours.
This has never worked on our new 33. There are special instruction which must be obtained from Snake River for calibration of the diesel tank only(this is the one that does not work). Even if it is calibrated correctly, it will not work correctly with a loose ground. I am still complaining about ours.
Love my boat
On the premise that it is never too late......I could write many pages about how much we love our new (2005) H33. We have sailed it quite often and everytime we sail it we are happier. Spent this afternoon in fact sailing after work. I had a review but forgot to save it, will get one up soon but in the mean time Gregg's review is 110% on the mark. We also moved from a 290 to the 33. Feel free to contact me directly and I would gladly answer any questions or send some pix of us under sail (have to figure out how to shrink them so I can post em). We looked at everything from 30-37 feet, from new to used, and from all makers. We stand by our choice as the H33 is the best for us. crowe1212@cox.net
On the premise that it is never too late......I could write many pages about how much we love our new (2005) H33. We have sailed it quite often and everytime we sail it we are happier. Spent this afternoon in fact sailing after work. I had a review but forgot to save it, will get one up soon but in the mean time Gregg's review is 110% on the mark. We also moved from a 290 to the 33. Feel free to contact me directly and I would gladly answer any questions or send some pix of us under sail (have to figure out how to shrink them so I can post em). We looked at everything from 30-37 feet, from new to used, and from all makers. We stand by our choice as the H33 is the best for us. crowe1212@cox.net
New Boat
I have Hull 107. We took delivery in May, it is a wonderful boat. We took it on a one week cruise from Long Island to Block Island, the boat performed beautifully. I have no regrets with my purchase, it is the right combination of price and features.
I have Hull 107. We took delivery in May, it is a wonderful boat. We took it on a one week cruise from Long Island to Block Island, the boat performed beautifully. I have no regrets with my purchase, it is the right combination of price and features.
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