I have been sailing this 170 for over a year and I have been happy and mad depending on what is happening. I honestly thought I had bought a quiet little boat and did not expect this perky devil. I am about redy to start racing, so lets get something happening. Our Sailing Club gave us the formulae and definitions for the various performance ratios and I applied them to the Hunter 170. Here is what I found. CAPSIZE RISK: 3.45 ( 2 is good and less is better)! HULL SPEED: 4.7 ( I have a recorded speed on a plane of 10.1 knots using a GPS). This occured in winds about 12-15 Knots on a broad reach. SAIL AREA/DISPLACEMENT: 39 (This is with the 100% Jib and the Full Roach Main that comes with the boat). VELOCITY RATIO: 1.57 ( Under 1 is underpowered and over one is performance). My conclusion from the above is that this boat should be racing and it will perform like a pro at wind speeds above 12 knots. But be careful because this boat has a high capsize risk and you are going to have fun trying to get it back up. I find that it can raise your adrenaline and keep you on the edge of your seat. Family Daysailer; Bull.
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Mike Leone
Is the performance too high for a new sailor???
Ed, I appreciate your insight on the Hunter 170. Given that you have 1+ years of experience with one, I have some questions. Would a sailing rookie that has attended an ASA basic school be OK with the 170 or is it too high performance a boat? If I bought one, it would be sailed on city reservoirs. The second question you answered with your post. A couple of years after buying a 170, it would still be an exciting boat to sail. Did you consider other brands of boats of the same size? The dealer that I visited also offers the Precision 15 and Catalina 16.5. Were either of those boats on your list when you bought your Hunter 170? Thanks, Mike
Ed, I appreciate your insight on the Hunter 170. Given that you have 1+ years of experience with one, I have some questions. Would a sailing rookie that has attended an ASA basic school be OK with the 170 or is it too high performance a boat? If I bought one, it would be sailed on city reservoirs. The second question you answered with your post. A couple of years after buying a 170, it would still be an exciting boat to sail. Did you consider other brands of boats of the same size? The dealer that I visited also offers the Precision 15 and Catalina 16.5. Were either of those boats on your list when you bought your Hunter 170? Thanks, Mike
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Ed Smith
Response for Mike
I was primarily interested in performance and I was close to buying the JY-15 but the fact is I am 285 lbs which chased me to the larger boat. I really like the open transom and true self bailing. I have bailed boats all my life and if not for the self bailing of the Hunter 170, I would have gone to a keelboat with a good automatic pump. I did look at a 21 foot keelboat and was pretty impressed until I found all the maintenance that was needed. I was taking sailing lessons the first year and I looked at a lot of boats and one of the most interesting was the Potter 19. It is touted as blue water worthy but not a performance boat.
I was primarily interested in performance and I was close to buying the JY-15 but the fact is I am 285 lbs which chased me to the larger boat. I really like the open transom and true self bailing. I have bailed boats all my life and if not for the self bailing of the Hunter 170, I would have gone to a keelboat with a good automatic pump. I did look at a 21 foot keelboat and was pretty impressed until I found all the maintenance that was needed. I was taking sailing lessons the first year and I looked at a lot of boats and one of the most interesting was the Potter 19. It is touted as blue water worthy but not a performance boat.
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Doug King
"Capsize Risk" is not what you think
The "Capsize Risk" or sometimes called "Capsize Screening" number is not an evaluation of the boat's stabilty or how easily it will turn over. It is a ratio of the beam to the displacement, and lower number than 2 is viewed as desirable in keelboats so that if they do capsize (translation- get rolled over in extremely bad weather like off Cape Horn) they will right themselves. This number is of no use whatever for a crew-ballasted dinghy. I have heard a number of people complain that they think the H170 is tippy, but I think that they had rather unrealistic expectations of a 17-foot centerboarder and were unwilling to learn suitable sailing techniques. Any small boat will tip over readily if you leave the mainsheet cleated in gusty weather and expect to drive it like a station wagon. Fresh Breezes- Doug King
The "Capsize Risk" or sometimes called "Capsize Screening" number is not an evaluation of the boat's stabilty or how easily it will turn over. It is a ratio of the beam to the displacement, and lower number than 2 is viewed as desirable in keelboats so that if they do capsize (translation- get rolled over in extremely bad weather like off Cape Horn) they will right themselves. This number is of no use whatever for a crew-ballasted dinghy. I have heard a number of people complain that they think the H170 is tippy, but I think that they had rather unrealistic expectations of a 17-foot centerboarder and were unwilling to learn suitable sailing techniques. Any small boat will tip over readily if you leave the mainsheet cleated in gusty weather and expect to drive it like a station wagon. Fresh Breezes- Doug King
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Calvin Smith
This plus speed!
I bought my 170 for the following reasons: 1. Ease of putting up and taking down. 2. Open transom 3. Not necessary to duck down when tacking. 4.Apparent need for very little maintenance. 5. Light weight in relation to trailoring. We sail mainly on a lake with no docking facilities so 1 and 5 were very important. We sold our Flying Scot to buy the 170. The 170 is not as fast or as seaworthy as the Scott but rather than 1+ hours spend setting up and taking down we now spend about 30-40 minutes and that makes a big difference in a blacktop parking lot with no shade in the Ga sun. Haven't gone over yet but have had water over the side 3 times now. I think if you are able to stay on the high side during gusts that she will always come back but sometimes it takes a lot of strength to stay up there.
I bought my 170 for the following reasons: 1. Ease of putting up and taking down. 2. Open transom 3. Not necessary to duck down when tacking. 4.Apparent need for very little maintenance. 5. Light weight in relation to trailoring. We sail mainly on a lake with no docking facilities so 1 and 5 were very important. We sold our Flying Scot to buy the 170. The 170 is not as fast or as seaworthy as the Scott but rather than 1+ hours spend setting up and taking down we now spend about 30-40 minutes and that makes a big difference in a blacktop parking lot with no shade in the Ga sun. Haven't gone over yet but have had water over the side 3 times now. I think if you are able to stay on the high side during gusts that she will always come back but sometimes it takes a lot of strength to stay up there.
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Michael Stuart
Don't get over confident
I have sailed the 170 for three summers. I thought, as others do, that the 170 will not flip. I said so in a posting here a few months ago. However, I learned that I was wrong. It does flip, and when flipped IT WILL TURTLE. Although I am upset that a "family" boat that "can seat 4-5 adults" as Hunter portrays this boat, can over-heel and even tip over, what I am disgusted about is that the boat will turtle and there is very little that one can do to right the boat easily once that happens. Sitting on the rail is nice, but be prepared to swim, is my advice. I firmly believe that the boat has a design flaw and am seriously considering dumping the boat for something else. I still believe that the centerboard should be made of heavy steel, and that Hunter should take the initiative to make the change, or at least offer this as an option to be bought. That would, at least, solve one problem. I do not like to go swimming in cold water, as I did, when I shoud not have. The tendency to turtle can be overcome with a float at the top of the mast, which Hunter should inform owners about by mail. Also, my experience is that in a strong gust, the boat will NOT head into the wind, no matter what you do. I am not a novice sailer, I have been sailing small boats for 15 years, so, Mr. King, don't say that my expectations are too high. The boat's performance under moderate winds is inadequate and unsafe. Soon there will be a lawsuit by someone agaonst Hunter about this boat by someone who was hurt. Then Hunter will take notice in it bank account. Lest anyone forget, or not know, Hunter recalled the rudder on the 170 once already for a design flaw.
I have sailed the 170 for three summers. I thought, as others do, that the 170 will not flip. I said so in a posting here a few months ago. However, I learned that I was wrong. It does flip, and when flipped IT WILL TURTLE. Although I am upset that a "family" boat that "can seat 4-5 adults" as Hunter portrays this boat, can over-heel and even tip over, what I am disgusted about is that the boat will turtle and there is very little that one can do to right the boat easily once that happens. Sitting on the rail is nice, but be prepared to swim, is my advice. I firmly believe that the boat has a design flaw and am seriously considering dumping the boat for something else. I still believe that the centerboard should be made of heavy steel, and that Hunter should take the initiative to make the change, or at least offer this as an option to be bought. That would, at least, solve one problem. I do not like to go swimming in cold water, as I did, when I shoud not have. The tendency to turtle can be overcome with a float at the top of the mast, which Hunter should inform owners about by mail. Also, my experience is that in a strong gust, the boat will NOT head into the wind, no matter what you do. I am not a novice sailer, I have been sailing small boats for 15 years, so, Mr. King, don't say that my expectations are too high. The boat's performance under moderate winds is inadequate and unsafe. Soon there will be a lawsuit by someone agaonst Hunter about this boat by someone who was hurt. Then Hunter will take notice in it bank account. Lest anyone forget, or not know, Hunter recalled the rudder on the 170 once already for a design flaw.
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