Thought on Hunter 45 for newbie.

Don S/V ILLusion · Jan 25, 2020

Forget the expensive charter school training - you will learn more, better and faster after you buy a boat and hire someone for a day or two to teach you how to handle it. The certifications mean nothing.

As to the boat, it's not possible for you to yet know what your "dream boat" will be. Buyy a well maintanined boat of any type/size to sail for a while during which time you will gain an appreciation for what makes a good handling, easy sailing boat.

smokey73 · Jan 25, 2020

A few starter questions:
Do you have deep pockets so if the dream isn't what you imagined bailing out won't bother you?
Have you sailed on a larger cruiser for any length of time and know you really want to do this?
If you have a significant other, do they share the dream or are they just "okay" with it?
Do either of you get easily seasick? How do you know that?

These questions aren't to dash your dreams, but to get you past the "lets buy a boat" stage into the longer term planning, which you may have already done. I agree with Don S/V about jumping in too big - too soon, regardless of the make of boat you buy is a recipe for disappointment.

jssailem · Jan 25, 2020

Hunters are very nice boats. You will learn to like them. Many folk do.

The challenge you face is you don’t know what you don’t know. A 45 foot boat is big. With all your certifications you can get on board a boat and know the stern from the bow but, being the plumber, electrician, guide, mayor, police chief, manager of the small new world takes some time and experiences.

The bigger the boat the more complex are the systems to keep it operating, let alone moving it from place to place safely.

That is why the advice to buy a boat, even a 30 footer, that you can master all the system skills on your own is so often the suggestion by more experienced sailors. A 45 ft boat has much bigger sails than a 30 ft boat. The weight alone can make raising them a 2 person job not a new solo sailor. But you say I’ll have friends as crew. Yes but how will they with less experience react when you get caught in a squall on the Chesapeake sails up and puking their guts over the side? You need to drop the sails and control the boat and get the engine working etc.That is just the beginning. Learning those skills solo on a 30 foot boat enhances your confidence when you step aboard a 45 boat.

But what do I know. It’s a brave new world. I’ve heard rumors that the Navy maybe giving pilots with high scores in school and 50 hours of simulation training the keys to the new F35 Lightening’s.

sail sfbay · Jan 25, 2020

My 2005 Hunter 46 with in-mast furling main sail is easy to sail, reef, maneuver and has lots of room. You will not be disappointed.

Hayden Watson · Jan 25, 2020

To answer your basic question about getting a 40' sailboat with limited experience check out this YouTube channel Sailing Zephyr
The bought a hurricane damaged 43' footer in BVI having never set foot an any sailboat of any size. They had the necessary repairs done and did a bit of island hopping before setting off for the Med. Did they make some mistakes, yeah. Can it be done safely, yeah.

Dave Groshong · Jan 25, 2020

I recommend going in the 30ft range for starters, you'll save a ton of money and it just a much easier size to manage for a "Newbie" especially.

DayDreamer41 · Jan 25, 2020

Bigger the boat the bigger the commitment, the more comfort, the more cost, the higher the maintenance. But I am sure that you have already considered all this. Make a list of all the items that need to be maintained, winterized if needed, put a cost to each line item total that and then double it and you will be close to where it costs.

Ralph Johnstone · Jan 25, 2020

jssailem said:
The challenge you face is you don’t know what you don’t know.

Truer words were never spoken. Our marina is full of people like this. Their boats see no maintenance and it's a miracle how they manage to make it back for the few times they do go out each year.

IMO a really bad decision which could cost you and yours dearly. You seem to have the money, so start in the 30 ft. range and see if you've got the interest and skills to handle this size much less a larger boat. Yes ? move on up. No ? consider it one of life's lessons.

jon hansen · Jan 25, 2020

hunter 45' ish sailboat will make a "GREAT" starter boat for bay and coast cruising. lot's of proud owners out there.
you asked about the make and model for a starter boat, GOOD choice for getting under way.
opinion: not too big at all. when you step up to your 75' dream boat down the road you will be ready to go.

i'm a highly trained sailor, yep "trained"
i'm a high skilled sailing instructor.
huge tip: day one: with teacher and lots of crew on board, make and depart 30 docks. no less.
day two: put your sails up and down/ in and out thirty times. no less
day three: drop and set your anchor 30 times
day four: sail, only in deep water! "there is so much deep water out here, what are you doing in the shallows" quote from my father from when i was very young
buy a 2 copys of Frank Bethwaite's book, High performance sailing. 'The bible on how these wind toys work . one for the boat and one for home. never loan them out

most sailors do not get this much practical sailboat usage their first season. you will get it in less than a week
practice, practice, practice, practice! but most of all have fun

just my $0.02, Jon

P.S. by age seven my youngest daughter was doing all the docking on aeolus when we were cruising. my son and older daughter and i would handle the fenders and mooring lines. it ain't that hard, it's about the practice. go make a hundred docks and you surely will get as good as she was back in the day.

Terry Cox · Jan 25, 2020

Our first boat was an H28 to see whether we found cruising PNW waters of interest. Sailed her for three years and got bit hard by the sailing bug. Upsized to our current boat in 2002 and have had no regrets. Our selection was based on a boat that was comfortable and easy to handle solo, but if we wanted to go off shore, was sturdy enough to do so. Strong, stiff and fast, this model is one of Hunter's best constructed boats. Several of these have crossed oceans and are highly rated by their owners. In retrospect only you will know later whether you have made the right decision. In our case, definitely so. By the way, the only course I took was one put on by the Power Squadron and that was mainly to obtain an insurance rate break. The rest was self study, practice. more self study and experience.

jon hansen · Jan 25, 2020

opinion: a 45' boat is way easier so sail than a 30' boat

i'm sure i'll get some blowback

dLj · Jan 25, 2020

jon hansen said:
opinion: a 45' boat is way easier so sail than a 30' boat

i'm sure i'll get some blowback

I guess it does depend upon your definition of easy. But having single-handed boats from small to large you are going to have to get quite inventive to give me a definition of easy that would substantially support that statement.

I can think of nothing that is easier sailing a 45 footer than a 30 footer. Perhaps easier in a defined sea state.

But please enlighten us.

dj

jon hansen · Jan 25, 2020

"inventive" , "quite" or other wise. nah! you gave my response for me "easier in a given sea state". i say the ride will be gentler. that's right, this is my claim. across the board for ALL sea states i say the ride will be gentler. so, what will be easier................?

moving about the cockpit
working on the entire deck
easier to hold onto the vessel while moving about
less chances of seasickness
standing on the cabin top while working the rig (s)
cooking a nice meal while under way
using the head
sleeping while under way
playing board games
dancing to a song with a nice beat
kissing
holding a martini
launching a drone
taking photos
being able to deal with a wider range of weather
other advantages not because of the gentler ride:
more storage space for all my toys
easier to deal with a dingy
faster through the water
more head room, i'm 6'5". love head room
more bunks for more family and or friends
chart table
way bigger galley
way bigger head
way bigger bunks
bigger wheel
bigger tankage
bigger ground tackle
rig higher off the deck in much cleaner air
faster
easier to access the engine
easier to have spinnaker poles/ whisker ..
easier to take more people
wider deck walks around the cabin
easier to fish off the taff rail
............................................................. but hey, these are my opinions and nothing more. it does not mean any of this is best for you.
i can drive 10 footers, 45 footers, 1,000 footers. driving boats is all i've ever done and yes i have developed opinions that work for me. i i'm willing to share my opinions to feed consideration for thought for others.

and so, i stand by my statement that i think 45' sailboats are easier to sail than say 30' sailboats.
that does not imply that one size is more fun than the other. i will have fun on all size vessels.
gave my cal 20 to my daughter this summer and had a hoot sailing the grandkids around in it getting them up to speed for their summer of sailing. my friends all reported see a young mother out with little kids sailing about the bay all summer long. young ted, age three was a hoot. his two older sisters became good crew for their mother. hopefully they will become crew on the Ascow in the near future. i'm getting old, i need help. yeah, i think an Ascow is easier to sail than an Escow. (more opinions)

just one old sailors $0.02and nothing more

jon hansen · Jan 25, 2020

all size boats are, for me, allot of fun. i just love messing around with boats.

jon hansen · Jan 25, 2020

i bought the call 20 maybe 25 years ago and had it all tweeked to A1 condition. i got it for my kids because i felt that they would learn more without me on board. trial and error without dad's eye. the kids all started sailing with me when still in diapers. then as 10/11 year olds i let them start sailing by themselves without me. i was not giving them the old alden to hone their skills. the cal20 with it's cast iron keel and over built hull worked out nicely. they still sailed with me allot by their choice. and they still return for sailing every summer. i took those kids all over the great lakes, every summer. i loved it and i guess they did too.

dLj · Jan 25, 2020

Hahaha - love your list! But essentially everything you've posted refers to comfort. Now had your original post said a 45 foot boat is more comfortable that a 30 foot boat I'd agree. Although a 30 foot boat can also be very comfortable, it does not compare to the 45 footer.

You've actually said it yourself, you are getting older, so you need help. You could also down size, because that would make it easier to do all the things you need to do to sail...

But I do have to say, I just love your list! Kissing is easier on a 45 foot boat, I think I'm going to pee my pants laughing! Brilliant!

dj

Ralph Johnstone · Jan 25, 2020

dLj said:
I think I'm going to pee my pants

I guess that's even more likely on a 45 footer if things go wrong

.

Will Gilmore · Jan 25, 2020

BKWard,
Having grown up on larger boats, 50+ feet, while sailing my own 8' boat, then trailering an 18' catamaran up and down the East coast for nearly 8 years and joining family on an ocean crossing or sailing in the Caribbean aboard boats from 44' to 50', I would both agree with Jon and with dLj. When out there, the bigger boat is more like riding a train, it's practically on rails, but getting out there, the smaller boat makes marina maneuvering easier. Mostly, it's about what are the consequences of a mistake; 3 tons of boat hitting a dock or another boat, or 12 tons of boat hitting a dock or another boat? How much is it going to cost you or your neighbors.

Welcome aboard the eS/V SBO, it is good to have you join our crew. It sounds like you are very serious about getting into sailing. Your ASA courses aren't cheap and don't let these guys make you feel like you've wasted your time and money. You haven't. For the intelligent and motivated learner, they offer a lot of valuable resources to help a person master sailing. Formal schooling may not be for everyone, but it's all up to the student to take from any program, what they will.

To address your question about the Hunter 45... I can't specifically. I've never been aboard one, but I'm certain it is a great boat for the coastal cruising you describe. If you have family, and you want them to join you on a sail to Maine or Florida or even island hoping through the Bahamas to the Caribbean, 45' will be a much better choice than a 30 footer. On the other hand, if it's just you and your wife, 30' will give you what you need and save you a lot of money at both the marina and the boatyard, as well as the fuel dock, the sail loft and the insurance agency.

I currently own a small 19' project that I'm planning to turn into a coastal cruiser for my wife and me. It is all I need to get from New England to Dry Tortugas. My dream boat, however, is a 50 foot world cruising live-aboard. My cap is 50 feet because once you get over 50 feet, you enter a whole different class of cruising expenses. Dockage is at a higher rate, fuel consumption goes up and up and up, insurance becomes outrageous. I don't even want to think about the canvas costs.

The truth is, everyone does it differently and you are the only one who can know what's your best approach. We, as you can see, are more than happy to give you our opinion and experience. I hope you can glean useful wisdom from our aftermath.

Again, it is good to welcome you aboard and we all look forward to being part of your new adventure.

-Will (Dragonfly)

Will Gilmore · Jan 25, 2020

By the way, the certifications are not meaningless. You may consider chartering for a few trips up and down the coast or in the islands, to get a feel for spending that kind of time on a boat. The certifications are the best way to qualify for the charter trip. Another way to do it is to take a short coarse with each charter company. Most offer lessons under their captains while you also get a pampered vacation aboard a cruising sailboat.

-Will (Dragonfly)

Thought on Hunter 45 for newbie.

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