I am in the early stages of investigating the purchase of a sailboat. I've been a happy motorboater for a number of years and have sailed Lasers, Hobbies, sunfish's, etc but nothing substancial. I've been looking at the Hunter 356. Is it possible to safely sail a boat of this size across the Atlantic? Or is that really a pipe dream? What size boat would one recommend for an Atlantic crossing? Thanks, Brett
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Oooohh boy!
A post sure to open a can of worms! I am on my 2nd Hunter and for the most part I'm happy with my boats. I would take them on coastal cruises, nearshore passages, the Bahamas, etc... I, for my part and my opinion only (let me emphasize that "my opinion only"), would never consider taking a Hunter out into the open ocean (I would define that as greater than 18-24 hours sailing/60 nm time from a port). I don't necessarily like the constant berating of Hunters, Catalinas, and other production boats on the Cruising World message board, but I suspect they are right in the aspect that the boats are too light to really take it out in the open ocean. I look at it this way, to everything there is a purpose, production boats are great for the kind of sailing that 95 (or more) percent of us do, which is occasional offshore passages, but real offshore work requires a much more substantial boat. Again this is my opinion and that and $2.87 will get you a large super grande cafe latte lotta mocha whatever at Starbucks. So go ahead and beat me up, but you'll never see me taking my boat to Bermuda (then again I don't want to sail to Bermuda)! Brett if you really want to have some fun post your question on the cruising world message board!
A post sure to open a can of worms! I am on my 2nd Hunter and for the most part I'm happy with my boats. I would take them on coastal cruises, nearshore passages, the Bahamas, etc... I, for my part and my opinion only (let me emphasize that "my opinion only"), would never consider taking a Hunter out into the open ocean (I would define that as greater than 18-24 hours sailing/60 nm time from a port). I don't necessarily like the constant berating of Hunters, Catalinas, and other production boats on the Cruising World message board, but I suspect they are right in the aspect that the boats are too light to really take it out in the open ocean. I look at it this way, to everything there is a purpose, production boats are great for the kind of sailing that 95 (or more) percent of us do, which is occasional offshore passages, but real offshore work requires a much more substantial boat. Again this is my opinion and that and $2.87 will get you a large super grande cafe latte lotta mocha whatever at Starbucks. So go ahead and beat me up, but you'll never see me taking my boat to Bermuda (then again I don't want to sail to Bermuda)! Brett if you really want to have some fun post your question on the cruising world message board!
Possible but...
The 356 is a nice boat for coastal cruising. I think Hunter did a very nice job with it but remember that it is designed primarily with interior comfort and low price (choke, choke...) in mind. Great boat for weekending, family cruising, etc. If you take a long hard look at the rigging, deck hardware, etc. and compare it to other more traditional boats of the same size you'll see that it's pretty lightly built. If your goal is to sail across the Atlantic I think you could pick a much more appropriate boat for the same $$$ but it would be older. Boats are sort of like cars, you wouldn't want to enter the family mini-van in a demolition derby or try to go camping in a Porsche 911. Each is designed with a specific purpose in mind. The 356 appeals to a broad range of sailors, most of whom (95% ) have no intention of crossing oceans. If you really want to sail across the Atlantic there are a number of charter delivery companies, sailing schools, etc. that do it and I'm sure you could get a berth on one of those boats and see if you really like it or not. If not then you're only out a couple thousand $ and a few weeks of time. If you want a boat to enjoy in local waters the 356 would be hard to beat. If you take Al's advice on post on CWBB I'm sure you'll get some "interesting" responses! Just watch out!
The 356 is a nice boat for coastal cruising. I think Hunter did a very nice job with it but remember that it is designed primarily with interior comfort and low price (choke, choke...) in mind. Great boat for weekending, family cruising, etc. If you take a long hard look at the rigging, deck hardware, etc. and compare it to other more traditional boats of the same size you'll see that it's pretty lightly built. If your goal is to sail across the Atlantic I think you could pick a much more appropriate boat for the same $$$ but it would be older. Boats are sort of like cars, you wouldn't want to enter the family mini-van in a demolition derby or try to go camping in a Porsche 911. Each is designed with a specific purpose in mind. The 356 appeals to a broad range of sailors, most of whom (95% ) have no intention of crossing oceans. If you really want to sail across the Atlantic there are a number of charter delivery companies, sailing schools, etc. that do it and I'm sure you could get a berth on one of those boats and see if you really like it or not. If not then you're only out a couple thousand $ and a few weeks of time. If you want a boat to enjoy in local waters the 356 would be hard to beat. If you take Al's advice on post on CWBB I'm sure you'll get some "interesting" responses! Just watch out!
Thanks for the responses, my criteria
I just wanted to thank everyone for taking the time out of their busy schedule to respond to my question. Yes, I am well aware that people have crossed the Atlantic in rowboats, small sailboats, etc. I'm also aware that I could take a commercial vessel (Queen Mary) 8^) I should have listed my requirements instead of assuming that people on the list would know what they are. I was looking for a modern, safe boat that would be fairly easy to handle with two people. One that had various safety features, comfortable and fairly fast. One that I would primarily use to sail around thr NJ, Long Island area but be totally capable of sailing down to Florida or the Caribbean. From what I've read and seen, the Hunter 356 seemed to fit the bill. A number of years ago I spent about three weeks touring around the Greek Islands. I had a fabulous time and was mesmerized by all the sailboats from the various ports of call. Each marina was filled with sailboats from countries all over Europe. It's been a dream of mine to sail in that area. Maybe what I want to do doesn't make sense. Sounds like I am better off purchasing a boat for what I plan to use it for 99.9% of the time. I could either Charter a boat in Europe to live my dream or possible ship my boat over there (if that even makes sense). As someone else mentioned, I understand you need the right tool for the job. If you like to drive fast and appreciate great handling, you wouldn't want to drive a mini-van. Thanks, Brett
I just wanted to thank everyone for taking the time out of their busy schedule to respond to my question. Yes, I am well aware that people have crossed the Atlantic in rowboats, small sailboats, etc. I'm also aware that I could take a commercial vessel (Queen Mary) 8^) I should have listed my requirements instead of assuming that people on the list would know what they are. I was looking for a modern, safe boat that would be fairly easy to handle with two people. One that had various safety features, comfortable and fairly fast. One that I would primarily use to sail around thr NJ, Long Island area but be totally capable of sailing down to Florida or the Caribbean. From what I've read and seen, the Hunter 356 seemed to fit the bill. A number of years ago I spent about three weeks touring around the Greek Islands. I had a fabulous time and was mesmerized by all the sailboats from the various ports of call. Each marina was filled with sailboats from countries all over Europe. It's been a dream of mine to sail in that area. Maybe what I want to do doesn't make sense. Sounds like I am better off purchasing a boat for what I plan to use it for 99.9% of the time. I could either Charter a boat in Europe to live my dream or possible ship my boat over there (if that even makes sense). As someone else mentioned, I understand you need the right tool for the job. If you like to drive fast and appreciate great handling, you wouldn't want to drive a mini-van. Thanks, Brett
Hi Don...
It is pretty cool! As I recall the leg from San Diego to Vancouver, BC was priced at something like $250 a foot of boat length. Not super cheap but then again you don't have all the yard fees for hauling / launching, unstepping / restepping the mast, etc. If you're interested you should check with them since I'm not 100% sure on the price. It does look like a neat way to get your boat across the ocean!
It is pretty cool! As I recall the leg from San Diego to Vancouver, BC was priced at something like $250 a foot of boat length. Not super cheap but then again you don't have all the yard fees for hauling / launching, unstepping / restepping the mast, etc. If you're interested you should check with them since I'm not 100% sure on the price. It does look like a neat way to get your boat across the ocean!
Hear, Hear..... newbies should read Ron's post !!
Right on, Ron! (even thought the wind strength in the video you are talking about was approx. 25 knots, instead of 40......). Flying Dutchman
Right on, Ron! (even thought the wind strength in the video you are talking about was approx. 25 knots, instead of 40......). Flying Dutchman
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