Would you buy your boat again?

[swampcreek]

Thanks Les, Mike, and everyone else!

Les, I REALLY appreciate your input and value your lessons learned. I will seriously take into account your post. BTW, pardon my ignorance but what is a sugar scoop stern? Mike, yeah, as time progresses I have people guiding me larger. (As I stated previously...I'm all over the graph). The money aspect is mainly due to the Admirals intrepidation. I think once I get her on some larger boats she'll see the light. So far I have her used to the idea of spending close to 10K. I could do 10K almost in cash. We both have great jobs and no bills except a mortgage, and soon a new small truck payment for the Admiral.Up untill the beginning of this year I worked swing shifts for 21 years with extreme amounts of overtime and hardly no weekends off which probably was the major reason I had a heart attack last November at the age of 42!! I finally was promoted to an all day work position with weekends and holidays off! I'm ready to dive into the sailing life once and for all. I just don't want to loose my butt making wrong decisions. On the bright side, the longer it takes the more money I'm squirreling away. I will continue to pump people for information but eventually I know it'll probably be a roll of the dice. I'm currently selling some unused toys and tightening up some loose ends. After church today we'll go to a local marina/bar and walk some piers.This IS some great reading. Again THANKS ALL and keep it comming! Oh yeah! EVENTUALLY the Admiral wants a sea going catamaran, but I can't wait for "EVENTUALLY".

 

[s sauer]

Trailer 'Sailor' vs Slip

Swamp Creek,I started out about 28 years ago as a newbie on a shoal draft Hunter 25 for a little under $10,000 we kept it for about 5 years and basically its trade-in value was $9,600.My two young sons and I went all over the bay on that boat with a 9.9 outboard for most weekends, plus vacation trips typically a week or more, including down to Crisfield ,MD. We spent almost NO money other than the equipment for the initial outfitting; radio, safety gear & foul weather gear , but we did keep her in a slip, which allowed us to meet many in our continuing circle of friends.Just this advice to you: 25' is the smallest I'd consider on the Chesapeake and with a 9.9 outboard you get off the water to avoid storms. Our deep keel Hunter 28.5,has an inboard diesel and enclosed head, which we've had 22 years; she's been raced and cruised and handled all weather conditions we've faced on the northern Chesapeake, and obviously is kept in a slip(could be a mooring for less $$$). You don't get decent headroom until 27'-28' without a flimsy pop-top. and IMHO the Magreggor with the big engine IS a marketing boat not a sailboat. Drive over to Tidewater at HavreDeGrace, leave your checkbook at home and talk to folks outfiting their boats next month to broaden your input.I see the flexibility in trailering a water balasted Hunter 260, since you've already got the truck. Otherwise, I personally wouldn't wrestle with the mast and trailering twice a weekend ( On the 25, I always raised the mast and installed the 9.9 myself but only ON in the spring and OFF inthe fall- not every weekend!)Enjoy you quest!

 

[Les]

Sugar Scoop stern is a modern thing

Hi Swampcreek,Not a bad question. In recent years Hunter has designed their boats with a stern that allows one to walk through the stern, not over it. You remove the helm seat and just walk through. I believe Hunter designed that in the mid 1990s and now most modern designs have some form of a walk thru stern. I believe it was called "a sugar scoop" stern as it resembled an old fashion sugar scoop.It is interesting when Hunter first came out with it, the collective group on another list went nuts saying Hunter boats would sink in a following wave. It was roundly denounced. But the world has accepted it and at my age, I love it.Best of luck on your quest.Les

 

[Jenni]

Older Macs

From what you discribe I would sugest one of the older Mac 26 models. Either the D (dagerboard) or the S (Center Board). Both of these boats are good sailors (If you have the IDA rudder) and are easily trailerable. I move my Mac 26D around with my V6 Sebring. I keep mine at a mooring but it only takes 30 mins to set up the mast. They sleep 5 (Two in the vbirth, 1 on the long couch along the port side and 2 in the Queen sized birth under the cockpit.) They have an enclosed head (Mind you it is a little low in there, and most come with a single burnner stove beside the sink. From looking around a bit you can get these macs for between $7000-$12000.I really like my Mac and I went crusing from Port Hope up to the 1000 islands last year. It's pretty comfy for two people to cruise in and would easily fit two couples. One add on I would highly recomend for crusing would be the Pop-Top tent. You can't really stand in the cabin without haveing the pop-top up and it lets in all the bugs if you dont have the tent. I race my Mac a bit too and she is pretty quick for it's size and seems to point very well.

 

[Vern]

Swampcreek - Consider the mast raising system

I have a Hunter 260 with a nifty mast raising system. I would advise you to research that aspect as part of your due diligence. Don't forget that after you get the mast raised, you have to rig your boat for the water. And finally, when you're back on the trailer, reverse the process. Some marinas rent storage space on the trailer (in season) so you don't have to go through that process. They have a clear path from the launch ramp to the security area so you can leave the mast raised. Just hook up your trailer, take the sail cover off and go.I planned to sail my H260 in such a manner until I realized what a process it was when you don't have a slip or a mooring. I found a fairly decent price on a slip and I haven't had to drop the mast for 4 years (except for a non-related reason).If you come to that same conclusion earlier than I did, it opens up the market to other that trailerable boats. Just another way of looking at it.Either way, it beats sitting on the shore, wishing you were out there on the water.

 

[crazy dave condon]

mast raise

The older Catalina 250 sailboats used the identical mast raising as on the Hunter water ballast. Hunter on their current 25 still uses the same system. The mast raise pole is attached to the base of the mast in some form or another but mostly inserted into the base of the mast. The mast needs to be reinforced with another mast section at the hole. The pole is then raised 5-10 degrees upward to perpendicular or 90% of the mast to allow for the stretch of the jib halyard. The Hunter used the mainsheet to attach to the lower portion of the mast raise pole to an attachement in the anchor well. To stabilze the mast sideways, there were mast stabilizing wires one for the port and the other of course for the starboard side to keep the mast from falling sideways when going up and down. The attachement of the wires on the boat had to be in centerline with the mast sideways or they would not work properly all the way up or down depending if they were to far foward or backward of the centerline of the mast. Then there is the mast support on the back of the boat. Some were telescoping and on others fixed for example the Hunter 260. The current system for the Catalina 250 and Precision 23 is use of an extended bar from the trailer tongue support on the trailer. The bar rasies up and the winch strap goes and then over to the jib halyard. Then you use the winch on the trailer to bring the mast up. Catlaina provides mast stabilizer wires but not on the precision 23 which someone has to stabilize the mast going up and down. You will need of course a telescoping transom mast carrier. I hope this helps answer some questions.

 

[swampcreek]

Still reading!

Still reading, still looking. As summer nears we'll increase our exposer to more boats. I must admit we're still entertaining many situations and sizes. Thanks all!

 

[Deucer]

Lots of Options

Swampcreek,We've got a Hunter 260. We were looking for exactly what you're looking for when we bought the Hunter. One thing to consider. Our bank loans money for the boat based on price/value...not year. The higher the price, the longer the loan. Yeah, you pay more interest, but you get more boat (and you can pay down the note early). We actually have a lower monthly payment by paying 80% more than we planned (planned $10K). The Hunter 260 is about the biggest trailerable boat you reasonable manage. Since it's water ballast, it's much lighter than an older C25. Plus the cockpit on the 260 is just about the best of any boat it's size or smaller for putting 4-6 adults in. We liked it much better than the Cat 250s we looked at. And there's a ton of room below. Almost zero wasted space.Now for the good/bad news. With the keel down, the boat draws 6 feet. That's a lot for skinny water. With the keel up/rudder down, it's still 4 feet. But, with everything tucked up, it's 21 inches. Also, the hassle with raising and lowering the mast. While it's fairly straight forward, it's a chore. We're in Biloxi, so there was a dearth of slips and we kept the boat in a storage lot. We'd only take the boat out when we had all day to sail. It's just too much work to rig/de-rig for a few hours of sailing. But, I'd think that would be true for all larger, trailerable boats. Oh, 260s have a wonderful on-line network that will help you with just about everything about the boat. And there's a ton of parts out there. Once you're in the water, the boat is real straightforward to sail. Not a great racer, but a real comfortable boat for the admiral. OH, the enclosed head is a real plus with the deck fluff crowd. Bottomline, unless you buy a boat that stays in the water all the time (then there's no limit..ok, money's the only limit..to what you can buy), you need to consider how comfortable you want to be and comfort and size usually comes as a package. Hope that helps.Deucer

 

[sailingyaya's]

Wow, great input!!!!

We just bought our first boat, a Hunter 23.5 (or maybe it is a 22.5?). We had NO SAILING EXP, not even a class!!! This boat is so easy and fun to sail, even we could do it! We just got back from Navarre Beach, FL, down from Pensacola. We anchored her out in the Santa Rosa Sound and sailed every day!!!! We have three little girls, ages 3,5 and 7. Plenty of room for all, until....until we passed a Hunter 26.5 at the boat launch! They invited us aboard "Mental Floss" and we fell in love! It is still trailerable, yet it has the wheel, enclosed potty, much better sleeping arrangements, and just a lot more room in only 3 more feet of boat!!!!!!!!!!!! For day sailing, ours is fabulous, and we think it would be with another couple aboard. For just the two of us a wk end will be great back on the Sound! For the kids and us, I am soooo begging my husband for the bigger boat! We are all about the trailerable in our local! We are in Central Alabama, Bham, and don't have a beach or lake home. this boat allows us to go to any lake and on the coast! We love the centerboard and really shallow draft, way handy in the sound/bay. Just get out there and don't over think it! You will love it! We sure do!-kathleen

 

[Recess]

Potter 19

That is a popular boat in Florida. There is a group down here you will have to hook up with if you should buy this type of boat. They seem to get together often and sail together. I am actually quite envious of how often they get together. I will link their website. If you have any questions about the Potter, they could answer anything you want to know.

http://www.flwwp.com/potter_pictures.htm

 

[bio]

my 26 s works great for me...

mine is a 94 model...no 50 horsepower motor...pure sailor. IThough cheaper built than the other production boats i have never had ANY problem with her construction or sailing performance. been off the gulf coast 5 times, off charleston many dozens of times and damn near every lake in the south east. Though they get degraded, usually by folks that have never sailed the s or d models...they sail very well and are a fast boat. A little tender at first and you will want to reef above 15 mph winds but for the money it's alot of boat. I have sailed my boat very hard with no mechanical/safety problems. I paid 8,700 for mine four years ago and have gotten- coastal from Virginia to the keys, and lots of lakes between- way more than my moneys worth already. Just be prepared to deal with some who have never sailed on one... I plan on moving up to a more bluewater boat too, but till then my 26s does just fine. Lot's of good choices out there though; esp. if money wasn't much of an issue.

 

[sand sailor]

if you can find a santana 27 ???

definitely yes. I stole mine off e-bay and its solid as a rock (no cored deck or hull) she's wide and fast and sails well alone or with lots of people.