Hunter 42 for Offshore Work?

[Randyonr3]

Originally Posted by LakeSuperior

.

Clearly, a stout boat purpose built for heavy weather will hold up better in storm conditions than a more lightly built less expensive boat.

If you never sail into heavy weather then there is no issue a lightly built boat will function perfectly fine.

You may consider that Mother Nature can be incredibly unforgiving. Consequently, when I am in the middle of all hell breaking loose I would want to be in a stout craft. The nature of my craft determines the probability of my survival. Less strong, lightly built, a higher probability that I go in the liferaft.

Hunter is on the leading edge of design in both hull shape, design, safety, and rigs.. we've all seen this over the years.. and is proven by the numbers sold..
I for one will turn tail and run from mother natures wrath.. and in doing so, I would want a Fast, sturdy, and reliable craft to get me out of harms way.. That was my first choice in buying the boat we did..
The Hunter 42 would be my next choice..
The weight of the hunter being in around 20k is a mid weight boat and the not the ultra lite most people think it is..

[jackdale]

Another thread on Hunters

Sudden Attraction to Hunters

I have taken one into blue water. I would never do it again unless the boat was modified extensively.

[SimonV]

Originally Posted by jackdale

Another thread on Hunters

Sudden Attraction to Hunters

I have taken one into blue water. I would never do it again unless the boat was modified extensively.

well do tell there is obviously a story here.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by SimonV

well do tell there is obviously a story here.

Rather than repeat prior postings, you can search my posts in that thread.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...archid=2885542

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by LakeSuperior

You may consider that Mother Nature can be incredibly unforgiving. Consequently, when I am in the middle of all hell breaking loose I would want to be in a stout craft. The nature of my craft determines the probability of my survival. Less strong, lightly built, a higher probability that I go in the liferaft.

All quite true, however how many cruisers end up in all hell breaking loose weather? In my experience, very very few, and of those that do, 99% of them were just not paying attention to the forecasts, sailing in hurricane territory during hurricane season and got caught, or doing high latitude sailing.

So, if you pay a modicum of attention to the weather, stay out of the hurricane zone during the season, and sail the tropics then the odds of being in survival type weather is almost nil.

[annk]

Fascinating blog of the hunter 49 circumnavigating via Cape Horn.
I must say that it's not a boat my thoughts would have turned to as first choice for such a voyage.
However the guy is out there and doing it very well on a Hunter. Further investigation does show that the Captain is a man of extra-ordinary experience.
Which just goes to show that it's not just the boat but the boat plus the Captain that is the important part of the equation.
I haven't sailed a Hunter but I have looked at many in port that the owner's have put up for sale after a distressing passage, maybe that's just a coincidence, and maybe not.

They strike me as great boats for coastal cruising, entertaining et al but those wide open spaces in a serious sea would worry me. Still you have to say that they are out there and doing it, mostly!

[Don L]

Originally Posted by jackdale

Another thread on Hunters

Sudden Attraction to Hunters

I have taken one into blue water. I would never do it again unless the boat was modified extensively.

Yes Jack that was a good thread. In fact it led me past my Hunter hating thinking and allowed me to get my Hunter 410 which is a great boat (in fact I started that thread asking about the same model as the subject of this thread)! I question why you always appear willing to jump onto the boat trashing party.

Not all Hunters are good passage boats because they sell to all markets, which does not make the ones they make for passages bad boats! But this thread isn't about all those entry level starter boats it's about a Hunter that was built as a passage maker!

[skipmac]

Thursday's Child, Hunter 54 in 1989 was the first boat to break the record around the Horn, NY to SF set by the clipper ship Flying Cloud in 1853.

In a previous thread one of the posts criticizing Hunters for offshore focused on the lack of lee cloths and a cheap stove. I see lots of well respected, so called "blue water" boats that don't come with lee cloths but that's something I can remedy as an easy weekend project. Have seen lots of boats with stoves I didn't like, that is just as easy to fix, just a little more money.

Too me what would be more pertinent is the basic strength and structure of the hull.

My personal complaint about Hunters, I don't particularly care for the B&R rig but perhaps I'm just to dense to figure out to use it. I'm sure Don or Bash would be happy to explain it to me.

[LakeSuperior]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

Was that some unspoken boat trashing in the post by an internet expert?

I would take my Hunter anywhere I woud be willing to take any other non-metal boat, like say an old Mason.

Nowhere do I mention Hunter or Mason in my post. It was a philosophical point where I was giving the OP my thoughts on crossing oceans in sail boats.

That said, and I don't no anything about Hunters except from those who protest too much, if the shoe fits wear it!

The other point from skipmac about avoiding heavy weather...that is just plain not correct. How good is a forecast weather window...3 or 4 days...not many oceans you can cross in that time. Consequently, a good sailor has to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

[avb3]

Originally Posted by jackdale

Rather than repeat prior postings, you can search my posts in that thread.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...archid=2885542

Link does not work. Comes back as:

"Sorry - no matches. Please try some different terms."

[Don L]

Originally Posted by skipmac

My personal complaint about Hunters, I don't particularly care for the B&R rig but perhaps I'm just to dense to figure out to use it. I'm sure Don or Bash would be happy to explain it to me.

I would bet your problem isn't with the B&R Rig, its' with swept back spreaders. Lots of other boats have swept back spreaders and you learn to sail around the loss of using wing-on-wing as a "standard" trim (it can be sailed wing-on-wing but you have to really pay attention). Normally I only find myself limited with coming back in though a tight channel. In that case I either center the main and sail on the head sail, or since that means I only have a short distance to get in I just start the engine 1/2 mile sooner than I originally planned to. Definitely not something worth using as the go/no-go for deciding what boat to buy!

[S/V Illusion]

Originally Posted by annk

Do you have a link to that thread Illusion? I am unable to find the report and would be fascinated to read the account.

Sorry for the omission the first time:
Sequitur

[Randyonr3]

Originally Posted by LakeSuperior

The other point from skipmac about avoiding heavy weather...that is just plain not correct. How good is a forecast weather window...3 or 4 days...not many oceans you can cross in that time. Consequently, a good sailor has to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

Actually what Skipmac said is right on.. and you do have about a 3 day weather window.. but your 3 day window is constantly moving forward in time.. and if you pay attention to the weather, you can predict that 3 day window with ease..and the closer the window gets, the more precise you get..
and not to change the subject but if a proper season is chosen, you'll have a set of parameters to work with..

The trip I made a couple years ago from Alaska to San Francisco was one such trip.. picked the right season, the pacific high was stable and I had one of the best trips of my life..and with a weather fax, I could predict pretty closly...within 3 days at all times...........

If I saw something I didnt like, I'd keep an Eye on it. and had a 24 hour limmit set for myself.. thats when I'd make the decision .. in 24 hours I can alter corse and be 400 miles in the right direction.. But you do have to know what direction to go..

Now back to Hunters

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by avb3

Link does not work. Comes back as:

"Sorry - no matches. Please try some different terms."

Sorry

Try using the advanced search tools for this thread to search a username.

Sudden Attraction to Hunters

[LakeSuperior]

Originally Posted by Randyonr3

Actually what Skipmac said is right on.. and you do have about a 3 day weather window.. but your 3 day window is constantly moving forward in time.. and if you pay attention to the weather, you can predict that 3 day window with ease..and the closer the window gets, the more precise you get..
and not to change the subject but if a proper season is chosen, you'll have a set of parameters to work with..

The trip I made a couple years ago from Alaska to San Francisco was one such trip.. picked the right season, the pacific high was stable and I had one of the best trips of my life..and with a weather fax, I could predict pretty closly...within 3 days at all times..........

If I saw something I didnt like, I'd keep an Eye on it. and had a 24 hour limmit set for myself.. thats when I'd make the decision .. in 24 hours I can alter corse and be 400 miles in the right direction.. But you do have to know what direction to go..

Now back to Hunters

Technically I didn't say you couldn't make an ocean passage without encountering heavy weather. And you are correct in that there are a number of strategies and opportunities for avoiding bad weather.

I don't think you can win this one however. For example, you might try to explain this to the skippers and crew heading for the Caribbean last fall that had to be airlifted off.