Hunter 42 for Offshore Work?

[SimonV]

I don't own a Hunter, but would. It would seem to me that the only negatives for the larger Hunters is they don't have a sea berth, don't have a strap in the galley and heads are in the wrong place or hard to use. Well most people that go off shore or cruise long distance would probably say this about most boats. I do have a sea berth but its not so good on a port tack because I end up being supported by the lee cloth , the floor is more comfy/safe. I keep saying I should (sorry the wife keeps saying) fit a galley strap but I wont her cooking if things are too lumpy. And as for the head, I have never found a head set up on any boat that was easy to use when beating to weather.

[GeoPowers]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

"

No one is saying that. I said that *I* would not want to do it. My 31' is not what most people would call a bluewater boat. Sail a tender boat around the world and you need really good sailing skills. I've been sailing for about 5, and it's not the optimal boat for that.

Please don't turn that into "Hunters can't do ... whatever." That's not what I said. I recognize both my own experience level and the natural traits of my boat, that's all.
Unless someone quotes your post (such as I did here), or addresses you by name, don't assume they are replying to your post. My comments were general in nature to Production-Blue water Internet discussions. Thanks-

Frank "


What is your problem? I was clarifying what *I* said -- and by the way, my boat IS a Hunter. Please don't try to micromanage how I respond. thanks.

Uhh, if you quote someone's text, that's kinda like you are responding to whatever it is you quoted....and I wasn't talking about you or to you when I first posted in this thread. Don't act so crazy. You Hunter owners seem defensive about EVERYTHING.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by GeoPowers

You Hunter owners seem defensive about EVERYTHING.

It's probably because there's so much crap out there that's totally off base. Two posts ago, someone concluded, from information offered on this thread, that Hunters have the heads in the wrong place. Wait, my boat has one on the starboard side, and the other on the port side. Just like pretty much every other boat with two heads.

And now, for the next five years, we're going to hear that Hunters have their heads in the wrong places.

A friend once told me that the problem with Hunters is that they have no handholds down below. I challenged him to come below on my boat and find a single spot where a handhold wasn't readily available. He couldn't find one. The only difference from his boat was that they weren't all on the ceiling... which is a good thing on a boat with more headroom, right?

Part of the problem here is that Hunter makes a huge line of boats, everything from trailer sailors to offshore passage-makers. There are certainly Hunters I wouldn't take offshore, but that doesn't mean the whole line is suspect.

A lot of the misinformation comes from the boating industry itself. Brokers hate losing sales to a brand that can offer more for less, and so they badmouth Hunters at every possible opportunity. But it's clear, from this thread, that some of the sailing community accept such claims uncritically. Earlier, for example, someone who claims to be a sailing instructor was complaining that he doesn't like Hunters because they have in-mast furling. This is clearly an option on Hunters, no different than on any other boat made today. But if you want a Hunter with conventional furling, or in-boom furling, any dealer in the country will be happy to sell you one that way as well. Just like any other boat.

Are people thinking when they write this stuff?

[GeoPowers]

Originally Posted by Bash

It's probably because there's so much crap out there that's totally off base. Two posts ago, someone concluded, from information offered on this thread, that Hunters have the heads in the wrong place. Wait, my boat has one on the starboard side, and the other on the port side. Just like pretty much every other boat with two heads.

And now, for the next five years, we're going to hear that Hunters have their heads in the wrong places.

You folks get no love on the Internet. I have a head on the stbd side and -gasp- one ALL the way fwd!! How unseaworthy is that??!? Haha Don't worry, in another 6 months it'll switch back to bashing Beneteaus.

[MikeinLA]

Originally Posted by montenido

Hi Mike, thanks for the shout out. I figured that if I didn't sell my boat, all I would do is think about going bluewater, and never do it. So having no boat, but some money, opens up a lot of options. As I stated in the beginning of this post, I would like something that suits my wife in the comfort areas while still being bluewater capable.

I still don't think my question was answered regarding the Hunter Passage 42. Yes, some would take it offshore, but that can apply to most boats.

Was it built to take on offshore conditions (not rounding the Horns)?

Cheers, Bill

Bill, I think this is an endless question that you will only be able to answer once you get "there". Steve on the C36 board brought up an interesting point once, that the standards for "bluewater boats" were defined years ago when you had absolutely NO idea of what possible conditions might lie ahead of you. Advances in weather fax, routing, etc have really improved one's ability to choose weather windows, routes, etc. I sometimes think that the MANY "Benehunterlinas" sailing the seas only do so because they forgot to ask if the boat was OK for doing so. For doing the Baha and then turning right, I think you'll be fine. As I'm sure you would, just learn the boat, beef up where you can and GO. As many have opined, it's usually the crew that's not up to it, not the boat, and you'll learn that by the time you get to Baja. Besides, I'm sure I would have heard if the ocean bottom was simply littered with production sailboats and I have heard no such thing. The salient point that you must confront is that if the wife doesn't like the boat, you probably won't go at all. BTW, there's a nice one on Yachtworld in Marina del Rey right now.

Fair Winds, Mike

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by GeoPowers

Uhh, if you quote someone's text, that's kinda like you are responding to whatever it is you quoted....and I wasn't talking about you or to you when I first posted in this thread. Don't act so crazy. You Hunter owners seem defensive about EVERYTHING.

If you'd read and comprehended what I said you would have known that my comments were neutral. Personally I think anyone who lumps people together into groups (i.e. "all you Hunter owners) and then puts them down is insecure, not to mention crazy.

I know the limits of my boat. It is exactly what I wanted (except for the non-sexy lines). It has good living space (and I live on it), and for its size it's fast and a lot of fun. I can single-hand it.

If I'd wanted a boat better suited to open ocean, that's what I would have bought. There's nothing to be defensive about, because only ignorant people put them down, dumplin'. And it doesn't leak. That's a fine trait in a boat.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Bash

It's probably because there's so much crap out there that's totally off base. Two posts ago, someone concluded, from information offered on this thread, that Hunters have the heads in the wrong place. Wait, my boat has one on the starboard side, and the other on the port side. Just like pretty much every other boat with two heads.

And now, for the next five years, we're going to hear that Hunters have their heads in the wrong places.

A friend once told me that the problem with Hunters is that they have no handholds down below. I challenged him to come below on my boat and find a single spot where a handhold wasn't readily available. He couldn't find one. The only difference from his boat was that they weren't all on the ceiling... which is a good thing on a boat with more headroom, right?

Part of the problem here is that Hunter makes a huge line of boats, everything from trailer sailors to offshore passage-makers. There are certainly Hunters I wouldn't take offshore, but that doesn't mean the whole line is suspect.

A lot of the misinformation comes from the boating industry itself. Brokers hate losing sales to a brand that can offer more for less, and so they badmouth Hunters at every possible opportunity. But it's clear, from this thread, that some of the sailing community accept such claims uncritically. Earlier, for example, someone who claims to be a sailing instructor was complaining that he doesn't like Hunters because they have in-mast furling. This is clearly an option on Hunters, no different than on any other boat made today. But if you want a Hunter with conventional furling, or in-boom furling, any dealer in the country will be happy to sell you one that way as well. Just like any other boat.

Are people thinking when they write this stuff?

Like all sailboats, they're a compromise. Never have figured out why people think they're friggin' geniuses for realizing that (I don't mean the person I quoted!).

You're right, it's pretty foolish to generalize about Hunters. I bet that 42' one the OP was talking about handles differently in rough weather than my 31' does.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by MikeinLA

Bill, I think this is an endless question that you will only be able to answer once you get "there". Steve on the C36 board brought up an interesting point once, that the standards for "bluewater boats" were defined years ago when you had absolutely NO idea of what possible conditions might lie ahead of you. Advances in weather fax, routing, etc have really improved one's ability to choose weather windows, routes, etc. I sometimes think that the MANY "Benehunterlinas" sailing the seas only do so because they forgot to ask if the boat was OK for doing so. For doing the Baha and then turning right, I think you'll be fine. As I'm sure you would, just learn the boat, beef up where you can and GO. As many have opined, it's usually the crew that's not up to it, not the boat, and you'll learn that by the time you get to Baja. Besides, I'm sure I would have heard if the ocean bottom was simply littered with production sailboats and I have heard no such thing. The salient point that you must confront is that if the wife doesn't like the boat, you probably won't go at all. BTW, there's a nice one on Yachtworld in Marina del Rey right now.

Fair Winds, Mike

Make ABSOLUTELY SURE the boat is sound, whatever you get. I had to be towed in Jan. after running aground. The towboat broke my rudder and I was really mad until we removed it. The rudder had been seriously compromised, but it was not visible from the outside. I don't think it would have held up in a big blow, and there I could have been in a storm, maybe near shore, with no rudder.

Oops.

Personally I would deliberately sail it in a storm while I wasn't far from home and learn how the boat handles in rough conditions, because you can't avoid all bad weather. Here in Florida, if you only sail in the summer if there's a 20% chance of storms or less, you won't sail all summer. And, we can have them any time of year.

Storms can happen unpredictably with no guarantee you can outrun them. You can miss cyclones but you have to have a boat that can handle a first class thunderstorm.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

Like all sailboats, they're a compromise. Never have figured out why people think they're friggin' geniuses for realizing that (I don't mean the person I quoted!).

Funny. College profs are so seldom accused of being friggin' geniuses, I kinda enjoyed it.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by Bash

It's probably because there's so much crap out there that's totally off base. Two posts ago, someone concluded, from information offered on this thread, that Hunters have the heads in the wrong place. Wait, my boat has one on the starboard side, and the other on the port side. Just like pretty much every other boat with two heads.

And now, for the next five years, we're going to hear that Hunters have their heads in the wrong places.

Bash

Earlier I indicated that a Nauticat 37 had the heads on the port side. I cannot find the Hunter comment, especially two posts ago.

Where is it?

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by jackdale

Bash

Earlier I indicated that a Nauticat 37 had the heads on the port side. I cannot find the Hunter comment, especially two posts ago.

Where is it?

I didn't see that one, but I thought it was the Hunter OWNERS who had their heads in the wrong place!

The new Hunters don't have that metal toe rail. Love that thing, but it would be completely incompatible with the lines on the newer Hunters. Really useful, but not a thing of beauty.

[Hearts Content]

Sailed an in-mast furler in heavy weather last weekend. This just made the must-have list on my next boat.

This is a tremendous safety and convenience feature and most of what I read about these on the internet is a bunch of crap.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

The new Hunters don't have that metal toe rail. Love that thing, but it would be completely incompatible with the lines on the newer Hunters. Really useful, but not a thing of beauty.

Absolutely.

I like a block mounted midships when beam reaching to get the sheet off the lifelines. This was real issue with the Nauticat which had teak rails at the top of the stanchions.

When single line docking, you can attach a shackle to the point to attach the line.

You can also attach block to scupper to provide fairleads to a foredick mounted preventer.

When going around Vancouver Island we lash the dinghy to foredeck using the scuppers.

I am also prepared to put my weight on a metal toe rail when going up the leeward side to adjust a genoa leech line.

Tons of uses.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by Hearts Content

Sailed an in-mast furler in heavy weather last weekend. This just made the must-have list on my next boat.

This is a tremendous safety and convenience feature and most of what I read about these on the internet is a bunch of crap.

Glad you like.

[gpshephe]

Originally Posted by LakeSuperior

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.

Are you talking about the Beneteau that was left floating. I wonder what happened to that boat?