Opinions on Hunter Passage 42

[MBLittle]

Originally Posted by typhoon

Before you jump. go look at a Bristol , or an Alden , or even an older Hinckly , for just a little more money or even the same , you would have a boat that you would never doubt at sea.

I'm not sure why you say this, those are all $100k more than a Hunter 42 Passage...

[MBLittle]

Originally Posted by rourkeh

If I were to make a list of the boats to consider buying for OFFSHORE CRUISING the Hunter brand would be absolute last on this list. The construction quality and engineering is so poor no one would buy them if it were not for the fact that they are about the cheapest thing out there. If you are thinking about putting your life on the line sailing offshore do some research.

Have you sailed a Hunter 42 Passage?

[MBLittle]

I'm admittedly fairly new to sailboats and am honestly curious why there only seem to be two camps regarding Hunters. Either love them or despise them. Very few people are in the middle.

Is this like comparing a Cadillac to a Toyota? Sure, Cadillac's are much nicer and built extremely well, but for the price, Toyota's are fantastic cars that match (or come very close) in almost every category. You'd still never see a Cadillac owner driving a Toyota...

[ShaktisBoy]

Originally Posted by MBLittle

I'm admittedly fairly new to sailboats and am honestly curious why there only seem to be two camps regarding Hunters. Either love them or despise them. Very few people are in the middle.

Is this like comparing a Cadillac to a Toyota? Sure, Cadillac's are much nicer and built extremely well, but for the price, Toyota's are fantastic cars that match (or come very close) in almost every category. You'd still never see a Cadillac owner driving a Toyota...

Yes its very much like that.

[MBLittle]

Originally Posted by ShaktisBoy

Yes its very much like that.

I figured as much, lol. Thanks!

[ColdEH]

Originally Posted by MBLittle

I'm not sure why you say this, those are all $100k more than a Hunter 42 Passage...

Here's a few
1981 Bristol 45.5 Center Cockpit Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

1984 Bristol 41.1 Center Cockpit Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

1980 Alden 44 Aft Cockpit Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com.

1978 Hinckley 49 Hardtop Ketch Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

Look at anyone of these and you will see the difference . Owners of these kinds of boats usually take very good care of them and they are built like nothing else is today, unless of course you pay large. , I think they are all Ted Hood designs.

Regards

[Gerrycooper56]

I would like to know exactly what blue water means as we had a 1991 Hunter Legend 43 which is the same hull as the Passage 42 and sailed her from Jacksonville FL to Townsville in Queensland, Australia. It took a year so we weren't cruising but passage making. Didn't break anything and our best days sail was 196 miles OTG. So is crossing the Pacific not considered blue water?

[ShaktisBoy]

I must say that 1980 Alden is a pretty boat. That said I think the Hunter will be 10 to 15 years newer and much more user friendly at anchor where most boats spend there time. Also while these are pretty boats with nice joinery there are plenty of examples of well maintained Hunters and Catalina's on the market as well. Another benefit of the Passage is easy water access via the swim steps which none of the boats above have.

[MBLittle]

Originally Posted by ShaktisBoy

Another benefit of the Passage is easy water access via the swim steps which none of the boats above have.

For us, that's just as much a necessity as sail plan and interior layout. With a toddler and a black lab, easy on and off at anchor is a requirement, not just a plus.

[MBLittle]

Originally Posted by Gerrycooper56

I would like to know exactly what blue water means as we had a 1991 Hunter Legend 43 which is the same hull as the Passage 42 and sailed her from Jacksonville FL to Townsville in Queensland, Australia. It took a year so we weren't cruising but passage making. Didn't break anything and our best days sail was 196 miles OTG. So is crossing the Pacific not considered blue water?

Was the ride enjoyable too?

[Matt Johnson]

Originally Posted by typhoon

Here's a few
1981 Bristol 45.5 Center Cockpit Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

1984 Bristol 41.1 Center Cockpit Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

1980 Alden 44 Aft Cockpit Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com.

1978 Hinckley 49 Hardtop Ketch Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

Look at anyone of these and you will see the difference . Owners of these kinds of boats usually take very good care of them and they are built like nothing else is today, unless of course you pay large. , I think they are all Ted Hood designs.

Regards

While I'm not a fan of any of the boats you listed (except maybe the Alden) I just had quick look at what the Hunter is going for on Yachtworld...are you kidding me? $100,000 plus for that boat? I seriously thought they would be in the $50s range and that your suggestions were way off base. I'm now firmly with your idea to look elsewhere. $100,000 can buy you a lot of boat right now.

[ColdEH]

Originally Posted by funjohnson

While I'm not a fan of any of the boats you listed (except maybe the Alden) I just had quick look at what the Hunter is going for on Yachtworld...are you kidding me? $100,000 plus for that boat? I seriously thought they would be in the $50s range and that your suggestions were way off base. I'm now firmly with your idea to look elsewhere. $100,000 can buy you a lot of boat right now.

I agree, $100000 is a lot of money for a Passage 42. But wow you can really buy a sweet boat for just a little more.

I am partial to New England boat builders as you can tell by my choices , My tastes have changed since I turned 50 I guess it was time to put away my International 14 and go for a boat that is more cruising oriented . Plus up here in Canada if you buy a boat that is not built in the US there is an extra 9.5 % tax on top of t he already high 13 % when I bring it home .

Regards

[UWOA]

I love my Hunter. No, it doesn't squeek and I've been in ten foot seas without problems, it handled nicely, though my admiral had to find the deck whenever we had to quarter in a following sea.

The vessel has been sailed in both the Pacific, the Gulf and the Atlantic,

Bottom line: mine's not for sale and I'm very happy with it.

[Matt Johnson]

Originally Posted by typhoon

I agree, $100000 is a lot of money for a Passage 42. But wow you can really buy a sweet boat for just a little more.

Heck, you don't even have to spend $100,000. Heres what a quick 3 minute search brought up for center cockpits (I much prefer aft).


Norseman 447
1984 Norseman 447 Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

Brewer 42 (I have seen two Brewer 44s under 100k in the past)
1984 Brewer Cutter Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

This one needs a refit, but great design:

Mackintosh 47
1988 Hansa Mackintosh 47 Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

There are also a few Moodys and a whole lot of Bristols in that range too. Then you also have the much superior aft cockpit boats I really wish was in the market right now and didnt purchase years ago.

[ShaktisBoy]

Originally Posted by funjohnson

While I'm not a fan of any of the boats you listed (except maybe the Alden) I just had quick look at what the Hunter is going for on Yachtworld...are you kidding me? $100,000 plus for that boat? I seriously thought they would be in the $50s range and that your suggestions were way off base. I'm now firmly with your idea to look elsewhere. $100,000 can buy you a lot of boat right now.

You guys crack me up. How is it that you believe a boat that sold new for 200k should lose 75% of its value in 20 years if its maintained? What if the owner just replaced the rig added new sails and a genset? Maybe a watermaker for extended cruising? This cost allot and retrofitting is expensive.
I maintain that a well cared for, well equiped boat is going to cost close to 6 figures unless she is ancient. Keep in mind those prices on yachtworld are asking prices and the real sale ammount will most likely be somewhat lower. Now back to the boats mentioned above, they are nice well founded boats but they wont appeal to everyone. If you only sail and and never spend a considerable ammount of time living onboard and swimming diving then the boats listed above are great. But for me there are several glaring issues that would make all of them a no go fo us.

1 athwartship berths. Im getting to old to crawl over my partner to use the head in the middle of the night. She hates being woken up while I crawl over her so for her it is a deal breaker as well.

2 . With no easy water access, swiming diving or just plain old getting back onboard if I fall over in the middle of the night is a problem. For me it seems like a no brainer, there is more safety with a swim platform and steps. Being divers we enjoy being able to launch multiple folks at a time off our cat. The hunter passage has a wide back swim step so launching two at a time seems dooable on it as well.

3. Draft. We like to get away from the beaten path and particularly in the keys and Bahamas so 5 feet was the maximum draft we would accept. The Passage barely meets this requirement.

4. Quarter berths cant stand em. Nuff said.

Flame away