2004 Hunter 44 Deck Salon any opinions or experiences?

[Cpt.Kid]

Hello everyone ,

This is my second post on this forum and I wanted to first say hello . My wife and I are going to look at a 2004 Hunter 44 Deck Salon as a perspective first boat for us and our two kids. I have already taken all my ASA classes up to 104 and I'm confident about sailing this size of boat but I was wondering aside from my online search for reviews if anyone here has had opinions they would like to throw into the bucket.

[ontherocks83]

This is going to get interesting.

Do you have any more info as far as location, frequency of use and intended use?

[Matt Johnson]

It's a great looking boat, ton of room for a young family and seems to be a good value.

I wouldn't cross the Atlantic in it, but for the East/West coast and Caribbean, it would be a wonderful home.

Matt

[Cpt.Kid]

lol I hope I didn't open the wrong can of worms..lol

[Cpt.Kid]

Can you elaborate why not cross the Atlantic? just for curiosity sake..

[S/V Illusion]

Check out sailboatowners.com
There are 7 reviews by owners which might be more credible than opinions from Internet experts.

At least one of them transited Cape Horn and survived despite fashionable wisdom to the contrary.

[Cpt.Kid]

Originally Posted by ontherocks83

This is going to get interesting.

Do you have any more info as far as location, frequency of use and intended use?

Most of our beginning sailing is going to be around Kemah Texas and the surrounding Gulf area, we have a lot to learn as a family. Eventually to hopefully take it to the florida keys but I'm not trying to get ahead of myself.

[Cpt.Kid]

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

Check out sailboatowners.com
There are 7 reviews by owners which might be more credible than opinions from Internet experts.

At least one of them transited Cape Horn and survived despite fashionable wisdom to the contrary.

Thanks I'll check them out

[ontherocks83]

You'll get some good info here. There are a good number of current and past Hunter owners but you'll probably get more from a Hunter Forum where you have a higher likely hood of someone owning that model

[Cpt.Kid]

Originally Posted by ontherocks83

You'll get some good info here. There are a good number of current and past Hunter owners but you'll probably get more from a Hunter Forum where you have a higher likely hood of someone owning that model

Yeah I figured so, but I am casting my net out wide so I can hopefully get a variety of opinions and stories (if possible) of maybe some past owners of Hunter boats so a I can get honest opinons. We don't really have our heart set on it yet but we are looking at it due to the price and space. We were also looking at Jeanneau 379 as an option but they seem to be out of our current budget ( I don't really want to spend my retirement years paying off my boat lol).

[Akapeterc]

Hi, I own a 2003 Hunter 44DS that I have owned for 2 years and I can say I love the yacht. My boat was set up by a Canadian couple and sailed all the way down the east coast of USA thru Panama Canal and across the pacific to Australia over 2 years. When they arrived here in Australia put it on the market and flew home. I was very lucky to be able to purchase it. So any one that says they are not capable of blue water passages are talking bull. I sail my yacht with just my 15 year old son and we have been up and down the east coast of Australia several times. They are a great boat. We have been caught out in 4 metre swell in 30 knot winds and have never ever felt un safe in her. This is my first yacht as well. I have always owned small power boats, bare boat chartered several times and sailed on other peoples yachts before this. The last 2 years have been a steep learning curve but I have and still do love every minute we are on board. Our longest trip has been 10 weeks sailing up to southern Queensland over our summer then back home to Lake Macquarie. I can't say any thing negative about her. Cheers. If you have any questions ask away.

[sailpower]

Originally Posted by Akapeterc

Hi, I own a 2003 Hunter 44DS that I have owned for 2 years ....... Our longest trip has been 10 weeks sailing up to southern Queensland over our summer then back home to Lake Macquarie.

Are you reporting this from the afterlife? Surely you didn't survive such a trip on a Hunter?

[Cpt.Kid]

Originally Posted by Akapeterc

Hi, I own a 2003 Hunter 44DS that I have owned for 2 years and I can say I love the yacht. My boat was set up by a Canadian couple and sailed all the way down the east coast of USA thru Panama Canal and across the pacific to Australia over 2 years. When they arrived here in Australia put it on the market and flew home. I was very lucky to be able to purchase it. So any one that says they are not capable of blue water passages are talking bull. I sail my yacht with just my 15 year old son and we have been up and down the east coast of Australia several times. They are a great boat. We have been caught out in 4 metre swell in 30 knot winds and have never ever felt un safe in her. This is my first yacht as well. I have always owned small power boats, bare boat chartered several times and sailed on other peoples yachts before this. The last 2 years have been a steep learning curve but I have and still do love every minute we are on board. Our longest trip has been 10 weeks sailing up to southern Queensland over our summer then back home to Lake Macquarie. I can't say any thing negative about her. Cheers. If you have any questions ask away.

That's amazing!! That's the kind of experience that I was looking for... Thanks for sharing. Im hoping to do something similar with my family, but first I'll have to get them over the sea sickness and get more experience under my crew's belts lol

[Cpt.Kid]

Originally Posted by sailpower

Are you reporting this from the afterlife? Surely you didn't survive such a trip on a Hunter?

😮 lol, why you say that?

[sailpower]

Originally Posted by Cpt.Kid

😮 lol, why you say that?

Lots of arm chair types seem to think that Hunters can't survive in the ocean.