OK, here it goes. I going to jump into the fray. I bought my 2004 Hunter 44DS March 1st of this year. So far we have sailed/motored from Tampa around thru the Keys and up to Brunswick, GA and from Brunswick to The
British Virgin Islands, where we are sitting now. So I feel we have given her a pretty good test. The trips were "delivery" style, not laid back cruising. I have run her lightly and hard aground. In Fat Deer Key I learned the art of taking a 44 pound
anchor in your
dinghy out and dropping it
overboard so that you can
winch your 24,000 pound boat out of the mud. In Marco Island at night in high winds, my very experienced sailing buddy played pinball with my boat against daymarkers, sandbars, and slips. We sailed down
wind in 30 plus kts. That trip lasted two weeks with a 4 day layover in W. Palm Beach because of high winds which my significant other (SO) refused to endure. The entire trip was "outside" except the last day from Kings Bay to Brunswick. We took the
ICW because we anchored in the
ICW on the South end of Cumberland Island and it made no sense to go back out to get home. We did two night passages during that trip. My friend and I left Brunswick on May 16th after I had some
electronics (that have never worked right) installed plus
solar panels (which do work). My SO stayed back for a week to finish up some business. She joined us in W. Palm. We motored down the ICW for a week. I have to say at this point that going up and down the ICW is literally a walk in the park. Very relaxing, not difficult. We picked up my SO and headed to
Miami to cross the
Gulf Stream. Got out of
Miami around 5pm ahead of a thunderstorm. The crossing was like a dream. We were one day past the full moon and it came up to light a path for us to follow across the stream. The
water was glass smooth. We cleared at Cat Cay the next morning and anchored to get a good nights sleep before heading East. The next morning we left around 5am and within minutes the winds were at 30+ kts, the rain was blinding, and I had 1.5 feet under the
keel. We ran out of it in about 20 minutes. We did not have a sail up. We spent the next three weeks working our way down the islands to the
BVI. A couple of over nighters, mostly motoring because we had headwinds all the way. I know, of course we did, we were going the wrong way for May/June. We have been island hopping for the last month. I am not fond of the
furling mast, but it works as advertised. Yesterday we were hit with 41 kt winds while at
anchor and were dragged towards a rock jetty. I ran the
engine to keep it off and after it let up we moved. We were trying a new untested spot and a large hill that we got behind to make for a calm overnight also shielded our view of the coming storm. The boat
rode out the storm very well and neither of us thought that she was not safe. We were in 15 feet with 125 feet of chain out and a 44lb
delta. At this point let's not get sidetracked with and
anchoring discussion. With over the 2000 plus miles logged on this boat in less than 5 months, in mostly open
water, I can tell you that I would buy her again. I don't plan to
race her, we plan to live on her. She is very livable and I will not hesitate to take her farther down the islands. I just had to take a break and close all the hatches. We are on a
mooring ball in Soppers Hole, Tortola Island and a squall just blew through. 34+ kts and rain. I still am not use to all that in the dark. But, I don't fear that the boat will let me down. Wide and heavy wins the night. Have a two line harness on the ball. So anyhow, that's my two cents worth on Hunters. Put me in the favorable column. Time for a Kahlua and cream over ice before turning on the a/c and getting into my queen size berth with my SO. I WON"T be dreaming of
racing.
). She was lively and fun, and very little 
).
Mrs. Rain Dog~Ocean Girl
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