Confessions of a production sailboat owner

[Tetepare]

My wife and I sat on that Catalina 30TR on the hard, for a second time. I didn't want a production boat- a Catalina but Lord, even this was expensive. We were young, and had limited means, so the four year old Catalina became ours.

"We're not waiting for you to find the perfect boat! We're getting a bigger boat NOW!". That was 26 years later. And a different wife. Heck, it wasn't even the wife in between the two.

I hung my head. She was right. I'd grown to love that Catalina 30TR after 26 years. It did everything I asked; it sailed every Small Craft day I could find, we'd watched a tornado go overhead with the keel buried in the mud of a swamp, it snuck into the most secluded places. I'd kicked the crap out of that Catalina, and she'd come out surprisingly well. But I'd been looking at Trophy Boats, and didn't want to just get another production boat.

The Trophy Boats hadn't aged well. It was heartbreaking to use my head and walk away from the Best Boat Ever Designed, the Brewer 43 pilot house. It, like many, was so neglected it would take a two year, $150,000 refit to bring back (we don't have a ton of money, I threw it in retirement, and blew the remainder on divorces or travelling the world.)

But she was right. The Catalina was perfect in that we'd been married so long. Me and the Catalina, I mean. The boat was perfectly reliable. I knew exactly what she could do- we could smoke the raceboats with that 150, and we could sit out rainstorms with the family of four packed into the V berth watching movies. And wife loves laying out in the cockpit watching stars. That said, wife hated climbing through the cave to get into the V berth. And she HATED threading through the rear stays and up and down the ladder to get into the dinghy or water. She's not as limber as she used to be; for example, she no longer...well, never mind. And though I'd never admitted it to her, I was getting rather tired of the same challenges.

Anyway, long story short, she found a Hunter 37.5 and we bought it. Another bloody production boat. It has more room than the Catalina, actually backs out straight, and is easy to refit. It has some teak, not all that luxurious hand-fitted cabinetry and such, but still looks good. She creaks- her way of telling me she's not fit to go offshore. I see where they cut corners here and there, but hey, at least the engine is accessible.

The foredeck has been compared to a Swan, and I can pretend it is. I wish there were the sweeping Teak decks of a Swan, but I'm glad I don't have to rip them up. I think they took the stanchions off an RV. The Lewmar opening ports all leaked like a sieve, but the interior woodwork isn't wrecked like the Beneteaus.

The designs and components used, well, that's what you get. Admittedly, that's been less of a problem than the lack of maintenance and high volume of silicon used to "fix" leaks by the previous owners- which often prompts me to scream "EFFING [ethnicity]" because everything was "fixed" half-assed, and they'd glued their ethnic crap all over the boat.

Wife says I can get my Trophy Boat in a few years. I keep quiet. I really like the larger cabin, I absolutely love the step-through transom and seating. I love the smell of the Pacific Islands, that warm, rotting Teak smell...and I am dilligently working to make it stop!

Yeah, it's just a Hunter. I look at the 43' Gozzard next to us, and my heart sings, but where they heck do they sit? And there's no where to lay out on deck??? The Nauticat around the corner is like, wow, the marine equivilent of a Pinzgauer...and the beloved Corbin 39 (all of which to she said no, no, no)...even the super Sabre 36...no modern ergonomics.

So you know, I won't tell anyone, but I'm pretty happy with the old production Hunter. She's not as fancy as the new Hunters, but has better lines; she's not a Sabre, she's not a Freedom, she's certainly not a Brewer. But all in all, I like her. I think they did a pretty good job designing a cheap boat that predicted how most dreamers like me will actually use her.

So until then...just tell my missus how much I want a bluewater pilothouse with open transom. I'll keep quietly happy.

[Lake-Effect]

Great post.

I know several happy Catalina owners. Geez I even know a few people who are happy with their Macgregor 26's...

My philosophy is: get the boat you can afford NOW, and go sailing.


(I got my last L Ont sail in today; boat comes out this weekend)

[Joh.Ghurt]

The only thing that seems needing a fix is your attitude that you're less of a sailor than the owners of the boutique boats. It's all about how to use your money to get most out of your life (and no, not going to discuss where alimony ranks in this).

A boat is just a tool. If it allows you to achieve what your want, that's good enough and this is all that matters. An investment banker with a $5000 signature guitar in his cupboard isn't a better musician than the busker entertaining people with a $39.99 Walmart-guitar he found in a dump.

Just enjoy your oh-so-lowly production boat that does everything worse than a custom-built one you can't afford and feel superior that your boat sees some actual use.

[LittleWing77]

Originally Posted by Tetepare

Long story short, she found a Hunter 37.5 and we bought it. Another bloody production boat. It has more room than the Catalina, actually backs out straight, and is easy to refit. It has some teak, not all that luxurious hand-fitted cabinetry and such, but still looks good. She creaks - her way of telling me she's not fit to go offshore. I see where they cut corners here and there, but hey, at least the engine is accessible.

The foredeck has been compared to a Swan, and I can pretend it is. I wish there were the sweeping Teak decks of a Swan, but I'm glad I don't have to rip them up. I think they took the stanchions off an RV. The Lewmar opening ports all leaked like a sieve, but the interior woodwork isn't wrecked like the Beneteaus.

The designs and components used, well, that's what you get; that's been less of a problem than the lack of maintenance and high volume of silicon used to "fix" leaks by the previous owners.

Wife says I can get my Trophy Boat in a few years. I keep quiet. I really like the larger cabin, I absolutely love the step-through transom and seating. I love the smell of the Pacific Islands, that warm, rotting Teak smell...and I am dilligently working to make it stop!

So you know, I won't tell anyone, but I'm pretty happy with the old production Hunter. She's not as fancy as the new Hunters, but has better lines; she's not a Sabre, she's not a Freedom, she's certainly not a Brewer. But all in all, I like her. I think they did a pretty good job designing a cheap boat that predicted how most dreamers like me will actually use her.

So until then...just tell my missus how much I want a bluewater pilothouse with open transom. I'll keep quiet happily.

Great post, Tetepare!

As Lake says above - whatever will get you out there sailing. And backing up straight + accessible engine is worth a lot!

(Sometime, ask Manateeman Mark what he thinks of silicon on boats! Heehee). Hopefully, you'll eventually rectify all those weird fixes and she'll feel even more your own.

Fair, fair winds!
Warmly,
LittleWing77

[rslifkin]

The "best" boat you can buy (in terms of build quality and other quantifiable measures of "better") isn't always the most likeable boat you can buy. That said, the Hunter Legends have their flaws, but they're reasonably capable boats.



Take a look at the results from this year's Scotch Bonnet Race. A Legend 35.5 placed quite well, despite it being a downright awful night to race (the lake crossing was beating into 4 - 6 footers). Rough enough that 5 boats dropped out before the start (out of 26 registered) and another 12 dropped out during the race (including a C&C 29 that was dismasted). So given some not-great weather, your boat should still sail pretty well. Maybe not an ocean crosser, but certainly not a fair weather only boat.

[sailorboy1]

[QUOTE=Tetepare;3509794

So you know, I won't tell anyone, but I'm pretty happy with the old production Hunter. She's not as fancy as the new Hunters, but has better lines; she's not a Sabre, she's not a Freedom, she's certainly not a Brewer. But all in all, I like her. [/QUOTE]

Welcome to your start of boat forum shame.

[tkeithlu]

LittleWing, I'm glad to see that I am not the only forum member who needles Manatee Mark and his aquatic blubberbutts. Thankfully, he's a great guy with good insights on the forum. He and I are compadres for having built our own boats.

[boatman61]

Nothing wrong with the Hunter 37.5 at all..
A Swiss couple I became friends with in St Martin in 2006 bought one in the Caribe and sailed her to the Med where they spent 3yrs sailing around as liveaboards, they then sailed her to Brazil after which contact kinda trailed off as it often does, new places and faces etc.. she was an easily recognised boat with giant sunflowers on her hull and named Helianthus.
I sailed my Cherubini 37c across the Atlantic despite dire predictions I was committing suicide as 3 of the same model had been lost while I was in Oriental sorting out mine.. one sank just off Cape Lookout which really got the Doom Mongers going..
Hunters get a bad rap because of a phase they went through which got the product a bad rep its struggled to shake over the following decades..
Enjoy the boat and fill the tabbing voids with Sikaflex, quietens the creaks..

[OldManMirage]

Originally Posted by Joh.Ghurt

A boat is just a tool. If it allows you to achieve what your want, that's good enough and this is all that matters. An investment banker with a $5000 signature guitar in his cupboard isn't a better musician than the busker entertaining people with a $39.99 Walmart-guitar he found in a dump.

Man this is so true, I've seen good musicians play crap instruments and still get a great sound out of them. Way better than me !

I was always happy with most boats I've owned. Catalina 27's, C&C 24, Capri 18, Skipper's Mate 18. Of course my Cape Dory 28 was great. Had 2 Bayliner powerboats that were a ton of fun. Get the right boat for what you TRULY plan to do with it and you can't go wrong.

Still not sure what the next one will be. I'm torn between a great Bahamas/Island cruiser and one that will cross oceans. Or at least the Atlantic. I really want to do an Atlantic circuit. Sure one boat could do both, but I envision them differently. Just have to wait and see what happens !

[Chenoa Lake]

My first boat was a Snark 9'; my second a Ghost 13'. At the current rate I'll be 1000 years old before I reach a Catalina 30. My hat's off to you! Enjoy the water!

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by Chenoa Lake

My first boat was a Snark 9'; my second a Ghost 13'. At the current rate I'll be 1000 years old before I reach a Catalina 30. My hat's off to you! Enjoy the water!

Just go get one, they’re great boats. I got the Catalina so I didn’t have to drive home after sailing the catamaran. A few sails without being wet and diaper rash, and the catamaran was sold.

[smj]

Originally Posted by tkeithlu

LittleWing, I'm glad to see that I am not the only forum member who needles Manatee Mark and his aquatic blubberbutts. Thankfully, he's a great guy with good insights on the forum. He and I are compadres for having built our own boats.

Oh my! The Manateeman will not take kindly to your referring to his crew as blubberbutts, them be manatees, and not mistaken for anything other!

[Calif.Ted]

Originally Posted by Chenoa Lake

My first boat was a Snark 9'; my second a Ghost 13'. At the current rate I'll be 1000 years old before I reach a Catalina 30. My hat's off to you! Enjoy the water!

My first was an 8' Sabot, then a Lido 14, then a Thistle 18, then a few more up to 27' and now here I am only 500 years old with a Catalina 320.

[sv mintaka]

Still on my first wife....sigh!
And my second sailboat...smile
And she doesn't sail...my wife not the boat...happy dance
Had a catalina 27 now a us 305. It is not the boat that makes the sailor it is the sailor that makes the boat. I just like to get out on the water and enjoy the peace and quiet!

[ronbo1]

Originally Posted by Tetepare

My wife and I sat on that Catalina 30TR on the hard, for a second time. I didn't want a production boat- a Catalina but Lord, even this was expensive. We were young, and had limited means, so the four year old Catalina became ours.

"We're not waiting for you to find the perfect boat! We're getting a bigger boat NOW!". That was 26 years later. And a different wife. Heck, it wasn't even the wife in between the two.

I hung my head. She was right. I'd grown to love that Catalina 30TR after 26 years. It did everything I asked; it sailed every Small Craft day I could find, we'd watched a tornado go overhead with the keel buried in the mud of a swamp, it snuck into the most secluded places. I'd kicked the crap out of that Catalina, and she'd come out surprisingly well. But I'd been looking at Trophy Boats, and didn't want to just get another production boat.

The Trophy Boats hadn't aged well. It was heartbreaking to use my head and walk away from the Best Boat Ever Designed, the Brewer 43 pilot house. It, like many, was so neglected it would take a two year, $150,000 refit to bring back (we don't have a ton of money, I threw it in retirement, and blew the remainder on divorces or travelling the world.)

But she was right. The Catalina was perfect in that we'd been married so long. Me and the Catalina, I mean. The boat was perfectly reliable. I knew exactly what she could do- we could smoke the raceboats with that 150, and we could sit out rainstorms with the family of four packed into the V berth watching movies. And wife loves laying out in the cockpit watching stars. That said, wife hated climbing through the cave to get into the V berth. And she HATED threading through the rear stays and up and down the ladder to get into the dinghy or water. She's not as limber as she used to be; for example, she no longer...well, never mind. And though I'd never admitted it to her, I was getting rather tired of the same challenges.

Anyway, long story short, she found a Hunter 37.5 and we bought it. Another bloody production boat. It has more room than the Catalina, actually backs out straight, and is easy to refit. It has some teak, not all that luxurious hand-fitted cabinetry and such, but still looks good. She creaks- her way of telling me she's not fit to go offshore. I see where they cut corners here and there, but hey, at least the engine is accessible.

The foredeck has been compared to a Swan, and I can pretend it is. I wish there were the sweeping Teak decks of a Swan, but I'm glad I don't have to rip them up. I think they took the stanchions off an RV. The Lewmar opening ports all leaked like a sieve, but the interior woodwork isn't wrecked like the Beneteaus.

The designs and components used, well, that's what you get. Admittedly, that's been less of a problem than the lack of maintenance and high volume of silicon used to "fix" leaks by the previous owners- which often prompts me to scream "EFFING [ethnicity]" because everything was "fixed" half-assed, and they'd glued their ethnic crap all over the boat.

Wife says I can get my Trophy Boat in a few years. I keep quiet. I really like the larger cabin, I absolutely love the step-through transom and seating. I love the smell of the Pacific Islands, that warm, rotting Teak smell...and I am dilligently working to make it stop!

Yeah, it's just a Hunter. I look at the 43' Gozzard next to us, and my heart sings, but where they heck do they sit? And there's no where to lay out on deck??? The Nauticat around the corner is like, wow, the marine equivilent of a Pinzgauer...and the beloved Corbin 39 (all of which to she said no, no, no)...even the super Sabre 36...no modern ergonomics.

So you know, I won't tell anyone, but I'm pretty happy with the old production Hunter. She's not as fancy as the new Hunters, but has better lines; she's not a Sabre, she's not a Freedom, she's certainly not a Brewer. But all in all, I like her. I think they did a pretty good job designing a cheap boat that predicted how most dreamers like me will actually use her.

So until then...just tell my missus how much I want a bluewater pilothouse with open transom. I'll keep quietly happy.

Where to sit in a Gozzard 43? First there is no G43, there’s a G41 or G44. Sit in the spacious cockpit, room for 12. Or sit in the saloon…
BTW, Gozzards were designed for a couple so don’t expect berths for more than 4.