Looking for advice Huneter 26 1996

[pj63]

My wife and I are power boaters from way back and I have the sailing bug. Found a Hunter 26 for sale they say the 96 is a better boat than the 1995 model not sure why exactly. We want a weekend cruiser for local lakes and once or twice a year to the Gulf Coast 5 hrs away. I know there are pro and cons to every boat but this seems like a good compromise for our current situation. They are asking 12,000 with serviceable sales 10 hp outboard and a decent looking boat. I want to see it Saturday can anyone advise me on what to keep an eye out for that would end up costing big money if I miss in looking it over. I know a survey on this price range is not going to happen but it is on the trailer so I can inspect inside and out.
Thank you
Pat

[a64pilot]

I don't know a lot about smaller boats, heck I don't know a lot about boats, but that price seems steep to me?

[pj63]

I think the price around here is driven by the landlocked nature of the area and the general opinion that the water ballasted 26 is the roomiest boat available to trailer around. I do see fixed keel boats for 5000.00 in the late 80's year models but we really want to be able to drive a few hours to different lakes and even Kemah to test ourselves against the sailing life. Willing to give up the stability for the comfort of making my wife comfortable with my dream of some day going larger and full time. So I am mainly looking for ideas about what to be on the lookout for when I check it out. I will post on the trailer sailor forum but for the last few months all the activity and the brains seem to be here.

[a64pilot]

There is Hunter 26 in the Marina at Panama City, the City Marina.
A lady tried living aboard and gave up, she had it for sale for awhile and now the for sale sign is gone, I don't know what year, but gut feeling is you could get it for next to nothing, I feel sure she is tired of paying over $300 a month for it to sit, I doubt there is a trailer, but there is a nice 9.9 Honda on the back of it.

Your right on prices, I guess I'm way off, this is a search on Yachtworld, I guess 26' 20 yr old boats are worth way more than I thought?

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi...&Ntt=26+hunter



Oh and look for a user group, often they are THE experts on a certain model of boat, cause of course they have one.

There is a Hunter user group of course

[Stu Jackson]

This is a great cruisers forum, hence the name. For smaller boats like you're asking about I suggest you go here, free sign up:

Recent Posts (old style)

There a many skippers there who know just that boat.

Good luck.

[Matt Johnson]

We had the 1998 Hunter 240 for two years. It's such a simple boat that not much can be wrong with it that's not obvious. A few things to check:

Make sure the mast is straight as they can be bent if a shroud hangs-up as you're raising the mast.

Check the condition of the sails. If the headsail is in bad condition, you're not sailing to windward at all.

We liked ours, but it's a sailboat most people quickly outgrow....not because of size, but because of the limitations of a water ballasted small boat. I would only buy one if you'll truly trailer it often. Most leave them in a slip and only trailer home once a year for storage. If that's the case, get a small keel boat instead. They can be trailered, but launching isn't as easy.

Matt

[trapoc]

I have had a 1996 hunter since I bought it new in Jan 1996 . It has been a very good boat. I would check the line that pulls the keel up. I would also check the pocket that the keel sits in for cracking. Those are the only problems that I know of. I have been lucky in that my boat doesn't have the cracking of the keel pocket after 20 yrs of use. I also have a fixed keel hunter 27 I prefer it because it sails better then the 26. The 26 is nice because you can be in a different lake every day of the week if you want.

[Dr. Sea]

We have a Hunter 26 with water ballast for the same reason you mentioned, to able to trailer it to different lakes. Emptying the water when you pull the boat out of the water saves 1000 pounds of towing weight. And the lifting keel is easier to put on the trailer and easier to launch than the fixed keel model.

With either version the Hunter 26 has the most interior space of any sailboat in the 26-28 foot range. Some 30 footers don't have as much interior space. You can spin the table around and extend the v-berth to very comfortable size for two adults. The aft berth doesn't have much head room, but it is queen sized, and you can sit up on the starboard side if you want to read. And it has an enclosed private head and a small galley. That's a lot for 26 feet.

What to look for? Check the strength of the rudder and tiller. Some have had to be rebuilt. Launch the boat, fill the ballast tank, pull the boat out on the trailer, and check for leaks. In your area freezing shouldn't be a problem, but depending on where the boat has been and who has taken care of it (or not), it's possible for the ballast tank to be cracked. The lifting keel is very heavy. I added blocks to increase the purchase so that I could lift mine without straining. With any boat of this size and type, check for water intrusion from rain. Close it up and spray it with a water hose. And good sails will make the boat sail much better. If it has a spinnaker that will add a lot of options for you and let you grow into sailing the boat beyond just main and jib.

How are the throttle and gear shift located? The outboard motor sits fairly low in a motor well. I found that I had to get on my knees to shift gears, and then I couldn't see how to steer. So I mounted a throttle/shifter on the starboard stern rail so I can stand up and steer.

I think the Hunter 26 is a very versatile all purpose sail boat. It has the sailing characteristic of a large dinghy, a little tender at first, but then it stiffens up quite a bit. I've had mine over to 50+ degrees of heel (just for the heck of it) and it always comes back up. And the lifting keel makes it very suitable for sailing on unfamiliar lakes where you could be surprised by shallows.

[Lakehunter]

check out this forum Hunter Owner Forums | SailboatOwners.com Forums

lots of info there.

These boats are big and spacious for its size.huge cockpit, and I really like the stern rail seating, being a water ballast they are a tender, so they heel quick and in a stiff breeze you need to reef your main.

these boats are vey easy to trailer anywhere, and set up is pretty quick as well, with in the hour of arriving at the ramp, stepping the mast you can be in the water.

We have the little sibling a H23.5, they sail nice again very tender, I can step the mast by myself in 20 min, and within 30 min the boat is in the water.

We have 4 different lakes an hour from our house so trailering to different lakes works or us very well.

[pj63]

Thank you for all the input. I expected the few sailing flaws tender ect. I was not aware it had a heavy swing keel that will bear some further inspection. The comments about the amount of room confirm what I had hoped!! The seller still has it listed today so maybe his Saturday buyer did not come through but he is not at work today and nobody else at the shop can answer questions. I am trying to be patient and smart about this and not emotional

[Gypsea Kids]

As a H260 owner, I was just wondering how your viewing went?