Offshore seaworthiness....

[Quicks Landing]

I am considering buying a Hunter 42 Passage...I want to sail the Pacific and across the Atlantic...is this boat seaworthy for this type of cruising or should I be looking at other boats?

[Don C L]

There is a thread on here from a few years back on "opinions on the Hunter Passage 42". In my own opinion, personally I would not choose a boat for what you have described with a spade rudder. I prefer a skeg hung or keel hung rudder for its strength and resistance to snagging on things. I am unenthusiastic about any keel with keel bolts too, but that may be a bit extreme.

[Quicks Landing]

Thank you, I already put a deposited but I am having second thoughts . I want to be safe, I will be sail alone.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by Quicks Landing

I am considering buying a Hunter 42 Passage...I want to sail the Pacific and across the Atlantic...is this boat seaworthy for this type of cruising or should I be looking at other boats?

Hello and Welcome Aboard CF.

What follows is written in a friendly tone of voice, and with the sole intent to help you.

For your first post on the forum, you have selected a topic that some may consider controversial, provocative, or perennial.

Assuming your question is sincere, then you should be prepared to hear different opinions on the subject, as many people have strong (opposite) opinions on the quality and "seaworthiness" of "production boats" in general, and Hunter boats in particular.

You probably want a simple and quick answer or opinion. Be aware that many people will express an opinion based on limited experience on a boat or even no experience on a particular boat. But, their opinions may be based on experiences on other boats and personal preferences or judgements based on those experiences.

For example, I have not sailed on a Hunter Passage 42 across an ocean. So I do not have that experience. For some intended purposes, I have recommended a Hunter boat because they are popular, have some nice features, are "roomy" inside compared to competitors boats in the same LOA. So, I am not "against Hunter" or an opponent to sailing them in many circumstances (I have sailed on smaller Hunter cruisers 30 - 35ft on lakes for instance). My simple answer: while Hunter boats would not be my first choice for a circumnavigation, I can imagine I would enjoy sailing one on coastal cruises and lake sailing (or bay sailing) or even in the Caribbean or Bahamas.

Are Production Boats Fit for Bluewater?
In order for you to see the range of opinions, I will give you a link to a very long discussion that took place earlier this year in which many people voiced their opinions on Production Boats and their seaworthiness. Here is a link, and you could spend many hours reading their comments: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...er-138908.html

Some of that thread will mention the issue of some production boats being lost (at sea, or sinking) due to lost rudders or failures of major structures in the boats. Watch the video at the beginning of the thread. http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ks-125154.html

Here is a video on this forum (in the same thread as above, but in post #138)) discussing such an event on a 2007 43 foot boat (in this case a Beneteau) and the failure of poor construction on a production boat: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...129942-10.html
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On a more specific focus on just the Hunter Passage boats, I suggest you take a look at previous threads/discussions on that topic. Here is a link to a Google Custom Search which shows a number of discussions on it:
Hunter passage - Google Search

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Looking for Quick Answers?

This is the best and fastest method I have found to the answers I seek here.
Since you are relatively new to the forum, here is my favorite friendly forum search tip: Look at the green menu bar on the forum pages for the drop down "Search" menu. Click on that to drop down a list of search functions. From that drop down menu select the GOOGLE CUSTOM search feature (the second box down) and then enter several different descriptive terms for your topic of interest. That will do a Custom google search of ONLY this site and it is likely to find answers to your questions or results for you. Note: this is VERY different from using the regular forum search box or field (which I never use because of poor search results). Also note, this is NOT found if you use the CF app. It IS found if you use a web browser such as Safari, etc.

Note: The ordinary "search" field on this forum has yielded less helpful results for me when I perform searches. That is why I prefer and suggest the use of the alternative "Google Custom Search" instead. I see a very clear difference and find the Google Custom Search much easier for scanning (with my eyes) threads for relevant comments and info.
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[neilpride]

This topic can open a can of piranhas, use the search tab on this fórum.....Cheers.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Quicks Landing

Thank you, I already put a deposited but I am having second thoughts . I want to be safe, I will be sail alone.

Ah, ok, singlehanding it opens up a lot more questions. Is it currently rigged for that? That boat is on the large side for singlehanding. I am guessing this one has the roller furling mainsail? OK, I am probably in the minority here, but I prefer not to have a roller furling main, or jib for that matter. Roller furling works great until it doesn't, and then it is a problem, usually at a bad time. I recommend the simplest rig possible, with the fewest things to go wrong, especially when singlehanding. If something can break, snag, get stuck, fall off or stop working, it will, and usually at 3 in the morning when it's really blowing, and you can't see, and you are really tired. Why is that? This boat is attractive, beautiful and under most circumstances, with at least one other crewmember, a wonderful boat to sail. I hate to sound negative, but this particular boat would not be my first choice for what you are describing... but that is me. There may be folks here who are currently cruising on one who can really give you a full analysis!

[Muckle Flugga]

Originally Posted by Quicks Landing

I am considering buying a Hunter 42 Passage...I want to sail the Pacific and across the Atlantic...is this boat seaworthy for this type of cruising or should I be looking at other boats?

[White noise]… Hunter … seaworthy … [white noise]



Let battle commence.

[Quicks Landing]

Thank you, good information. As you can tell I am new at this. I just sold my business and retiring to start a life long dream sailing around the world. The hunter is a beautiful boat, priced right, but my wife want me to be safe, she come up with questions I could not answer. Thanks to all best regards

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by Quicks Landing

Thank you, good information. As you can tell I am new at this. I just sold my business and retiring to start a life long dream sailing around the world. The hunter is a beautiful boat, priced right, but my wife want me to be safe, she come up with questions I could not answer. Thanks to all best regards

Hi Again.

Finding your dream boat is one of the most enjoyable things a sailor can do. Take your time.

When you find "the one" after looking at many, you will know.

It is a good idea to do extensive research (free and easy online such as at this forum in the archives, using the Google Custom Search) and visit as many different boats and get some sailing time on as many as you can, prior to buying "the boat" that you will depend upon to fulfill your lifelong dream and to safely carry you around the world (if that is your dream).

Good luck on your search!

[Muckle Flugga]

Originally Posted by Quicks Landing

Thank you, good information. As you can tell I am new at this. I just sold my business and retiring to start a life long dream sailing around the world. The hunter is a beautiful boat, priced right, but my wife want me to be safe, she come up with questions I could not answer. Thanks to all best regards

Apologies. I did not mean to be flippant. It is just that there are very widely varying opinions in this area, particularly with regards to Hunters and one or two other production brands and opinions run strongly, as Steady Hand says. You will find on these pages experienced voices who are strong advocates of such craft, in one way or another, and those, such as myself admittedly, who favour (or are biased in some way) towards such craft as may be considered to be more substance than style. With high volume production craft such as the Hunters one tends to get a lot of "bang for buck" which can be a good thing. However the quality and seaworthiness of such craft may sometimes be a secondary consideration in their construction versus delivery of tempting features for low cost. As other posters have and will suggest, I would do a significant amount of due diligence and avoid the temptation to jump in with both feet to make that dream purchase with the well earned money you now find yourself to have.

And welcome to CF, and best wishes.

[Don C L]

So knowing you are new at this I would recommend, with all respect, that you hold off on the purchase until you look around and ask around some more. MANY people here have a lot of experience that will be helpful to you in making the best choice possible to match your dreams and make them a successful and fantastic reality. We have all made PLENTY of mistakes that you can learn from! And don't worry about sounding too foolish! WE have ALL been there before to one extent or another!

[Lepke]

2 brothers rowed the Atlantic in a wood boat about 100 years ago. Any careful sailor, watching the weather days and weeks ahead, can get most boats across the ocean. A fool maybe not so good.
On the West Coast, commercial fishing boats of 25 years ago were mostly wood. Freighters got more every year than the ocean did.
As the captain of the Titanic found out, nothing is 100% seaworthy.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Quicks Landing

Thank you, good information. As you can tell I am new at this. I just sold my business and retiring to start a life long dream sailing around the world. The hunter is a beautiful boat, priced right, but my wife want me to be safe, she come up with questions I could not answer. Thanks to all best regards

We owned a Hunter 450 Passage for two years in Southern California. Loved the accommodations and found the boat to be great for coastal cruising and as a livaboard dockside condo. My wife was scared to death when we sailed the boat along the rather tranquil So Cal coast, never really relaxed on the boat.

Please send me a PM is you want more details. But the Passage doesn't sound like the right boat for what you want to do.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Q L.

[boatman61]

Assuming you want to do the 'Milk Run' routes and not the higher latitudes the boat should be just fine..
Soloing I WOULD go for a furling genoa but not a furling main.. if that jams it can cause real problems.. just remember reef early and also every sunset so if it does kick up when dark things can be handled without leaving the cockpit..
There is no such thing as the perfect boat.. or perfect anything for that matter.. treat it with respect and within her limitations and she'll eat up the miles for you happily...




Health Warning; I'm one of those wierdos who'll sail anything..