Some of the positives for the Hunter 25.5:
1. The 25.5 is sturdy and well built. And the standard
equipment is functional and appropriately sized for the boat. I think Cortland Steck did an excellent job with the design of the boat ... and Hunter did and equally good job with the production and finish out of the boat.
- halyards are internal to the
mast ... and led to the cockpit.
- reefing lines are internal to boom, as is the 4:1
outhaul.
- geared, self-tailing sheet winches.
- sturdy, pin-lock mainsheet traveler is in the cockpit (and out of the way)
-
aluminum toe rail.
2. The cockpit of the 25.5 has plenty of room for four. And the
cabin has enough room that you will can get out of the
weather. There is a full
galley (albeit small) ... and three berths, making short cruises possible.
3. The 25.5 sails/handles like a
dinghy. You will learn how to sail ... not just how to drive.
Some of less than positives for the 25.5:
1. The 25.5 seems a bit over sailed. I find it best to reef early and often. Once reefed she stays on her feet ... and is very well behaved. And even when overpowered she never picks up enormous
weather helm, it's just that she seems more
tender than I would expect of a boat with a
displacement of 4,500 lbs. (But then most of my experience has been
racing centerboard boats and course
racing keelboats ... not in cruising class boats.)
2. The 25.5 is well suited for lake/bay sailing. I would not use it for coastal cruising ... or
offshore.
3. As with all boats this vintage, the
electrical system (while simple) is antiquated. Be prepared to do some
work to make it servicable.
4. The space inside the
cabin results in the 25.5 having more freeboard than other boats of similar length ... which results in considerable windage from the
hull. (My 25.5 is powered by an old 15-hp, 2-cycle,
Mercury, which is normally more than adequate. But even so there are times when the windage makes maneuvering under
power a bit problematic.)
5. The
Maxwell winches are more than adequate and easy to
service, but Allen Hutton in
Australia is the only guy on the planet who has
parts.
6. Apparently the 25.5 did NOT come with an
electric bilge pump as standard
equipment. The 25.5 does have a sump in the
bilge, so installing a
bilge pump and keeping the
bilge dry is not a big deal. But
installation of the bilge
pump discharge can be a bit problematic. If the discharge line does not have a high loop with a vacuum breaker, when the boat heels over, burying the bilge
pump discharge,
water will tend to siphon back into the bilge.
7. The chainplates on the 25.5 seem to be very susceptible to leaking. It is not particularly difficult to keep them watertight, but if left unattended they will leak and over time the
water intrusion can
rot the bulkheads. Inspect the forward side of the port bulkhead ... below the
chain plate ... where the shelf over the hanging locker connects to the bulkhead. When the port chainplate
leaks, water will accumulate on the top of the shelf, and over time this water can
rot the bulkhead. Significant rot in a bulkhead this close to the chainplate is cause for concern. There is potential for a similar problem on the starboard side ... here water can accumulate on the top of the sink vanity. I know of at least three SBO forum members who replaced the bulkheads on their 25.5s because of leaking chainplates.
8. The
icebox drains into the bilge. This is less than optimum but it is easily fixed by plugging (with a cork) the drain hole inside the
icebox.
For more info, here is a link to the SBO HunterOwners.com website:
SailboatOwners.com
Search for Hunter 25.5 and you will find reams of info ... some of which might be helpful.
Regards,
E. Godsey