New Guy Considering a Hunter 40 1986 - Looking for Advice

[SickBouy]

O.K Back on point, I am going to check out that Huntrer 40 1986 this afternoon for a second time. There have been developments, the seller is willing to do a share with an option to buy out in X amount of years, basically the owners is leaving in a couple of months to start an adventure on his new boat in New Zealand, I get the feeling he needs to do something in that time. Again, the couple strike me as very trust worthy. Anyone have any experience with this type of thing?

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by SickBouy

O.K Back on point, I am going to check out that Huntrer 40 1986 this afternoon for a second time. There have been developments, the seller is willing to do a share with an option to buy out in X amount of years, basically the owners is leaving in a couple of months to start an adventure on his new boat in New Zealand, I get the feeling he needs to do something in that time. Again, the couple strike me as very trust worthy. Anyone have any experience with this type of thing?

A share agreement might be problematic if you dant have a majority share. Who does maintenance? How is insurance treated? Who pays for the dockage, etc.

I did a partnership (50/50) and probably thats the only way I would consider getting involved with someone else's boat.

[Rocketman]

Sickbouy, I have been buying real a state for 30 years, and you have hit the jack pot and don't know it. One of the biggest advantages that you can have when negotiating is to know the sellers motivation for selling. From what you stated in your post, the sellers are desperate to sell, it may not be for financal reasons but they are desperate to not be responsable for owning this plus however many other boats they own. By buying another boat, they have moved on from this one and will do almost anything to not be responcable for it. You should make them a low ball offer, settle on a price then hire the best surveyer you can find.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and welcome aboard!
Good to have you posting here and your questions are reasonable. If you have little sailing experience and have not gone out in the Pacific for a few days at a time I'd not be thinking of a 40 foot boat but something much smaller and easier to handle which will meet your needs in the PNW. Once you get some more sailing experience then think about bigger heavier built boats that will take you anywhere. If I had it all to do over again I'd never get anything more than 36 unless I had a big family to take with me.
kind regards,

[kaimusailing]

Hunter 40, what a coincidence. One of my best friends has had a Hunter 40 for a few years and now has to sell it. He's at City Island near NYC. The asking prices are in the 50-60 range for his boat, but he is willing to take less because it needs new sails and hasn't had an electronics upgrade.

I have sailed on this boat and it is fast, roomy down below, and he has had it coastal sailing quite a bit. He is an experienced offshore sailor and carefully chose this boat when he bought it. I would say it is suitable for cruising in general, since he could singlehand it. He is asking much less than the 50-60 range and at that price, the boat could be upgraded for voyaging to the new owner's liking.

It is on the East Coast, however, not convenient to the PNW. You could buy it, fit it out over the summer, then jot down the coast to the Caribbean. I am sure there are many deals like that available right now.

[Alis]

My other half and I lived on a C&C 40 (Redline Special) for years (back in the 80's)and enjoyed her speed immensly. She was a deep, fin-keel ship (~7' draft) with a tall stick (60') and that design held the TransPac record for some time. Many would not condsider her B/W beacuase of her build. That being said we recently moved on to a '87 Hunter Legend 40 of similar design and honestly feel we could not have made a better choice. Like our C&C she's fast and quick to accelerate. We love cruising, but at the same time we like getting there in half the time that most other cruising sailboats take to get to port. I especially like the insulated double hull. We didn't need it out on the west coast but it has come in handy on the east coast. Once we got her dried out and sealed up she is as dry as a bone, doesn't sweat a bit when it gets cold outside and has room to spare down below. The 80's Hunters were all hand laid up fiberglass, and built stout. I looked at them for some time before I bought ours and found them listed from $55k to $85K. A lot depended on the condition. I actually found mine on Ebay for a song, went through it with fine tooth comb and wasn't disappointed. She was rigged for racing, had a lot of upgrades (including a built in A/C & heater!) and [besides the need for some lipstick and rouge] she was in good shape so I got her for under $50K. I'll sink about $15K into her to make her a worldclass cruiser, but that's all she'll need. As for me and my wife of 30+ years?...we love her and think Neptune was smiling on us when we decided to jump back in the water and leave the land behind.

If you decide to get her let us know how it goes.

[SickBouy]

well, Looks like the seller and I have come to a Gentleman's agreement over the phone. A long negotiation indeed, I am very excited to head out to sea!

[Rocketman]

Congradulations, You are about to embark on a happy day in your life. Just remember there are 2 happy days in your life in regards to boat ownership. The seller of your boat has just embarked on his 2nd happy day.

[Alis]

I'm jazzed to hear that. It's funny, they always say that the 2 happiest days in a boat owner's life is when they buy her and when they sale her. We found that with our first [previous] boat the 2nd 'happiest' day was not a happy one at all and still regret the day we sold the first Alis Volat Propiis and moved off her. We don't look forward to the day when we have to get ride of our Hunter. But, that's years away...

Did you see the write up on the '87 Hunter legend 37' in This Old Boat this month? It will please you.