Hunter Duette

[Tuur]

Hi,

I'm new to this forum as I have picked up my passion for sailing again.
I am probably what you call a novice sailor as I don't have any experience on sea yet. I have sailed sailing dinghies before and I absolutely loved it! Sadly I chose to sail a 'wrong' line of dinghies because I was a lightweight and that resulted in me having to quit sailing (as I would've had to restart all over again with slower bigger boats).
But now that I'm 18 and I gathered myself some savings I have set my mind on buying a pocket cruiser as I'd like to combine travelling (doesn't need to be that far) with sailing. I know that a boat costs more than just the purchasing price, but I don't mind working for the upkeep of a sailboat.
After browsing the web and looking up information about sailboats for several months. And visiting the Belgian Boat Schow. I think that I might buy a Hunter Duette or Sonata, as they are rather fast and forgiving sail yachts.
A Hunter Duette from 1986 with a lift keel caught my attention (at the price of 3500 pounds or 4100 euro), as I've heard that Hunter Duette's are better cruisers than the Sonata's. However this Duette doesn't have the usual bilge keel, but a lift keel. Which is useful if I were to purchase a trailer so I could tow her on holidays and I could also avoid port charges. But there's not much information about this type of Duette.
So what do you guys think or know about this type of Duette? I live in Belgium and I'd like to sail my future sail 'yacht' along the coast of France, Portugal, The Netherlands, The UK,... But I'll start with small trips to gain experience. I'll also follow sailing classes in Nieuwpoort. And now I'm dreaming... But I would even like to take her to the Canary islands once I have enough experience.

In summary: Do you guys think a Hunter Duette with a lift keel can pull this off? Or even a Hunter Sonata?

Kind regards,
Tuur

[Alphazag]

Tuur did you ever get an answer to this ?

The Duette is the twin keel version of the Sonata, and a great little sailor see In tune with the times | Sonata Sailing - a great little cruiser in it's day. I used to rate a finkeel Sonata nearly bought one instead as my first yacht but managed instead to find a lift-keel Beneteau First 24 for much the same price - longer on waterline & about 50% greater displacement so much roomier & more stable, with full size heads too!

I would certainly recommend a twin or lift keel, there may be a very slight loss of performance upwind, but the convenience & economy of being able to beach and/or dry out anywhere cannot be underrated.

Originally Posted by Tuur

Hi,

I'm new to this forum as I have picked up my passion for sailing again.
I am probably what you call a novice sailor as I don't have any experience on sea yet. I have sailed sailing dinghies before and I absolutely loved it! Sadly I chose to sail a 'wrong' line of dinghies because I was a lightweight and that resulted in me having to quit sailing (as I would've had to restart all over again with slower bigger boats).
But now that I'm 18 and I gathered myself some savings I have set my mind on buying a pocket cruiser as I'd like to combine travelling (doesn't need to be that far) with sailing. I know that a boat costs more than just the purchasing price, but I don't mind working for the upkeep of a sailboat.
After browsing the web and looking up information about sailboats for several months. And visiting the Belgian Boat Schow. I think that I might buy a Hunter Duette or Sonata, as they are rather fast and forgiving sail yachts.
A Hunter Duette from 1986 with a lift keel caught my attention (at the price of 3500 pounds or 4100 euro), as I've heard that Hunter Duette's are better cruisers than the Sonata's. However this Duette doesn't have the usual bilge keel, but a lift keel. Which is useful if I were to purchase a trailer so I could tow her on holidays and I could also avoid port charges. But there's not much information about this type of Duette.
So what do you guys think or know about this type of Duette? I live in Belgium and I'd like to sail my future sail 'yacht' along the coast of France, Portugal, The Netherlands, The UK,... But I'll start with small trips to gain experience. I'll also follow sailing classes in Nieuwpoort. And now I'm dreaming... But I would even like to take her to the Canary islands once I have enough experience.

In summary: Do you guys think a Hunter Duette with a lift keel can pull this off? Or even a Hunter Sonata?

Kind regards,
Tuur