saltlife
New member
I'm looking at the hunter range of boats but don't know the make. Any comments would be good.
Thanks
Thanks
Hunter boats? any views
- Thread starter saltlife
- Start date
Norman_E
Well-known member
Hunter Legends, or British Hunters? Very different boats.
Nicholas123
N/A
I remember sailing up the Eastern Solent in brisk conditions aboard my old Kestrel & we absolutely slaughtered a Hunter Pilot I think it was so I certainly would'nt buy one of those.The Hunter range seems cheaply made & a bit toy like to me.
dunedin
Well-known member
Many / most of the UK Hunter boats were designed by David Thomas - and were evolutions of the Sonata and Impala racer / cruiser designs, which were generally fast but safe handling and could look after their crews in string winds (albeit early Impalas rigs were a bit too lightweight perhaps).
So whilst many of the later cruisers were slightly impeded by bilge keels and self tacking jibs, the design fundamentals were generally good for sailing. Pehaps the pilot was overloaded with gear or sails not set well.
John_Silver
Well-known member
If we're on British Hunters: My old Ranger 245, Missee Lee, took me comfortably and happily up and down the East Coast (Orwell to Ramsgate), over to Belgium and Holland and down to the West Country. For her size, very capable and easy to manage. With her bilge keels she was an ideal East Coast creek crawler too. Fond memories. More on here http://allatseawithstargazer.blogspot.co.uk/ - Just put "Missee Lee" into the search box on the blog for stories and pictures.
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Nicholas123
N/A
Just looked at the ones available on apolloduck & while the ones you mention might well be cracking for racing I still think they are cheap & tacky looking.
That Hunter mark seems to have always been about fashion.
dylanwinter
Active member
I like em
I had a Sonata for five years
campaigned the sox off it
four strong blokes sailing in all weathers failed to break anything
I now own Katie L - a Hunter Minstrel
I feel very safe
well built and sails beautifully
buy with confidence whatever those who have never owned one say on this thread
Dylan
there are some films somewhere
I had a Sonata for five years
campaigned the sox off it
four strong blokes sailing in all weathers failed to break anything
I now own Katie L - a Hunter Minstrel
I feel very safe
well built and sails beautifully
buy with confidence whatever those who have never owned one say on this thread
Dylan
there are some films somewhere
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cid
Member
I had a hunter delta lift keel for over 10 years. I am based in north Dublin. I took it to Isle of Man a few times, the Clyde up west side to Largs and back. No problems, only issue was outboard. Would have preferred a inboard. Sailed well and through many a rough sea. Now have a Kelt 8.5 lift keel.
lw395
Well-known member
Having failed to destroy any of the RYA's yoof Sonatas years ago, I bought an Impala.
Great boat, if a little spartan below, certainly value for money.
They sail well, go best with much fat on the rail, but we cruised on two up to Cornwall and France OK.
Great boat, if a little spartan below, certainly value for money.
They sail well, go best with much fat on the rail, but we cruised on two up to Cornwall and France OK.
Seajet
...
The early British Hunters such as the 19 / Europa and 701 were designed by Oliver Lee who also did the Squib and Anderson 22, which all tended to be seaworthy fast 'sailors' boats'.
The Hunter 19 ' Willing Griffin ' was the smallest boat to ever complete the OSTAR transatlantic race, sailed by David Blagdon in 1972.
Then the David Thomas designs came along, to my mind lighter built / specified, faster in light winds but less likely to look after one in a blow; still well at the better end of the spectrum of the boats available of the time though.
Though I'm not crazy about some of the larger recent designs where accomodation has clearly overtaken sailing and looks as priority, I'd still say you can't really go wrong with anything with ' Hunter ' written on it - I am aware the odd Horizon 26/7 has had detaching internal mouldings, if that's a worry go for an earlier Oliver Lee design with an all wood interior.
The Hunter 19 ' Willing Griffin ' was the smallest boat to ever complete the OSTAR transatlantic race, sailed by David Blagdon in 1972.
Then the David Thomas designs came along, to my mind lighter built / specified, faster in light winds but less likely to look after one in a blow; still well at the better end of the spectrum of the boats available of the time though.
Though I'm not crazy about some of the larger recent designs where accomodation has clearly overtaken sailing and looks as priority, I'd still say you can't really go wrong with anything with ' Hunter ' written on it - I am aware the odd Horizon 26/7 has had detaching internal mouldings, if that's a worry go for an earlier Oliver Lee design with an all wood interior.
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Lucky Duck
Well-known member
I seem to recall seeing you sailing up and down the Orwell most weekends!
Used to have a Hunter Ranger 265, it wasn't the fastest boat I have ever sailed (rather under canvassed) but was ideal for exploring the East Coast and the odd trip further afield. Certainly not 'cheap and tacky looking'
Nicholas123
N/A
'cheap and tacky looking'
Sorry about that.I guess choice of boat is a really personal thing.
alant
Active member
US Hunters are 'Lake Boats', not really designed for UK Western Approaches/Biscay type sailing.
mattlad
New member
Some of the US lakes can get very rough indeed.........
alant
Active member
Don't think Great Lakes are the lakes they are designed for.
Seajet
...
Agreed, completely different to British Hunters which bear no relation; it's a shame for the UK boats that the American ones chose that name.
C08
Well-known member
With respect the Hunter may have been sailed very conservatively (eg my SWMBO does not like the boat sailed anywhere near its potential so we sail very gently when she is aboard!) and you steaming past on that occasion is no measure of the merits of Hunter boats or their sailing qualities.
Zagato
Well-known member
Read a write up of a Hunter Delta last night...
"Sturdy, fast, fun and practical with good residual values".
"In common with the other Hunters, the Delta was very strongly built, following the well proven practices of Chardin, featuring a substantial lay up, laminated hull to deck join and monocoque construction. In addition to this all the wooden interior modules were bonded into the hull during construction, giving the boat good integral strength".
"I loved this boat to the extent I wanted to go straight out and buy one".
Another write up says...
"The Hunter Delta is a true hidden gem in the long list of superior small British-built boats of the period. Not particularly blessed with stunnig looks, she sits between her better known sisters the Sonata and Impala.
Another guy says...
"The Delta is a well made, sprightly cruising yacht with good racing potential". He is also negative about it's bland looks and have to agree, I would cross it off my list because of it's dull looks.
"Sturdy, fast, fun and practical with good residual values".
"In common with the other Hunters, the Delta was very strongly built, following the well proven practices of Chardin, featuring a substantial lay up, laminated hull to deck join and monocoque construction. In addition to this all the wooden interior modules were bonded into the hull during construction, giving the boat good integral strength".
"I loved this boat to the extent I wanted to go straight out and buy one".
Another write up says...
"The Hunter Delta is a true hidden gem in the long list of superior small British-built boats of the period. Not particularly blessed with stunnig looks, she sits between her better known sisters the Sonata and Impala.
Another guy says...
"The Delta is a well made, sprightly cruising yacht with good racing potential". He is also negative about it's bland looks and have to agree, I would cross it off my list because of it's dull looks.
Cloven
Active member
We are on our third UK Hunter - as others have said - not to be confused with the very plasticky looking US Hunter Legends.
First was a Medina - great little trailer sailer - and sailed her on the west coast of Scotland as far west as Coll & Tiree. Had her for 5 years and then graduated to a Horizon 272 and continued exploring the same area for another 5 years but in a bit more comfort. Then got an offer for her that we couldn't refuse and so we moved up to the present boat, a Channel 323, another 3 years in Scotland but for the past 6 years in Southern Brittany.
Great boats, very well made and very simple to work on. Because they were designed for the possibility of home completion from a kit, none of the internals were moulded in at the construction phase so all can be removed/replaced easily .
I agree they are not the sportiest of boats or for their length the roomiest by modern standards but if you want a boat that will look after you, that is easy to maintain and relatively cheap to run, then worth a look at.
First was a Medina - great little trailer sailer - and sailed her on the west coast of Scotland as far west as Coll & Tiree. Had her for 5 years and then graduated to a Horizon 272 and continued exploring the same area for another 5 years but in a bit more comfort. Then got an offer for her that we couldn't refuse and so we moved up to the present boat, a Channel 323, another 3 years in Scotland but for the past 6 years in Southern Brittany.
Great boats, very well made and very simple to work on. Because they were designed for the possibility of home completion from a kit, none of the internals were moulded in at the construction phase so all can be removed/replaced easily .
I agree they are not the sportiest of boats or for their length the roomiest by modern standards but if you want a boat that will look after you, that is easy to maintain and relatively cheap to run, then worth a look at.
ditchcrawler
Well-known member
I had three Hunters.A Minstrel,a Ranger 265 and a Hunter Pilot.All of them looked after us in all conditions.I sailed the Pilot back from Holland where I bought it.
The Pilot is the slowest of the lot but is a capable boat and has an internal wheel as well as a tiller.
Hunter produced about 50% of their boats as kits for home completion which was internal fitting out,the engines were already in.The finishing can be variable. My Pilot in particular had been fitted out
with better joinery,bigger winches and lots of extras.
I used to race a Sonata and my keen skipper had us out in all sorts of weather and the boat coped better than we did.
The Pilot is the slowest of the lot but is a capable boat and has an internal wheel as well as a tiller.
Hunter produced about 50% of their boats as kits for home completion which was internal fitting out,the engines were already in.The finishing can be variable. My Pilot in particular had been fitted out
with better joinery,bigger winches and lots of extras.
I used to race a Sonata and my keen skipper had us out in all sorts of weather and the boat coped better than we did.
