Hunter Channel 27 or Hunter Pilot 27

[sealegsjim]

I have whittled down my choice of boat to a bilge keel Hunter Channel 27 or Pilot.
Does anyone out there have any thoughts on the merits or otherwise of these boats?
I know of course that the Pilot has an inside wheel but what do you sacrifice for that?
Do boats sail equally well as they both have the same hull. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Cloven]

Firstly - well done in (possibly) choosing a Hunter. I'm on my third now - Medina, Horizon 272 & now a Channel 323 - all great boats, well made and easy to maintain.

Back to your question. Looking at the spec sheets, the basic hull measurements are almost exactly the same but there are a few differences:

Channel 27
Displacement - fin (kg): 2538
Displacement - twin (kg): 2590
Sail Areas (sq m): Main + Jib 28.52

Pilot 27
Displacement - fin (kg): 2693
Displacement - twin (kg): 2745
Sail Areas (sq m): Main + Jib 26.80

So, the Pilot is heavier and also has a smaller sail area so I would expect the Channel to be the faster & more responsive boat.

There were reviews of the Pilot 27 in PBO Apr 95 & YM Jun 95

After that, it really comes down to what do you want - do you want to be able to sail in the dry in the Pilot or do you want the larger outside cockpit of the Channel?

The Hunter Association is full of useful info about the boast, particularly in the Discussion Forum.

Hope this helps

http://www.hunterassociation.org.uk

 

[sealegsjim]

Thanks for taking the trouble to reply with very useful info. I don't really need the inside wheel facility as my sailing ground will be Lake Windermere but I included the Pilot as there is a greater choice on the market. As far as I can tell there is only one Channel 27 for sale in the whole of the UK - unless anyone out there knows differently

 

[matt1]

You probably know this, but the channel 27 is a reworked "Ranger 265". Same hull, different, sleeker, deck. Accomodation below very similar. I think there were few channel 27's made by comparrison to the Ranger 265 and Pilot. The sail area of the Ranger and the Pilot are probably the same. eg a bit less than the channel 27. Iirc the Ranger 265 / channel 27 got very good right ups in the the reviews (tested in string winds). I suspect they will suffer a bit in lighter winds, especially off the wind unless you use a genoa or asymetric / spinnaker

 

[Bajansailor]

Lots of good info about the Pilot 27 in this Yachtsnet ad for a boat that has now been sold - http://www.yachtsnet.co.uk/boats/w2129/w2129.htm

They also have info re the Horizons and the Ranger 265 in their Archives - http://www.yachtsnet.co.uk/archives.htm

 

[sealegsjim]

You probably know this, but the channel 27 is a reworked "Ranger 265". Same hull, different, sleeker, deck. Accomodation below very similar. I think there were few channel 27's made by comparrison to the Ranger 265 and Pilot. The sail area of the Ranger and the Pilot are probably the same. eg a bit less than the channel 27. Iirc the Ranger 265 / channel 27 got very good right ups in the the reviews (tested in string winds). I suspect they will suffer a bit in lighter winds, especially off the wind unless you use a genoa or asymetric / spinnaker

Thanks for that. I will put the 265 on my list

 

[martinhart1]

Hunter Channel 27 or Hunter Pilot

A bit of a belated comment, but I’ve only just seen this thread. My wife and I owned a Channel 27 for two seasons and are now in our fifth season with our Pilot 27. I suspect that this statement alone says a lot about our opinions of the two boats, but I will elaborate a bit, if I may.

In our opinion, the Channel scores over the Pilot on only two counts:
1) The sleeping accommodation is more flexible if you cruise regularly with more than two people. Both boats have an identical aft cabin which we used as the master on the Channel and this allows two further adults and one or two children to be accommodated, although living space is very limited.
2) As mentioned in the Forum comments, the Channel (ours had a 135% genny) sails better in lighter airs. However, we tend to put the engine on when sailing speed drops below about 4 knots, so I suspect we got only about 10% more time under sail.
In our opinion, the Pilot scores over the Channel in almost every way if sailing as a couple. We use the forecabin as the master and it is vastly more comfortable than the aft cabin, having headroom, light, multiple hatches, good storage and long berths. The saloon is the real knock-out feature of the Pilot. In our variable weather conditions, it makes a fantastic all-weather refuge in port or at anchor with excellent visibility and the bonus is that we can sail (and navigate) the boat from it. One significant upgrade we have made is a shallow chart drawer under the salon table, which takes quite a few folded Admiralty charts and makes the salon table an ideal chart table.

I have tried to be as objective as possible, but must now state that our Pilot is for sale! This is for personal reasons and nothing to do with the boat or its performance – it has taken us safely from the Solent to North Brittany, Channel Islands (several times) and most of the Normandy coast, as well as the West Country. If you would like a trial sail, with absolutely no obligation, we’d be delighted to take you. By the way, the boat’s on YBW.com!!