Hunter Legend 33 - opinions please...

[Ubergeekian]

So a safe, comfortable boat, that sails well enough, makes absolute sense.

I'm sticking my neck out here, as the owner of a heavy long-keeler, but it might be worth considering whether a boat which, thanks to indifferent sailing performance, is still out there many hours after a better performing boat could have been tucked up snug counts as "safe" or "comfortable" ...

 

[Quandary]

Given the choice between taking advice from Twister Ken and some one who wanted to sell me something, I think I might listen to Ken.

 

[farmerdan79]

I'm sticking my neck out here, as the owner of a heavy long-keeler, but it might be worth considering whether a boat which, thanks to indifferent sailing performance, is still out there many hours after a better performing boat could have been tucked up snug counts as "safe" or "comfortable" ...

Depends what sort of sailing you are doing? - hops around the solent /cross channel with the wife & Kids = yes, cross atlantic = no.

 

[flaming]

Extremely old thread...

However, I've sailed a 33, and have done a lot of miles in it's predecessor, a 336. Including many channel and North sea crossings. In comparison I thought the 336 the better sailor, which didn't surprise me as the mainsail had lost a fair bit of area, and it was the twin keeled version.

What we found with the 336 was that it sails better than most of it's contempories - though I dissagree with the assertion that they're fine with in-mast. A key part of the rig is having a (very) bent mast, and the in-mast ones that have a straight mast have a MUCH bigger section. I wouldn't want that. And yes, you can't get the headstay tension that I'm now used to, but we used to pass Fulmars easily upwind, and once had a very long tacking duel with an X332 in 20 knots of breeze, so it's not too shabby....

In the light we were always sailing before the equivalent Bav/ben etc, and with the third (very deep) reef in the main made progress to windward in anything you'd ever want to be at sea in a 34 foot boat...
That said, it's not a boat that makes being at sea and heeled over easy - but it makes up for it with the accomodation for living aboard. The 40 footer that replaced it doesn't actually have that much more space below.

So wouldn't buy one now, as I'm not doing that type of sailing, but TK's comments are a little too negative in my view...

 

[All The Gear No Idea]

I eventually bought an L33 and have now owned it for 8 years. It’s a great sailing boat and have completed several thousand miles in her, including several trips across the North Sea.

I’d recommend an L33 to anyone, particularly those who want a boat that affords capacious accommodation, but without compromising performance. Unlike so many smaller boats with tonnes of freeboard, the L33 that sits low in the water, but still has headroom for people over 6ft tall. The low freeboard is a boon when coming along side too.

The only drawback is the length of the boat when heading to wind in rough water. The chop slows the pace, but that’s typical of any 33 footer without a long keel hull type.

The absence of a back stay is no issue whatsoever, but if the wind gets up, due to the disproportionally large main, you are wise to put a reef in. If it’s blowing hard like that, the headsail doesn’t the job. We were making 7-8 knots against a neap tide recently with 16kts of apparent wind. Not earth shattering performance, but she’s certainly no slouch.
We sailed up the Wallet last weekend and left a few boats well behind, including £500k’s worth of Sirius 40ds.

Legends are great boats and have a very active, friendly owners association. I’ll be sad when I have to sell my boat!

 

[Halo]

I have done 12000 miles in my L33 Including round the uk, Ireland and Netherlands. She does not like bashing into big waves but otherwise sails well. I am often short handed and can “park her on a sixpence “. The accommodation and facilities are excellent.
I use a cruising chute for reaching and downwind and frequently leave other similar size boats in my wake - even in club races.
The arch is great for hanging on to when healed over and is far better than those contraptions running across the cockpit. The only thing I don’t like is that the main sheet can dangle down when tacking or gybeing and this presents a hazard.
Last week a friend asked if I would consider swapping her - my answer was no she is the best compromise for me.