Hunter Medina vs Swift 18 et al

wombat88

wombat88

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One of those 'which is best' threads...

A friend of mine has been looking for a boat for ages. His fixed criteria are:
Price: Around £3k but can be pushed to £5k for something particularly good.
Size: Less than 6.5 metres (21'3") to fit into 'small boat offer' in Chichester Marina. This length must include dangly bits on the back
Cruising grounds: Chichester Harbour and Solent, never more than one night away for two max
(Accommodation will inevitably be a bit cramped, cooker, porta potti etc needed.)
Keel: Lifting keel or centreboard. Must sit flat and have minimum draft with keel/board up
(No intention of trailer sailing)
Rig: ? Furling jib and some sort of tabernacle or mast heel pin an advantage

He is a keen but ageing dinghy sailor (not racer) so the fact that the boat behaves a bit like a big dinghy and not a cruising yacht is not a problem. Good light wind performance and an ability to point well desirable. Presumably anything above F5 will become a little lively...

His favourite at the moment if the Hunter Medina which was the one I suggested so I feel somewhat responsible. Has he made a good choice?
 
I'll pre-empt Tranona to say that lots and lots of boats would meet his criteria, so it's probably going to come down to what's available locally and in what condition.
 
I would echo what has been said about look locally and see what is available. At this end of the market the right boat 500 miles away id probably not the right boat.

This was exactly the stance we took, and ended up with a boat most have never heard of, a Frolic 18, built in 1983 by a boatbuilder in Poole, but only in low volumes. It's 18ft 6 overall so with an OB hung on the back would still fit your limit.

Lifting keel (they also made a bilge keel version) sits upright on the mud in our drying harbour. For the size of boat it has a much bigger cabin and more generous accommodation than most.

But your chance of finding one is close to nill, so just go and look at all the sub 20ft boats that are close to you and make up your own mind.
 
JumbleDuck said:
I'll pre-empt Tranona to say that lots and lots of boats would meet his criteria, so it's probably going to come down to what's available locally and in what condition.
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Exactly. It is a sort of non question. If he has found a boat he likes in good condition at the right price then he will be a happy person.

Seem to remember that the Medina was aimed at precisely the sort of person and use described - but if he can't find one that meets the buying criteria there are plenty of other similar boats to look at.
 
wombat88 said:
He is a keen but ageing dinghy sailor (not racer) so the fact that the boat behaves a bit like a big dinghy and not a cruising yacht is not a problem. Good light wind performance and an ability to point well desirable. Presumably anything above F5 will become a little lively...

His favourite at the moment if the Hunter Medina which was the one I suggested so I feel somewhat responsible. Has he made a good choice?
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I've not owned a Hunter Medina but a mate had one and I twice did the Round the Island Race in her (once in F4-5 when we did pretty well) and she accompanied us to Scilly from Plymouth a couple of years ago. I was very impressed - higher pointing and overall faster than my Etap 22i (which was very annoying with us being two foot longer). It is quite tender so would suit a dinghy sailer. Gripes - narrow coamings to sit out on (needs a good backrest) and although taking the ground this means the keel is pulled up into an open keel box and stinks as it dries out. (There may be solutions to this that my mate didn't bother with). They are pretty cheap and you get a heck of a boat for the money IMHO.
 
I have very fond memories of the Swift 18. It was my first transition boat from lake dinghy sailing to the sea. A lovely little boat.

I'd go with the advice already given. Buy locally using condition as the primary search criteria.
 
Thanks all, sensible advice, and a leaning towards the Hunter Medina. Anderson 22 would cost an extra £745pa in the marina...
 
For the first Mini-Transats - later to become the Jester Challenge - three Anderson 22's were slightly shortened with a slight pram bow to get under 6.5 metres.

The works entry ' Anderson Affair ' has been restored to normal bow,( otherwise in glorious race trim in Scottish waters ) but the other two ' Spirit of Talardy ' and ' Anderson Adventure ' are still in race format.

With the market as it is, grabbing an A22 and doing a race shortening bow might not be so silly, I'd happily help out.

http://www.anderson22class.co.uk/buyers-guide/reviews-and-articles/
 
wombat88 said:
Thanks all, sensible advice, and a leaning towards the Hunter Medina. Anderson 22 would cost an extra £745pa in the marina...
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I just happen to have Hunter 490 for sale. It's the wee sister of the Anderson 22 - delightful handling and good accommodation for gnomes. Only 16 feet long!
 
I have no idea what's on the market where currently, but put the rudder and outboard hard over, and an Evolution 22 comes inside the length criteria.

Never sailed one myself, but if anything like the 25 we had, which it really is just a scaled down version of, goes like a witch, accommodates like a tardis, floats in a puddle, and copes in a blow.
 
We had a Hunter medina on a drying mooring in Chichester harbour and were very pleased with its performance being our first yacht out of dinghy's. I liked the lift keel system that was all in view and easy to understand. Our keel did not smell and was usually up on the mooring for obvious reasons.
Like all Hunters built well and easy to own and work on if necessary. I felt significantly more of a yacht than the swift 18 which IMHO was more of an over grown wayfarer.
Jaguar 21's we sailed against had more accommodation but did not sail as well as the Medina, again all IMHO.
 
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NealB said:
I'm sure that Andy (Seajet) will be along fairly soon with another suggestion, along these lines:

http://www.anderson22class.co.uk/

He's in your neck the woods, too.
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OP states boat must dry out flat. That's the A22 out unless boat is drying on to soft mud surely?

Always amuses me how after a couple of pages of responses on YBW any of the OP's original selection criteria are completely disregarded!
 
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fredrussell said:
OP states boat must dry out flat. That's the A22 out unless boat is drying on to soft mud surely?

Always amuses me how after a couple of pages of responses on YBW any of the OP's original selection criteria are completely disregarded!
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Why only British boats as suggestions?
 
Sybarite said:
Why only British boats as suggestions?
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Because that is what is available in the area for the relatively small amount of money the OP has to spend. There is no shortage of choice - that is the dilemma perhaps. Actually making your mind up which one to buy and then getting the right condition/price.
 
fredrussell said:
OP states boat must dry out flat. That's the A22 out unless boat is drying on to soft mud surely?

Always amuses me how after a couple of pages of responses on YBW any of the OP's original selection criteria are completely disregarded!
Click to expand...

Guilty as charged: two schoolboy errors.

Sorry, Sir, I promise to do better next time!
 
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