# Hardly any Hughes 29 for sale..why?



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I can only find 3 Hughes 29 for sale. Anyone have any ideas as to why they seem to not come up for resale? We are looking at purchasing one & it is in immaculate condition but are puzzled as why there are not more of them for sale?
I've read the background...but I've found that there are not too many alohas, niagaras or ontarios available either.


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## RanAweigh (Jan 16, 2009)

Most likely not many for sale as not many were constructed. Built (I think) in mid 70's. Company went out of business in 1991 after a fire.


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## Jeff_H (Feb 26, 2000)

There were not many Hughes 29's built for some pretty good reasons. First of all, I assume that you are referring to the late 1960's/ very early 1970's era Hughes 29 and not the Hughes Northstar 1000 or the Hughes Aura 8.7 which are sometimes listed as 29 footers. The Hughes 29's were pretty odd ducks. They were a design that bridges an era when yacht design was changing rapidly and they fit none of the pidgeon holes. While they were pretty good boats for that era, they are quite iteosyncratic and objectively compared to designs that followed, they were not all that great as boats go. 

They also had a series of unusual and undesirable features such as very narrow beam, pinched transoms, short waterline lengths, narrow side decks, coamings that were essentially out at the rail allowing cockpit flooding and so on. 

If these boats are conceptually appealing to you I suggest that you consider either a Shipman 28 or Albin Ballad 30 which were better boats all around. 

Respectfully,
Jeff


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## gonesailin40 (Sep 6, 2007)

I think they were made in Canada back in the late 60's and early 70's.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

This boat that we are looking at, the registration plate says Hughes 29 and it was built in 1979 and sold to the current owner in 1980. The question has come up that is it a really a Hughes Columbia. Are there any characteristics that would differentiate the two?


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## patrickrea (Aug 20, 2007)

There are 2 different Hughes 29. There is the original version from 1970 or so, and then there is the Columbia version from 1981 or so. The original feels very cramped. The Columbia feels very ugly IMO. This from a guy who owns a Northstar 1000 (which has its own issues!  ) which is almost but not quite the same as a Hughes31.

I am not surprised there aren't many Alohas, Niagaras or Ontarios around as people are still sailing them - it is summer even if it doesn't feel like it. People tend to keep them a long time and then when do get put up for sail, they get snapped up pretty quick if they are in decent shape. I was looking over the winter and there seemed to be 8 or 9 Niagaras available at various prices. For what its worth, North 44 has a Niagara 31 and a Hughes 29 right now.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Thank you, really appreciate the information


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## MKR (Jul 4, 2016)

Jeff_H said:


> There were not many Hughes 29's built for some pretty good reasons.
> 
> They also had a series of unusual and undesirable features such as very narrow beam, pinched transoms, short waterline lengths, narrow side decks, coamings that were essentially out at the rail allowing cockpit flooding and so on.
> 
> ...


While this post may have been made respectfully, it is an unfortunate post in that there is very little information about these boats on the web, and this comment sits here like a giant turd. I recently purchased a Hughes 29 that was in very good condition. I almost didn't, in part because of this post. In the end, I let the boat speak for itself. They are solidly built, beautiful boats. Between two hundred and two hundred and fifty were built in the early seventies, in Ontario, off the coast of Lake Huron. A Shipman 28 or an Albin Ballad 30 may be a better choice, but I have never seen one for sale on the Canadian Great Lakes. I don't know if I have ever seen one. In the end, you can only realistically buy a boat that is available to you. The Hughes 29 is a little smaller, but similar to a C&C Redwing 30 or possibly a Northern 29. It has a very nice interior with a functional layout, despite being cramped (headroom about 5'10"). Side decks are cramped and narrow, but it has a lengthy cockpit.

It may help to think of the Hughes 29 as an extra long, well ballasted 26 or 27 footer rather than a extra narrow 29 footer. Although similar in length, these boats were not intended to be the size of a Catalina 30 and they can be purchased for a fraction of the price. The 3000lb keel and the narrow beam allow the boat to slice through the choppy waters so common on the Great Lakes. The C&C 25 that I previously owned, had a much rockier ride. There are better technical racing boats out there, but for many people, sailing is a romantic venture and these boats may satisfy your needs on a different level.


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## albrazzi (Oct 15, 2014)

MKR thanks for your comments, note the post is 7 years old. Just a suggestion but you might tone it back a bit on the fist post, my experience is everyone has a valid comment whether you agree or not.

Welcome to Sailnet.


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

So you love the boat because you now own one, comparing it to a 25ft boat shows where you knowledge base comes from. , Jeff is an expert and a gent. You are just angry and lost


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## MKR (Jul 4, 2016)

I am not sure I should weigh in here again, but I will take one more stab at it. I may have come on a little strong in my last post, but I did not disparage the poster. I don't even disagree with the many of the posters observations. Like many boats, the Hughes 29 has it's share of shortcomings. The point that I was trying to make, but apparently didn't is that potential boat buyers rely heavily on internet reviews and information, and because very little information on the Hughes 29 is available on the web, this seven year old post stands out prominently, like the definitive indictment of the Hughes 29. Any cursory research on the web will invariably end up at this thread. This is not the fault of the poster.

It is my opinion however, that there is more to this boat than pinched transoms and narrow side decks. I know of more than one Hughes 29 owner that has expressed frustration with this post. The gentleman that I purchased my boat from clearly loved his boat and had sailed it, and taken meticulous care of it for many years. It might be useful if owners were to defend the virtues of these boats, but to do so puts you at risk of being labelled as "angry and lost". Go figure.


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

ok.. not lost.. just a voice in the wilderness  good luck with the boat!


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