# Hunter 23



## minnow1193 (Dec 20, 2011)

Hi all. Got a lead on a 87 Hunter 23. Fin keel. Heard lots of negative opinions here about both Hunters, and fin keels. Aside from all that, what else would steer me away from a Hunter? Just looking for a decent weekender for Tampa Bay, and maybe trips along the Gulf coast. 

Thanks, 
Steve


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## skygazer (Sep 3, 2011)

It's possibly too late to help you but I'll make a quick response. I purchased a Hunter 23 wing keel last summer, even though I was prejudiced against Hunters from things I'd read. I like mine a lot more than I expected.

It handles nicely, no heavy helm, never tried to "round up" while I was sailing. Comes about easily and quickly. Moves well in light airs. Has good sail controls. Lots of nice design touches. Some cheaping out, like portlights with no exterior trim. Excellent interior space and makes good use of it. Surfing down some very large waves from directly astern felt unstable and needed careful attention at the helm, but that is about normal in my experience.

An excellent coastal sail boat. Built light for trailering and mast stepping. The light mast has a hinged tabernacle and drops toward the stern, fairly easy to step and unstep with gin pole and sway control - hook a block to the mooring pin, and run line back to the winches in the cockpit.

The "Ken's Trailer" trailer is not well fitted to the boat, at least not mine. Make sure you get a trailer with either brakes or a square plate at the ends of the axle by the wheel where brakes can be added. Make sure the boat is tight against the bow stops. There should be support under the bow, mine was too short so I shimmed it with wood. I'm half done making an extension for it.

I should probably write a review in the Hunter section, so anyone can find the info.


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## jimgo (Sep 12, 2011)

I'm surprised this post didn't get more replies. Hunters seem to have a bad reputation because, apparently, in the late 80's and early 90's, some of their boats weren't well made. By that, I mean they didn't sail well, and the equipment was either undersized or inexpensive components that were prone to fail. However, the "Cherubini-erea" Hunters, and some of the more recent ones, consistent get positive reviews. They aren't typically seen as ocean-crossers (especially the smaller boats), but they are good for their purpose, coastal sailing. Are they made to the same standards as an Island Packet? No. But you'll pay a lot less, and still have a sailboat that gets you from Point A to many Point B's. It's kind of like a car - if you buy a Honda Civic, you know you're not going to get the same "stuff" as in a Maybach or even a Lexis. What you will get, though, is a decent car at a fair price, and it will get you from Point A to Point B. You may not get there as fast, and you may not be as comfortable when you get there as you would have in another vessel/vehicle, but, in most peoples' opinions, that's still beats walking, or never getting to Point B at all.


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## Clarks Hill Windbag (Mar 27, 2014)

Hello - 

I bought a Hunter 23' wing keel that had been sitting in a yard for 10+ years. Sails are shot, and running rigging is toast. Is anyone able to help with what line does what? Is there a site explaining the line functions? She has a mast and port/starboard cockpit winches, but I have no idea how it all works.

I sail a Montego 19, she's very basic and was in sailing condition when I bought her. I'm a year into sailing, and I want to get the Hunter going so I can sell the Montego, but I'm stalled out. 

Thanks!


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

I had a H23 and loved it! It just wasn't the size I really wanted. The H23 is a real sailboat. 
It's not a bad boat either. Only issues I had were the need to backplate the outboard mount, and the mast was difficult for 2 people to handle.


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

Clarks Hill Windbag said:


> Hello -
> 
> I bought a Hunter 23' wing keel that had been sitting in a yard for 10+ years. Sails are shot, and running rigging is toast. Is anyone able to help with what line does what? Is there a site explaining the line functions? She has a mast and port/starboard cockpit winches, but I have no idea how it all works.
> 
> ...












You may want to join trailer sailors on sailboat owners.com too.


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## minnow1193 (Dec 20, 2011)

I am pretty sure the one i was looking at is long gone by now. . Thanks anyway! Lol

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk


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## Clarks Hill Windbag (Mar 27, 2014)

Suffering from low post count 

You may want to join trailer sailors on sailboat owners.com too.

Thanks - I get "halyards" but this boat has a roller furl jib, and 3 small lines in the boom (Outhaul, ???,???). It looks like it had lazyjacks? from the odd small lines with knots on either side of the main. I just have no clue how it was originally rigged.


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

there was an out haul yes. most likely reefing lines. in the boom. 
Launching our Hunter 23 for Spring 2013! - YouTube

Some good close ups here.


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## robobartz (Jul 28, 2014)

I bought a hunter 23 last fall. It is of the fixed wing keel design. I paid $2600.

My previous boat was a Hobie18, and I sail in Lake Michigan. Even with 4 years of sailing hobie cats(2) & sunfish. I can't really compare. However I will tell you what I know after sailing about 10-15 times this year including my first race.

The boat heels easy, but when it does it feels safe. I had 3 experienced sailers tell me its a good boat at good deal. They both all "more serious" boats, Erikson 27 & 35 foot racing boat, & 35 foot center cockpit cruiser. All have sailed many years(some 15) so there opinion was sound. Below are just minor stuff to look out for. None of them made me regret buying it.

The trailer is minimal. Some dont' have rollers under the bow. This is a necessity. Otherwise it puts all the bow weight on the kiel and lots of friction to winch up. Not easy to launch. I had to add an 8' extender.

When putting the mast down it will hit the hatch lid before tilted all the way down. Best to unsrcrew the white hatch from the hinges. The marina tech told me its a trademark of these boats to see hatch pinch damage here.

My mast has more backward rake then most boats at marina when walking down docks. This is a function of the fiberglass molding. Don't be alarmed or try to overcorrect. if you try to pull it too far forward you are pulling on the base step. 

The swept back spreaders are crappy design in terms of the sail hits them when sheeted out.

The interior is very nice. Very large for what it looks like outside. 

Add a plate or rot resistant backer behind the outboard bracket and rudder bolts. Factory stuff is not sufficient and stress cracks will develop.

Replace lights with LED. The "O" & point bulbs don't make good contact. Especialy on the mast where its difficult to get at. Don't think pulleys on top are robust enough for bosuns chair.

Some of the keel bolts they cheated and used steel & are rusty but no leaks and solid hull.

Great first sailboat. Wouldn't sail across Lake Michigan. Wouldn't sail in over 20knot gusts. But fine for daysailing or 7-20 mile away overnights.

The electrical switches are very long and break off if you hit them exiting/entering the cabin. 

Make sure you get the longest shaft motor or check mout height if adjustable as it cavitates in waves coming into the harbor. My motor mount hits the prop if outboard is turned extreme left and rudder extreme right. PO added aftermarket motor mount- the original failed or wasn't good enough.


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## skygazer (Sep 3, 2011)

Clarks Hill Windbag said:


> ...Thanks - I get "halyards" but this boat has a roller furl jib, and 3 small lines in the boom (Outhaul, ???,???). It looks like it had lazyjacks? from the odd small lines with knots on either side of the main. I just have no clue how it was originally rigged.


Hi Clark, sorry I didn't see your post earlier. Yes, there are several internal lines in the boom, quite hard to figure out. I'll try to remember to look next time I go to my boat, perhaps I can help you.

Off the top of my head, there is an outhaul that stretches the foot of the sail, drawing the foot aft (to rear) from a line located up front. Not sure if that is the one that ties off to the small cleat on the bottom of the boom, or if it has a cam brake.

There is a reefing line, I tie it to the aft grommet at the reefing row on the sail (a horizontal row of small holes in the sail with big reinforcements at each end. Essentially, the reefing line acts like an outhaul for the row of reefing when shortening the main sail. I tie roughly 1/4 inch diameter lines through each "button" hole running across the sail. I knot them on each side to keep the lines in position and dangle about a foot of line on each side of the sail. When reefing (which I do often) I lower the mainsail till I can hook the front grommet into the ram's horn (metal hook) at the mast, then immediately raise the sail so it is hooked tight. Then I pull the reefing line in the boom at the mast, port side I think, and stretch the aft reinforcement of the row of reefing tight. I tie off the reefing line to the cleat on the boom, or use a cam brake if that's what is there. I lash the aft grommet to the boom with it's own short heavier line, which is acting to like the clew.

Then I loosely roll up the slack sail into a roll and tie it loosely around the boom with the one foot 1/4 inch diameter lines dangling on each side of the boom, using slip knots to shake out the reef easily later. If I didn't have a bolt rope I'd tie around the sail only, but the bolt rope forces me to tie around the boom. Not tight, just cleaning up the slack sail.

There is also a topping lift line through the boom, also on the port side I believe. It has a cam brake. I just tie it to my topping lift, which I previously tied to the top of the mast before raising it. I make sure that I can raise the boom enough to clear my head and lower it enough to make the topping lift slack when the sail is raised - in other words, the sail is holding the boom and the topping lift is slack, unless I want to belly the sail a bit in light airs.

Hope this helps, post again if you need more info. I check occasionally.


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## robobartz (Jul 28, 2014)

I agree with skygazer. The pdf hunter 23 manual also "vaugely" shows the "quick" reefing system for the foot of the 1st reef grommet. The description below is much better.

This is a tangent... but maybe helpful to someone... when I bought the boat all the lines had been pulled out of the boom except the SS wire outhaul for the foot of the sail.

I especially wanted the reef line restored. Getting the line through the boom looked tricky at first glance. You have two small holes at each end & 9 feet of hollow between. My boom caps were screwed on with SS bolts(glad not riveted) so I took off both ends. Then I and straightened, flattened & twisted together 3 steel coat-hangers together & electrical taped the 1/4 line around the end & use the hanger snake to feed the wire through the 8-9 foot length. If you have a real wire snake use that. On the mast end, make sure you thread the rope above the cam clamp, over the top of the pulley and down the pulley toward the mast. If there's nothing to compare it to its not obvious. The hole above the clamp where the line goes into the boom is not visible


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## Aaron42 (Jun 20, 2014)

I got one as my first boat with little to no experience on a lake with regular 25-40 knot winds. I have made some substantial sailing mistakes and haven't demasted or sunk it yet. Sure have learned a lot about how to not sail though.


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