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IMHO - it all depends on what you want to do. Sail a lot or spend your time fixing the boat. As a rookie I prefer to sail a lot and learn from doing.
Buy a well maintained boat that is clean and ready to go sailing! If that happens to be a Hunter - fine.
I bought a Hunter 30 about a year ago. I looked at a lot of boats in the same price range and most were dirty and not well maintained.
The boat I bought had had 2 owners, the last owned it for 11 years. He maintained it meticiously (sp?), always serviced engine, replaced the standing rigging a couple of years ago, relatively news sails, everything in good order and super clean.
That means that I could spend a lot of time sailing and learning. I use my boat a lot, every weekend either for longer day sails or cruises. Most weeks I also get out at least one week night.
Of course, I coulda bought an older so called "higher quality" boat for the same $$$ and spent the last year fixing it up instead.
I guess what I am saying here is that this is your first boat, buy a boat that is well maintained and ready to go sailing! Use the time when the weather sucks to improve and maintain it. Maximize time on water, that is the fun part.
There is a lot of Hunter bashing going on, I am not defending Hunter, I am not that knowledgabe (yet) but to me my 15 year old boat seems perfectly fine with no quality problems. OK the joinery etc is not Passport, IP or Nauto r standard but in good nick and it works.
I live next to the Marina and everyday I see those expensive high quality passagemakers nicely docked and hardly ever out on the big dangerous Chesapeake.
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