A last thought or two:
I do not know what your last boat was or how much SA you carried on the stick, but I have found (short of IM or Boom Reefing) that large boats are all a pain to get the sails to drop like you think they should drop...
You also mentioned getting on the sail cover. We had a full dodger and bimini too. After you drop the sail AND GET IT TIED ON (very important or you will start over), pull the boom all the way to one side or the other. As I recall, you have a seat(s) on the stern rail (I am not a Hunter expert, but I think this is correct). Stand in them and lean over to get the back cover over the sail.
We also tied a loop in the sail ties (permanent) so that when you go to tie them on, all you have to do is run the bitter end through the loop and a couple of half-hitches with a quick pull loop to get them off. (I do not know if that made any sense... but that is the best I could explain it). Point being, when it is blowing, you are going to be slipping and sliding and holding onto the boom and everything trying to get the sail lashed. You need to find whatever system you can to do it quickly. The only time I ever thought I might actually die on my boat was going forward to lash off the main (at night) in a blow with large seas!! Not a fun experience.
If you cannot get any of that to work, well, may I suggest in boom
furling??? easy for me to say at $8-$10k... but better than hating to go out and sail your boat. My guess is, you will figure it out and love it... especially when faced with spending a chunk of change on a IB
furling!!!!!!!
You will get it!