Comparing mid 80's Hunters to mid 90's Hunters

[manhattan08]

I am fairly new to sailing and I am in the market looking for a boat that is in the 28 foot range. After months of research, I am focusing my search on a mid to late 80's Hunter 285.

As I look through Hunters that are currently for sale on the market, I can't help but wonder what happened to the design of Hunters in the mid 90's? The interior design of the boat changed from the teak to plastic, reminiscent of the inside of a refrigerator. The inside looks something more like a camper than a boat. Am I the only one that dislikes this design?

On the outside, the walkway near the toe rail was removed and replaced with a wider cabin wall. With this design, how does a person move from the cockpit to the front of the boat?

Also, many of the mid 90's Hunters had a front window in the cabin. Wouldn't it be easy to put a foot through the window if someone were to step on it?

It looks like Hunter has recently changed the design of their boats back to something comprable to the 285. Do you think the styling noted above persuaded them to move back to a more traditional look?

Thanks in advance for all of your responses!

[COOL]

The mid '80s Hunters do not bear much resemblance
to the Tupperware they are producing today.
The 28.5, designed in 1985, is a good performing
little sailboat with plenty of room for its size.
If you avoid the shoal draft models, you will
find they perform well in a range of conditions.
They have a very powerful sailplan on a beamy
hull with a long waterline. The cockpit is a
bit cramped for sail handling, and it would be
a big improvement to remove the wheel steering
in favor of a tiller, but I have seen one perform
reasonably well on the race course on occasion.

[sailtimeci]

The 90's were not a great time for Hunter. They were trying to hit a market of affordability. Fortunately Glen Henderson came on board and redesigned all of their mid and large size yachts over the decade of the 00's to make them the leader they are in the marketplace today. I would like to see them work on the 25-30 foot market now with some innovative stuff.

[MC1]

Originally Posted by COOL

The mid '80s Hunters do not bear much resemblance
to the Tupperware they are producing today.

Hey, that's not nice! I just spent a lot of money on some nice Tupperware and I don't appreciate it being compared to today's Hunters!!

[MC1]

I have a friend that has a '79 Cherubini designed Hunter 30. It looks / feels pretty solid, nice interior, reasonably fast, acquired at a great price. I know he'd highly recommend his current boat to others.

[blt2ski]

I have a dockmate with a 285 IIRC, altho might be a 280 or some such thing. He is very pleased with it. IIRC it is a mid 80 model.

Frankly, just about everyone I know with a Hunter likes it. From the fellow that has a 1978 36'ish foot cutter he has owned since new on my dock, been from here in the NW to mexico and back 3 maybe four times to folks with newer models, including one with that funky stayless rigs. If they appeal to you, go for it!

marty

[PalmettoSailor]

Originally Posted by blt2ski

snip...
Frankly, just about everyone I know with a Hunter likes it. snip

marty

Yup, Our marina is close to one of the biggest Hunter dealerships on the Chesapeake and its full of satisfied Hunter owners. Many of them have moved up from smaller Hunters to bigger ones and are very happy with their boats.

Current Hunters are not everyones cup of tea (and the same can be said for the other two major production builders as well), but they fill the needs of their owners at a price they can afford.