Cape Cod Mercury/Hunter 140 comparison?

[Ragondin]

Hi,

I've been learning to sail on a Cape Cod Mercury for about a year and I already feel comfortable handling it.
Now the opportunity presents for me to sail a Hunter 140. Since most of the experience I have is based on a Cape Cod Mercury couls somebody tell me what the differences are between it and a Hunter 140? Is the Hunter 140 much more of a high performance sailboat?

Thanks a lot!

[TDMModels]

I learned to sail on a Hunter 140. Had it for two years before selling to buy
a larger boat. I thought the 140 was a great little boat. Plenty of thrills if you
wanted them. The wide beam and "dryness" of the boat made it comfortable for a 14 footer. In a 12 knot wind the craft would really scoot and get up to over 6 knots. I am not familiar with a Cape Cod Mercury. But you would enjoy a 140. I had never sailed any boat before and learned with a book and just doing it.

Terry

1987 Pearson 27
Godspeed
1987 Pearson 27 - #19 - Heber Springs, AR

[nolatom]

Almost anything with a mast will be more high-performance than a Merc (are you a Community Boating sailor? That's where I sailed them decades ago.

I haven't sailed the Hunter 140 but googled it, it's a nice-looking little boat, and weighs well under 500 lbs, and has 100 square feet of sail area. So it'll be much faster, and will rely more on quick and proper crew weight placement, than the heavy old Mercuries. But you'll catch on quick, and you'll be fine, and you'll like it.

Then you'll realize how slow the indestructible Mercs really are. Have fun.

[Ragondin]

Thanks nolatom and TDMModels for your advice. Now I have a much better idea of what to expect when I sail the Hunter 140.
And yes, I've learned to sail at Community Boating in Boston. Thanks again!

[sailingdog]

Nolatom-

CBI was a great place to learn.