Hunter Sail Boat Article

Boaters are a contradiction.

They often like to be by themselves, but they also like to get together with others of like mind to swap stories, talk about their respective boats and share in their love of the boating life.

More than 50 boats and 100 owners showed up to mingle with each other and talk face-to-face with representatives from four Hunter dealers as well the suppliers Lewmar, Harken, Beacon Marine Credit, Bomar and others. Their seminar topics covered everything from provisioning to engine maintenance to safety at sea.

I arrived as cruising authors Doug and Bemadette Bemon were fielding questions after a talk on long-distance cruising. Then it was time for some activity, and the crowd dispersed along the waterfront. Some, including Ray Monten of Oyster Bay, NY, stayed to take a turn on the Lewmar winch machine, which tests your stamina as a "grinder."

"I did pretty well for a 60-year-old," he said, proudly huffing and puffing after his turn.

Others headed for the beach to watch the dinghy races, with blindfolded rowers in Hunter Liberty tenders, and to take a demo ride on Hunter's new sailing dinghy, the 10-foot Excite.

It was a good time to meet with Hunter owners, and to talk about boats--what else? With a line of trailerable day boats, coastal cruisers and passage makers ranging from nine to 50 feet, Hunter owners may be different. But they've all formed a strong attachment to their boats, whether it's just off the showroom floor, like Ed and Isabel Tapley's 426 Deck Salon, or an "oldie but goodie," as Linda O'Brien calls her family's 21-year-old Hunter 33.

The Tapleys, dropping by during a summer of cruising, are smitten by the boat they bought last fall at the Newport Boat Show. "We've lived on board for two months, now, with two cats, and it's been wonderful," says Isabel. In fact, the . members say they're taking their Hunter home with them, running down the ICW to Charleston, SC, and exploring the two Carolina coasts during the off season.

And to think the Tapleys could have been stuck in a condo for their retirement. "We had to make a choice a few years ago between a boat and a vacation condo," says Ed Tapley, sitting in the 426's expansive, air-conditioned salon. "We decided on the boat. And we're having a lot of fun with it."

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Jim and Linda O'Brien, . members from Manhasset Bay, NY, enjoy a more laid-back lifestyle on their 1982 Hunter. "We like to find a quiet place to anchor, set up the grill, listen to some music and maybe take a swim," says Linda. "That's enough to make us happy."

The couple bought the boat six years ago as their first real overnighter. "We liked the layout, especially the salon, which has an ingenious folding table and plenty of counter space," says Jim.

The boat's pedigree--John Cherubini designed it--didn't hurt, either. "We've sailed around Long Island, up the Hudson and all over New York Harbor," says Jim. "She's easy to handle and pretty fast, too."

Michael Becker of Stamford, CT, is getting used to the Hunter 340 he and his wife bought to replace a Hunter 27. "That was a great boat, but I'm real excited about this one," says Becker, preparing for a late-afternoon sail. "It's pretty fast and an awful lot of fun in a good breeze."

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Becker's summer day sails were leading up to a big September cruise, taking in Long Island Sound, Shelter Island, Narragansett Bay and the islands. The boat looks like a perfect fit. "This is the biggest boat under 36 feet that you'll ever see," he says. "There's plenty of room, and the sleeping quarters are particularly comfortable--that's good for cruising. With a stove, oven, grill, refrigeration and plenty of storage, the 340 has everything we need to be self-contained for a week at a time. Hunter puts a lot into these boats."

And the owners seem to get a lot out of them--no matter the model, no matter the vintage. "A boat is what you make it," says O'Brien, puffing on an afternoon cigar in the cockpit of his Hunter 33, with the ship's cat, Misu, at his side. "The point is, to enjoy life while you can. And there's nothing better than a boat for that."

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