hunter 212 sailboat review

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Hunter 212 - Good deal or not?

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If the sails are good and crisp, the boat is complete and undamaged, the trailer solid with good tires, $3000 seems not too outrageous. Might sell for $2500.  

If you aren't keeping it in the water, it's an easy to rig boat. (I raised and lowered the mast on my H 26 by myself). Knew a family of 4 (two small children) that loved their 212, and it appeared to sail well.  

That looks pretty good for the price - I'd jump on it.  

I think you should spend some time in the Production Boats and the Limits thread. That boat is woefully ill-suited for a circumnavigation.  

Ok after negotiating with the guy, I got him down to $2500. Big decisions!!!! Do I buy it?  

how good are the sails? recreation departments tend to be hard on sails and they sell the boats that are the worst one they have, keep the good ones for next year. 2500 is fare if the sail are good  

I am new to Sailing but the sails looked good. But that is a good point. Is there something specific that I should be looking at when I look at the sails? What are the red flags when it comes to checking out the sails?  

Sails, look at the threads, are they broken, coming undone? Look at the edge of the sails, are they worn, torn, worn thru? Feel the material, does it feel like a bed sheet or slick like satin? Any patches in the sails? Look at the standing rigging, gently and SLOWLY feel the wire looking for broken strands, they are called fish hooks and if you aren't careful you will find out why they have that name. Is this a water ballast boat?  

The boat is a swing keel. I checked the standing rigging and that looks good too. Some people seemed to be worried about the ACP material for the hull. Any thoughts?  

that boat is a very nice boat to sail. not sure where the above comment about circumnavigation came from. no you won't do that with her. check the cable that drops the keel, not fun if they snap, and they do. 2500 I would do it if she is in good condition  

Are you getting a trailer and outboard too? Just buy it! The two best months of the season are here and after that the dreaded cold.  

You might want to call Hunter to see if there is any extended warranty left for the hull. I think they extended it, but may only be good for original owner. They may have advice, but may be a situation if it has not failed by now it won't? You might also ask how the town keep them stored in the winter. If they kept them indoors that is good, but keep in mind you may not be able to. Seems it is really the thermal changes that starts the cracking. But if they keep them outdoors then perhaps you can as well. For those who don't know these are not fiberglass but a sort of vacuum formed plastic called ACP. There have been lots of reported cases of severe cracking. This cracking is completely through the outer skin, not just gel coat. Hunter has a record of repairing them out of warranty but you have to get the boat to the Florida facility and I don't know if they are still repairing them. They seem to have gone back to fiberglass, if that says anything. Price seems good for that new of a boat, in that good of shape. If I lived someplace warm in the winter I woudl no doubt jump on it, here in the north east not so sure.  

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What's wrong with the Hunter 212?

• Thread starter Dave Youngblut
• Start date Sep 19, 2002
• Hunter Owner Forums
• Smaller Boats

Dave Youngblut

I have read, with great interest, the many trailerable sailboat articles in the popular sailing magazines, but, I am concerned that the Hunter 212 in NEVER mentioned or recommended for purchase. Since I am contemplating the purchase of a 212 I would appreciate any comments about this boat. Thanks.  

Mark Malcolm

Good Question and good observation...I've always wondered myself about the PR issue. Even though I'm an owner and am always looking for 212 feedback, info, articles - I rarely see any mention of the 212 anywhere. You may want to check the archives for similar threads as this. There was one last week I've posted below.Butch and Dave, you guys have insight into the marketing of the 212 - any thoughts?  

good question When I first looked at the 212 I thought it was exactly the wrong boat. It's too small to picture myself spending a weekend in, which makes it a day sailer. If it's a day sailer why take up valuable space with a cabin? What changed my mind was taking my kids on a Flying Scott for a couple hours. The wind died, the kids got bored, they took a blanket and a couple jackets and the seat cushions under the bow of the boat, made a fort, and had a blast. Cool huh? I am now convinced that the 212 is exactly the RIGHT boat for a family with small kids. I may be purchasing one myself soon. John  

MARTY ALBRIGHT

I TRIED THE 212 FOR A MONTH..... AND I WASN'T HAPPY WITH IT. I DIDN'T LIKE THE"COMPARTMENTED" CABIN SOLE. THE TUPPERWARE SINKWAS INCONVIENIENT. THE SUPPLY HOSE TO THE PUMP FAUCET BROKE WHEN FIRST CONNECTED. MY RUDDERBROKE ON THE FIRST SAIL. THE CABINTOP WAS CRACKED ABOVE THE WINDOWS ON BOTH SIDES (~3INCHES). THE MATTRESSES WERE TOTALLY INADEQUATE. ON THE POSITIVE SIDE: THE BOAT SAILED VERY WELL AND FAST AND WAS COMFORTABLE FOR 3-4PEOPLE. I ENDED UP WITH THE 240 FOR ABOUT $6000 MORE AND AM VERY HAPPY WITH IT. IF YOUCAN AFFORD IT, I RECOMMEND SIZING UP A LITTLE.  

Crazy Dave Condon

Hunter 212 The Hunter 212 was designed to be a fast and stable large daysailor with a small cabin. Interior is of course spartan. I never ordered the boat with the galley unit as I felt it was too much and bulky. You can get a portable butane stove and the little water you will use can be carried on board. Never would I drink from the water source in the galley unit.As for the cushions, you can opt for the interior cloth cushions. As for the rudder breaking, I have yet had that to happen with the ones I have placed out there. I wonder what the circumstances were when it broke would tell me better. As for the cracks mentioned, there was some problem with the raw material as the manufacturer of the raw materials let some get by to Hunter Composites accendentaly. It is easy to fix but in the worst case, the boats were replaced. Not many sailboat companies would do this but Hunter did. Have not had any trouble since then. All in all, the 212 is a nice boat to consider as a large daysailor with a small cabin. If your intent is to stay on board for long periord of times, then I would suggest considering the 240.I hope that helps you Dave and should you have any other questions, please put a new post to Crazy Dave-212. Thanks and good luck.Crazy Dave Condon  

Hey Dave What's happening with the 212? It doesn't seem that Hunter is doing much to market this boat and I don't seem them being advertised at the local Hunter dealerships anymore....  

Update on the 212 For the record, Hunter Composites will be introducing the 216 at the Annapolis Boat Show. It essentially will be a big butt kicking daysailor with a small cuddy cabin. The 212 may still be made if the demand is there. I for one hate to see it go as I thought it was a good boat but we will see. The marketing will now be directed toward this boat.Crazy Dave Condon  

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Review of Hunter 212

Basic specs..

The hull is made of fibreglass. Generally, a hull made of fibreglass requires only a minimum of maintenance during the sailing season. And outside the sailing season, just bottom cleaning and perhaps anti-fouling painting once a year - a few hours of work, that's all.

The Hunter 212 is equipped with a fractional rig. A fractional rig has smaller headsails which make tacking easier, which is an advantage for cruisers and racers, of course. The downside is that having the wind from behind often requires a gennaker or a spinnaker for optimal speed.

CentreBoard

The Hunter 212 is equipped with a centreboard keel. A centreboard keel is a pivoting lifting keel, allowing to sail both coastal and inland waters.

The boat can sail close to the beach as the draft is just 0.25 - 0.35 meter (0.82 - 1.12 ft) dependent of the load. See immersion rate below.

Sailing characteristics

This section covers widely used rules of thumb to describe the sailing characteristics. Please note that even though the calculations are correct, the interpretation of the results might not be valid for extreme boats.

What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?

The capsize screening value for Hunter 212 is 3.07, indicating that this boat would not be accepted to participate in ocean races.

What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?

The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 5.7 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.

The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Hunter 212 is about 91 kg/cm, alternatively 512 lbs/inch. Meaning: if you load 91 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 512 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

Sailing statistics

This section is statistical comparison with similar boats of the same category. The basis of the following statistical computations is our unique database with more than 26,000 different boat types and 350,000 data points.

What is Motion Comfort Ratio (MCR)?

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

What is Displacement Length Ratio?

What is SA/D (Sail Area Displacement ratio)?

Maintenance

When buying anti-fouling bottom paint, it's nice to know how much to buy. The surface of the wet bottom is about 17m 2 (182 ft 2 ). Based on this, your favourite maritime shop can tell you the quantity you need.

Are your sails worn out? You might find your next sail here: Sails for Sale

If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.

This section is reserved boat owner's modifications, improvements, etc. Here you might find (or contribute with) inspiration for your boat.

Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what you have done.

We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Hunter 212 it would be a great help.

If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us . Criticism helps us to improve.