Good Old Boat Issue 142: Jan/Feb 2022

ReviewBoat

The 260’s mainsail is a combination of full and partial battens. Hunter 260s came with lazy jacks as standard equipment, but Bill presently does not use them. Blown Away ’s headsail is a roller- furled 110-percent jib that tacks with ease. Most lines are led aft to the cabintop winches. It’s nice having no backstay to dodge while at the helm. Deck To gain a roomy cabin, Hunter chose a flush deck and high topsides. The deck is wide and easy to move on with good non-skid. A downside is that there is little to hold onto while moving forward, so one usually grabs for the shrouds. In the case of the 260, the mast- raising system’s struts, which stabilize the mast while it is raised and lowered and stiffens the mast under sail, also make for great grab rails. At the bow is a shallow anchor locker (some have a pit so the anchor is vertical) and many have an anchor roller. Both boats have plentiful large windows about the cabin for great interior light and views out. But there is only a single opening port over the galley and another in the head. The cockpit is wide and comfortable, with plenty of room for entertaining. Early models had a cockpit table. There is a shallow fender locker under the port seat and another under the starboard seat. Small cubbies in the forward corners have drink holders. As the transom is open, there is no need for With just a forestay and two shrouds, the B&R rig relies on two sets of diamond stays and solid struts at deck level to keep the mast in column, at right. Fuel tank storage and access to the steering cables are provided beneath the helm seat in the wheel-steered version, at bottom right.

cockpit drains, but one needs to keep an eye on anything on the cockpit floor as it could soon be overboard. If there were following seas, it would be wise to put in the compan- ionway drop boards as there is no bridge deck. Accommodations Passage from the cockpit to belowdecks is through a wide, low companionway.

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