Good Old Boat Issue 142: Jan/Feb 2022

and after each sail. But the upside is that faraway cruising destinations are only a few road hours to endure. Check to see if you need a permit for the 9-foot beam, as 8 feet 6 inches is usually the maximum allowed. If you want to trailer often, you might look at the Hunter 23.5 or the Hunter 240 (beam 8 feet 3 inches), which are smaller versions of the 26/260 with similar features, including water ballast, and hard to discern as different. The Hunter 26/260s are very popular. Online I found many for sale, but prices are all over the place. Low was $10,450 for a 1996 26, with a high of $32,000 for a 2004 260. Generally, the 26s are in the low teens, while the 260s are mid-teens to low 20s. Because they are trailerable, give preference to freshwater boats, of which there are plenty. One should confirm there is a

two-axle trailer with the boat if you intend to move it via land. Most seem to come equipped with a 9.9-horsepower outboard. As for various maintenance problems, leaky windows will likely be the main troublemakers. There were some issues with 260 rudders cracking in the 2004 models. It appears this was a short- term build issue that Hunter resolved, sending updated rudders to owners. Foss Foam can provide “as original” fiberglass rudders, while Rudder Craft provides HDPE aftermarket replacements. Good Old Boat Contributing Editor Allen Penticoff is a freelance writer, sailor, and longtime aviator. He has trailer-sailed on every Great Lake and on many other inland waters and has had keelboat adventures on fresh and saltwater. He owns an American 14.5, a

MacGregor 26D, and a 1955 Beister 42-foot steel cutter that he stores as a “someday project.”

(top to bottom) Because securing a portable ice chest on small boats is often a problem, on the 260 there is a dedicated built-in place to keep one that is handy to the galley. The cavernous area under the cockpit is billed as a double berth, though for many owners it’s storage for miscellaneous gear. An interesting feature is that this area is ventilated and illuminated by a small opening port under the starboard cockpit seat as long as the seat is up. Some owners have modified the large table to be smaller to ease access fore and aft.

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January/February 2022