Review of the 27Edge by owner John Hightower of Atlanta,
Georgia USA
Like many sailors out there I have a
family and we love spending time on the water. My
wife and I have been avid sailors for many years but
as our children grew up, sailing for them while still
enjoyable, did not offer us as a family all the water
boating activities we wanted. My oldest daughter a
teenager wanted to tube/wake board with her friends
as well as sail. My wife and I preferred to sail and
did not want to have two boats to meet our families
boating needs so we turned to the power sailor option.
I was reading a blog on the internet
about a rumor that Hunter was going to build a new
generation of motor sail boats. I knew Hunter built
quality sailboats and I was very hopeful this was
more than a rumor. I picked up the phone and called
Hunter. I was put in touch with Ted Norris a Market
Development Manager at Hunter. Ted confirmed that
they had just finished the final prototype that would
be taken around the country hull #2 to Hunter dealers
and that Hunter was getting ready to build hull #3
the first Edge for retail sale. I told Ted I was interested
and ironically the dealer (Snug Harbor Boats) they
were working with to retail Hull #3 was located not
too far from where I lived in Atlanta Ga. I called
Snug Harbor Boats and met with Roger Aspinwal. Snug
Harbor has been a great supporter of Hunter sail boats
through the years. Roger specifically worked with
Hunter on the Edge 27 development and even came up
with the name the Edge.
I had the opportunity to take the Edge
prototype Hull #2 out for a sail on one of the large
lakes near where I lived with Roger and the Hunter
representative and was very impressed with all aspects
of the Edge. As impressed as I was with the boat the
Hunter team asked for my input and sailing impressions
and what would I change or keep the same on the boat
so that any suggestions that would improve the boat
could be incorporated into future boats.
First Impression:
I took delivery of my Edge Hull #3 on
July 26 at Snug Harbor boats. Once again, I was very
impressed with the overall design, fit and finish
of the boat as I had been with prototype boat Hull
#2. From the moment you easily step onto the back
of the boat via the wide open transom, you feel the
Hunter quality of craftsmanship and attention to detail
surround you. At almost 27 feet with a beam of 8'4
inches at its widest point (that continues all the
way to the stern of the boat) you see this is a sturdy
elegant power sail boat.
The functional layout and useable space
of the seating area and helm reminds you of what you
would find on a boat at least two to three feet longer.
The back seating area takes full advantage of the
8'3' beam. The nicely chromed steering wheel at the
helm is a hybrid between a power wheel and a conventional
sailing wheel. This wheel is just the right size to
allow you to easily sail the boat and power the boat
when the need arises.
The mast, and boom set up is one where
the boom is located above the optional bimini top
so a person in the 6" plus range can comfortably
stand and sail or power the boat. The main sheet block/cleat
is attached to a chrome U post located on the front
of helm and is easy to access and use.
All hardware and components on the power
sail boat from the cleats, jammers, winches, to the
Hood furling jib and Tack Tick blue tooth instruments
are first class. All components are made of high quality
chrome and stainless steel where appropriate.
The water ballast system is easy to
work using a pull lever located just behind the transom
next to the optional 75HP E tech we had installed
on the boat. The electronic controls for the 75HP
E tech are located on the starboard side of the helm.
The controls come with an electric tilt button and
quality wise looks right at home with the rest of
the power sail boat trim.
The interior of the boat is typical
Hunter with a very open warm and inviting feel with
head room for a 6 foot person. For reference the interior
for the Edge is very similar to the interior you would
find on the newer Hunter 27 sail boat. As with all
Hunter boats plenty of wood is utilized to finish
out the interior. One of the first things you notice
as you step down the nice set of chrome steps is how
open the boat feels. This openness is attributed to
plenty of headroom, a wide beam and an unusual amount
of light coming in from the large port/starboard windows.
Once in the interior of the boat you can easily access
the large rear sleeping birth. The head is located
immediately to your left and the galley is to your
right and set up with a stainless steel sink/faucet
with plenty of storage. The interior or the boat is
finished out with a nice smooth headliner and side
fabric on the hulls. The fabric for the interior side
seats, V berth and large rear sleeping area is attractive
durable and typical Hunter quality and fit.
Our boat was outfitted with the optional factory marine
head, pressurized water system, shower (located off
the transom), and optional dealer installed 12V/110V
outlets, 10,000 BTU air conditioning/heater, extra
water tank, fans in the V berth and rear sleeping
berth, window shades and a privacy curtain for the
front V berth and stove. My point here is you can
easily turn your boat into a nice cruiser as well.
Sea Trial:
Our family had planned our first sail
boat trip on the Hunter Edge for a week long sail
down the intercostals water way (ICW). We began our
sailing trip at St.Simons Island Georgia and ended
up at St. Augustine.
Getting there/Tailoring:
First the Edge is very easy to trailer.
The boat is nestled on an aluminum double axle trailer
with heavy duty brakes. The boat sits on the trailer
very much the same way a conventional motor boat does.
This is attributed to the fact that the rudder and
center board retract almost completely into the hull.
Overall, the experience to pull the boat to our destination
was safe, easy and uneventful.
Rigging the boat:
Once we arrived at our launch point
we raised the mast and rigged up the boat quite easily.
The mast set up/rigging design the Hunter Company
uses for the Edge is very similar to the ones they
use for their other trailer sail boats such as the
Hunter 25. It was very easy for my wife and me to
pull up the mast using the main sheet and mast raising
pole. We had the furling jib option on the boat as
well as the bimini top option and both these went
up without a hitch and quickly. It took us about 45
minutes to get the boat rigged up with boom/sails
in place etc and ready to sail.
Launching:
The launch point for our Edge was at
a public ramp located right on the intercostal waterway.
The boat ramp had a typical motor boat decline and
the Edge trailer rolled down the ramp and was easily
launched with no kneed for trailer extensions due
to its low height and retractable center board and
rudder. Utilizing the 75HP E tech we pulled the boat
right off the trailer onto the dock with no concern
about current drift or wind.
Powering the Boat:
One great advantage of the Edge 27 is
option to utilize the E tech outboard when the need
arises. From the moment you use the outboard to easily
pull you off the trailer and take you through the
times when there is no wind, or pull your family along
on a wake board/tubing, you appreciate this motoring
option. For the first part of our journey, there was
no wind for us to sail giving credence to the philosophy
behind the design of the boat in the first place you
have flexibility. The 75HP E tech saved us transit
time and helped keep us on schedule to reach our destination
as planned. The 75HP E Tech easily pushed us along
smoothly and quietly at about 17 knots. The 75HP E
tech has a great amount of torque and the boat planed
quickly and handled well in both smooth and rough
seas.
Sailing Impressions
First let me start by saying, Hunter
is in the business of making high quality well thought
out sail boats. The Hunter Edge first and foremost
is a sail boat that happens to have a few design options
that make it have versatility over any other sailboat
in its class.
Starting with the layout of the sheets,
cleats, jammers, and winches are all set up for easy
one man sailing utilizing the Hood furling jib. The
centerboard is easily deployed and retrieved using
a jammer and a quality composite winch located on
the starboard side. The large sturdy rudder is located
beneath the hinged lid on top of the ample sized captain's
seat. The large rudder is kept in the up position
when not in use by an easily removed stainless steel
pin. To engage the rudder, all one has to do is pull
out the pin and it slides into the down position and
stays locked until you easily pull it up with a rope
and pulley system hidden neatly inside the captains
seat with the rudder.
For those of you used to heavier cruiser
style sail boats in the 27 foot range, you will not
be disappointed with the Edge sailing characteristics
and set up. The Edge 27 has a large sail area 333
sf mated with a 4'11' centerboard and large rudder.
Open the ballast tank and take on the 1,600 pounds
of water ballast brining the sailing displacement
up to approximately 5,000 lbs. Raise the outboard
motor to its full upright position and be prepared
to have sailing fun!
The Edge reacts quite well in both light
and heavy winds especially with the furling jib option.
On our trip we sailed both ocean side about 5-10 miles
out and within the confines of the Intercostal waterway.
The boat handled very will in both settings. It does
not matter if your sailing situation is a close haul,
reaching, running with the wind or on a good heel,
the Edge reacts very quickly and does exactly what
you want her to do.
.
Overall Impression
For me owning the Edge 27 is a unique
opportunity to have it all in one boat. You have the
ability to easily trailer to your destination, utilize
the E Tech motor when needed and have a very pleasurable
sailing experience. The Edge 27 is well laid out boat
with quality fit and finish. The Edge handles well
as both a sail boat and as a power boat giving you
all the boating options wrapped up into a very elegant
and attractive package. I would highly recommend for
anyone to take the time to take a look at the Hunter
Edge as a boat that can "Go the distance"
in almost any type of boating situation and provide
endless hours of sailing and boating fun for you and
your family.
Safe Boating,
John Hightower proud owner
of a Hunter 27 Edge
