Review of Hunter 18.5

Both the hull and the deck 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 boat is equipped with 3 berths and a galley.

The Hunter 18.5 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.

The Hunter 18.5 has been built with different keel alternatives.

Wing keel

But be aware that even though a Wing Keel keel is very good for speed racing, a fishing nets and the like in the water can easily make you into a troublesome situation.

The keel is made of iron. Many people prefer lead keel in favour of iron. The main argument is that lead is much heavier than iron and a lead keel can therefore be made smaller which again result in less wet surface, i.e. less drag. In fact iron is quite heavy, just 30% less heavy than lead, so the advantage of a lead keel is often overstated.

The boat can enter even shallow marinas as the draft is just about 0.61 - 0.71 meter (2.00 - 2.30 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.

Unknown keel type

Hunter 18.5 can enter even shallow marinas as the draft is just about 1.08 - 1.18 meter (3.54 - 3.84 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.

What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?

The capsize screening value for Hunter 18.5 is 2.42, 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 5.3 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 18.5 is about 68 kg/cm, alternatively 382 lbs/inch.
Meaning: if you load 68 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 382 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

What is Motion Comfort Ratio (MCR)?

The Motion Comfort Ratio for Hunter 18.5 is 11.1.

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

The l/b ratio for Hunter 18.5 is 2.60.

What is a Ballast Ratio?

The ballast ratio for Hunter 18.5 is 33%.

What is Displacement Length Ratio?

The DL-ratio for Hunter 18.5 is 192 which categorizes this boat among 'light racers'.

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

The SA/D for Hunter 18.5 with ISO 8666 reference sail is 17.8, with a 135% genua the SA/D is 20.6.

When buying anti-fouling bottom paint, it's nice to know how much to buy. The surface of the wet bottom is about 10m² (107 ft²).
Based on this, your favourite maritime shop can tell you the quantity you need.

Note: If you use a paint roller you will need more paint than if you use a paintbrush.

Dimensions of sail for fractional rig.

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 18.5 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.