Lew Beers loved his Hunt 25, so when it came time to go a little bit larger, the choice of brands was obvious.
By Peter A. Janssen

When it came time for a new boat, Lew Beers knew exactly what he wanted: the same thing, but with a bit more elbowroom. An executive with MetLife in Boston, Beers started boating in a 23-foot center-console and then moved up to a Hunt 25 Surfhunter. He and his wife Carolyn spent summers taking the boat from a pond near their home in Charlestown, Rhode Island, around Narragansett Bay and over to Block Island for day trips. "But we wanted to spend the night, and we wanted a stand-up head with room for a shower," he says. "We needed a bigger boat."

After doing the usual round of boat shows and other research, Beers ended up pretty much where he started; three years ago he traded up to a Hunt 29 Surfhunter with a jet drive. "The entrance to the pond where we keep the boat is only 2 feet deep at low tide," he says. "We wouldn't be able to keep a 29-footer there if it weren't for the jet." Just as important, however, was his loyalty to the Hunt brand. "Our experience with the 25 was so good we felt comfortable moving up to the 29," Beers says. "They did everything we asked. They're fantastic to work with, and they have great customer service."

With the 29, the Beerses also take longer voyages. There are still the trips to Block Island, because it's nearby, but last summer they went down to New York City and saw the Statue of Liberty and then cruised up the Hudson River to Troy, New York. "We loved every minute," Beers says. "We met up with some friends on a trawler, and they stopped halfway up. We were having so much fun, we just kept going." This summer they're looking forward to heading up to the Cape Cod Canal and also over to Martha's Vineyard.

Beers is happy with the Hunt's performance and looks. "It's a pretty boat," he says. He laughs when he explains its name: Summer Salt. "That's a play on words," he says. "First, it's a salty-looking boat. But then, a somersault is what we'd have to do if we have a problem getting out of our pond