Hunter Sailors

Hi, I have a 1981 Hunter 30 in Charleston SC.

Hi Skip, I have a 2006 Hunter 36, in Key Biscayne, FL.

Hi My wife and I have a Hunter 45 CC and we are currently living aboard and cruising in the Bahamas with our goal to reach the Caribbean in March and be in Trinidad or Tobago by the beginning of the next Hurricane season. We part of last year in the Abacos and Florida getting ready for this extended cruise. Would love to hear from others who are living on Hunters.

OK stupid question. My boat list to port. I was told this is the Hunter list. Does your boat list to port?

Sometimes we think it does but it depends on how many provisions we have aboard. I have never heard of the Hunter list but I have only been a Hunter owner for about 2 years.

No genset yet, and AC is in the starbord salon settee.

I think I am going to have my rigging looked at. The mast looks straight but it is time for a tune-up anyways. I have been sailing her pretty hard in 20+ winds the last 3 months.

we sail a Hunter 34, '83 BLUE HERON, home port in the Northern Chesapeake. Looking forward some great sailing weather - after the Cherry blossoms are finished..

Just got a 27' "Cherubini" hunter 1982 I have a lot of work to get done before sailing but at lest she is paid for, She is docked in St.Petersburg Beach need to get engine running sails repaired or replaced and boy does she need a bottom job well you know what I will be doing for awhile.

Hunter sailors,
Is it just me or you always being told that "your Hunter is not a Blue water boat"!!!! I have a 310 and sail blue water...out of sight of land....overnight...sometimes caught in bad weather. Have crossed the Gulf to and from Isla Mujeres on Rob Sherrills 38.....see posted videos.....I think Hunters are great blue water boats...your thoughts and experiences....Jay

Jay, there are a million opinions on what constitutes a bluewater boat. There is some formulas as to what makes bluewater. 50% boat, 40% seamanship and 20% luck. One can take a raft and cross oceans. It has been done. Hunter (mass Production boats ) have crossed. But does it make them bluewater? Debatable. Me personally I don't think my Hunter 36 is one. While I take her out in heavy weather and sea, I know I am somewhat abusing her. If there was a day and time I would consider taking my boat across I would do a number of things to her first.
New ports and hatches. OEM windows would not take a beating in heavy seas without leaking or breaking.
Re-enforce the bulkheads by tapping them in 360 degrees.
Rudder - I don't think this rudder would take the pounding. Easy to damage in any grounding.
Re-enforce the chainplate area.
Saltwater/Freshwater foot pumps in galley
Real refrigeration vs the campus style fridge they have now.
Redo the helm seat so it closes up the hole to keep out following seas.
Redo the bow and stern cleats to handle a drogue or parasail load
The electrical system would need upgrade to handle, starting battery, solar/wind generator. Battery monitor system.
Pad-eyes
Hand holds from cockpit to bow
I have found the boat to be real tender in small to medium seas. The ride is not the most comfortable. She tries to plow her way thru the waves vs riding over them. Falling seas, I found her to be so unstable to be borderline dangerous in motion and keeping a heading. I have gotten thrown around like a rag doll in 7 foot seas with the bruises, sore muscles and sprain ankle to prove it.
These are just a few things I can think of off the top of my head.
I love my boat and am not afraid to take her in bad weather. I do it all the time, the last being last Sat in 20+ winds. I do it solo. When I go down below I can see the hull flexing. I don't think that is what a bluewater is suppose to do.
Can it be done . Sure with a great captain and crew and a little bit of luck.

I did a mayor refit to mine last year , remodelation and upgrades in my hunter 40 1988, can be check in an album in my profile , i mainly use her for coastal cruising and the job was design for that porpouse , but its definitively a great sailing boat under 20- 25 knots of wind , dont know if will work the same as passage maker ?...

I just added padeyes in the cockpit, a dinghy motor davit and dinghy motor mount. All were easy projects, each taking less than 30 minutes to do. Next major project, New battery system; moving and installing new batteries from port lazzertte to under the aft cabin, adding a starting battery and ACR.

I'm currently in Iraq but I've been looking into Hunters and considering purchasing one (40-50ft) when I return. I'm looking at sailing both east and west coasts of the USA, Bahamas and Mediterrean. I would like to here any recommendations pro's/con's from hunter owners/sailors.

I sail a 33 Hunter in North Carolina around Pamilco Sound.

Well, we just had our first major failure on our Hunter Passage 450. After just 1500 hours, the heat exchanger on our Kohler genset failed. Also discovered that two fittings on the back side of the gen were totally corroded and ready to break. It could have been much worse if the fittings had failed when we were on a passage but it looks like the repair is going to be over $ 1,000.00 :o( The trouble spot was on the back side of the genset and the only way to really see what was going on was to remove the back panel below the galley sink. If you have a Kohler genset, I would suggest that you check out the back side of it for leaks. Just a heads up. Will write again once the repair is completed.

havent enjoyed the cruising/ live aboard yet but happy hunter owner for 4 yrs.
1979 cherubini H-30. abt to complete a major refit on her this month with new awgrip paint and other gear.

Just joined this site. I am preparing for a Caribbean run. I have a 1988 Hunter Legend 40 that I have been living aboard for about a year and a half, located in Deale, MD. I have spent this last year (and all my money) up grading for the trip; new UK main, Harkin Jib Furler,solar panels, wind generator, air compressor for filling scuba tanks, rebuile transmission, SSB radio, Garmin Chartplotter, Radar, and depth/sonar, and more. I am taking the Rum Runner down the ICW the 2nd week of October, I have 30 days of leave to make it to south Florida. Then its back to the DC area to out process. I will return to Florida late December and if all works out will set sail for Bimini the later part od January. After that don't have a difinate plan, all I know is the 1st stop will be Bimini and the last stop will be Placencia, Belize where I am relocating to. I have a small cabana by the beach, it will be a great home port for the Rum Runner. On the way down I am looking at going to the BVIs,ST Mark, ST Luke, ST Martin down to Barbados, Grenada, continuing to Curaco, Aruba then on to Columbia and up the coast to Belize. Not sure how long it will take, really don't care. The retirement check will be direct deposited. If I am having too much fun I may keep going and do the loop again. I have a shoal keel and draft 5 1/2 feet.
I am open to pointers and advice, and possibibly needing crew.

Hello Jeff,
We made the trip you are planning as far as Grenada. Then after spending last hurricane season we came back up to the US VI to meet family and spend more time exploring the US and B VI's. After several months in the area we came west to Puerto Rico where we have been spending the first part of the hurricane season at Palmas Del Mar. We have a good friend who cruises with us during the winter and he owns a Legend 40.5. He loves the boat but wishes he had solar panels since his wind generator does not develop much juice. We traveled with him on part of the windward passage from Georgetown in the Bahamas. That is a great place to find other south bound cruisers and it is a really good idea to travel with a group of boats. We made most of our passages with 3 other boats and it was a lot of fun and much safer than traveling solo. I highly recommend you find other boaters headed south and Georgetown is the best place to do that. Also you can hang out at No Name harbor in Biscayne bay to find boaters that will make the passage to Bimini. Be sure and wait for good weather windows all along the way. Get Van Zants book on the Passage South. It is very helpful especially if don't want to do the big blue water passage on I 65 from Bermuda. Be prepared to encounter some unforecasted heavy seas along the way. It is a great journey and it sounds like you have all the right stuff to make it. Take care, wishing you smooth seas and following winds.

Just joined I just bought a 78 hunter 30 here in ketchikan Alaska,looking forward to sailing up an down the inside passage!