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Review of the Hunter 34 by Chuck Millar

Year built 1984  
Location of boat Oakville, Ontario, Canada  
The boat is sailed on The Great Lakes  
How the boat is used Racing  
Normal wind strength 10-15 knots  
Average size of crew 2-4  
Liveaboard?  
Owner bought the boat in 1998  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Yes, it has been everything we hoped for. Although we bought it primarily for cruising, I race it at least once each week with good results...better crew and captain will generate better results!The boat had been well maintained by 3 previous owners and has not required anything other than regular service. It is comfortable for my wife and I to handle in brisk conditions and we both feel secure in more challenging weather.  
Gear that's been added The only change to the inherited equipment was tp upgrade the VHF radio and replace the head. It is due for a new set of lines, both halyards and sheets... next year.  
Structural or complex improvements No  
The boat's best features Sails well in a wide variety of conditions. Very livable layout for cruising. So far has been very durable with regular maintenance.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. Minor problems with the automatic bilge required thorough cleaning, replaced connections at the foot of the mast for the steaming and anchor lights.  
Sailing characterisitcs I think it sails well on all points of sail. It tends to round up easily in heavy head winds... which is a nice way of it telling me to reduce sail.It cuts well into waves in the 6' range which is the most we've had to deal with so far.Offwind it has performed well, handling following waves quite easily.  
Motoring characterisitcs Just fine. It goes very comfortably all day longat 2800 rpm's and 6 knots, depending on the wind direction.We've motored directly into winds approximately30 knots and kept moving forward at 2 knots. Not a lot of fun though.It handles well in the harbour at slow speeds although the high freeboard can be a challenge in crosswinds when docking, but that's not peculiar to Hunters.  
Liveability We're very happy with it when its just the 2 of us. The galley, the salon, the head are all a good fit for us. We find the v-berth a little tight for four feet, but not enough to keep us awake.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) N/A  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any Our experience was akin to finding the right real estate agent. You need to look until you find one you are comfortable with and don't be afraid to change. We were lucky with the second one who understood what we wanted, hustled to find it, then surprised us by showing us a boat which wasn't on our list, but which was the right one...Our Hunter 34.  
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