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Review of the Hunter 30_74-83 by Bob Alden

Year built 1979  
Location of boat Lake Ontarion (Rochester area)  
The boat is sailed on The Great Lakes  
How the boat is used Weekends and longer  
Normal wind strength 10-15 knots  
Average size of crew 2-4  
Liveaboard? No  
Owner bought the boat in 2006  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Yes, without a doubt. She sails very well and has proven to be well thought out and well made.  
Gear that's been added No. The boat came ready to sail. It had most of the items needed for sailing in this area. Auto pilot, 135, 150 roller furling genoas. Bimini. And all incidental gear.  
Structural or complex improvements None. The boat is sound and surveyed out very well. I did replace the throttle and shift linkages and found this a "learning" experience working with routing the new cables through the wheel steering column.  
The boat's best features Quite a few things I like about it. First of all, since it is a sailboat it is critical that it sails well, it does. Ours has a deep draft keel (5'3")and sails very well. It is reasonably quick for a cruising boat and definitely goes where directed. Comes about nicely and points well.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. Roller furling. It is original and functional, but noisey. It clicks when rolled in or out, and is finicky. It is like some other roller furlers I have been exposed to. I will fine tune this, this spring prior to launch.  
Sailing characterisitcs She sails great. Always feel comfortable. Have sailed in high winds and heavy seas and light air and calm seas. Never felt the least bit anxious about handling. When taking delivery this year our first sail was a run in high winds and 5 - 7ft plus seas. Sailed about 73 nm in 11 hours, 15 minutes. IMHO not bad for a 30 foot cruising boat.  
Motoring characterisitcs Powered by the Yanmar YSM12 I am not sure about true cruising speed yet under power in calm seas. I suspect it is in the 5 to 5.5 knt range. (Hull speed is listed as 6.8) This is with a fixed 2 bladed prop. She does stop quickly and I consider this very important. She will pull hard to starboard in reverse but I have gotten used to this and make it work to my advantage.  
Liveability Very good. My wife and I have been on it for three to five days at a time and it is very comfortable for two. I believe it has one of the best though out interiors in its class. Very reasonable amounts of storage space as well.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) Never had dealt with Hunter.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any I found it a good experience. We purchased her through Mark Kirby of Kirby Yacht Sales in Buffalo NY. Found Mark to be very knowledgable, helpful and honest. A very good experience.  
Other comments She is a great boat. Well thought out and well constructed. Fairly simple systems making her easier to maintain. I think we'll sail this one off into the sunset. Kind Regards...  

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