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Review of the Hunter 30_88-94 by Frits Hooft

Year built 1993  
Location of boat Netherlands  
The boat is sailed on Open ocean  
How the boat is used Weekends and longer  
Normal wind strength 16-22 knots  
Average size of crew 2-4  
Liveaboard? No  
Owner bought the boat in 1998  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Possibly, but will look at other boats as well.  
Gear that's been added Installed: Philips/Leica AP9 Navigator (D-GPS) Garmin 12 (GPS back-up) ST50 Tridata and Wind ST4000 Autopilot Shipmate 8300RS Mode C VHF Autohelm 100 Navplotter Two 165AH batteries Victron 35 AH charger 12V to 220V convertor Replaced Hunter Genua III with new jib, genua II and halfwinder  
Structural or complex improvements Have removed waste tank and installed new additional watertank; reinforced floorboards under batteries to cope with higher weight of 165 AH batteries. Re-located some equipment to get a better trim. Installed two 2.5 AH solar panels on the roof. Replaced all hoses with new ones. Properly rewired 12V circuits: generator - charger - battery selector - batteries.  
The boat's best features It is a very comfortable boat for 30ft. It handles very well at sea; also in rough conditions. I have had Bf9 winds at the North Sea and when properly trimmed it still handles really well. It feels and looks bigger. I made trips from The Netherlands to the UK, Norway, Germany and Denmark with just one other crew member and always felt safe.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. It is not a bad design and the workmanship is reasonable. Some of the equipment used is not up to standard but I guess this is the case with every boat. The standard Genua III provided by Hunter is rubbish, at least my sail was. Once I had proper headsails made, performance improved a lot. Also it had too small a wheel. I believe the original was an Edson wheel with only 60 cm diameter which is fine except if you have to work the wheel for a few hours at sea: much too heavy. I got rid of it and installed a wheel with 1 meter diameter and that is exactly right.  
Sailing characterisitcs It is not a top performer, but at half wind she does well given her weight of just under 5.000 kgs fully equipped. At Bf 4-5 she does 6.2-6.6 kts, with a Genua II (Actually, my Genua is between a Genua III en II). Already at Bf5 I put a single reef in the mainsail. At Bf 6-7 she does 6.6-7.2 kts, still with the Genua II but with a double/triple reef in the mainsail. At Bf8 with a triple reef in the mainsail, I change the genua II for a small 8,5 sq meter jib. In that configuration she continues to handle well, even in 45 knot true winds at close haul. Reefing is very easy and can be done under sail and solo without any problem. Anything below Bf 3 and she stops sailing, you need a halfwinder or genaker to keep moving. My custom made halfwinder is 52 square meters and that is about right. At close wind she is not a performer at all, although once I got rid of the UK Sails, she does a lot better. My dead angle when measured on the GPS is about 105 degrees. She is very responsive to the traveller and you should really use this, espacially if you are late reefing or at halfwind.  
Motoring characterisitcs The 18 hp standard Yanmar gives me exactly 6 kts at 3000 rpm, but to get there I have installed a new three blade fixed screw. I know this causes extra drag when sailing, but I want to have the extra knot for longer motoring and also for safety. On the standard two blade screw, she did about 4,5 kts and I found that too slow. She has a very pronounced wheel effect which I like, because it makes turning in small ports easier (as long as you do it in the right direction).  
Liveability The boat is very comfortable and pleasant to live in, even if it is only 30 feet. The cockpit is also very comfortable. If you're not sure whether you want a Hunter, than leave your wife at home when you go look at one. If she sees it, she wants it.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) No experience.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any In my case, the broker didn't have much to add. I had the boat inspected by an outside expert on osmoses. I then went over the boat myself with somebody who knows a lot about sailboats and with a checklist we prepared. Two persons see more than one. I spent 5 hours working through my checklist and even then I missed out on a couple of things I should have seen. So......take your time.  
Other comments It is a nice, safe and comfortable cruiser. If you're looking for speed you should not consider this boat.  

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