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Review of the Hunter 31_83-87 by Howard Bryan

Year built 1986  
Location of boat Topping, VA  
The boat is sailed on Bays, sounds, or protected salt water  
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 1999  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Maybe. It is a fine boat for what we do with it, but there are several weaknesses that would make me shop longer.  
Gear that's been added Spade anchor, cruising spinnaker, replaced depth sounder with Raytheon fish-finder when the old unit failed  
Structural or complex improvements Re-plumbed the head/holding tank system, installed new head (Raritan Cricket), replaced one port-light with 5 to go, reinforced hull in front of pan because of cracks in the original fiberglass, replaced old gate valves with ball valves on recommendation of boatyard.  
The boat's best features Space. The boat is nicely laid out, plenty of room for a couple, lots of storage space. There are many litle features built into this boat that make it livable, like the condiment recess in the dinette table. It is a fairly fast boat for its size, and easy to sail. Previous owner had faired the keel and applied barrier coat, which seems to have helped its speed.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. The major problem is the inherent weakness in the hull forward of the keel. It is only about 1/4 in thick once one gets above the bottom, and it flexes badly in anything approaching rough water. Ours had to be repaired, and there was evidence of earlier repairs in the same place. From this list I understand that the problem is common to this model. The head hoses were a nightmare to replace. They were inaccessable, and the passages where the originals passed were so tight that even with lubrication the new ones were extremely difficult to install. Original hoses would not drain, so material would be standing in them all the time.  
Sailing characterisitcs With the gennaker only up, we walked past a Beneteau 411 flying a similar sail in light air. Under plain sail did the same to a Hunter 395. We don't race, so these have been our comparisons with other boats.  
Motoring characterisitcs Slightly underpowered, but will punch into 15 kt. winds at around 5 kts. Does about 5.6 - 5.8 kts GPS in calm air. Steers strongly to port when in reverse.  
Liveability Excellent. We generally sleep in the "cave", the double under the cockpit. As long as no one is claustrophobic it isn't bad. Not a lot of overhead space, but no worse than the enlisted spaces on a Navy ship.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) Haven't needed to contact Hunter.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any Purchased the boat as a private sale, but Norton's in Deltaville was helpful when we were making the decision and after we had bought the boat. This is why we haven't needed to contact Hunter directly. Nice folks!  
Other comments Overall, a pretty good coastal cruiser. Except for the structural weakness I'd rate it excellent. The biggest disappointment has been the problem with the hull.  

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