Hunter Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997
Contact us
Hunter OEM Parts
General Marine Parts
 
 

Review of the Hunter 31_83-87 by Jerry A. Smith

Year built 1987  
Location of boat Mobile, Alabama  
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 2000  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? If I could turn the clock back I would definately buy this boat again.  
Gear that's been added I am preparing to haul out for a bottom job and I plan to replace the old packing gland with one of the new dry seals. I replaced all of the sanitary hoses with the new heavy duty hose and it has made a tremendous difference in sanitary odors.  
Structural or complex improvements None. I plan to add an autopilot and a built in a/c.  
The boat's best features In my experience the Hunter 31 has more room inside than other brands of similar size. The Yanmar diesel runs great and burns almost no fuel. It has great engine access compared to other brands.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. I have experienced no major problems with design. The plastic portholes tend to turn yellow with age (only a cosmetic problem). In the Mobile Alabama area the humidity is very high (as much as 100% often). Moisture inside the boat has been a problem and has caused unpleasant odors. I plan to lower the moisture inside the boat by replacing the packing gland with the new dry seals. I saw some other Hunter boats with the new seals and it made a tremendous difference.  
Sailing characterisitcs In my experience the best winds to sail is no less than 10 knots and up to around 18 knots. I have sailed in winds sustained at 20 to 21 knots and gusting to 25 knots. I reefed the main and sailed with about 1/2 of the headsail unfurled. I thought the boat handled this wind quite well. The boat seems to handle 3 to 5 foot choppy waves quite well. The 5 footers in the 20 plus knot wind was a little bumpy and wet, but the boat handled it well.  
Motoring characterisitcs Unfortunately it seems that every time I plan an extended trip and need to go in a specific direction the wind is in my face or there is no wind at all. I have had to motor as much as 9 hours without stopping. The 16 h.p. Yanmar diesel purrs like a kitten. In the 9 hour motoring excursion I burned 3 gallons of fuel. I cruise at around 2700 rpms as recommended by the Yanmar dealer in my area. The cruising speed while motoring is around 6 to 6 1/2 knots. I did experience a problem this summer with the engine not building rpms past 2000 while in gear. After changing all fuel filters and the lift pump it turned out to be the horseshoe exhaust manifold was burned out and stopped up. A new one fixed the problem.  
Liveability My wife, my son (5 years old) and myself went on a 7 day excursion this past spring and envited one other lady as a guest. The liveability was good but became a little crowded with the extra person near the end of the week. It would be perfect for two adults and no more than two relatively small children on one to two week trips. Too small to live aboard in my opinion. For trips more than two nights, you need more fresh water capacity (only 35 gals.)if you plan to take showers, etc. The cabin fans and lights are able to run extended times without running down the battery. I keep one battery isolated for starting the engine. The alternator charges the auxiliary battery in about 15 minutes at idle. The heat exchanger provides hot water for showers in a very short time of engine idleing. With more than two people the luggange and storage space gets cramped but is manageable.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any I purchased the boat with a partner from the original owner.  
Other comments I have had friends question the quality of the Hunter boats until they actually came aboard mine. They were all positively surprised at the quality and design. For some reason there seems to be some question among sailers of the quality of Hunter boats. None of the ones that I spoke with could give me any specifics. They had all heard rumours from others and were surprised when they actually boarded a Hunter. I have had a great experience with my Hunter boat and have experienced nothing other than normal boat maintenance with it. I would definately buy another Hunter.  

Contact
About
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Limited Liability
Advertise Here
Copyright 1997-2024 SB Owners, LLC
All rights reserved.

Other Sailboat Owners web sites:
CatalinaOwners.com | HunterOwners.com | MacgregorOwners.com | OdayOwners.com | SailboatOwners.com | 10,000 Boat Names |