Hunter Owner Reviews

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Review of the Hunter 31_83-87 by Ken Dierks

Year built 1986  
Location of boat Norfolk, VA  
The boat is sailed on Bays, sounds, or protected salt water  
How the boat is used Day sailing  
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. First boat and great to learn on. Fairly reliable. Best sailed with 3, raced with 4. Very forgiving. Tends to round up hard in winds above 20 knots though so reefing is a must.  
Gear that's been added Was pretty well equipped when purchased. U shaped settee table had been removed which, at first, was a concern but has since proved to provide much more room to move around in the cabin. Will not replace.  
Structural or complex improvements No. But two weak areas in the cabin roof indicate I may be soon.  
The boat's best features Aside from affordability, ease of sailing, roominess, lightness, reliability and fuel efficiency (1/4 gal/hr @2K rpm) of Yanmar 2GM, cabin top traveller and storage. High cowl means you heel over hard before getting water on board.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. Hull weakness - as noted above two areas of weakeness have developed in cabin roof. Also, significant stress crack developed near mast compression post. Watch out for compression post -they are made of wood and unseen rot can develop. Two blade prop not really suited to boat. 3 blade better. 18 hp Yanmar 2GM is a little under powered. 25 hp would have been better. Have heard of problems with head but none with mine to date. Idiot lights vice meters on ignition panel provide no warning of overheating and other problems. Steel keel tends to spall over time and should be checked at least every other year. Has required considerable mainteance.  
Sailing characterisitcs Strong tendency to round up in winds > 20 kts. Reefing is a must to control the boat. Backs poorly. Otherwise easy to sail and excellent boat to learn on.  
Motoring characterisitcs Generally, motors reliably. Yanmar 2GM is a very reliable engine. But don't try to push the boat into heavy seas (hull slaps a lot and you won't make much headway with 18 hp) and not advisable to push engine above 3500 RPM for a long period. Engine may overheat if all fluids are not topped up.  
Liveability Pretty roomy but haven't spent much time on it other than day sailing.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) No. But I have heard they are not much help on older models.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any Broker was excellent. Knew the boat.  
Other comments Good first or second "move up" boat for the price. Very affordable.  

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