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Review of the Hunter 31_83-87 by Mark

Year built 1984  
Location of boat Charleston, South Carolina  
The boat is sailed on Bays, sounds, or protected salt water  
How the boat is used Weekends and longer  
Normal wind strength 16-22 knots  
Average size of crew 2-4  
Liveaboard?  
Owner bought the boat in 1987  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Probably.  
Gear that's been added 35lb plow and a much more substantialanchor roller, roller furling, cruisingspinnaker, solar powered vents, bimini,safety equipment, more substantial ropeclutches, auto pilot, pedestal guard,additional battery bank, three bankcharger, refrigeration in icebox  
Structural or complex improvements Minor improvements included reupholstering,varnishing all interior wood work which gives a warmth ambience, and the additionof teak trim throughout (around ice box,mirror in head, etc.) which gives a finishedappearance. We replaced the lighting with attractive and efficient halogen-teakfixtures. Major modifications includedredesigning the aft cabin. This area hadbeen very stuffy and poorly ventilated,making it an uncomfortable problem on hot,sticky nights. Additionally, the face/ceilingroom on starboard side is less than a foot.We installed a low wattage solar fan to move air and rotated the sleeping quarter90 degrees (as is done in the modernHunters with head to the port and feet tothe starboard). This required moving thehot water heater, plumbing, exhaust muffler,and electrical wiring. New walls and ceiling were constructed over the oldexhaust water muffler and the very aftunused space was sealed off with a newbulk head and access port which nowserves as an additional storage area. Thenew aft cabin is fabulous and should have been designed this way originally. It is roomy, well ventilated, and quite comfortable.  
The boat's best features Livability.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. In terms of design, a major problem iscapacities. The water tank only holds 15gals which is barely enough water for along weekend (we carry extra jugs) andthe fuel tank holds 18 gals which isenough for a whole season. Additionally,throughout the boat it is obvious that thecheapest parts had been used to cut costs at every juncture. Since we purchased theboat, we have been in a constant upgrade mode. A second concern is the gelcoat. Wehad some minor cosmetic blisters which wefilled and sealed with Z-tar. On the deckthere is evidence of unusally thin sectionsof gelcoat which are not wearing well asthe boat ages. My final and greatestconcern is that in this vintage, Huntermade the keels out of iron and it is impossible to completely seal the keel-to-hull seam. This is a minor cosmetic problem with rusting now, but with time, I fear it could become a structural problem.  
Sailing characterisitcs We have found the 31 to be a fast light boat that is easily powered up to its hullspeed. It performs efficienctly at all points of sail except down wind and closehauled. For down wind we added a cruisingspinnaker which works well. The close hauled pointing capacity is limited secondary to our shoal keel option which is our trade-off gunk holing. For conditions greater than 25 knots we have added a storm jib and will fly this sail with the main double reefed. We have hadthe boat out in 45 knot winds and it handled adequately with the storm jib and double reefed main, although we have debated about a third reef for such conditions. For offshore work, we have felt comfortable when properly sheeted inover 12 foot seas and she will runwell under autopilot even in these conditions.  
Motoring characterisitcs A significant problem with our 31 has beenthe Yanmar 2GMF engine. While this has been a highly reliable diesel, we feel theboat is underpowered. In no wind, no waveconditions, the 2GMF had been able to push our boat to near hull speed. As the engine has aged, the situation has worsen. When motoring into the wind, against the tide, and with a little bottom growth, forward progress is painfully slow. We have considered replacing the engine with the newest Yanmar 2GM which has the exact same foot print as the old but puts out more horsepower.  
Liveability Fabulous! My wife and I took the boat on a month long trip on the intracoastal waterway and never felt cramped. We frequently go out on long weekends or 1-2 week trips and have absolutely no complaints. This is a very liveable boat!  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) Limited contact.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any NA  
Other comments  

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