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Review of the Hunter 37-cutter by Chuck Curtis

Year built 1981  
Location of boat San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico  
The boat is sailed on Open ocean  
How the boat is used Multi-week coastal cruising  
Normal wind strength 10-15 knots  
Average size of crew 2-4  
Liveaboard? Yes  
Owner bought the boat in 1997  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Absolutely! We have seen and been aboard a lot of other boats in Mexico over the last five years and ours compares very favorably with any of them of similar size in terms of seakindliness and liveability.  
Gear that's been added Some of the following by us, some by the previous owner: gimballed 3-burner propane stove/oven, 1000 watt inverter, refrigeration, watermaker, marine SSB/Ham radio, GPS, radar, Autohelm 3000 autopilot (supposedly too small for our boat but works fine), 105 amp alternator, engine driven emergency bilge pump, Monitor windvane steering (removed swim ladder to accommodate this), two-blade MaxProp feathering propeller, stainless arch over stern that holds two 80 watt solar panels and radar dome and wind generator, mechanical windlass, roller furling for staysail in place of clubfoot, all new instruments, stereo system, three solar powered vents, dodger and Bimini. We also now use two pairs of 6 volt golf cart batteries as our house banks.  
Structural or complex improvements Previous owner had custom keel designed and built by Carl Eichenlaub in San Diego. Now draws 7' (have to carefully consider tides when going in or out of some marinas!) but upwind performance and stability improved. A simple but very valuable improvement: we added a stainless tube framework above and forward of the sinks. A vertical member extends from the inboard forward corner of the sink cabinet to the overhead, then two horizontal members extend from it to the starboard bulkhead. We have shelves on the horizontal members (nice for holding odds and ends), but the vertical member has been a great safety improvement as a convenient handhold in heavy seas. Previous owner converted the port water tank to a fuel tank, so we can carry almost 90 gal. of fuel. With the watermaker we have never run out of water even when we anchor out for a month.  
The boat's best features Comfortable, seakindly, easy to handle for an older (67 and 57) couple. She is our home for 5 to 6 months every year and we love her!  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. We have replaced almost all of the original ports. We used the same Bomar/Gray as the originals because of cost and, what the heck, the old ones lasted 20 years! We are beginning to get some leaks at stanchion bases so rebedding is in order. I have had to do a bit of rewiring but most of it was because of previous owner's lack of skill.  
Sailing characterisitcs I've already mentioned seakindliness twice. Pounds very little even when motoring into the justly famous "square waves" in the Sea of Cortez. Very stable when hard on the wind. Tracks very well no doubt partly due to the custom keel, but others with stock keels have made the same comment.  
Motoring characterisitcs Walks to port when in reverse, but I have found she steers backwards beautifully when not in gear. So once I get her moving I kick her out of gear, then go in gear briefly then out as needed to maintain movement. Yanmar 3QM30 pushes us along at 6+ kts. at around 2000 rpm if the bottom is clean! Moderate vibration at cruising speed. Fuel consumption about 0.9 gal/hr at cruising rpm.  
Liveability For two of us and our cat it has been nearly ideal. We have had as many as three adult guests aboard for as long as two weeks; somewhat cramped but doable, even when anchored out for several days at a time. We didn't even have any fistfights break out! It would be nice to have air conditioning when in the Puerto Vallarta area or south of there, but it's just not practical unless you're at a marina with shore power. My wife loves the galley except when she has to dig down to the bottom of the fridge. We added a stainless bar across in front of the stove and have a wide strap we can place across the opening to the galley to lean against, so cooking in a seaway is rarely a problem.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) My only contact with them was to order an owner's manual. What the sent me was a photocopy, not very good quality, with a lot of pages missing. Not satisfactory.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any Bought from a broker in Portland, OR, Sailing Life. Satisfactory.  
Other comments We sailed her out the mouth of the Columbia River in September '99 and headed for Mexico. We have lived aboard her every fall and winter since then in the Sea of Cortez and Western Mexico as far south as Barra de Navidad. We have been caught several times in 35+ kt. winds and a couple of times in seas to 15' (not by choice!) and have never had any doubts that she would take good care of us. And no, we're not interested in selling her!  

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