[paulk]

Hunter, Catalina, Beneteau and MacGregor have reputations for building a lot of boat for the money, but not necessarily the best boats. (Compare to Hinckley or Wauquiez, for example.) The Hunter 34 impresses me because they managed to fit three cabins (plus the head) into a 34 foot boat and make it all pretty roomy and comfortable down below. Trying to make it actually sail in a light Chesapeake summer breeze was less impressive, but we had a good time, and that's why you go sailing- to have a good time. The Hunter 34 may be less expensive for a number of reasons. They were pretty popular, so a lot of them were made. In a supply and demand situation, this tends to keep the price down. They're not the best built boats - wear and tear show up quickly unless the owner is quite fastidious. Tired-looking boats sell for less than shiny ones. Demographics and economics may play a part as well. Young families that bought the Hunter 34 new may now have kids heading to college, and need cash for tuition. Take advantage! It's a lot of boat, and you can use it to have a good time.