Thinking about a Hunter 34 (1984ish)

[81Catalina25]

I currently have a Catalina 25 Tall Rig which has been a great (actually perfect) starter boat for cruising on Lake Ontario.

The kids (2) are getting a little too big now so we are thinking about going bigger. We have seen a few Hunter 34's (1984, 6) and they look like a good boat for the money (40ish CDN).

Anyone have any experience/thoughts on the boat?

Thanks,

[SEMIJim]

I don't know about the 84'-ish boats, but an early 90's Hunter 34 was what we sailed for our ASA classes. Strange rigging. No backstay. Large pair of "pistons" either side of the mast, coming somewhat aft. Had a "roll bar" over the cockpit, atop which the mainsheet traveler was mounted. (Not very handy.) Was rigged for kind-of-single-handed-sailing, in that everything led aft, had roller furling, self-tailing winches, jiffy reefing, lazy jacks...

As sailboats go, it was certainly comfortable to sail, I'll give it that. We were out sailing in 90+ F temps, under the full sun, and didn't even need hats. (Yeah, we sailed with the bimini up.) Those seats built into the push-pulpit corners were a neat touch. Was plenty roomy down below, with a nice-sized head, incl. shower, and a nice-sized galley. Didn't investigate the sleeping accommodations.

Wasn't my cup of tea. I prefer something a bit more... lean than that. Something a bit more lean, a bit more nimble, a bit faster around the cans. But it sure was comfortable .

Jim

[erps]

Before you get too serious about a Hunter 34, take a look at the Catalina 34. Great boat, great support and information available through their owner association.

[killarney_sailor]

Have a friend with a Hunter 34 of this vintage (I think at least - very conventional looking unlike the current Hunters). Seems like a pretty decent boat for the money. Catalina 34s are also pretty good and likely similarly priced

[BarryL]

Hello,

There is a HUGE difference between the early 80's Hunters and the late 80's / early 90 models. The early models have standard rigs with a backstay and the main sheet is on the cabin top. Towards the end of the 80's all the Hunter models went to XX.5 models, like 28.5, 33.5, 35.5, etc. Those are decent boats. Then in the 90's they went back to regular names like 34, etc. In late 90's early 00's they used 3 digits, like 340. Now they are back to names like 33, 36, 38, etc.

So be very careful about which model you are looking at.

Personally, I do not care for the early 80 models at all.

Lastly, a Catalina 34 will be significantly more than a Hunter 34. You will be able to find early 80 Hunter 34's for 20-30K. You won't find a decent Catalina 34 for less than 40K and most are going for much more.

Barry

[Jeff_H]

I have raced on Hunter 34's of that era and frankly I thought they were really nice boats. They sailed well and were easy to handle. I thought that both the deck layout and interior were nicely detailed. Great cockpit as I recall and wonderful ventilation. My family had an early 1980's Hunter and build quality was actually quite good during this era.

While this will probably disturb the Catalina crowd, a few years back I went through a boat search with several potential buyers for boats of this type that placed me on literally dozens of boats. What was clearly apparent jumping from boat to boat, the Hunters of this era clearly held up better than the Catalinas. Having sailed the Cat 34 and Hunter 34, I felt that the Hunter 34 is a much better sailing boat as well. It is also a little faster.

Respectfully,
Jeff

[ntheyer]

Not sure if I'm allowed to post this, but I have a 1980 Hughes 35 for sale on Lake Michigan. This is an S&S designed boat, built in Ontario and very popular in Canada.

She is a very stable cruising boat. I'm always impressed on how well balanced the sail plan is.

I know there are at least a couple for sale in Ontario right now.

Good luck.

[cruisingdream]

check out hunterowners.com , watch out for Daryl he hates hunters or at least his. The 34's sail well except for down wind the b&r rig doesn't let you get the main out far enough but on a broad reach you can make up the time not going stright down wind. 15k wind will push you at 7k but with such a tall rig much over 15k you need to reef . Been out on lake erie in 35k wind gust to 40k 8foot steep chop with a few 10 footers to really pick you up , boat handeled well double reef in main and a little hanky of the genoa sticking out for better control 6.5k broad reach and felt safe.
common problems to look for - compresson post rot , the mast base leaks water thru the wire harness & will rot the post if not properly sealed , good news is if there is no damage the post is easy to replace (with mast down)
the early 34's had a too small rudder I beleve way changed mid production in 83, cast iron keel - they all have rust on the less so in the great lakes , does't slow you down just looks ugly when pulled out of te water .
A lot of boat for the money accomidations good .

[cruisingdream]

Also I'll sell you mine in a year or so when I'm ready to move up again

[sailh34]

Great value in a boat. We have a 1987 H34. The model you are looking at was built 1983-1987. They will be significantly less than a comparably aged Catalina 34. Good light air boat and tons of room for the family on the boat. Check Hunterowners.com like previously mentioned and that Daryl guy sits around waiting for an opportunity to bash like previously mentioned. Lots of owner reviews and advise. We moved up from a Catalina 25 to a Hunter 34 as well. TONS more room, more comforatable to sail long distances, quicker in light air, more stable, no more banging your head, no more cavitation from the outboard, pressure water, shower are all big advantages. You will start to actually use your winches, construction feels lighter than the Catalina, deisel will add a new dimension to maintenance, can't think of any other negatives. We do not regret it... We would like a higher grade boat, but for hte age and the money and the comfort level, you will have a hard time beating the H34.

Check for compression post issues (can be repaired), leaky ports, odor coming from water between liner and hull, etc.