Call for Owner Reviews of the Cherubini Hunter 30

Oct 6, 2007
1,023
Hunter H30 1982 Chicago IL
I received this email last week from Good Old Boat and thought I would pass it along to others on the forum who might not be subscribers. The deadline for owner reviews is January 25.



Owners' reviews of the Hunter 30

We are looking for input from current and former owners of Hunter 30s for an upcoming boat review. Specifically, we’re looking for input on the John Cherubini-designed model, the one in production from about 1973 to 1983. Do you own, or have you owned, this version of the Hunter 30? Perhaps you know someone who owns or has owned one? (If so, please forward this message!)

Please send your comments to Dan Spurr at: danspurr@aol.com by January 25.

Specifically, Dan wants to know about:
· sailing characteristics (good and bad)
· build quality (issues and accolades)
· what you like most about the boat
· what you like least about the boat
· specific problems you’ve had with this boat (such as leaky hull/deck joint)
· advice you would give to someone considering buying this boat

Thanks for sharing your experience with "the rest of us," we’re eager to hear from you!

And if you’re not a Hunter 30 sailor, please disregard this message and stay tuned for future messages. We're bound to review a boat you own or once owned.

The crew at Good Old Boat

P.S.: If you are not a subscriber to this magazine, you should be. It's the one sail boat publication that I read cover to cover every month.
 
May 21, 2009
360
Hunter 30 Smithfield, VA
Here's what I sent:

· sailing characteristics (good and bad)


I have the 4’ keel. She sails very well in all conditions. I race and find I can’t point quite as high as my friend who has an 81 with the 5’5” keel. However, I’m faster than him downwind. I’ve been caught in a storm with 150 Jenny and full main up. She heeled over so that the lee rail was under water, but was still sailing and no damage. With a clean bottom she hits hull speed with a decent breeze. My friend is a better sailor and always wins against smaller and bigger boats alike. I usually take 2nd in our little club. The H30s sail quite well. Very stable and forgiving.
· build quality (issues and accolades)


She is solid. These boats were built before anyone realized how thin they could go with fiberglass. I have no complaints about quality. Rudder has a skeg, so if you touch bottom the rudder doesn’t get damaged.

· what you like most about the boat
I like the floor plan really well. Main cabin is roomy, and V Berth isn’t too cramped. I like having the chart table to port facing forward, and the sink/stove to the right of the companionway. Batteries are on a shelf behind the engine rather than in the bilge like some other boats.

· what you like least about the boat

I moved up from a Catalina 22 and have had this boat for almost 10 years. I don’t have any complaints. Well, the fuel tank is under the cockpit and I have stick my head into the stbd locker upside down to see the gage. I haven’t gotten around to installing a remote gage.
· specific problems you’ve had with this boat (such as leaky hull/deck joint)


These boats have a common flaw that under the compression post in the bilge, the iron support rusts out. Mine had already been replaced when I got the boat. It is an easy fix but is something that should be checked.
· advice you would give to someone considering buying this boat


Check the support for the compression post. Anything else is just standard things you’d look at in any boat.
 
Jan 22, 2008
98
Hunter 30_74-83 Rochester, New York (Lake Ontario)
Ahoy,
I've had my 1979 Hunter 30 for 12 years. I sent an email to Dan Spurr at "Good Old Boat" to see if he wanted pictures as well as impressions of the H30. Dan emailed me back and said the responses were so good that the article had already been completed. Oh well, so much for putting my 35 cents in. Wanted to let fellow sailors know the article is already complete.
Bob
 
Oct 6, 2007
1,023
Hunter H30 1982 Chicago IL
Wow. I guess that's good news, but still, I wish you had a chance to send your thoughts in. I think this indicates there was not just a good response, but also a clear concensis about the pros and cons of this boat. I sent him my review on Sunday evening along with one photo. I'm looking forward to seeing his review.
 
Oct 6, 2007
1,023
Hunter H30 1982 Chicago IL
The review of the Cherubini H30 is tentatively scheduled to appear in the May/June issue of Good Old Boat.