Can anyone who has sailed both a Hunter 31 and 34 give me their opinion of the relative handling qualities of the two?
31 vs. 34
- Thread starter neoflyer
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I have moved up from the 31 to the 34. In sailing the two I've found little differance. Where I've noticed the big change was in docking. The 34 seems and feels alot larger. That maybe because my slip is meant for a 30 footer.
Last boat was a 326 which is built on a 31 hull...current boat is 336 which is closer to 34. The 336 has, and "feels", a lot more room all around than 326....in cabin, cockpit and topsides.....from a handling perspective, I have found both to be similar under sail - lots of weather helm if not balanced but overall very responsive. Under power in tight spots both are great boats...easy to back down into slip etc. My advice is go with the 34 because you will end up there in a few years anyway - I know from experience 
I went from a 24 to 41 around 4 years back. Actually found everything fairly similar. I use a bit more momentum while backing before I turn the helm, it's just a size/scale thing.. I agree, just take it slow, it will feel normal very soon.
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If you are thinking of getting a bigger boat then you might want to consult your pocketbook and buy the biggest one you can afford. If I had to do it over again I would have opted for going straight from 30' to 40' and not even bought the 37.5. The extra 3 ft makes a huge difference and I could have saved the buy/sell monies.
FWIW
FWIW
I was thinking of handling and performance under sail. How well does each point? Do they both have properly sized and effective rudders when going to weather?
These two are in my budget. There is an H40 for sale but out of my range.
These two are in my budget. There is an H40 for sale but out of my range.
I've sailed the 31 and owned a 34 which I raced. The sailing characteristics of the two boats is very similar. They do develop weather helm but much of that can be mitigated by proper rig tuning and good quality sails. Once the sails begin to bag there is no hope. Line adjustable genoa cars are an absolute must if you expect proper sail trim.
I would opt for the 34 if you swing it with a deep draft keel. The shoal draft suffers from poor pointing which cannot be compensated for.
I would opt for the 34 if you swing it with a deep draft keel. The shoal draft suffers from poor pointing which cannot be compensated for.
I also agree with Alan. The 31 I owned and the 34 that I have now both had shoal keels. T he full keel points alot better into wind. Either one are great boats.
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