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Daniel Sheehan AMS
As a full time professional Marine Surveyor I was recently asked to comment about the Hunter 37C and I thought some others on this site might be interested in my response. As John probably told you, I own a 1980 Hunter 37C myself. I feel it is probably the most under rated cruising boat on the used boat market. The boat does have its faults but you seem to have researched it well. None of the faults that are common are a basic structural weakness. The one thing that does not seem to be mentioned is that there are some problems with the rudders in these boats. In fact with most boats of this vintage. However new rudders are available from the original manufacturer in Florida, Foss Foams Inc. The headroom in the boat should be sufficient for you except where you pass into the head/fwd cabin. I hit my head there all the time and I am only 5'11". The hunter 37C was designed to be a capable offshore cruiser by a very well respected designer of traditional cruising boats. She has sufficient displacement to carry the stores needed and is still a reasonable performer. The Cherubini hunters are an entirely different animal from the later hunters. The construction is solid and very sound. There are things that do need to be examined carefully when considering any boat from this era. The decks and cabin top need to be examined for water intrusion and possible delamination. The hull checked for moisture content and osmotic blistering. and the usual checks of mechanical equipment and rigging. This is a vessel which is relatively easy to single hand and there are some modifications that make this even easier. I have not seen any real quality differences in the later 37C's. The deck mould was changed and there was some different equipment. Some changes were good some others not so good. The engine was upgraded to a Yanmar 44hp 4 cylinder which was much smoother than the earlier 3QM30. The winches were changed to Maxwell winches which are not as robust as the earlier Lewmars. The mainsheet was moved to the cabin top from the cockpit. This is really a matter of personal preferance but on a cruising boat I believe the cabin top is a better location so that a dodger can be continuious over the helm. I have modified my own boat and moved my mainsheet location. You are right about the vast difference in prices between the hunter and the Tartan. The Tartan is finished better and has a nicer interior but when it comes down to the nuts and bolts I believe the 37C is built as well as anybodys boat from the era and in fact better than many.. In conclusion I do not believe there is a better value in a cruising boat on the market and I highly recommend the boat.Yours,Dan Sheehan AMS