We have a Hunter 260 now and we like it a lot. We are planing a circumnavigation for 2 or 3 years, and We are thinking in do it in a Hunter 380. We have not found much information in the books and magazines about Hunter offshore experiences. We will love if someone who has sail a hunter ofshore for long periods of time could share her/his experience with us. Thanks, Paula
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I wouldn't buy a 380 for this purpose
I'm sure the boat is plenty tough. And I am sure someone uses it for long passages. But the boat was not designed with this in mind. Because of that, there are a lot of small things that just aren't suited to this purpose. Many can be fixed, but at the end of the list, you might have been better to start with a different boat. Here's a few. The 380 has no sea berths, that I can tell. On a circumnavigation, you'll spend weeks at sea. Sleep is important. A sea berth is aligned along the boat's axis. The 380's aft berth is athwartship, and its left settee also is too askew to be comfortable, unless you like sleeping with your head above your feet, and vice versa. You might be able to fashion a seaberth out of the U settee. But you really want two or three. (As a couple, you'll often look for third and fourth crew to help on longer passages. And on some tacks and angles of sail, a specific berth becomes uncomfortable.) Surprisingly, for a 38 foot boat, it has a small nav station. You'll be adding SSB, weatherfax, likely a laptop. The larger the nav station, the better. The 380 is a beamy boat with moderate ballast, which means that it will have a quick motion and get knocked about a lot. There's nothing you can do about that. It also has a spacious saloon. You'll need to add interior grabrails. The 380 looks to have only moderate storage, of the sort that is secure underway. It has little outside storage. You'll be surprised how much you want to bring along for a short voyage. Much more for a circumnavigation. Boats designed for voyaging sacrifice interior space to lazarettes, lockers, bins, and even more lazarettes. Most likely, you'll end up using the V berth or aft stateroom for storage. But you'll need to fashion a way to hold things in place. Hunter is famous for providing a lot of dealer support. Unfortunately, that doesn't help you in Aden. Or even in Tortola. Cruising is largely the art of fixing your boat in foreign ports. From its large custom ports, to Hunter's prediliction for creating inaccessible parts of the boat, this is not a boat I would want to mainain for a three year trip. (Speaking of ports, every voyaging boat should carry plywood or other covers that can be nailed over a port that breaks. I'm not sure how you would manage that the 380's large side ports. And make sure to put those covers on your list of things that need to be stowed.) There's more. But all that said, I'm sure you can do this. Most problems have solutions of various sorts, and you can just put up with the ones that don't. The only question is, Why?
I'm sure the boat is plenty tough. And I am sure someone uses it for long passages. But the boat was not designed with this in mind. Because of that, there are a lot of small things that just aren't suited to this purpose. Many can be fixed, but at the end of the list, you might have been better to start with a different boat. Here's a few. The 380 has no sea berths, that I can tell. On a circumnavigation, you'll spend weeks at sea. Sleep is important. A sea berth is aligned along the boat's axis. The 380's aft berth is athwartship, and its left settee also is too askew to be comfortable, unless you like sleeping with your head above your feet, and vice versa. You might be able to fashion a seaberth out of the U settee. But you really want two or three. (As a couple, you'll often look for third and fourth crew to help on longer passages. And on some tacks and angles of sail, a specific berth becomes uncomfortable.) Surprisingly, for a 38 foot boat, it has a small nav station. You'll be adding SSB, weatherfax, likely a laptop. The larger the nav station, the better. The 380 is a beamy boat with moderate ballast, which means that it will have a quick motion and get knocked about a lot. There's nothing you can do about that. It also has a spacious saloon. You'll need to add interior grabrails. The 380 looks to have only moderate storage, of the sort that is secure underway. It has little outside storage. You'll be surprised how much you want to bring along for a short voyage. Much more for a circumnavigation. Boats designed for voyaging sacrifice interior space to lazarettes, lockers, bins, and even more lazarettes. Most likely, you'll end up using the V berth or aft stateroom for storage. But you'll need to fashion a way to hold things in place. Hunter is famous for providing a lot of dealer support. Unfortunately, that doesn't help you in Aden. Or even in Tortola. Cruising is largely the art of fixing your boat in foreign ports. From its large custom ports, to Hunter's prediliction for creating inaccessible parts of the boat, this is not a boat I would want to mainain for a three year trip. (Speaking of ports, every voyaging boat should carry plywood or other covers that can be nailed over a port that breaks. I'm not sure how you would manage that the 380's large side ports. And make sure to put those covers on your list of things that need to be stowed.) There's more. But all that said, I'm sure you can do this. Most problems have solutions of various sorts, and you can just put up with the ones that don't. The only question is, Why?
People have circumnavigated...
in far less seaworthy boats than a Hunter 380 but it's real forte in in coastal cruising. Hunter did a great job with interior living area but this comes at the expense of storage, it's rather limited. Sea berths, nav station, tankage, etc. are an issue too. It's probably not the ideal blue water cruising boat at least for passages. On the other hand it is very comfortable and would be nice when you're just on the hook somewhere which you probably would be 90% of the time anyway. Now, a nice new HC-50 would be a different matter... ;.)
in far less seaworthy boats than a Hunter 380 but it's real forte in in coastal cruising. Hunter did a great job with interior living area but this comes at the expense of storage, it's rather limited. Sea berths, nav station, tankage, etc. are an issue too. It's probably not the ideal blue water cruising boat at least for passages. On the other hand it is very comfortable and would be nice when you're just on the hook somewhere which you probably would be 90% of the time anyway. Now, a nice new HC-50 would be a different matter... ;.)
better boats
i love my h35.5 to death and have sailed it from seattle to alaska and been out farther then i wanted to be, the bigger hunters will handle alot but they are not designed for extended offshore use. if i were to take a hunter on a long trip i would use one of two boats, #1 hunter 43, it has a good layout, nice nav station and bunks that can be used as sea births also weighs 23,000 lbs. #2 would be the only boat hunter made that even comes close to a blue water boat, a passage 42 (hunter should still make this one), c.c nice layout fairly heavey, you will have to spend a litte more to get one but i think they are worth it. what ever you use make sure it can handle pure HELL for about 7 days streight (if you dont know what pure hell is ask someone that has been out there)
i love my h35.5 to death and have sailed it from seattle to alaska and been out farther then i wanted to be, the bigger hunters will handle alot but they are not designed for extended offshore use. if i were to take a hunter on a long trip i would use one of two boats, #1 hunter 43, it has a good layout, nice nav station and bunks that can be used as sea births also weighs 23,000 lbs. #2 would be the only boat hunter made that even comes close to a blue water boat, a passage 42 (hunter should still make this one), c.c nice layout fairly heavey, you will have to spend a litte more to get one but i think they are worth it. what ever you use make sure it can handle pure HELL for about 7 days streight (if you dont know what pure hell is ask someone that has been out there)
My 2 cents
I gota agree with the other two posts, but need to put in a plug for the 430 legend. We find ours to comfortable ,stable and roomy. Although we have had her way off shore ( nothing like your talking) we felt very safe. One item I like especially if your not going to have a gen set, there is more than ample room for 4 8D house batteries plus 2 engine batteries which is agreat advantage. Best of luck, be safe and wear that PFD and tether!!!! Dick McKee S/V Constellation
I gota agree with the other two posts, but need to put in a plug for the 430 legend. We find ours to comfortable ,stable and roomy. Although we have had her way off shore ( nothing like your talking) we felt very safe. One item I like especially if your not going to have a gen set, there is more than ample room for 4 8D house batteries plus 2 engine batteries which is agreat advantage. Best of luck, be safe and wear that PFD and tether!!!! Dick McKee S/V Constellation
Been there done that!!
I would have to agree with all of the other writers. I would not recommend the 380 as an offshore boat. I have been offshore in storm conditions in the 450. It did extremely well under fairly horrible conditions. We were knocked down twice. I would not have wanted to have been in lighter or more nibble boat, like the 380. I think the 420, 450 and 460 all make excellent offshore boats. You can probably pick up a good used 420 with a few miles under the keel for what a new 380 will cost to purchase and prepare.
I would have to agree with all of the other writers. I would not recommend the 380 as an offshore boat. I have been offshore in storm conditions in the 450. It did extremely well under fairly horrible conditions. We were knocked down twice. I would not have wanted to have been in lighter or more nibble boat, like the 380. I think the 420, 450 and 460 all make excellent offshore boats. You can probably pick up a good used 420 with a few miles under the keel for what a new 380 will cost to purchase and prepare.
Hi Shawn!
How the heck are you? How's LA agreeing with you? I was hoping to see you at the Catalina Is. Hunter Rendezvous last summer!
How the heck are you? How's LA agreeing with you? I was hoping to see you at the Catalina Is. Hunter Rendezvous last summer!
Older models
Some of the older Hunters were laid out more appropriately for offshore work. My 33, for example, has three good sea berths (a quarter berth, pilot berth, and settee with built-in leeboard). It also has a head, galley and chart table that work well underway. But for a bigger, much heavier boat, look at one of the older (85 and before) cutter-rigged 37's, and use the money saved for a more enjoyable cruise! This model has done quite a bit of serious sailing.
Some of the older Hunters were laid out more appropriately for offshore work. My 33, for example, has three good sea berths (a quarter berth, pilot berth, and settee with built-in leeboard). It also has a head, galley and chart table that work well underway. But for a bigger, much heavier boat, look at one of the older (85 and before) cutter-rigged 37's, and use the money saved for a more enjoyable cruise! This model has done quite a bit of serious sailing.
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