Thoughts on Cherubini 37c???

[derrick18]

Hi,
I am looking for a capable ocean crossing boat and I have come across the Hunter Ch. 37c. The price seems almost oo good to be true. Anyone have one that can honestly tell me if these boat are well made and capable of some serious ocean cruising. Any advice or insight would be great!

Thanks,
Derrick

 

[Steve Dion]

Check out the owner reviews. What price are you looking at for a purchase. They can sell for up to $50k with a fresh engine and sails. Don't know if those prices are good in this economy, but they will probably come back in the not to distant future.

 

[Ed Schenck]

Given the opportunity I would go anywhere and everywhere. Sailed it from Lake Erie to Tampa, lots of Atlantic. Toughest weather I have ever seen was on Lake Erie. Solid hull, keel-stepped mast, cutter-rigged for easily reducing sail, heavy for comfortable sailing. Weak links would be plastic windows, leaky toerails, and rudder.

 

[rardiH36]

Derrick:

I see that you have identified yourself as being in the San Francisco area. I have a Cherubini H36 1980 which I've got berthed in Sausalito. While there are design differences with the Cherubini 37, they do share a lot construction/feature elements in common. These are robustly made boats and owners seem to be quite satisfied with them (myself included). As you have found, they do sell for a discount compared to the Catalinas, Ericsons, etc of the same era and condition ... don't know exactly why, but the price certainly was a factor in my purchase decision. I bought a 36' boat for about or less the same as other brands' 30-32 feet size of the same appx year.

If you do find yourself getting serious about the Cherubini H37 you've found, send me an eMail at rdjardi@sbcglobal.net. We can exchange telephone numbers and I can give you more detail about the pro's and con's of these boats which will be easier than trying to type it all out. Read the owner reviews on this website for the Cherubini 37's, 36's and 33's to get a feeling for the Hunter Cherubini line.

regards,
Richard

 

[sandpiper10471]

I know a fellow who bought one on the east coast and sailed it to England. He loved it. Said the bulkheads creaked a bit slogging upwind but that is because they are slotted in to the liner. He felt totally secure and safe with the boat and would do the trip again. I do believe he had the deeper draft model. For me, mine is the most secure, seaworthy vessel I have sailed, and there have been many. However, I am a Great Lakes sailor these days.

 

[coleman]

The H37C is sturdy and rock solid. It is not at all like my old MacGregor 26D, which was a limp noodle but also rock solid (I love the old thing for being very capable as a cruiser but I'd likely not survive through a surprise upper category storm on open ocean, if that makes sense???). I'd just remind that the H37C and most all Hunters are essentially a long torque tube with false bulkheads and a keel stepped mast that assumes minimal deck loads. You also have a LONG way to fall in the spacious interior volume before you hit something, offshore boats are designed cramped to ensure you hit a wall with your shoulders and hips before you hit your head and knees. They have watertight bulkheads and compartments to allow you to survive an event such as a prop strut breaking out when hitting flotsam. Ships drop shipping crate overboard and fisherman drop nets - I know more than a few powerboats who have tangled with these very hazardous obstacles mainly because I know few sailors who venture that far off shore.

In other words "serious cruising" is a term up for grabs by other boats that are SERIOUSLY built. Hunter has always designed for the bulk of potential owners as a "good enough" sailing vessel. They will accommodate almost any need you toss at them. But for extreme cases it might not be the pick. Compared to the other mass manufactured boats of the age, this is about as good as it gets. It really depends on your needs as a serious cruiser.

My own boat has made several passages from FL to the Bahamas. H37C's have traveled between CA and HI successfully during the right season. They also work well in the Gulf during less than optimal season. It's a matter of skill and equipment, as well as knowing when to stay home. This is not an all seasons any seas boat and VERY FEW boats are. But for almost any sailor who does not seek out pain this is a superb boat. Likely the best bargain of its size range and excellently capable in its design class.

You are in an area of the Pacific that can really dish it out. I'd talk to local sailors, see what boats they use, and compare to the H37C.

 

[Blaise]

I have done four atlantic crossings (daytona-bermuda) and four gulf of mexico crorrings (tampa-isla mujeres cancun) all racing in my boat Midnight Sun. I have made mods. See my boat review. The boat is most capable.
Blaise

 

[Jim Legere]

One more positive vote

Derrick, I suspect you will get nothing but positive votes on this website, but I will make it one more for the ocean going Hunter 37C.

That said, any H37C that you buy will be over 25 years old and that means lots to renew before you go to sea. Ed Shenck mentions the ports and the rudder - I have changed all these on my 1983. You will also want to upgrade the through hulls if this has not been done (originals were gate valves). Changing the standing rigging is also a requirement in a boat this age. Also check and rebed the chainplates while you are at it. Structurally I don't think you will find any issues. The bulkheads DO creak since they are just slotted into the liner, but the hull seems very strong and well built. The decks are cored (typically with plywood), so go over every inch with a moisture meter - condition will depend on how fastidious the previous owner was about sealing deck hardware. The only thing my surveyor had to add was that all the winches and cleats came without backing plates from the factory, and the bow sections were a bit prone to "oilcanning" (not a serious problem on this boat and easily rectified when you decide to get rid of the "mouse fur" lining in the forward cabin). So, bottom line: this boat was designed for bluewater work and was built to a resonably good standard for the time.

Chances are the H37C you buy will need refitting and upgrading, which may conceivably cost almost as much as the purchase price depending on what you pay and how much work needs doing. I believe that this last statement would apply to any 25 - 30 year-old "stock" production boat.