BoatsHunter Marine 30

Hunter Marine 30

Masthead Sloop · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · 1973–1983

A John Cherubini-designed masthead sloop offered in multiple keel configurations and as an unfinished kit version

Designed by John E. Cherubini.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin With Rudder On Skeg

See her sail

The Hunter Marine 30, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from All About Sailing

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 25 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 25
CoastalBluewater

1.91 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.91
LightHeavy

254 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 254
EasygoingPowered-up

16.0 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 16.0
TenderStiff

42% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 42%

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

What the fleet has seen

The Hunter Marine 30, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Hunter Marine 30 is a masthead sloop designed by John E. Cherubini and built by Hunter Marine from 1973 to 1983, featuring a fin keel with a rudder on skeg.2:22 This 9.3-meter sailboat has a 3.1-meter beam, a 1.6-meter draft, and displaces 4399 kg. Hunter Marine offered the 30 in multiple configurations, including shoal draft and keel/centerboard versions, with a tall rig option. An unfinished kit version was marketed as the Quest 30. Hunter Marine, founded in 1973, became the second-largest American sailboat manufacturer by applying high-volume production techniques to cruising boats.1:27 The company later adopted the B&R rig and integrated features like stainless steel cockpit arches to prioritize interior volume and ease of handling.5:02 Hunter Marine faced criticism regarding structural hardware, specifically chain plate corrosion, and sluggish performance in heavy seas.8:45

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
42.3%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
16.0
Displacement / length
253.6
Comfort ratio
25.1
Capsize screening
1.91
Hull speed
6.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
936
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
FG (solid hull and balsa deck)
Production
Years built
1973–1983
Units built
1000
Designer
John E. Cherubini
Builder
Hunter Marine

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Granada Yachts 309.18 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 30-foot fractional sloop with a 1.65-meter draft, designed for balanced, performance-oriented cruising
Capsized in 20-meter waves: Are Wiig on the drama in the Southern Ocean | Bearing on Sailing2:53from SEILmagasinet
Cal Boats 309.14 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthOffered with an optional tall rig, this masthead sloop served as the predecessor to the 2-30 series
Left a multinational, house, and car to live on a 30-foot sailboat | #SAL Clip #1451:32from Hashtag Sal
Catalina Yachts 309.12 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterOne of the most successful production yachts in history, with over 6,000 hulls built during a 32-year run
Perfect $20,000 Sailboat (Catalina 30 Refit on a Budget) - Ep 358 - Lady K Sailingfrom Lady K Sailing
Seafarer Yachts 309.13 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead sloop available with a tall rig and keel centerboard, distinct from the earlier Tripp-designed model
FROM THE CORPORATE WORLD TO VAGABUNDOS BEACH | Living on a sailboat | #SAL #4411:36from Hashtag Sal
Dufour Yachts 319.40 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1973 masthead sloop featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and a comfortable, stable design for coastal cruising
The Perfect Affordable Cruising Boat? (Dufour 31)2:19from Untide
C&C Yachts 30-29.12 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA performance-oriented masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, designed by C&C for balanced club racing
Ep. 33 Interview with Richard1:11from Sailing Into Oblivion

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Hunter Marine 30/31 (2005)A shoal-keel cruiser featuring a B&R fractional rig and an in-mast furling system, renamed from 30 to 31 mid-productionHunter Marine 30-2A 9.17-metre fractional sloop featuring a wing keel, built between 1988 and 1992 for coastal cruisingHunter Marine 33A 1977 masthead sloop with a 38% ballast ratio, designed for stability and coastal performanceHunter Marine 27A John Cherubini-designed masthead sloop built for a decade, featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and shoal-draft optionsHunter Marine 30TA T-shaped cockpit update to the Hunter 30-2, this fractional sloop features a shallow-draft wing keel for shoal waterHunter Marine 25The first sailboat built by Hunter Marine, this masthead sloop features a skeg-mounted rudder for stable cruising

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Hunter Marine 30, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Hunter Marine 30

The newsletter

New boats, new stories, from everywhere.

One email from the fleet — boats newly added, videos newly analyzed. No noise.

Report an issue