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. It features a fin keel with a rudder on skeg, measures 9.3 meters LOA with a 3.1-meter beam, and displaces 4399 kg. Hunter Marine offered the 30 in multiple configurations, including shoal draft and keel/centerboard versions, and an optional tall rig. An unfinished kit version was marketed as the Quest 30. Hunter Marine, founded in 1973, became the second-largest American sailboat manufacturer by using high-volume production techniques for cruising boats. The company later adopted the B&R rig and integrated features like stainless steel cockpit arches to prioritize interior volume and ease of handling. Hunter Marine faced criticism regarding chain plate corrosion and sluggish performance in heavy seas.

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.

Maxi Yachts 959.50 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 9.5-metre masthead sloop produced for a decade, featuring a skeg-hung rudder for predictable coastal handling
Maxi 95: The world's largest 31-footerfrom SEILmagasinet
Spirit 329.48 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA Jacques De Ridder-designed IOR 23-footer built for nearly two decades as a stiff, masthead-rigged fin-keel sloop
E64: Calibrating my Depth Sounder Underwater and Goodbye Makemo!1:40from Wind Hippie Sailing
Hunter Marine 319.55 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA Cortland Steck design featuring a B&R rig and a fin keel, built for coastal cruising between 1983 and 1987
Inside Our New Sailboat… A Full Walkthrough of Our Home0:10from Sailing Nomadika
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 shorterWith over 6,000 hulls produced, this versatile masthead sloop remains one of the most successful production yachts ever built
SUPER LOW BUDGET CRUSIING - Ep 236 - Lady K Sailing1:46from Lady K Sailing

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

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

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The fleet has more to say

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