BoatsHunter Boats Horizon 30

Hunter Boats Horizon 30

Fractional Sloop · Twin keels · 1993–1998

A David Thomas-designed fractional sloop with twin keels, offered in kit form for versatile shoal-water cruising

Designed by David Thomas.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Twin Keel

See her sail

The Hunter Boats Horizon 30, on the water

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

Footage from Gone with the Wynns

Is it for you?

Character

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

Shoal draughtDraws 1.19 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 22 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 22
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.91
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 234
EasygoingPowered-up

19.8 — plenty of sail for her weight; lively and quick to respond.

Sail area / displacement 19.8
TenderStiff

43% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 43%

Powered-up and quick to accelerate — this one likes to sail.

  • Draws less than ~89% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2507 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Hunter Boats Horizon 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 Boats HORIZON 30 is a 9.1-meter fractional sloop designed by David Thomas, built from 1993 to 1998 with a twin keel hull and a displacement of 3294 kg. It was offered in kit form, with a self-tacking jib as standard and an optional lead fin keel. Aboard *Gone with the Wynns*, a Horizon 30 canal boat navigated the inland waterways of Belgium, including canals and traditional locks.0:44 The crew coordinated bridge openings via radio and managed the boat in varying wind conditions, noting the impact of windage in narrow channels and the wake from commercial freighters.1:29 The vessel's systems included heavy lead-acid batteries.4:00 The boat docked at a marina in Bruges, providing shore power.15:22

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen once across one channel of the fleet.

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
43.3%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
19.8
Displacement / length
234.0
Comfort ratio
22.5
Capsize screening
1.91
Hull speed
6.6 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
794
Hull
Hull type
Twin Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1993–1998
Units built
52
Designer
David Thomas
Builder
Hunter Boats

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Newport 30-19.14 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthThe original 1968 production run of this masthead sloop, featuring a fin keel and spade rudder for coastal sailing
⛵️ I Tried Boiling Water Out of My Boat... It Actually Worked - sort of?!13:53from Living For Sail
CS 309.14 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Tony Castro-designed masthead sloop that became the most popular model in CS Yachts history
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Ep. 33 Interview with Richard1:11from Sailing Into Oblivion
Beneteau First 3059.30 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA Jean Berret-designed masthead sloop offering versatile keel and rig configurations for coastal cruising
Don't Buy a Boat Without Watching This! Seasickness, Ideal Size, and Key Tips9:45from Piratas Aderiva

The family

Boats like this

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

Hunter Boats Horizon 23A David Thomas-designed fractional sloop with twin keels and a self-tacking jib, built for easy shoal-water handlingHunter Horizon 26A David Thomas-designed fractional sloop built for performance, featuring a fin keel and transom-hung rudder

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