# 1982 Hunter '54



## cayoosh (May 27, 2008)

Hi everyone, I have stumbled across a Hunter 54 and think they are one of the prettiest boats I have seen. All the research I have done, and it has been hard to find, seems to point to the fact that these boats were very advanced for their time and are a very capable boat. Most of my sailing has been on skiffs and cats but have in recent years had a season sailing etchells and am keen to progress to an easy to manage cruiser. Most of my sailing will be harbour and coastal with some longer passages as experience and confidence grows. Some friends have suggested looking at a 30-35 foot boat but the Hunter 54 seems to tick so many boxes and for its length actually has a smallish sail plan. They are about 100k and I consider that good value for money. It is a Cherubini designed boat and others have been raced singlehanded from San Fran to Hawaii. Can anyone give an honest appraisall of this boat and its ease of sailing without turning it into a production boat sledging thread.

Thanks
!


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## BreakingWind2 (Jan 3, 2008)

Start here, it gives some owner reviews.

Sailboat Knowledge Base

Good luck,
Dave


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## sailingfool (Apr 17, 2000)

cayoosh said:


> Hi everyone, I have stumbled ....an honest appraisall of this boat and its ease of sailing without turning it into a production boat sledging thread.
> 
> Thanks
> !


I guess you are stumbling...you ask for comments but in effect you caution you don't want anything negative. Good luck.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Any 54' sailboat that goes for only $100,000 is going to be in need of some serious work or is a real piece of crap to begin with. 

Do you have any idea what the costs associated with OWNING a 54' sailboat are going to be like? If not, might want to do a reality check on that first. Consider that the ownership costs pretty much double for every 10' of boat, so a 54' boat is likely to cost at least four or five times what a 30-35' boat would cost you, at a minimum. And that is if you do most, if not all, of the maintenance work yourself. 

Also, Hunter doesn't have the best track record as a manufacturer, but the Cherubini models seem to have a better record than many other Hunters of that era. 

From your OP, you seem to indicate that this would be your first cruising size boat... I would highly recommend that you start with something a bit more manageable. Making mistakes on a 54' boat will often involve forces that are large enough to kill you easily. 

Finally, a 54' boat won't be an easy to manage cruiser. It will have far more complex systems than most boats 30-35' long, and there is far more maintenance to do on that size a boat.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Our own JeffH wrote a brief review over at another forum a few years ago. I would take his advice about only considering a VERY well maintained one quite seriously.

Hunter 54 - Cruisers & Sailing Forums


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## cardiacpaul (Jun 20, 2006)

the price seems to be in line with all of the other 54 Hunters on yachtworld (not an opinion, just an observation)


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## cayoosh (May 27, 2008)

Thank you:

Breakingwind2, I have read that website extensively, mostly positive experiences from the other owners.

Sailingfool, I posted this thread to collect both positive and negative opinions from those that know this boat model, but in many other threads I have read they often result in sustained sniping between those that are supporters of production boats and those that are not, that is all I was trying to avoid, and my humble apologies if I worded the OP incorrectly.

Sailingdog, I had not considered that the maintenance of a boat would double for every 10 feet. I was going to budget about 10k per year for upkeep and upgrades, perhaps that is naive, however it was what friends of mine have allowed for some years on their Bavaria 42, but then that doesn't take into account your advice of doubling the costs for every extra 10 feet.
The reason I found the Hunter 54 attractive was that from everything I have read they are very managable, behaving more like a 40 footer than a 50 footer, especially with a sail plan of only 850sq ft. Most the Hunter 54's on yachtworld "appear" to be in very good condition for the price.

Camaraderie, thanks for pointing me in that direction, I had searched for posts on Hunter 54's but had not seen that one. Jeff H seems to be an encyclopedia of information about all boats.

Perhaps I should start all over again and begin searching for a smaller boat that ticks the boxes, the options appear never ending. Maybe something like a Cavalier 37?

Thanks everone for their thoughts, the dream is alive, the bank account is flush and the choices are ??????????


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## tommyt (Sep 21, 2002)

Cayoosh,

I would take SD's math on the doubling fairly seriously. Unless your post is saying that money is NO object, then what the hell, go for it! If in fact you want to stay within a budget (OK, this is a boat, Close to a budget!) you should look at some fixed costs by size FIRST. Then decide what you want. For your stated purposes, a 54 seems a little bit of over kill, unless you want to impress the folks with your size.

Insurance. Would be interesting on a +20 50 footer

Slip Fees. This is an eye opener if you live in a population center! Goes up very fast in lenght....if you can find one. If you have your own empty pier, no problem. However, if you have that pier you are looking at too old of a boat for your front yard.

How handy are you? Professionals are going to cost you $75-100 an hour in most yards. West Marine however, will love you.

Hauling out. For a boat that size...not that many places that can handle her. 

The list can go on.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Cayoosh-

While it may act and feel like a 40', boat yards and marinas don't charge by the feel of boat, but by the length. Haulouts, dock space, mooring, washing, painting, storage are all sold per foot, with larger boats often being hit with premium rates. The boat yards figure if you've got a boat that big, you can afford it. 

If you have to have the sails replaced, they will cost considerably more than sails for a 30-35' cruising boat. The sails for a Catalina 30, which is a much better choice for you IMHO, are:

Mainsail w/ two reefing points: $1450
135% Roller Furling Genoa: $1529

The sail costs on a Tayana 37' boat are: 

Mainsail w/ two reefing points: $2500
135% Roller Furling Genoa: $3600

How much do you think they'll be for a 54' boat?? 

The docklines used for a 30' boat are usually 1/2" x 30-40'. The docklines for a 54' boat are usually 3/4" x 55-80' or so... A genoa sheet for a 30' boat is probably 1/2" x 45', the genoa sheet for a 54' boat is probably 9/16" x 80'.... Have you priced rope lately???


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

* How much do you think they'll be for a 54' boat?? 
*Cruising main for my 52 footer was over $5k in 2004 dollars.

The cost of owning/maintaining a 52'boat was about double what maintaining my prior 44 was as SD suggests. It s a good rule of thumb.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Cam-

Thanks for making my point


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## cayoosh (May 27, 2008)

Thank you again for your honest input. It had not occured to me that the cost of maintaining a boat would increase exponentially, and unfortunately the money pit is not bottomless, I had (foolishly) assumed that the ongoing costs would be refected proportionately to increase in length. But then that is the exact reason I have asked the questions, so that I can collect feedback from others more knowledgable than I.

There are probably enough other posts out there to read that will offer input into alternatives in the 35foot range, so unless someoone would like to step up and suggest a boat that will primarily be sailed on the south east coast of Australia, I will continue to read and research as the selection is too large to try and sail every single one, but gathering feedback from you guys has been helpful.


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## brak (Jan 5, 2007)

10K a year is less than what I spend on the upkeep of much smaller sailboat. Granted, I am still in initial years of owning her (and may be at some point the number will stabilize, though considering list of projects I have - not soon). That said, in my experience cost of maintaining a boat for me follows this forumla (YMMV, this is just a guesstimate)

Annual cost = Const * (length ^ 3) where Const ranges from about 0.2 to 0.3 (mine tend to run high but I think it may get better in later years).


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## ilnadi (Mar 21, 2004)

a not-yet-not-a-newbie perspective.

background: 3 years ago we chickened out of an older Sabre 28 and bought a newer Catalina 25.

I regret the decision 
a. when the Pamlico gets too much for the C25 (ok, before someone beats me to it; in reality for us in it)
b. when we cannot fit in the C25 with kids.
c. when I see the Sabre 28 (in same town) sailing by and looking pretty

BUT, 
all self-serve items take longer because I am learning as I go
buying a 12-year newer boat helped that cause a lot
my mistakes are cheaper (cannot imagine what would happen if I made some of them on a 54-footer)

SO when I am doing maintenance or my imitation of all three stooges, I am very happy with my decision. Now, after 3 years or next year, we will step up to something but again just big enough for us and what we want to do.

do you want the 3-acre lot that you do nothing but mow and tend or the .2 acre backyard you enjoy every day?


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I had some slip neighbors when I lived on my boat in Portland, OR who owned a Hunter 54 of the same era. They loved it, for its sailing performance, livability, and value. Sailed it by themselves all the time, and he singlehanded it with no problem. Before I moved up here they were actually preparing the boat for a south pacifc cruise. I wonder where they are now... No comment on the boat's quality, just reporting what one set of owners thought.


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## dohenyboy (Aug 16, 2006)

As the owner of a Hunter 54 I can answer your questions.Its in Newport Beach harbor on a mooring.


Yes the interior room is small for a 54-foot boat. The v-berth is plenty for two people but the rear stateroom berth is barely adequate. 
Most of them come with either the original 36 hp (Perkins I think) which is a little underpowered or like mine 76 hp yanmar (more than enough)
Weak points are the plate that the keel bolt nuts go on top of; tends to corrode, and the steering quadrant. It is attached to plywood which tends to rot out and you lose steering at the wrong moment. Not hard or expensive to fix with carbon fiber or fiberglass reinforcement, just be aware.
The dinghy garage is usefull but cannot fit a normal size dinghy in it without letting the air out. Lots of writing out there on forums that this could cause problems in a following sea with it getting filled in, but have no experience with this. But the transom is really useful for boarding.
Got new mainsail and headsail in 2006 from UK sails, cost $10,000 for both including lazy jack system and sail cover. In light winds it sails okay, but once you get 10 knots or above it really starts to move. PHRF rating is 51.
Under power you really need an autopilot. The boat will "turn on a dime" but has no directional stability under power. But under sail I can trim it to be more or less hands off. 

I have had no core or structural issues. The bulkheads are not attached to the hull and so in any motion its noisy. Definitely not a blue water boat, but fine for coastal.


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## sailingfool (Apr 17, 2000)

dohenyboy said:


> As the owner of a Hunter 54 I can answer your questions.Its in Newport Beach harbor on a mooring.
> 
> Yes the interior room is small for a 54-foot boat. The v-berth is plenty for two people but the rear stateroom berth is barely adequate.
> Most of them come with either the original 36 hp (Perkins I think) which is a little underpowered or like mine 76 hp yanmar (more than enough)
> ...


Dohenyboy,

A very thoughtful and cogent report on one's own boat. It is such a pleasure to see a factful commentary like this one. RPs (rep points) to you.


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## CharlieCobra (May 23, 2006)

Agreed, I was considering one for the fact that they are so fast. Dohenyboy, nice concise write up.


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## cayoosh (May 27, 2008)

Hi Dohenyboy, 

Great report thanks. I had an email from a guy in Hawaii a while back and he made the following comments about his Hunter 54: 

"I can't speak for the others but we have sailed her for over 20 years across all of Hawaii's notorious channels without any problems.This boat loves to surf and has always been great fun to sail, have surfed down steep 12'+ waves many times in the channels and never been a problem.

Thanks for your input, others I have had contact with have all said what a fabulous boat they are to sail and also how fast they are. 

Why do you think it has "no directional stability under power"?


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## negrini (Apr 2, 2008)

Cayoosh, I have done same mistake years ago. I went for the biggest size my money could afford. What a mistake ! Maintenance is everything on a boat ! Consider carefully your monthly/yearly budget and resist the temptation of buying over it. More than just overkilled by the budget, what happens in real world is, short of money, you'll be forced to neglect maintenance. And this is just a little hop to a disaster .... Please maintain your boat, and stay alive .... In general, a well equiped and maintened boat is far more enjoyable and safer, regardless its size.


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## cayoosh (May 27, 2008)

Hi Negrini,

Thanks for your thoughts, on the back of strong advice I will not be considering the Hunter 54 at this stage. It was the lines of the boat and its sailing performance that I found attractive, the length didn't really come into the selection process, although the available deck space for family and friends on a Hunter 54 was very appealing. I was just looking for a boat that would be fun to sail, be capable of coastal cruising and was in my opinion, beautiful and when I saw the H54 the first time and the prices they are selling for, my enthusiasm overtook my sensibility. I am yet to come across another boat that looks as good, sails as good, has the space for family and friends and is also 20 feet shorter! But the research is fun.


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## Wannafish (Mar 25, 2004)

Cayoosh,

Good luck in what ever size you decide to persue. It is unfortunate that mid 30' boats don't have the accomodations of a 52'...but if they did, who would buy a 52'? I had an older 33' Hunter of Cherubini design in the mid 90's - nice boat, but not enough room for my family of 5 so I kind of know what you're going thru. I have a 41' ketch that I'm finishing up the restoration on and hope to be in the water yet this year. 

Excellent Thread!

All,
I just want to say that I enjoyed the flow of information without the bashing that takes place most everywhere. Thank you all for keeping it on point and not letting it drift off course, so to speak. It was these types of informative posts that made me join SailNet in the first place. I'm hopeful we are moving back in the direction it appears we are.

Thanks, and keep up the good work guys!


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## johnshasteen (Aug 9, 2002)

Wise choice to pass on such a large "first boat". Find something in the 30-35 foot range that you can take anywhere under any conditions - remember, every sail is an adventure! There are lots of coastal boats that have ventured well offshore, but the owners have been lucky. Note that there are no Hunters, Catalinas or Irwins on the Bluewater Capable boat list at the begining of this category. If you plan to do much offshore sailing, look at Cape Dory, Pearsons over 35 feet, Bristols, Pacific Seacraft, etc. all nice boats that will serve you well in any weather.


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## Jeff_H (Feb 26, 2000)

I just noticed this thread and want to weigh in here. The Hunter 54 is a boat that has always caught my attention. The orignal design was based on one Warren Luhrs first trans-oceanic racers. Its my understanding that the design was penned by Paul Lindenburg, who I consider to be one of the most creative designers of that period, one who understood structurall design more than many designers of that period and one who understood how to produce designs that are both seaworthy and fast. In many ways the design of the 54 anticipated design concepts employed in the Volvo 60 round the world racers that were to occur decades later. 

The original layout of these boats resulted in a very comfortable and functional design, one that worked well as a liveaboard and worked reasonably well offshore, as well as, for coastal cruising, solving many of the complex issues of a performance offshore design, including such radical concepts as the dinghy garage which eliminated the need for davits, (I consider davits to be a dingy storage device that I personally think of as the last resort offshore).

While Hunters' build quality is generally viewed with some sketicism some of which is deserved and some mere prejudice, Hunters of this period were well constructed, with build quaility on a par with other more respected and revered manufacturers. The 54 has been blasted for design details such as their use of a galvanized steel steering quadrant, but at that time, steel quadrants were seen as being a stronger and more reliable solution than the aluminum quadrants that were then becoming popular. 

In conversations with surveyors who have looked at these boats, their comments were that Hunter did a very good job on the basic structure and an extremely good job on the systems. 

Many of these boats have been successful voyagers. There used to be a fellow on Sailnet whose family had done a successful circimnavigation on one and who spoke glowingly of the boat. There is a tendancy to look at this boat as being a very large boat and therefore perhaps hard to handle or expensive to own. I think this may be overstated by those who are not familiar with the design. Ease of handling and maintenance costs are generally proportional to the displacement of the boat rather than to its overall length. The Hunter 54 was comparatively light for its length and so ease of handling and maintenance costs should be down around the costs of a 45 footer. Similarly, the purchase price of boats is often more proportionate to their displacement than to their length and so the inexpensive price on these boats reflect their age, their displacement and the predjudice against Hunters. 

Many of these boats have had thorough refits and upgrades over the years and so represent a great value given the capabilities and capacities of the design. Like any boat of this era, a careful survey should be undertaken with attention to such details as deck coring condition and blisters, which are common in boats of all manufacteres from this era. 

Respectfully,
Jeff


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## shasen (Mar 8, 2001)

*The Hunter 54*

Hi Cayoosh,

You will find that the Hunter 54 is a very different boat than a typical Hunter. I've been tracking Hunter 54 prices for the last 10 years, they have took the normal dip in value after the 20 year mark. A yacht 20 in age is what most lenders will finance, so 20+ year yachts typically dip in value after that mark due to the buying pool becomes less. Historically H54's can be had from 120k-70k depending on condition. 

The Hunter 54 was designed as an Ocean Racer. Some of the features that I like are its safety. It is a very fast boat and that makes it much more safer than a slower boat. It also has all of the other numbers/formulas as far as stability goes. Its boom only extends just shy of the companionway entrance, so there is zero chance of getting smacked in the head with the boom while in the cockpit or going below. All controls run into the cockpit. The Rudder placement as some have stated makes her a little weird in a following sea, that it makes her super maneuverable when docking. 
All of that said, the Hunter 54 was built in 1981-1984 so that makes for a boat that could be full of issues due to age and corrosion as with any boat of that age. An old boat of that age will most likely need certain areas and systems to be updated/restored. 

Again, checkout "hunter 54 dot com" for more info.

Stirling,


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## cayoosh (May 27, 2008)

Jeff H,

Thank you for a very thorough and thoughtful comment on your knowledge and experience with these boats. It is probable that I may be a bit scared off the boat after some of the other inputs, however, I see no harm in actually going and taking one for a sail with a bunch of very experienced sailors to gather their hands on comments as well. No doubt if there is a temtation to proceed, a very thorough survey will be undertaken.

Also a copy of an old Hunter 54 brochure was emailed to me by Hunter Marine and it says that the boat was designed by John Cherubini and Cortland Steck.

Stirling, your website is a fabulous insight into some of the details of a Hunter 54, thank you for providing all the history as well.


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## Jeff_H (Feb 26, 2000)

My understanding is that Paul Lindenburg designed the hull for Warren Luhrs distance racer, and then Cherubini, who was sort of the in house designer, designed the modifications from the original raceboat design such as the deck plan, interior, rig and keel. I got that second hand at a boat show when these were new boats, but then again its a long time ago and I have never followed it up, so it could be wrong.

Jeff


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## cayoosh (May 27, 2008)

Jeff, I have no doubt you are correct, I was just letting you know what it said on the brochure.


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## Jeff_H (Feb 26, 2000)

Cayoosh, 

I did not mean my comments as a criticism. In fact, I very much appreciated that you responded my comment on Paul Lindenburg. It reminded me of something that I had forgotten over the years. I am sorry if my note #27 sounded like I was unappreciative of your setting the record straight.

Regards,

Jeff


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## cayoosh (May 27, 2008)

Jeff H,

There was no offence offered or taken in my opinion, just two blokes sharing information. I am still overwhelmed by your original post and your knowledge of boats, and in this instance the Hunter 54. I am still considering taking the boat for a sail just to at the least satisfy my curiosity about the boat and how she sails. 

Thanks
Richie


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## Rockter (Sep 11, 2006)

A 36 ft is about the limit of what I can handle alone, and finding crew is not all that easy.

A 54 ft is awfully big, methinks, but it will be fast.


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## avahunter54 (Sep 23, 2015)

We just bought H54
I am looking for any manuals or blue print ? I will pay for copy's and shipping.


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## Capt. A.T. (Oct 23, 2016)

Avahunter54,

Would love to talk with you about your experience with buying the Hunter 54.
I am a lic. Capt. who delivers sailboats on the East coast and am looking forward
to chartering / live aboard/cruising. 

Have been researching for years, and have met some very knowledgible sailors.
I am considering a h54 that has been in freshwater in the US.

Wondering how you are faring.

Fair winds,
Capt. A. T.


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## chuck53 (Oct 13, 2009)

Capt,
Ava only posted one time a year ago. I doubt if you will be hearing from him/her.


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## IStream (Dec 15, 2013)

Rockter said:


> A 36 ft is about the limit of what I can handle alone, and finding crew is not all that easy.
> 
> A 54 ft is awfully big, methinks, but it will be fast.


I handle a Catalina 50 alone but it requires:
1. A good autopilot
2. Battcars or another way to ease mainsail handling
3. Lines led aft to cockpit
4. Diligent maintenance of blocks and other running rigging to keep friction to a minimum
5. A good windlass
6. A good bow thruster

I'd add that powered halyard winches are nice to have but not essential.

Having 44+ feet of waterline is a true luxury. 7.5 kts is loafing along, 9 is routine, and 10 is not unusual. It really expands your cruising range. FWIW, I really like the C50 and they can be had in good shape for under $150K these days.


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## bengramspeedy (6 d ago)

cayoosh said:


> Hi everyone, I have stumbled across a Hunter 54 and think they are one of the prettiest boats I have seen. All the research I have done, and it has been hard to find, seems to point to the fact that these boats were very advanced for their time and are a very capable boat. Most of my sailing has been on skiffs and cats but have in recent years had a season sailing etchells and am keen to progress to an easy to manage cruiser. Most of my sailing will be harbour and coastal with some longer passages as experience and confidence grows. Some friends have suggested looking at a 30-35 foot boat but the Hunter 54 seems to tick so many boxes and for its length actually has a smallish sail plan. They are about 100k and I consider that good value for money. It is a Cherubini designed boat and others have been raced singlehanded from San Fran to Hawaii. Can anyone give an honest appraisall of this boat and its ease of sailing without turning it into a production boat sledging thread. Thanks !


 I own one and love it!!!


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