# 2006 Hunter 31 Sailboat



## Bash (Nov 29, 2020)

*Hello sailing experts. I am considering 2006 Hunter 31 sail boat for "coastal" sailing: Vancouver BC to Gulf Islands and Desolation Sound. Nothing further and no crazy winds. Need good size cabins for 2 kids. Any critique would be appreciated whether positive or negative, especially "quality of construction ". Also, would you consider Catalina 32 or Beneteau 32 or 31 instead ( or other)? Thanks in advance.*


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## contrarian (Sep 14, 2011)

I remember going to the St. Petersburg Sailboat Show in 2006. My recollection was that the Catalinas had the best fit and finish, followed by Beneteau and then Hunter. Plus if I remember right (questionable) the smaller Hunters had the jib sheet tails led to the coach roof, an idea I find to be retarded, and the traveler arch is one of those love it hate kinda things. At first glance I thought it was a terrific idea but began to have doubts about the functionality in a crisis situation. Having never used one I can't really speak to the issue. My guess is that the current prices of those vessels would probably follow the same order of what I observed in 2006 all being equal. I suppose my preference if I were in the market would follow the same path. Might look at Jeanneaus of the same vintage as well.


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## Bash (Nov 29, 2020)

contrarian said:


> I remember going to the St. Petersburg Sailboat Show in 2006. My recollection was that the Catalinas had the best fit and finish, followed by Beneteau and then Hunter. Plus if I remember right (questionable) the smaller Hunters had the jib sheet tails led to the coach roof, an idea I find to be retarded, and the traveler arch is one of those love it hate kinda things. At first glance I thought it was a terrific idea but began to have doubts about the functionality in a crisis situation. Having never used one I can't really speak to the issue. My guess is that the current prices of those vessels would probably follow the same order of what I observed in 2006 all being equal. I suppose my preference if I were in the market would follow the same path. Might look at Jeanneaus of the same vintage as well.


Thanks.


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## capttb (Dec 13, 2003)

Bash said:


> Also, would you consider Catalina 32 or Beneteau 32 or 31 instead ( or other)?


I would personally prefer a Catalina 320 or Beneteau 323.


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## Bash (Nov 29, 2020)

capttb said:


> I would personally prefer a Catalina 320 or Beneteau 323.


Reason for preferences?


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## SchockT (May 21, 2012)

Is there a particular Hunter you are considering? Is there an ad we can look at? What price range are you looking in? (Are you by chance the one that posted a want ad on Craigslist Vancouver for a Hunter or Beneteau?)

I would also consider Beneteau, Catalina or Jeanneau over Hunter. Hunters tend to have lovely interiors but fall short on performance, sailing qualities and esthetics, ( to my eye at least).

Sailing in BC you want a boat that is a decent light air performer, and sails upwind well, since you will be doing a lot of both in the summer. Perhaps that is why I see a lot of Hunters motoring when everyone else is sailing!


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## Bash (Nov 29, 2020)

SchockT said:


> Is there a particular Hunter you are considering? Is there an ad we can look at? What price range are you looking in? (Are you by chance the one that posted a want ad on Craigslist Vancouver for a Hunter or Beneteau?)
> 
> I would also consider Beneteau, Catalina or Jeanneau over Hunter. Hunters tend to have lovely interiors but fall short on performance, sailing qualities and esthetics, ( to my eye at least).
> 
> Sailing in BC you want a boat that is a decent light air performer, and sails upwind well, since you will be doing a lot of both in the summer. Perhaps that is why I see a lot of Hunters motoring when everyone else is sailing!


Thank you for the most informative and relevant reply. Indeed, it was I who posted on Craigslist. There appears to be consensus on Catalina and Beneteau over Hunter, which confirms my research. I will focus on those two, within my $35k budget. Cheers.


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## SchockT (May 21, 2012)

Bash said:


> Thank you for the most informative and relevant reply. Indeed, it was I who posted on Craigslist. There appears to be consensus on Catalina and Beneteau over Hunter, which confirms my research. I will focus on those two, within my $35k budget. Cheers.


If your budget is CDN$35k then you might have a hard time finding a boat as new as 2006. You are probably more in range of late 1980's and early '90s.

As you no doubt noticed there is not a lot available locally on CL, but there are a couple of boats that might be worth a look. The 1988 Catalina 30 looks pretty clean. The 1980 Sceptre 34 is a bit old, but they are pretty good boats. The price on that one gives you a bit of room in your budget for updates.









Sceptre 36 - Sleeps 6 Adults - Comes with Dinghy - "Magic Wind" -...


Purchased new in 1980. 36 FT. Sleeps 6 adults. Engine and sails are 12 years old. Comes with...



vancouver.craigslist.org













Catalina 30 - boats - by owner


You must sea it



vancouver.craigslist.org




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## Bash (Nov 29, 2020)

SchockT said:


> If your budget is CDN$35k then you might have a hard time finding a boat as new as 2006. You are probably more in range of late 1980's and early '90s.
> 
> As you no doubt noticed there is not a lot available locally on CL, but there are a couple of boats that might be worth a look. The 1988 Catalina 30 looks pretty clean. The 1980 Sceptre 34 is a bit old, but they are pretty good boats. The price on that one gives you a bit of room in your budget for updates.
> 
> ...


Will need 32' to accommodate 2 kids in the aft cabin as the 30' is limited. I agree the budget will afford early 1990s. I really appreciate your time and advice. Thanks very much.


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## Ninefingers (Oct 15, 2009)

Catalina 30's are pretty roomy so I wouldn't discount them. In fact I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to focus on one for now. They are terrific do-it-all boats with strong reputation. With your budget, it's going to be tough search, but if you focus on one model, you'll be have a nice reference point should another brand and size pop up. Some of the smaller Canadian brands like Aloha, Mirage, CS, C & C, Niagara are good choices as well, and they tend to be a tiny bit cheaper than the big brands but are comparably, or better built. But you may be sitting a while waiting for one to pop up.


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## contrarian (Sep 14, 2011)

I always liked the Aloha 30. Definitely worth looking at if you can find one, much better sailor than the Catalina 30 just not quite as roomy. If it were me,I would take an Aloha or Candian Sailcraft over a Catalina 30 for sure.


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## JimsCAL (May 23, 2007)

I agree that the Catalina 30 is worth a look. As roomy inside as many boats several feet longer. At your budget, you might be able to find a Catalina 34. Would have all the room inside you need, and perform better than the 30. When I was looking for a boat in this size range 10 years ago, I looked at both the Catalina 320 and 34. I liked the 34 better. Though I do confess I like the boat I ended up with (Cal 33-2) better than either.


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## Siamese (May 9, 2007)

Iron keel on that Hunter? The Catalina 320 has a lead keel. That's just one of the things that would make me want the Catalina. Also, I find the interior in the Hunter to be somewhere between a yacht and a travel trailer in terms of quality. The Catalina interiors are simple, but well thought out in terms of ease of keeping them up with a little refinishing here and there.


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## Bash (Nov 29, 2020)

Ninefingers said:


> Catalina 30's are pretty roomy so I wouldn't discount them. In fact I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to focus on one for now. They are terrific do-it-all boats with strong reputation. With your budget, it's going to be tough search, but if you focus on one model, you'll be have a nice reference point should another brand and size pop up. Some of the smaller Canadian brands like Aloha, Mirage, CS, C & C, Niagara are good choices as well, and they tend to be a tiny bit cheaper than the big brands but are comparably, or better built. But you may be sitting a while waiting for one to pop up.


Thank you. Patience is key in the current market of limited supply, not helped by closure of the borders.


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## Bash (Nov 29, 2020)

Siamese said:


> Iron keel on that Hunter? The Catalina 320 has a lead keel. That's just one of the things that would make me want the Catalina. Also, I find the interior in the Hunter to be somewhere between a yacht and a travel trailer in terms of quality. The Catalina interiors are simple, but well thought out in terms of ease of keeping them up with a little refinishing here and there.


Catalina seems to be the top choice by most replies. Finding one in the current market is going to take time. Thanks for the feedback,


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## SchockT (May 21, 2012)

Bash said:


> Thank you. Patience is key in the current market of limited supply, not helped by closure of the borders.


Also don't forget that in the Trump era of trade relations there is still a retaliatory 10% tarrif on boats imported from the USA. That may change with a new administration, but for now it makes importing boats more expensive.

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## SchockT (May 21, 2012)

Bash said:


> Catalina seems to be the top choice by most replies. Finding one in the current market is going to take time. Thanks for the feedback,


I wouldn't say Catalina is my top choice, just preferred to Hunter. Having said that, in your price range they offer a lot of bang for your buck, and there were a lot of them built so the odds of finding one is greater than other makes.

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## Bash (Nov 29, 2020)

SchockT said:


> Also don't forget that in the Trump era of trade relations there is still a retaliatory 10% tarrif on boats imported from the USA. That may change with a new administration, but for now it makes importing boats more expensive.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G981W using Tapatalk


Good point. Will focus on local for now.


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## Bash (Nov 29, 2020)

SchockT said:


> I wouldn't say Catalina is my top choice, just preferred to Hunter. Having said that, in your price range they offer a lot of bang for your buck, and there were a lot of them built so the odds of finding one is greater than other makes.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G981W using Tapatalk


Thanks for taking the time to reply.


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