Recommendations for a 34-40 ft monohull?

[chovy]

I have about 30-40k USD to spend. I found a Hunter 37 1989 for 40k that is in decent condition from the pics.

I just don't know what boats are good quality. Like Toyota will last forever with little maintenance. That's what I'm looking for.

Going to be on California west coast and possible sail down the coast to Mexico in a few years. I'm thinking 1990 minimum

[LittleWing77]

First off, Chovy, don't spend your entire $40K (or whatever your maximum budget is) on the boat. You'll need an allocation set aside for repair/replacement items once you've purchased the boat.

Have you ever single-handed a 40' boat?

Hunters are production boats in a similar vein to Beneteau/Jeanneau, Catalina. I'm not a fan, but they are a sort of Toyota-ish.

If you search, there's a famous blog post about "I'm not apologising for my Hunter" or "Why I chose Hunter", which would be a good resource, if you can find it.

Practical Sailor seems to rate them as respectable: https://www.practical-sailor.com/sai...oats/hunter-38

Start looking at boats in person - not just pictures - and look at a LOT of them!

Fair winds,
LittleWing77

[hlev00]

Consider Catalina, Pearson, Irwin, Ericson. They are all good boats, though for the last three you will need to go back to 1985 or so.


Definitely reserve some of your funds for upgrades and repairs, though don't rush into upgrades until you know what you need after you've been on her for a while. For example, we still use a chart plotter and radar from about 2000 that functions perfectly well for our needs. We augment with iPad.



A survey is very important for any purchase.

[NormanMartin]

Get a boat in the best shape possible. Size is not the biggest factor. A beat boat will suck you dry. Heck, a boat in fair condition will, too. Just not quite as fast.

Go to where you want to sail and see what people sail there. Experience and local knowledge pay off.

Keep us posted.
Norm

[redhead]

I've had 6 or 7 boats in my boating life and hands down the Pearson 365 was my favorite. I know some people don't like a ketch, but it's all I've ever had, so I can't compare.

Pearsons are strongly built, nothing glam about them, but with a good suit of sails and a maxprop, my 365 would sail through anything rough and even liked light winds. My only complaint was the cockpit was overly large, cutting down on the space below.

The only reason I reluctantly agreed to sell it was because I knew I'd need more space to live aboard.

My 2c.

[joelhemington]

Originally Posted by chovy

I have about 30-40k USD to spend. I found a Hunter 37 1989 for 40k that is in decent condition from the pics.

I just don't know what boats are good quality. Like Toyota will last forever with little maintenance. That's what I'm looking for.

Going to be on California west coast and possible sail down the coast to Mexico in a few years. I'm thinking 1990 minimum

Where in California? Here in So Cal, slips are impossible to get and cost a fortune if you do find one. Ventura would be cheaper but is a bit out of the way. Aside from the slip shortage, there is also a shortage of boats for sale at the moment though this may change when people realize that boats aren't the cure for Covid. The Sea of Cortez usually has good deals on mid sized cruisers - people get down there and decide not to do the bash back. In your price range a nice coastal cruiser is what you're looking at - I'd doubt you could get a blue water boat for that kind of money (unless it needed a massive amount of work which can be very expensive) Coastal cruisers can and do make trans ocean passages but that's not what they're really built for. The Hunter is not a bad choice, but you might look at some Beneteaus as well. Shock made some great boats here in So Cal but they've been out of production for at least 15 years so finding a good one could be tricky. Just remember, it's usually more cost effective to get a boat in decent shape for a little more money than it is to pick one up on the cheap that needs everything.

[TrentePieds]

Chovy:

Before you begin to pay rapt attention to MY sermon, go back and read LittleWing's comments. VERY apropos!

And now: Small boat hulls are commodities. When you seen one you seen 'em all. So don't get excited about intrinsic quality just now at your state of development as a seafaring man. One hull is as good as another. What's hung ON the hull is a kettle of fish of a different colour, but anything that is hung on must be considered a consumable, or even a disposable! That includes sails, standing and running rigging and the engine.

Do NOT think that boats are like cars in ANY RESPECT. They are not!

The age of the hull is of little consequence because "frozen snot" (fibreglass) hulls have to be destroyed with a chainsaw if you want to get rid of them! As long as there is no impact damage to the basic hull moulding, you can stop worrying about it. All minor dings and blemishes are repairable, and it is work that you can, and should, do yourself. Many a 50 year old hull is still keeping the ocean out.

Factory built boats, such as the Hunter 37, are all much of a muchness, although there are a few exceptions to that. The basic numbers of the Hunter 37 are just fine, right in the middle of the range for seagoing Winnebagos. The boat will sail and generally handle so similarly to all the other factory built cruisers that you are not likely to be able to tell the difference twixt one make and another.

The layout is also absolutely conventional, and that's probably good because "custom" layouts may work fine for dyed-in-the-wool cruising men, but they do make boats more difficult to sell if that becomes an actuality, as it necessarily must sooner or later.

As for budget, I'm afraid you may be falling between chairs. Forty grand isn't much when you are talking boats. Go to $120K and be satisfied with what you get, or go to 10 grand and spend another 50 on doing what needs doing.

Natively the Hunter 37 has a 20 HP engine, I see. On the boat's displacement of 8 1/2 tons (call it 10 tons in cruising trim) modern thinking would look for an engine of 35 or even 40 HP. There is plenty of room to argue about this particular topic. Nevertheless, to replace a worn out 20 horse Yanmar, you should budget $13K to buy the machine ex dealer, and another 6K or 8K for installation.

And speaking of budget: Anyone can find the bux to BUY a boat. Far fewer can find the bux to KEEP a boat. All in, Moorage in a marina, Insurance, Annual maintenance of hull including hauling for anti-fouling renewal and replacement of zincs, Annual maintenance of below decks systems including electrics, Sinking fund for replacement of sails and running rigging, Sinking fund for replacement of standing rigging, Sinking fund for replacement of engine, may be expected to require $2K per month. I deal with it on my 30 footer by maintaining a "boat a/c" alongside my normal operating account and transferring into it $1,000 per month. Somehow, that seems to be only just enuff :-)!

Now, the beast you are contemplating lists for $40K, or so, you say. Buy her, and over the first two years of ownership you'll have to find 12 x 2 x 2,000 bux to keep her. That's 48K! That is TWENTY PERCENT MORE than her purchase price. No reason you shouldn't pick up that burden if it turns your crank. Just be aware that that is the essence of owning a yacht!

TrentePieds

[zstine]

With that price and length, I wouldn't limit my date to 1990. I just sold my 1975 Tartan 41' ($40k) which was maintained well and is much, much better quality than the Hunter you found. At even at 30 years old, pretty much every original system on the boat is beyond it's life. So rigging, engine, lifelines, pumps, hoses, even fuel tanks should all have been replaced or need to be examined closely to see if replacement is imminent.

I guess my 2 cents is (unless you are very handy and like working on boats) buy an older boat that has been significantly updated with aforementioned gear and is closer to turn key, vice a newer boat at a similar price that may still have the original engine and rigging, etc.


Just for a 'keeping the boat' number.. I spent about $10k per year for storage and annual maintenance (North East USA), which included replacing things that broke, but not "upgrades". I spent an addition $30k on my Tartan in upgrades to go live aboard cruising (watermaker, solar, macerator, V-berth remodel, Aux fuel tank added, etc). Those upgrades are not needed for stay a week or 2 on the boat, but if you are going to Mexico... note my sale price was $40k, so I 'gave away' most of my upgrades. I am fine with that because I wanted to build it my way, but it is generally way cheaper to buy a boat that has already been upgraded and maintained as sellers only get cents on the dollar for upgrades.

[CaverCop]

I have a 1986 Catalina in good condition I could let go for ~30k in Washington. I would definitely not do a Hunter but I am just repeating what I hear over and over again amongst sailors.

[KadeyKrogen38]

Hunters are the most boat you can buy for your money-cheap in comparison and there is a reason for this. You figure that out! There used to be
E a saying that you could judge a boats quality by her weight compared to others of the same size. I would say that Hunters are some of the lightest out there.

If you are bay or lake sailing fine, but if you plan on serious cruising in typical ocean conditions, I would consider other brands to do that.

[marshmat]

If your budget is $30k to $40k, then you should be looking for boats whose listed sale price is closer to $25k.
If you are looking at a boat listed for $40k, you should be budgeting $50k to $60k CapEx.

The vast majority of used boats you can think of will need at least a little bit of refitting work immediately following the survey, before your insurance carrier will cover them. You also need to allow for overhead (travel, etc. to hunt for the boat), sales taxes, etc. and leave a fat margin for unknowns that come up shortly after purchase; there are always a few.

Most issues with wiring, plumbing, rigging, hardware, etc. on older boats can be fixed, given time and money. There are a handful that can't. A defective keel/hull joint, or failed core below the waterline, are very hard to catch and can instantly render the boat as "zero value, uninsurable". Engine replacement is possible, but is a ~80-90% loss on dollars expended. Take a $25,000 boat, spend $12,000 to repower it, and you now have a $27,000 boat plus a scrap engine. Better to find something that already has a good engine in it.

Don't worry so much about age. A well-built boat from 1975 can be just as structurally sound today as one from 2015. A hull from 1980 might be crap, a hull from 2010 might be crap. Find a good surveyor who'll do a thorough pre-purchase survey including full moisture meter & tapping of the whole hull & deck, not one of those cursory insurance surveys that just list the equipment and spitball a market value.

Something like that Hunter is intended for daysailing and short cruises in sheltered waters with the occasional coastal passage in a good weather window. They're basic, fun, and very good at what they're meant for. If you want to go offshore, look for something with a more seakindly hull form and heavier scantlings.

Put together a realistic budget for OpEx. Include the slip fees, annual haul-out & launch, insurance, any routine maintenance you plan to contract out, fuel, sewage pumpout, etc. plus a margin for necessary, unplanned maintenance.

Also put together a realistic budget for improvements. Note that any money you spend here is probably gone for good as, unless you got the boat at significantly below market value, a boat of that age won't depreciate much more with good maintenance - but it also won't gain much value from upgrades. I generally suggest sticking to things you can do yourself, with affordable parts, that make the boat genuinely better for you to use. Don't pay people to upgrade the boat with things that you hope will increase its value, because that never works.


Good luck

[waterman46]

Since you asked I looked up a few designs in that age and size. I have sailed on a Santana 37 and it's a solid boat definitely in your price range. But accomodations are a bit smaller than some others due to having a large cockpit.

Whatever you get in this size range will be easy to single hand if you have a good autopilot.

I think one challenge of accommodations in a boat this size is having a good berth aft. On passage you don't want to sleep forward, and often even the settee is bit bouncy upwind. The Hunter 37 seems to have an aft bunk. It looks narrow for two but on passages one of you would always be awake anyway, and at anchor or dockside the double berth forward could be used.

Lots of folks have cruised Hunters from CA to Mexico and beyond.

I like the Pearson's rudder hung on a skeg. Many production boats in this size and age just have spade rudders. The skeg gives protection and strength to the rudder. Although the layout seems to favor space below decks, from what I see on-line, the Pearson does not appear to have an aft berth.

[Dooglas]

There is no cruising boat which "will last forever with very little maintenance". You have a completely unrealistic expectation of what is required for annual maintenance and for needed upgrades for extended cruising. Those underestimates will leave your budget in tatters.

[thunderhoof]

Please do not buy a boat that needs "a little" structural work like a spongy deck or bulkhead out of place. You are probably not qualified to do the work and you won't get to it anyway.

You will need some new canvas and lines and repair of basic electronics so plan on that.
Go with the previous suggests of a slightly smaller boat in good condition so you will get to enjoy your purchase.
Oh yes: Make sure the engine / transmission work. This one issue can blow your budget.

[Don C L]

Ventura is "out of he way?" We're in the heart of it! You should check Channel Islands harbor too. I don't know where you got the 1990 year cut-off, but boats are not like cars that way. There are some boats built after 1990 that I'd not be too excited about and many in 1960s that I think could be a good choice for you if it is in good shape. They are mostly stout boats, sea-worthy and sea-kindly, but they may not be as fast or point as high as their younger kin. And they may not be as roomy too. But many have sailed all over the place quite well. And they will be far more likely to fit in your budget. And the fiberglass (of those days. hand laid up thick, no chopper guns and no cored hulls) doesn't rot or weaken with age.