Hunter Marine continues its aggressive
introduction of new boats with the release of the
all new 31 - a comfortable, speedy, mid-size cruiser
that takes
advantage of all the latest advances in sailing
components and technologies. The 31 replaces the
popular 306 in the Hunter product line. The Hunter
design
team, led by Glenn Henderson, developed a totally
new boat from the hull up, and took advantage of
all the newest "marinized" components
such as water
heaters, AC units, inverters and refrigeration systems.
These smaller, stronger and lighter parts helped
engineers build a "comfort cruiser that goes
fast."
"We found the ideal position
for weight balance and access for all the 31's new
advanced components to create a better center of
buoyancy," said Henderson.
"The result is a boat that is forgiving, well-rounded
and has exceptional performance." Hunter also
tapped comments and suggestions from its customers,
with feedback from the new on-line Customer Service
Survey system that registers customer reviews and
comments about specific models, as well as
Hunter's overall service. "Many of the things
our customers requested have been built into the
new 31," said John Peterson, director of sales
and marketing
for Hunter Marine. "We are very customer-focused
at Hunter and feel its one of the key reasons our
boats have such great appeal and do so well in the
market."
Ergonomics and function were also
carefully considered during the 31's design phase.
Design engineers constructed a full-size mock-up
of the interior and
deck for analyzing functionality and user comfort
during extensive operational and livability testing.
Adjustments, sometimes only fractions of inches,
were
made to hardware, doors and bulkheads to achieve
maximum usability and comfort. "The 31 has
been optimized for efficiency at every level,"
said Henderson.
Maximum efficiency and comfort has
been built into the interior of the 31. The forward
cabin is larger than most boats in its class, which
was achieved by
adjusting the forward hull shape, without affecting
performance. A private aft cabin is also provided,
along with a fully enclosed head with vanity and
shower.
The standard galley has icebox, two-burner propane
stove and stainless steel sink. Available options
include a refrigerator and microwave. Water storage
is a 50-gallon freshwater tank and five-gallon water
heater. New designer fabrics are used throughout,
and interior lines are clean and streamlined.
An Everware® laminate teak and
holly cabin sole is back by popular request -- Hunter
customers like the look of wood but enjoy the surface's
durability
and easy maintenance. Air conditioning; 13"
flat panel TV with DVD player; and CD stereo are
some of the comfort options available. Shore power
connections
are handy at port, and make the 31 a great weekend
or vacation cruiser. Hunter's proven easy-to-sail
B & R fractional rig system consists of a Selden®
anodized mast, large roach mainsail with flaking
system, dual single-line reefing, and jib furling.
The furling sail has been designed to retain the
sail area typically lost
over a standard mainsail, and in fact has two more
square feet than the 31's standard sail. Hunter's
famous arch-mounted mainsheet traveler is an available
option, along with a helm sheeting package that
allows control of jib sheets from the back of the
boat.
The computer-designed, solid fiberglass
hull is the result of extensive testing and special
engineering. Hunter designed the 31 considering
both the weights
of a small 1-2 person crew and larger 8-10 person
crew with gear to insure low drag efficiencies under
a variety of load and wind conditions. Henderson
says
the balanced spade rudder they designed for the
31 has good clean flow over foil sections, and helps
make the boat fast and fun to sail. "The 31
likes a good breeze," he said, "but this
boat is also going to be used as a weekend sailor
or on a week's vacation, so it has good light air
response as well. With the 31,
we built performance attributes into a cruiser."
Hunter continues its concept of low
maintenance exteriors with its all fiberglass deck.
The cockpit is roomy and features a Lewmar®
Direct Drive™ steering
system, optional folding wheel, hot/cold transom
shower and a stern rail with Flexiteek® seats.
Heavy duty stainless steel handrails surround the
deck.
The integrated swim platform includes a telescoping
stainless steel swim ladder. Auxiliary power is
delivered by a Yanmar® 21 HP diesel with 20
gallon tank.
"The whole is definitely a sum of the parts,"
said Peterson. "So many little things go together
to make the 31 a really exceptional and distinguishable
boat."
