UK sailing yacht brokerage and boat sales

SOLD

W64323	British Hunter Channel 31 (twin keel)			Lying	ashore Cornwall
Builder	Hunter Boats Ltd., Rochford, Essex.			Year	2003
Builder	Hunter Boats Ltd., Rochford, Essex.			Price	£51,500
LOA	30' 9"	Sail area	496 sq ft	Brief details
LWL	26' 8"	Rig	Fractional sloop	The Hunter Channel 31 is a modern fast cruiser, this twin keel example being the 2003 Boat Show exhibit, that has been in the same ownership from new. She is in extremely good condition, and though quite extensively cruised by the family, has clearly been very well maintained. The hull is coppercoated and she has a Gori feathering prop. She has a good cruising inventory and Eberspacher heating, along with recent standing rigging. She will be recommissioned for 2023 shortly, after which she will go onto a mooring near Falmouth.
Beam	10' 4"	Cabins	2 plus saloon
Draught	4' 1"	Berths	6
Displacement	9885 lbs	Engine	Yanmar 2GM20F diesel
Ballast	3,899 lbs	BHP	18
Keel type	Twin iron bulbed keels and spade rudder

Hunter Boats Ltd. built yacht and keelboats in Rochford, Essex from 1968 onwards, initially building the Oliver Lee designed Squib keelboat. By 1975 David Thomas became the main designer and they built the popular Hunter Sonata and Impala 28 cruiser/racers, then the various Hunter Horizon models in sizes from 21 to 32 ft. The final larger cruiser model was the Hunter Channel 31.

In 2003 Hunter Boats was bought out by the Select Yachts Group who already owned Cornish Crabbers and Red Fox Yachts amongst other smaller boatbuilders In 2008 Select Yachts went into voluntary liquidation in the middle of the then current financial crisis. In 2009 Lauren Marine of Southampton purchased the rights and moulds for most of the Hunter range of boats and built them under the brand of British Hunter.

The British Hunters have never had any connection with the Florida-based Hunter Marine, even when that company briefly also operated a factory in the UK. American Hunters and Hunter Legends which were the UK built Hunter Marine versions, are American designs generally more lightly built than British Hunters.

The Hunter Channel 31 is a David Thomas design that offers a remarkable combination of easy handling with good performance and the ability to dry out on her twin keels. Hunter always referred to these boats as "twin fin" rather than "bilge keel" to emphasise their performance. She is one of the few boats of this size to achieve a RCD Category 'A' rating even for the twin keeled version, achieved by a higher ballast ratio than most comparably sized production yachts, combined with quite deep bulbed twin keels. This allows her to carry a good sail area, in a mainsail-biased 7/8th rig. This yacht has a 120% genoa as shown on the sailplan at left, although she has the track for the optional smaller self-tacking jib. The hull is solid laminate, with foam filled frames, stringers and floors for stiffness. The deck is solid laminate with Coremat stiffening. Unlike most earlier British Hunter models, the Channel 31 had an interior designed by Ken Freivokh - much more attractive than the rather utilitarian fit-out of many earlier Hunters.

When introduced she was thought of as very much a cruiser-racer, but now is simply a good fast cruiser. In the words of' 'Yachting Monthly' ".... She'll make a tough and capable coastal or offshore cruiser, easy to handle for a a couple or small family, and with a pedigree that guarantees she'll be fun to sail when it blows".

Yachtsnet photographs March 2023

The hull is coppercoated, but the twin iron keels are antifouled, as Coppercoat is difficult to keep adhered to iron keels.

Click here to open a new window
with selected larger size photos

Saloon headroom is approximately 6' 1"

The original fixed two bladed prop was replaced with a Gori three-bladed feathering prop in 2010

The mast has (expensive) Harken ball-bearing batten cars, added to make mainsail hoisting, lowering and reefing easier. The standing rigging was replaced in winter 2018/19

These Hunters were quite expensive boats when new - costing over 40% more than a
comparable sized Beneteau First or Bavaria 31. British Hunters construction was always solid,
and with the Channel 31 the Ken Freivokh designed interior finish is much better finished
than many of Hunter's earlier models.

Inventory:
Engine details		Yanmar 2GM20F twin-cylinder diesel
Fuel tank capacity		58 litres
Propeller		Gori 3-bladed feathering, new 2010, on shaft drive
Batteries		110Ah engine start battery and 2 x 115Ah services batteries. VSR for charge splitting.
Battery charging/electrics		Engine alternator with Adverc charge controller and Kisae ABSO 40 amp shorepower smart charger, also 2 solars panel on deck with PWM charge controller. Galvanic isolator for shorepower.
Sails and deck equipment
Rig details		Fractional sloop rig, Z-Spars mast and boom with track for self-tacking jib on deck. Mast fitted with Harken ball-bearing batten cars. Standing rigging replaced winter 2018/19
Mainsail		Ultimate Sails, Hamble, approx. 6 years old
Genoa		120% headsail by SKB Sails, Penryn, approx 12 years old.
Jib furling		Furler
Spinnaker		Sobstad cruising chute
Winches		2 x Harken 16 self-tailing on coachroof
Bower anchor		Delta with 10 metres chain and 20 metres warp
Kedge anchors		Danforth
Steering		Tiller
Autopilot		Raymarine Evo tiller pilot with ACU-100 controller - approx 4 years old
Steering compass		Plastimo bulkhead compass
Warps & fenders		6 warps and 6 fenders
Miscellaneous		Cockpit sprayhood and winter covers
Navigation Equipment and instruments
Radar		Raymarine SL72 Pathfinder Plus monochrome 7" LCD radar
GPS/Chartplotter		Garmin GPSMap 751xs with charting UK to Ushant
Log/speed		Raymarine ST60
Depth sounder		Raymarine ST60
VHF radio		Simrad RD-68 with DSC
AIS		Garmin AIS receiver
Navtex		NASA Target Navtex Pro
Radio receiver		JVC KD-R331 Cd/radio/MP3 player
Safety/emergency equipment
Liferaft		Avon 4-man valise, needs servicing
Lifebuoy		Horseshoe with danbuoy and floating light
Radar reflector		Mast mounted
Bilge pumps		manual and electric pumps
Miscellaneous		2 x fire extinguishers and fire blanket, gas detector
Interior
Cabin layout		Forecabin, saloon, heads and aft cabin
Cabin heating		Eberspacher Airtronic D2 blown hot air diesel heating
Berths		6
Water tank capacity		Over 150 litres (150 litres is the standard tank, this yacht has a non-standard larger tank). Pressurised hot and cold water with caloriifier and shorepower battery charger.
Cooker		GN Espace Levante 4-burner and oven
Coolbox		Coolbox with Waeco refrigeration
Heads		Jabsco with 42 litres holding tank and Y-valve for sea or marina pump-out
Miscellaneous
Dinghy		3D inflatable
These particulars are believed to be correct but cannot be guaranteed and are subject to confirmation by the purchaser subject to still being available. For further information or to arrange a viewing, please contact Yachtsnet on 01326-212234 or

The particulars detailed herein are intended to give a fair description of the vessel but their accuracy cannot be guaranteed. These particulars are not a part of any contract or offer, and are supplied on the understanding that all negotiations shall be conducted via Yachtsnet Ltd., who are acting as brokers for the vendor. The vendor is not selling in the course of business unless otherwise stated. The prospective purchaser is strongly recommended to check the particulars, and where appropriate, at his own expense, to employ qualified agents to carry out surveys, structural and/or mechanical & electrical checks or tests

UK sailing yacht brokerage and boat sales

SOLD

W64323

British Hunter Channel 31 (twin keel)

Lying

ashore Cornwall

Builder

Hunter Boats Ltd., Rochford, Essex.

Year

2003

Price

£51,500

LOA

30' 9"

Sail area

496 sq ft

Brief details

LWL

26' 8"

Rig

Fractional sloop

Beam

10' 4"

Cabins

2 plus saloon

Draught

4' 1"

Berths

6

Displacement

9885 lbs

Engine

Yanmar 2GM20F diesel

Ballast

3,899 lbs

BHP

18

Keel type

Twin iron bulbed keels and spade rudder

Yachtsnet photographs March 2023

The hull is coppercoated, but the twin iron keels are antifouled, as Coppercoat is difficult to keep adhered to iron keels.

Click here to open a new window with selected larger size photos

Saloon headroom is approximately 6' 1"

The original fixed two bladed prop was replaced with a Gori three-bladed feathering prop in 2010

The mast has (expensive) Harken ball-bearing batten cars, added to make mainsail hoisting, lowering and reefing easier. The standing rigging was replaced in winter 2018/19

Inventory:

Engine details

Yanmar 2GM20F twin-cylinder diesel

Fuel tank capacity

58 litres

Propeller

Gori 3-bladed feathering, new 2010, on shaft drive

Batteries

110Ah engine start battery and 2 x 115Ah services batteries. VSR for charge splitting.

Battery charging/electrics

Engine alternator with Adverc charge controller and Kisae ABSO 40 amp shorepower smart charger, also 2 solars panel on deck with PWM charge controller. Galvanic isolator for shorepower.

Sails and deck equipment

Rig details

Fractional sloop rig, Z-Spars mast and boom with track for self-tacking jib on deck. Mast fitted with Harken ball-bearing batten cars. Standing rigging replaced winter 2018/19

Mainsail

Ultimate Sails, Hamble, approx. 6 years old

Genoa

120% headsail by SKB Sails, Penryn, approx 12 years old.

Jib furling

Furler

Spinnaker

Sobstad cruising chute

Winches

2 x Harken 16 self-tailing on coachroof

Bower anchor

Delta with 10 metres chain and 20 metres warp

Kedge anchors

Danforth

Steering

Tiller

Autopilot

Raymarine Evo tiller pilot with ACU-100 controller - approx 4 years old

Steering compass

Plastimo bulkhead compass

Warps & fenders

Click here to open a new window
with selected larger size photos