Hunter 270 Buyer's Guide
The Hunter 270 is a trailerable American cruiser built by Hunter Marine from 2000 through 2006, succeeding the Hunter 26/260 with roughly 400 hulls produced. On the used market she appeals to buyers who want a genuine weekender they can tow behind a mid-size SUV, and the water-ballast hull means the same boat can sit on a trailer at 1 foot 9 inches draft or launch and fill to 6 feet for stability. Shopping one means judging the ballast system, the B&R rig, and the volume-forward interior rather than chasing fixed-ballast pedigree.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every 270 shares the same core plan: a walk-through sugar-scoop transom with integrated swim platform and boarding ladder, wheel steering in a larger cockpit than the 260's, and a folding helm seat. Below, the boat gives a huge aft athwartships double berth under the cockpit, a private forward V-berth, an enclosed head with shower, and a full galley with two-burner stove and icebox. Standing headroom runs throughout, and the pop-top adds six inches when raised. Because the generation is single and short, buyers are not choosing between multiple interior layouts — condition and rigging state are the variables, not floorplan.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
The standard sail plan is the backstay-less B&R fractional rig with swept spreaders, a large roachy fully battened mainsail near 170 sq ft, and a roller-furling jib of 110–135%. An asymmetrical spinnaker on a retractable bowsprit is the offwind asset. For a buyer, the load-bearing items are the ballast fill-and-pump gear, the furling system, and the bowsprit mechanism; a sound pump and sealed sprit housing matter more than cosmetic additions. The pop-top seal and the transom ladder are the other points where owner care shows in daily use.
What to Inspect
The defining system is the 2,000-lb water ballast, so the fill and drain paths and tank integrity deserve close attention — a boat that has sat with water in the tanks or a failed pump can hide staining and structural damp. The walk-through transom and swim platform seals, the pop-top gasket, and the folding helm seat hinge are the other owner-dependent details. The B&R rig's swept-spreader geometry should be checked at the mast step and chainplates, since there is no backstay to share load.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Owner communities are active on both coasts and the Great Lakes, which is where these boats tend to circulate. For the shopper, the short checklist is: confirm the ballast pumps empty and fill correctly, inspect transom and pop-top seals, verify the B&R rigging at mast and chainplates, and test the retractable bowsprit. A clean, dry ballast system and a serviceable pop-top make the 270 a practical trailerable cruiser for a family of four or five.
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
10 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunter 33 | 32.67' | $ 64,228 | 100 | 24 |
| Catalina 27 | 26.83' | $ 7,900 | 77 | 20 |
| Hunter Marine 31 | 31.33' | $ 21,200 | 70 | 12 |
| Catalina 270 | 28.33' | $ 26,220 | 61 | 20 |
| Hunter 29.5 | 29.5' | $ 25,000 | 34 | 8 |
| Hunter Marine 310 | 30.83' | $ 35,000 | 26 | 9 |
| Marlow-Hunter 28 | 28.01' | $ 17,943 | 15 | 5 |
| Marlow-Hunter 320 | 31.58' | $ 48,000 | 15 | 4 |
| Hunter 280 | 27.75' | $ 23,750 | 14 | 4 |
| Hunter Boats 27-2 | 26.58' | $ 9,450 | 10 | 4 |