Design and Construction
The Hunter 49’s hull is solid hand-laid fiberglass below the waterline, with end-grain balsa coring above. The bow has Kevlar reinforcement for impact resistance. The deck is also balsa-cored, and solid-aluminum backing plates at hardware mounting points ensure that loaded blocks and winches bear on metal rather than the cored sandwich.
All through-hulls are bronze. The hull-to-deck joint uses two outward-turning flanges, both bolted and bonded with 5200 adhesive. Beneath the floorboards is an enormous, deep sump with centrally mounted through-hulls. Its depth also allows the generator and engine to sit on the centerline in the lowest part of the boat, which helps sailing performance.
The shoal-draft version draws 5 feet 6 inches and carries 12,544 pounds of ballast against a displacement of 32,813 pounds. That 38 percent ballast ratio gives the boat a steady, substantial feel.
Rig, Sailing, and Handling
The Hunter 49 carries a B&R rig with a full-roach mainsail and flaking system, an arch-mounted traveler, and in-mast-furling main and jib. The test crew rolled the sails up easily as conditions changed. Sheet leads at the helm put sail trim within reach of a single sailor, while shallow wells behind each wheel give the standing helmsman a place to brace as the boat heels.
On a 180-mile passage from St. Augustine to Charleston, the tester recorded 7 knots upwind in 8 to 12 knots of wind on flat water, with the boat tacking through 80 degrees. As the wind rose into the high 20s, speeds on broad and beam reaches remained in the 8-to-9-knot range and briefly exceeded 10 knots.
The helm was responsive but stiff. That stiffness seemed less like a flaw than a Lewmar Mamba steering unit in need of fine-tuning; the unit was tunable rather than defective.
Under power, the standard 75-horsepower Yanmar drove the boat at 8 knots at 2,500 rpm. A bow thruster made maneuvering in tight quarters excellent. Stout insulation and tight-fitting access points also kept engine noise low.
Accommodations
Inside, the Hunter 49 is unapologetically large. The saloon seats eight for dinner and offers 6-foot-9-inch headroom. Two excellent seaberths add practical sleeping space. Numerous handholds—including two sturdy posts beside the companionway and grabrails below the ports—provide uninterrupted places to brace through the big cabin.
A cabinet with a fan and a drain plumbed to the bilge doubles as an out-of-the-way dish dryer. The galley has four separate refrigeration units, Corian counters, and glass-paneled, LED-lit cabinets. The navigation station includes a good-size table and a bucket seat.
The master cabin has a walk-around double berth, two hanging lockers, opening hatches, an ensuite head with a separate shower, and its own flat-screen TV. Two identical aft guest cabins can sleep two couples, though they’re considerably tighter than the master.
A purely ornamental light strip runs through the vinyl headliner near the coachroof—a nod to the boat’s condo-grade ambitions.
Machinery and Cruising Systems
Hunter offered the 49 with either the standard 75-horsepower Yanmar or an optional 100-horsepower unit. The deep-sump layout places the major machinery low and central for access and balance.
Three 8D house batteries and a Group 34 starting battery feed a 100-amp charger. This system supports the boat’s considerable hotel load, including air conditioning, refrigeration, and electronics.
With 150 gallons of fuel and 200 gallons of water, the Hunter 49 is set up for long coastal or island stretches without frequent reprovisioning. Cruising World found that the big, beamy 49 still kicks up her heels under sail.
Known Issues
Two fit-and-finish concerns surfaced during the test. The saloon grabrails had some give when pulled hard, and the companionway lacked a handhold for the first step. That omission leaves a small gap in the chain of brace points at the foot of the ladder. Neither issue was structural, but both are worth knowing about for offshore use, where secure movement matters.
The helm stiffness was traced to the steering unit rather than the hull. As noted above, the unit needed tuning rather than replacement.
The Verdict
The Hunter 49 is a big, beamy cruiser that sails with more spark than its volume suggests while surrounding the crew with residential comfort. Henderson’s refined B&R rig and helm-led sheet paths make it genuinely manageable short-handed.
Construction details such as bronze through-hulls, Kevlar bow reinforcement, and the bonded flange joint point to a serious offshore-capable shell beneath the glossy interior. The flexible grabrails and missing companionway handhold are minor concerns, while the stiff helm is a tuning issue rather than a defect.
Pros
- Easy singlehanded sail trim from the helm, with in-mast furling and an arch-mounted traveler
- Strong passage performance: 7 knots upwind in light air and 8–10 knots reaching in winds in the 20s
- Deep sump places machinery low and central for balance and quiet running
- Generous three-cabin layout with seaberths and a full galley
Cons
- Saloon grabrails flex, and the companionway lacks a first-step handhold
- Helm felt stiff, indicating a need for steering-system tuning
- Aft guest cabins are tight compared with the expansive master cabin
