Hunter 49 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Hunter 49 means looking at a 49-foot cruiser that Hunter Marine launched as its new flagship under Glenn Henderson's redesign direction. She is a beamy three-cabin boat whose used population includes both private and ex-charter histories, and the owner three-cabin layout is the more common version afloat, though both configurations turn up. Knowing what was standard, what owners added, and where the test record flagged weak points will sharpen any survey.
Layouts on the Used Market
The dominant used configuration is the owner three-cabin plan: a forward master with walk-around double and ensuite head, plus two aft guest cabins that sleep two couples but run tighter than the master. Ex-charter examples are common and typically carry the same footprint with lighter interior wear patterns expected from rotation use. The saloon seats eight and provides two seaberths, a nav station with a bucket seat, and a galley with four refrigeration units. Headroom runs 6 feet 9 inches in the saloon. A deep sump below the floorboards houses centrally mounted through-hulls and low-centerline machinery, a layout that favors both sailing balance and access.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Most boats on the market carry a strong cruising kit. Commonly fitted items include autopilot, electric winches, chartplotter, radar, AIS, air conditioning, furling main, bimini, dodger, cockpit shower, swim platform, dinghy davits, freezer, solar, and Starlink, which together mean a buyer can step aboard and cruise without a major outfitting spend. For power and energy, the house bank is often supplemented by lithium batteries and the boat may carry a generator mounted low in the sump; bow thrusters are often seen and make docking the 32,800-pound hull far easier. Sail-handling upgrades frequently include a self-tacking jib and a spinnaker for short-handed or downwind work, while a washing machine appears on many boats as a comfort addition. Less common owner upgrades include heating, an inverter, teak decks, a life raft, and hot water — worth confirming if those matter to your plans.
What to Inspect
The test record on hull #1 flagged two interior items that a buyer should check. The saloon grabrails showed a bit of give when pulled hard, so verify they are securely backed and not loosened with age. The companionway lacked a handhold at the first step, a gap in the brace path that later owners may or may not have addressed. On the water, the helm felt responsive but stiff and read like a Lewmar Mamba steering system needing fine-tuning rather than a design fault; exercise the steering lock-to-lock and confirm the unit has been serviced. Through-hulls are bronze and sit centrally in the deep sump, so inspect them and the bonded hull-to-deck flange for any weep or adhesive breakdown.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Hunter 49s regularly appear in the United States, Spain, Belize, Canada, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico. For a buyer, the checklist is short and grounded in the boat's documented weak points:
- Confirm which layout — owner three-cabin is most common; ex-charter examples frequent
- Verify grabrail backing and any added companionway handhold
- Exercise and service the Lewmar Mamba steering
- Check bronze through-hulls and flange joint in the deep sump
- Note lithium, bow thruster, and generator as common but not universal upgrades
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Hunter 49. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 16 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 25 | 1 | $200,000 | — |
| Mar 25 | 1 | $250,535 | +25.3% |
| Apr 25 | 1 | $214,000 | -14.6% |
| May 25 | 2 | $206,950 | -3.3% |
| Jun 25 | 2 | $222,354 | +7.4% |
| Aug 25 | 3 | $214,000 | -3.8% |
| Sep 25 | 4 | $201,500 | -5.8% |
| Oct 25 | 6 | $209,000 | +3.7% |
| Nov 25 | 2 | $270,000 | +29.2% |
| Dec 25 | 2 | $245,000 | -9.3% |
| Jan 26 | 3 | $209,000 | -14.7% |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $249,000 | +19.1% |
| May 26 | 3 | $243,307 | -2.3% |
| Jun 26 | 1 | $239,000 | -1.8% |
| Jul 26 | 2 | $25,000 | -89.5% |
| Aug 26 | 3 | $199,000 | +696.0% |
Where they're listed
Hunter 49 listings appear across 7 countries. United States has the most listings with 18 (69.2%), followed by Belize and Canada.
Country view
26 listings · 7 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $209,000 | 18 | 5 | 69.2% |
| Belize | $270,000 | 2 | 0 | 7.7% |
| Canada | $245,981 | 2 | 1 | 7.7% |
| Australia | $192,957 | 1 | 0 | 3.8% |
| Dominican Republic | $239,000 | 1 | 1 | 3.8% |
| Spain | $250,535 | 1 | 0 | 3.8% |
| Mexico | $249,000 | 1 | 0 | 3.8% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
11 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Performance Sun Odyssey 49 | 49.16' | $ 173,626 | 105 | 19 |
| Beneteau 49 | 49.5' | $ 218,750 | 58 | 9 |
| Hylas 49 | 48.88' | $ 419,000 | 38 | 6 |
| Hallberg-Rassy 49 | 49.08' | $ 243,660 | 34 | 8 |
| Taswell 49 | 48.83' | $ 175,000 | 31 | 3 |
| Bavaria Yachts Cruiser 49 | 50.5' | $ 125,850 | 30 | 4 |
| Hunter 49You are here | — | $ 214,000 | 27 | 7 |
| Hunter Marine 50 CC | 49.92' | $ 254,000 | 16 | 5 |
| Oyster Yachts 49 | 51.83' | $ 384,176 | 12 | 0 |
| Southerly 49 | 49.57' | $ 407,553 | 12 | 3 |
| Atlantic 49 | 49' | $ 58,264 | 7 | 3 |