Design and Construction
Lee’s work runs through the 490’s story. He designed the Squib—a one-time Olympic Keel Boat also sold as the Hunter 19—as well as the Hunter Europa and Hunter 701. The 490 was one of several Hunters he produced for the renamed firm before the middle of the decade.
The solid-fiberglass monohull displaces 1,000 pounds and carries 300 pounds of iron ballast. Beam is 6.59 feet, while the lifting keel swings from 3.25-foot maximum draft to 1.51 feet. A ballast-to-displacement ratio of 30 percent, paired with a capsize screen of 2.64, identifies the 490 as a small, comparatively well-weighted day cruiser rather than a lightly ballasted runabout.
Rig and Handling
The 490 carries a fractional sloop rig with 118 square feet of working sail, divided between a 6.50-square-meter mainsail and a 4.65-square-meter jib. Period commentary describes these boats as very quick, capable, safe small cruisers that can give most of the competition a clean pair of heels. That judgment fits Lee’s racing-yacht pedigree and the boat’s low 5.01-knot hull speed, coupled with modest wetted surface.
With the keel raised, the 1.51-foot draft opens up shallow creeks. Lowering it to the full 3.25-foot draft firms the boat up offshore with ballast-backed stability. That flexibility suits the sheltered estuaries and tidal rivers where a boat of this type naturally lives.
Accommodation
Below, the 490 is honest about its size. The cabin provides berths for two or three people within an overall length of 4.9 meters and a beam of 2.01 meters. There’s no pretense of a third cabin or generous standing headroom. This is a weekender for a couple with a child, or perhaps a third occasional crewmember, and the lifting-keel trunk necessarily shapes the saloon footprint.
What the 490 gives up in interior volume, it returns in trailability and the ease of landing ashore with its shallow draft.
Verdict
The Hunter 490 is a small, well-ballasted lifting-keel cruiser with a racing-influenced pedigree and a reputation for surprising speed in company. It’s best understood as a characterful estuary and coastal dayboat rather than a miniature offshore passagemaker. Its scarcity in absolute numbers adds to the appeal for a buyer seeking something different from the ubiquitous later Hunters.
Pros
- Lifting keel provides a shallow draft of 1.51 feet, increasing to a ballast-backed 3.25 feet when lowered
- Quick, capable handling credited by period review, including against larger competition
- Designed by Oliver Lee, noted for his model-racing and Olympic-class work
Cons
- At only 4.9 meters long, with berths for two or three, cruising space is minimal
- Production is said to have reached 80 hulls, but sail numbers have been observed only as high as 41, so the actual count remains uncertain
