Design and Construction
The hull is made of solid hand-laid fiberglass and vinylester resin, with the forward section from stem to keel reinforced by impact-resistant Kevlar. Rather than building the cabin furniture in place, the yard constructs the interior in modules that drop onto a structural grid in the hull before the deck is lowered; those modules are then glued and tabbed to both hull and deck to form a one-piece structure. The hull-to-deck joint uses an outward-turning flange that is both screwed and glued with 3M 5200, then hidden under a heavy-duty rubrail. The result is a stiff, well-sealed shell whose interior does not rely on freestanding joinery for its backbone.
Rig and Handling
Above the deck, the Hunter 50 CC carries a Seldén-built B&R rig that eliminates the need for a backstay, paired with a trademark mainsheet arch that keeps the traveler clear of the cockpit. Doyle supplies the sails and Lewmar the winches, while a Raymarine electronics package handles navigation. With a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 16 and a displacement-length ratio of 195, the boat is no featherweight, but the hull is big and heavy enough to stand up to a breeze. A 75-horsepower Yanmar turns a shaft drive, and the house draws from three 8D batteries fed by an 80-amp alternator.
Accommodations
This design earned a Best Boats award for excellence in accommodation, and the layout explains why. The slightly raised saloon is bright and airy thanks to large fixed windows and several opening ports and hatches. A full-size forward-facing nav station serves the offshore navigator, and an easy-access wet locker sits under the companionway steps. The aft stateroom is the centerpiece: a fully walk-around bed, a walk-in closet rather than a mere hanging locker, a contoured recliner, and a built-in chest of drawers, with the bed flipping up to reveal a full-size jet-equipped tub. On deck, the cockpit seats are deep and long enough to stretch out on, though testers noted the seatbacks are a bit low, and the curved companionway stairs seen on the first hull were replaced by wide, straight steps with handholds and broad antiskid treads.
Cockpit and Deck Gear
Instead of conventional stern seats, the 50 CC places an "admiral's seat" in the stainless steelwork around the stern; it seats two and includes a tabletop. Multiple deck lockers are sized to swallow fenders and docklines, and provision is made for a liferaft. Those details, together with the deep cockpit, mark her as a boat meant for extended living at anchor as much as passage-making.
Known Issues
Two minor ergonomic caveats came from period testing. The companionway steps are a bit steep, and the cockpit seatbacks are a bit low for some sailors' taste. Neither touches structure or systems, and both were present on the reviewed boat alongside the otherwise praised accommodation plan.
The Verdict
The Hunter 50 CC is a thoughtfully engineered center-cockpit cruiser whose modular interior and glued-and-bolted hull-to-deck joint yield a genuinely rigid structure. The B&R rig and arch traveler simplify cockpit workflow, and the aft cabin is exceptional for the class. She is heavy rather than lithe, but that mass is what lets her carry her accommodations and stand up to wind.
Pros
- Rigid one-piece structure from tabbed modular interior and outward-flange hull-to-deck joint
- Outstanding aft stateroom with walk-around berth, walk-in closet, and hidden jet tub
- B&R rig without backstay and arch-mounted traveler clear of the cockpit
- Bright raised saloon with full forward-facing nav station and wet locker
Cons
- Companionway steps a bit steep
- Cockpit seatbacks a bit low
