1990 Hunter 30T

** SOLD ** (pending) Sleepy Dragon” is a Hunter 30ft fractional rig sloop. She has a winged fin keel and draws 4.5ft tanks full - an ideal draft for Florida coastal waters. We are the second owners from new and have owned her since 2003. The Hunter 30T is the perfect boat for two people to get away for a few days at a time having an “open plan” layout - a transverse double under the cockpit plus a large triangle berth forward for kids or elbow room.

More pictures and videos at oharasailboat.com/hunter-30ft-sailboat.html

Equipment: The main cabin has plenty of seating around a dropleaf table. A double burner Origo stove has an useful oven for cinnamon rolls on the way out in the mornings. It runs on safe stove fuel - no worrisome propane fumes. A rail-mounted charcoal BBQ mounts on the rail at the transom.

SleepyD is very stable (the correct term is “stiff”) with extremely good performance for a cruiser. We have never been overtaken upwind! (Except by a pesky local trimaran.) The over-large mainsail is usually reefed once when wind strength gets to a Force 3 and above and then boat remains well balanced. I frequently single-hand her with the assistance of George the Raytheon Autohelm which has an “auto tack” feature leaving one to tend the jib sheets. If the wind drops to leave other boats ghosting, you shake out the reef and a satisfying bubbling from the bows ensues.

She has a reliable Yanmar 2 cylinder 20hp diesel which is very accessible for maintenance. The previous owner had managed to bend the con-rods (!) so I fitted new rods, pistons and bearings plus new valves, springs and pumps. Compression is still great. I managed to wrap the end of the mainsheet around the prop-shaft (oops) so she also has a new Yanmar Gearbox and Clutch.

Sails are from UK Sails in Tampa - a “Tape Drive” Carbon laminated jib and a Dacron main. They have a lovely shape. If you haven’t sailed a fractional rig boat before you’d be in for a treat. As most of the power comes from the main, by just easing the traveller or tightening the backstay, any gusts can be accommodated without losing speed. Contrast this with boats that use a masthead Genoa for their main source of power - they are over on their sides whilst frantic easing of sheets is done! Race boats are fractional - enough said!

Instrumentation is from Garmin - a multi function GPS color display at the helm is integrated with a sensitive depth module and the Raytheon Autohelm. Pre-define your waypoints, hit “Track” and “Auto” and you just have to keep the sails trimmed.