By John Kerr

When I was much younger than I am now, I remember the delivery of a Morgan Out Island 51, not because it was a neat boat but because it was unique in look and feel and it had a center cockpit. We all were taken aback by that design and layout; once again we were impressed with Hunter’s treatment of the same concept. Hunter has brought a great value to the market in an affordable, easy-to-sail model. To do a center cockpit concept right, there is so much detail a designer needs to consider: different center of gravity; new interior head space; and maintenance (especially in Hunter’s case) the new dynamic look and feel of the boat.

It’s a tough challenge and Hunter has pulled this off. One feature that we liked on the 45CC is the lower slung coach roof; it’s a perfect match for this boat.

Like the Morgan Out Island 51, this boat is made for cruising; its wonderful visibility up top makes it a dream to navigate just about anywhere.

True to the new Hunter mantra, the construction techniques employed are done so to lower the center of gravity. In the 45, the use of a solid fiberglass laminate below the water line is complimented with balsa core on the topsides with Kevlar reinforcements throughout. Modular interior construction is being used extensively on Hunter models and in fact has been for some time. The methods and results today, however, add considerably more strength. Building the interior outside of the boat yields increased quality and improves the overall building methods. Once the interior is properly aligned and bonded, it creates a true unibody structure.

What is also becoming obvious– certainly to the team at CY–is the partnerships Hunter is building with its suppliers. The Harken influence is seen everywhere and is complimented by a lot of Lewmar product; Selden’s efforts on the rig side are backed up by the use of a 75 HP Yanmar power plant below.

The cockpit boasts a fold-away steering wheel, a large fold-out table, two neat coaming lockers and features Flexi-Teek on the cockpit seats. Flexi-Teek is Hunter’s synthetic teak that shows well and requires no hassle maintenance. Neat, too, is the grab rail that has been integrated into the pedestal. Aft, the swim platform (also using Flexi-Teek) although a touch small, has a neat ladder and shower option.

The deck layout is typically clean with all sail controls lead to the back and the optional halyard winch is a must. The non-skid deck is done very well and a testament to increasing efforts by the Luhrs Marine Group commitment to quality. If you want a quick check on boat quality, always check the non-skid integration. Moving forward is easy and safe with the double lifelines that offer three gates, two on each side and one aft. Hunter has typically lead the way with the integration of the arch design, which keeps the boom out of the way while supporting the traveler and acting as a support for the bimini top.

The Selden rig is a fractional rig with a double spreader set up that seems to be more common on Hunter boats today. It’s clean and neat and the no backstay rigging set up continues to impress us. The rigid boom vang is a standard feature as well.

Initially, we were not fans of the vertical batten concept but we are slowly becoming believers here as the shape and efficiency of the sail is not jeopardized. The large roach looks great and the in-mast furling is quite easy for the large mainsail that drives the boat beautifully. Forward, the 110% jib is handled easily on the standard Furlex roller furling system and the inboard sheet tracks are set up well inboard to tighten up sheeting angles perfectly.

Attending as many shows as we do we can get a feel for below decks quickly and one thing we liked about this boat is how bright it is. Everywhere below in the 45CC, quality exudes on every turn from the spacious starboard side galley to the slightly curved steps that take you below decks. The challenges in layout of any center cockpit boat are numerous but we really like the efforts below here. The U-shaped galley is in the center of the boat, perfect for entertaining above and below decks. With its huge counter space, double-sink configuration, two burner gimbaled stove and neat side-by-side fridge/freezer, the setup is hard to beat. Cabinets are easy to reach and latches and hardware are solid and firm.

Raytheon electronics grace the navigation station that’s got a feature few boats have: a neat fitted pivoting navigator’s chair. The large tabletop is also nice to see as builders often scrimp here.

John KeForward of the nav station to port, the large table can easily sit six. Opposite the two seats, a settee offers a great place to curl up and read a book. The main cabin is large, boasting 6’9” of headroom and is a wonderful focal point and feature of the boat.

The master stateroom is aft and comes as complete as you could imagine. The large queen-sized berth is located right aft in the center and the seven opening ports guaranteed great cross-ventilation. Corian-topped night tables, tons of storage and two cedar lined lockers were just a few of the neat touches here. There is a private head as well.

Forward, the double V-berth has the typical below storage lay-up. It has a single hanging locker to starboard and good storage as well. The head is on the port side and features a shower and vanity.

The boat, simply put, is a winner from stem to stern and reinforces the new Hunter drive for quality. All the features one can imagine are here from window shades to lighting from the neat way the stanchions are fitted to the neat stem head-fitting layout. When you can, take a look. Be careful, you might get “45CCitis.”

Originally published in Canadian Yachting’s June 2006 issue.

Specifications
Length Overall 44'3"/13.49 m
Hull Length 42'2"/12.83 m
Waterline Length 39'2"/11.94 m
Beam 14'6"/4.42 m
Draft (Shoal) 5'0"/1.52 m
Draft (Deep) 6'6"/1.98 m
Displacement 22,936 lbs/10,404 kg
Ballast (Shoal) 7,389 lbs/3,352 kg
Ballast (Deep) 7,237 lbs/3,283 kg
Mast Height (from waterline)
Standard 57'4"/17.48 m
Furling 61'4"/18.70 m
Sail Area (standard) 962 sq ft/89 sq m
Sail Area (furling) 883 sq ft/82 sq m
Headroom 6'9"/2.06 m
Fuel Capacity 75 gal/288 liters
Water Tank Capacity 149 gal/564 liters
Holding Tank Capacity 48 gal/182 liters
Water Heater 11 gal/42 liters
Inboard Engine 75 hp/56 kw

HUNTER YACHTS are sold in Canada by:

East Coast
Sunnybrook Yachts
604-689-7491
www.sunnybrookyachts.com

Central Canada
Angus Yachts of Toronto
905-274-2968
www.yachtsoftoronto.com

West Coast
Specialty Yacht Sales
604-689-7491
www.specialtyyachtsales.com

Photo Captions
Photo 1 – The Hunter 45CC – A Winner in Every Aspect
Photo 2 - Layout of Hunter 45CC
Photo 3 - Navigation Station
Photo 4 – Galley
Photo 5 - Guest Head