Hunt Yachts, the legendary builder of blue-water, go-anywhere boats for more than half a century, just introduced a new, elegant 40-foot center console with a queen berth tucked into its cabin that is powered by three 300-hp Mercury Verado outboards. The new Hunt, with a 23-degree deadrise at the transom, combines two major trends: The move to larger and larger center consoles, incorporating more amenities to make them family-friendly, and the move to larger and larger outboard engines for fuel-efficient, quiet and reliable power. Hunt says the new 40 with standard power will top out at 54 mph; with three 350-hp Mercs it will hit 57 mph.
In announcing the new boat in the Hinckley Yacht offices in Annapolis, Maryland, looking out over the Annapolis power boat show, Scott Bryant, the company’s director of product development, said it would be “great for a cruising couple or for a group of buddies who want to head out to the Canyon.” (Hinckley is Hunt’s parent company.) With Hunt, Bryant said, “performance is everything,” and the 40’s hull is designed by Winn Willard, the president of Ray Hunt Design; Hunt Design draws the hulls for pilot boats and patrol boats in addition to all the Hunt recreational boats.
The 40 has classic Hunt lines, with a low profile and long sheer. “It has timeless aesthetics,” Bryant said. “This boat will never go out of style.”
One new touch is a starboard-side boarding door to make access easy from a dock. You also can board via the integrated swim platform and a door on each side of the transom leading into the cockpit. There’s a seat across the transom that folds up out of the way for fishing. The leaning post has a counter, sink, drawers and storage for four fenders in a side locker. A 30-gallon bait well is optional. The bow has more seating and a table to make it a separate social area.
Two steps down from the helm on the port side, the cabin is large enough for weekend (or more) cruising. The galley is to port and to starboard is a large head with a separate shower. Forward, a U-shaped settee for three persons converts to a queen-sized berth.
The Hunt’s high-tech, strong and lightweight hull is laid up with infused epoxy with an integrated primary bond between the hull and stringers. The boat comes with a lifetime structural warranty for the hull and deck for the original owner.
With the standard three Mercury Verados for power, the base price is $695,000. The boat also is available with three Yamaha 350-hp outboards, or two 627-hp Seven Marine outboards.
Specs.: LOA: 42’7”; Beam: 12’5”; Draft: 3’1”; Disp.: 19,000 lbs.; Fuel: 450 gals.; Water: 50 gals.; Power: 3×300-hp Mercury Verado four-stroke outboards.
For more: http://huntyachts.com
