Our resident used boat expert Dave Marsh explains how to find a good Hunton 43 on the secondhand market.
Much like the boat we’re covering here, Tom Cruise is tough, enduring, and seems to age weirdly slowly.
Let’s contrive another link – as Maverick he also uttered those famous words, “I feel the need …”, although strictly speaking it was Goose who who joined him to finish the sentence with “… the need for speed”.
If you frequently feel the need for speed, then maybe this boat is the secondhand sportscruiser for you.
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Just how fast is the Hunton 43? Well, if you stumble across the XRS43 whose thrill-seeking owner opted for the twin 662hp Mercury Racing petrol engines, about 70+ knots fast.
But to dismiss the Hunton 43 as no more than a guided missile in boat form would be to underestimate its range of talents.
For its size and weight, it sports the most fuel-efficient hull I’ve ever tested, so it’s surprisingly affordable to run and has a remarkable cruising range: just shy of 300 miles on a single full tank of fuel at 40 knots, with a 20 per cent safety reserve.
That impressive range goes hand-in-hand with the deep-vee hull’s ability to shrug off rough weather that would see many larger boats scuttling for cover.
So intrepid long-distance cruises are on the cards with, paradoxically, more scope for outrunning bad weather yet less need to do so.
Read our full used boat report on the Hunton 43 in the October issue of MBY, out September 2.
Hunton 43 specifications
In build: 1998 – 2015
LOA: 43ft 1in (13.13m)
Beam: 10ft 10in (3.30m)
Air draught: 9ft 11in (3.02m)
Displacement: 7.0 tonnes
Fuel capacity: 914 litres
Water capacity: 222 litres
Design: Jeff Hunton
RCD category: B for 8 people
Top speed: 50 knots with twin Volvo D6-400DPR 400hp diesel sterndrive
Range: 292 miles at 40 knots with 20% reserve
Current market value: £175,000-£375,000
