Any discussion of a boat with a deep-V hull naturally hearkens back to Charles Raymond Hunt. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he developed the deep-V. The companies C. Raymond Hunt Associates and Ray Hunt Design refined it over the years, and it gained favor with many production boatbuilders throughout the decades—including the company’s branded line, Hunt Yachts, which became part of The Hinckley Company in 2013.
The Hunt deep-V has always had a variable-deadrise bottom with a sharp, deep entry forward that flattens to some degree toward the transom. The benefits of such a configuration—paired with Hunt’s blend of hard chines, lifting strakes and spray rails—include a soft, dry ride in a range of conditions, straight tracking, and stability at speed and at rest.
The latest in Hunt’s Ocean Series, the 68, embodies yet another evolution of the company’s deep-V with 20 degrees of deadrise at the transom that increases to about 60 degrees at the bow. The Ocean 68 is a fast, luxurious, customizable, amenities-rich cruising boat meant to be equally at home in the rough stuff offshore or sauntering along at trawler speeds on the Great Loop.
The Hinckley Company has positioned the Ocean Series as a yacht for more serious cruisers (the builder’s smaller Coastal series includes vessels from 26 to 32 feet). With the addition of the Ocean 68, that range features models in 56 (on the drawing board), 63 and 76 feet. Hunt refers to the 68 as a Goldilocks size for owners who find the 63 a bit small and the 76 a bit large.
“The Hunt Ocean Series accommodates the needs of those boaters who prefer to cruise longer distances, stay aboard longer, or perhaps take a captain or crew along,” says Rosemary O’Brien of Hunt Yachts.
Like its siblings, the 68 offers customization options, in either an express or a flybridge configuration.
“The optional layouts are really limited only by client imagination and structural consideration,” O’Brien says. “The master stateroom is usually aft. One could have up to four staterooms with two amidship cabins and the VIP forward. In one Hunt, we are building a workout room in place of the more usual third, amidships stateroom. In the most recent 68, the third cabin is opposite a utility area where there is extra refrigeration, freezer [and] pantry storage. In the 63-, 68- and 76-foot models, there is also an en suite crew cabin.”
Interior outfitting is a matter of personal taste, but the baseline is bright and contemporary with solid cherry and cherry veneer (the standard spec list includes 40 hours of consultation with an interior stylist).
Hull No. 1 is a flybridge version, which adds covered dining and outdoor entertaining space. An extended swim platform offers options for carrying tenders and toys.
The 68’s standard equipment list includes a suite of bridge electronics, a bow thruster, and Humphree stabilizers and fins. Standard power is a pair of 1,136-hp Caterpillar C-18s the company says will produce a top speed of about 27 knots. Optional 2,000-hp Cat C-32Bs can take the boat up to 37 knots at half load.
At a 24-knot cruise, the builder says, the 68 will return a range of 380 nautical miles with a 10 percent reserve. For an efficient ride, throttle back to around 10 knots, and her maximum range jumps to 1,160 nm.
Hunt owners also receive Hinckley Company support and warranties, and access to Hinckley service centers on the East Coast and their authorized partners on the Great Lakes and West Coast.
HUNT OCEAN 68
LOA: 68ft. 5½in.
Beam: 19ft. 6in.
Draft: 5ft. 5in.
Construction: FRP
Displacement: 100,000 lbs. (half load)
Fuel: 1,620 gal.
Water: 490 gal.
Engines: 2x 1,136-hp Caterpillar C-18
Info: huntyachts.com
This article was originally published in the January/February 2023 issue.
