President and Owner of C. Raymond Hunt Associates
When people think of the deep-vee powerboat, they often think of Ray Hunt. Equally integral to that legacy is John Deknatel, president and owner of C. Raymond Hunt Associates in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
A Harvard graduate who studied architecture, Deknatel began his early career with designer Philip Rhodes in the 1960s. He joined Ray Hunt as a business partner in 1966 and has since focused on planing-hull design, continuously refining the Hunt deep-vee hull form. Under his leadership, the firm has advanced hull engineering, optimizing ride, handling and efficiency for both recreational and professional vessels.
C. Raymond Hunt Associates (crhunt.com) has been responsible for the design of the entire Hunt Yachts lineup, including cruisers, coupes, inflatables, center consoles and flybridge yachts (huntyachts.com). The firm’s designs have also powered models from Alden, Bertram, Black Watch, Boston Whaler, Chris-Craft, Little Harbor, Lowe, Palmer Johnson, Robalo and Wellcraft. Deknatel personally runs a Hunt Surfhunter 25 and sails a 34-foot Sabre, enjoying southern New England waters with his wife, Carol Taylor, and their grown children. The family resides in Brookline, Massachusetts, with a summer home in South Dartmouth.
Q: You’ve said a well-designed deep-vee powerboat can be efficient. Can you explain?
A: There’s a misconception that a flatter bottom is inherently more efficient. Efficiency isn’t decided by bottom shape alone. A properly engineered deep-vee hull can match or outperform other hull types in performance and efficiency, pound for pound. Criticisms of deep-vees usually refer to older, overweight designs with underpowered engines—boats that were heavy and inefficient regardless of hull shape. Our work emphasizes bottom loading and careful engineering. A good hull is essential, but it must be paired with correct weight distribution, structure and systems to achieve a truly efficient, well-performing boat.
Q: How has the deep-vee evolved since you first worked with Ray Hunt?
A: Early successful designs like the Bertram 31 were rugged, rough-water performers with deep deadrise carried aft. They offered exceptional performance at speed but could be wet or roll at trolling speeds because of small chines and constant deadrise to the stern. Today’s deep-vee geometry has evolved: chines and chine flats are broader, transom deadrise is refined, and center-of-gravity placement is reconsidered. Modern deep-vees retain the comfortable ride of the originals while staying drier, rolling less at trolling speeds, and carrying weight more effectively. Hulls are optimized for their intended mission—whether that’s a working pilot boat running reliably at 25 knots or a 35-knot sport cruiser that spends most of its life at displacement speeds.
Q: Is transom deadrise an overused or misinterpreted spec?
A: Transom deadrise is meaningful, but it can be misleading when viewed in isolation. Many boats quote a transom angle without accounting for variations forward in the hull. Some designs list 20 degrees at the transom but carry that constant angle into the midbody and then fatten the bow to gain interior volume—sacrificing the performance benefits of the deadrise. In contrast, our approach often uses a slightly higher midbody deadrise than the transom and avoids needless bow flare. We design the hull first for performance, then fit the interior into that hull, rather than compromising the hull for accommodations.
Q: How would you describe the Hunt Yachts fleet?
A: Hunt Yachts are not low-cost production boats; they’re designed to be the best possible vessel for their size. We don’t operate as a high-volume factory churning out identical hulls each week. Instead, Hunt models under 40 feet are highly customizable, offering multiple propulsion options—diesel, jet, sterndrive or inboard—depending on the buyer’s needs. The design group collaborates closely with builders to deliver refined engineering, classic lines and a traditional aesthetic. Our clients often tell us they’re drawn to the timeless look rather than the contemporary Euro-style profile.
Q: Which Hunt designs stand out to you?
A: The Surfhunter 29 is a personal favorite because, for a boat under 30 feet, it fulfills a wide range of needs: a full windshield, options for hardtop, soft top or coupe, and the pronounced flare characteristic of the line. Many buyers discover they don’t need a larger boat after experiencing the Surfhunter 29’s versatility. At the opposite end of the scale, I’m proud of Electra, a 94-foot yacht built by Lyman-Morse. That project was notable for its technical demands and the owner’s commitment to performance—Electra achieves significantly higher speeds than the owner’s previous 89-foot Tumblehome, illustrating how advanced naval architecture and engineering can elevate yacht performance.
Q: What non-Hunt boats do you admire?
A: I respect sophisticated sailboats—designs by Swan and Farr, and the ongoing innovations from J/Boats. In powerboating, I admire manufacturers like Tiara for their consistent quality and early innovations in fiberglass construction, molding and assembly techniques. They represent solid, well-built boats that respect sound engineering practices.
Q: What was Ray Hunt like as a person and designer?
A: Ray was a quiet gentleman with an obsessive passion for design and sailing. He excelled as a racer—winning the Sears Cup twice as a junior and later claiming the 5.5 Metre World Championship in a boat of his own design. His design philosophy prioritized function over convention, often yielding innovations that excelled under specific conditions rather than conforming to traditional looks. He believed there was greater opportunity to improve powerboat design, where many vessels were simply under-engineered or poorly optimized, and he set out to make a practical impact.
Q: What problems do you see in today’s powerboats?
A: Modern boats increasingly carry more systems—washer/dryers, additional air conditioning, extra heads and complicated electronics. While these amenities provide comfort, they add complexity, weight and maintenance demands, and they can compromise the boat’s intended performance. Too often buyers end up with vessels unsuitable for the conditions they expected to handle. The key is matching boat design and outfitting to the owner’s real mission requirements so the boat performs reliably and remains enjoyable to use.
Q: What do buyers want today—value, speed, durability?
A: Today’s buyers are generally experienced boaters who expect quality, durability and good resale. New technologies—pod drives, joysticks and smarter space usage—have accelerated sales because they simplify handling and increase usable space. Joystick controls and pod systems, in particular, have become important decision factors for buyers because they make docking and close-quarters maneuvering far easier. The trade-off is greater complexity, but for many owners the operational benefits outweigh that cost.
Q: Where is boating headed?
A: We’re seeing features from larger yachts trickle down into smaller boats: full-beam sterns with integrated swim platforms, garages for dinghies, foldaway stairways and Euro-style transoms that improve usability. Designers are borrowing lessons from megayachts to make smaller vessels easier to use and more comfortable. The trend emphasizes convenience, ease of launch and recovery of tenders, and interiors configured around how people actually use their boats—bringing big-boat functionality to a broader range of sizes.
This article originally appeared in the February 2012 issue.