Hi John

It would be useful if you added a few data, like intended use, and keel version used on your boat. Now I found the Hunter Sonata on Sailboat Data. At first glance, it appears that you have a choice between two or three mast positions. If you sacrifice the fore hatch and put the mast at the fore end of it, you avoid having a mast through the berths of the fore-peak. That would either call for a high-balance sail (Van Loan or Slieve’s split junk), or for a slim Johanna-style sail of high aspect ratio.

I you move the mast to 25cm forward of the hatch (mast centre), you save the fore hatch, but will have to live with that mast dividing the forepeak’s berth. In this position a sail with little balance and more moderate aspect ratio could be built, either a fantail-style sail or a Johanna-style sail.

The suggested positions above are with plumb masts. You could even squeeze in a mast forward of the hatch and (almost) aft of the berth by raking it moderately forward. Forward-raked masts would not be my first choice on most boats, but I guess it could make some sense here.

More on masts and battens later, when you have told about how you intend to use the boat.

Cheers, Arne