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Review of the Hunter 306 by Dennis Phillips

Year built 2003  
Location of boat Mount Vernon YC (Alex, VA)  
The boat is sailed on Bays, sounds, or protected salt water  
How the boat is used Weekends and longer  
Normal wind strength 10-15 knots  
Average size of crew solo  
Liveaboard? No  
Owner bought the boat in 2008  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Yes. (more to come)  
Gear that's been added Second house battery. Jacklines (and main preventer) for solo sailing. Larger/lighter anchor (Fortress). Whisker pole for light air downwind legs. Magma grill. (more info shortly)  
Structural or complex improvements None.  
The boat's best features My home marina has < 3 feet at low tide and I now need a boat with very shoal draft. The 3' 10' draft of the Hunter 306 still limits departures and arrivals from the channel of the Potomac to low tide +/- 2 hours or so. I bought the boat to cruise primarily single handed and the size is just about right. I have spent a few overnight trips with my wife and another couple and it's doable...with the two of us for a week it's OK. Alone, it's the right size for the Potomac and the Chesapeake. Very easy to manage. Nice design, though there is limited storage.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. Had a failed (or clogged) joker valve that was a messy/stinky problem until replaced. Had a problem propane solenoid that gave weak/intermittent flame at the stove until replaced. Had problems with anchor light - will replace with a LED bulb in spring. Changed all nav lights to LEDs. Mainsheet showed wear at end where it goes into aft portion of boom, so I replaced it. Raymarine AP keeps losing itself although I've reset it and reswung, etc. Will have system fully checked by a tech in spring. Yanmar on several occasions just wouldn't start. (Eventually did with no reason we could figure out for non-starting.) Norton's re-connected starter ground to a different place on the engine. (I will probably buy a new starter and keep for next failure. ???)  
Sailing characterisitcs Easy to sail (and handle solo) from the cockpit. For a light 30 footer, I'm happy. (I'd like it, of course, to sail like a 35 footer.)  
Motoring characterisitcs I am disappointed in myself for how often I just motor in light air and on intended courses that are basically upwind...instead of just sailing. I find that I am a pretty lazy sailor when I am solo. Since I just admitted that, the boat motors just fine. Wish it went faster under power, of course, but then I've yet to ever use more than 1/2 gallon per hour under power. So there's that!  
Liveability For just one guy, it's just fine. For my wife and I - and for the price of the investment - it's very nice for a week or so. For good friends - another couple - joining us for a day and night or weekend cruise, it's "doable". The doability, in my opinion, is direcly related to how "well" you are friends. :-) I don't think of this as a liveaboard boat.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) Excellent support - questions and information requests - from Hunter! (Thanks to Don Martin in Customer Service) Had reason to also work with Selden on some mast/boom parts, and got great support from them in Charleston. No problems so far...I'm a happy camper.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any Great support also from the folks a Norton's in Deltaville, VA, where I bought the boat, and where I've had work done that I couldn't do. Thanks to the whole crew there.  
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