Hunter Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997
Contact us
Hunter OEM Parts
General Marine Parts
 
 

Review of the Hunter 340 by Mike Kinney

Year built 1999  
Location of boat Palacios, TX  
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 2-4  
Liveaboard?  
Owner bought the boat in 1999  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Yes, the 340 has surpassed my expectations in every way.  
Gear that's been added Dealer installed equipment includes Raytheon SL72 Pathfinder Radar, Custom Bimini/Dodger and connector, 4 cabin fans, Autohelm Autopilot, GPS, third battery, cockpit speakers and a 12 volt outlet at the helm station; Factory options include air conditioning, refrigeration, macerator, traveler, window shades, and solid boom vang. I will add an anchor in the near future once I have made a decision on the make and model.  
Structural or complex improvements none, just added water :)  
The boat's best features This boat really is fun to sail and it doesn't take much wind to make her go. The cockpit area is kept clean of lines and subtle adjustments to the mainsail are easy with the traveler lines that exit at about hip level from the arch. The two-speed winches make adjustment of the jib quick and easy. An autopilot makes the boat easy to singlehand as I solo sail about half the time. The cabin is very livable. With four people on board, the boat is spacious enough that it doesn't feel overcrowded. The galley works well both at anchor and underway--I love that gimballed stove and refrigeration. The ventilation, together with the cabin fans, make the whole boat comfortable at anchor even on warm, muggy Texas nights.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. I think this boat is incredibly well designed; however, there are a few areas that could possibly be improved. First, in rough seas, there is no binacle guard for the helmsman to grasp to keep himself steady and in place. The steering wheel is the only object available to hold onto. Below decks, in a seaway, there is only one decent sea berth. The aft cabin, with the bunk running athwartships, is not functional. The v-berth is functional but tends to have significant motion resulting in sick crew. Only the settees work well as sea berths. The other challenge is to find storage for longer items such as oars for the dinghy. Because the cockpit lockers are all quite short, there is no place to store my oars in the cockpit; I have resorted to keeping them in the aft cabin. One other quirky factory problem on my boat was that the water line stripe was installed too low; the thru hull for the air conditioner discharge was installed below the waterline, and the bottom paint was not applied high enough on the hull. The dealer fixed these problems before delivery.  
Sailing characterisitcs The boat sails very predictably. With the large sail area, it doesn't take much wind to get the boat moving. As the wind accelerates, weather helm will develop and it is important to keep the boat sailing flat to keep it moving fast and to maintain a more neutral helm. I put in the first reef at about 15 knots of apparent wind and the second at around 18 to 20 knots. My favorite conditions are 20 to 25 knots of wind with a double reefed main and a little bit of the jib furled. This boat will reach and exceed hull speed very easily in these conditions. This boat loves to kick up her heels and go--just keep her sailing flat by reefing early. By the way, reefing is done from the cockpit; no one has to go up on deck. As we all know, sailing downwind is challenging with the swept back spreaders. I don't yet have a spinnaker, but I think a spinnaker would add significantly to the fun of sailing off the wind. For now, I jibe between broad reaches when my course is dead down wind. To avoid broaching, I reef the main in stronger winds.  
Motoring characterisitcs Under power, I get about 3600 to 3800 RPMs at maximum throttle. I was told by the dealer to run her at about 3300. At 3300 she vibrates pretty significantly; however, there is a sweet spot at about 3100 RPMs at which she will exceed 6.8 knots in smooth to moderate seas. I'm guessing fuel consumption is around 3/4 gallons per hour. I find she handles well under power in either forward or reverse. I normally enter my slip stern first to take advantage of the fold down helm seat that makes boarding and unboarding the boat so easy.  
Liveability Very liveable. The aft cabin is large enough that you it doesn't feel claustrophobic and there is sufficient storage for extra gear and clothes. The bunk is excellent as are the reading lights. The v-berth is a bit short, but very comfortable once you settle in; it is best used by individuals under 5' 10  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) I haven't contacted them about anything yet; however, they have contacted me on a couple of occasions to solicit my opinions about the boat and generally to assess my level of satisfaction with the boat and dealer. It really feels good to have a manufacturer care about your opinions AFTER you have made the purchase.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any I bought the boat from Ship and Sail in Kemah, TX, and my transaction involved a trade of my Hunter 280. My broker there was Lee Brumley and he truly understands and delivers customer service. My expectations were greatly exceeded and if I buy another Hunter in the future I will buy from Ship and Sail.  
Other comments  

Contact
About
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Limited Liability
Advertise Here
Copyright 1997-2024 SB Owners, LLC
All rights reserved.

Other Sailboat Owners web sites:
CatalinaOwners.com | HunterOwners.com | MacgregorOwners.com | OdayOwners.com | SailboatOwners.com | 10,000 Boat Names |