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Review of the Hunter 336 by Paul McGhee

Year built 1995  
Location of boat Connecticut Coastline  
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? No  
Owner bought the boat in 1999  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Knowing what I know now, probably not. The boat is a coastal cruiser with a racy underbody and a high-fashion sailplan. If that's what you're looking for, great. Mostly, however, it's taught me that I'd prefer a more traditional design.  
Gear that's been added All I've done is upgrade the ground tackle from the too-light cruisepac stuff, added line hangers in the cockpit, installed a pedestal-mounted GPS, and bought new gel batteries. I'm currently looking into two additional items: a boom brake and battslides -- so I can reef without coming head to wind.  
Structural or complex improvements No  
The boat's best features She lives great. The space and layout of the salon, head and berths is just amazing. I've cruised on 40-footers that weren't as comfortable. In light air, it's a fast boat. I can get around just fine in very little wind. The small jib is a snap to handle. I don't even use a winch handle most of the time. You just give the sheet a good pull when the bow goes through the wind, and the sail will set at the correct angle without griding. Everyone bitches about single-line reefing, and it is inferior to a double-line system. However, the single-line reefing seems to work OK on this boat--if you're perfectly head-to-wind, I might add. That's not the fault of the reefing tackle, though.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. The pedestal mounted traveller/mainsheet is going to hurt someone eventually. Having a mainsheet flying around in the cockpit is NOT a great idea. The rudder is easily overpowered. It stalls running downsea on 2-foot waves. There's never a dull moment at the helm when the wind is aft of 120 degrees. In this boat, "reef early, reef deep" should be chiseled into the front of the cockpit. The huge main starts to over-heel the boat in only 15 knots apparent. I HATE it that I can't push the boom all the way out, because the swept-back shrouds are in the way. As a result, I sail--nervously--by the lee all the time. (That's why I'm installing a dutchman brake/preventer). That "tacking downwind" stuff is for the birds. I want to point the darn boat where I'm going, at least some of the time. Why, oh why, is there a soft vang and a topping lift on a boat with such an enormous roach in the mainsail? I have to ease the topping lift so much to get it out of the way of the sail, that we get conked if I forget to retighten it when I drop the main. This boat should come out of the factory with a hard vang. Maybe this layup season I'll install one.  
Sailing characterisitcs This boat is stiff in light air, then it overheels in medium air, which slows it down with tons of weather helm. I solve this by keeping a reef in the main nearly 100% of the time. Since we've almost always got 15 knots out on LI Sound, the boat performs well most of the time. She goes to weather really well. I pinch really high sometimes, feathering I think it's called, trying to fetch a bouy or other mark, and she plods along obediently at 3 knots.  
Motoring characterisitcs This boat is nimble and easy to control while backing under power, even with the standard two-blade prop. My marina neighbors are always complimenting me on how I handle the boat around the slip, but all I do is put it in reverse, turn around and steer.  
Liveability I've mentioned this favorably already. It's a floating hotel suite. Livability is the boat's best characteristic, in my opinion.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) Helpful, helpful, helpful. They return calls, they dig stuff out of the back of the warehouse for you, they tell you when you can find the same part at West Marine for less. Great folks.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any Nope, other than I wish that buying a house was as easy as buying a boat that costs about the same.  
Other comments I like my boat fine, and I like it more every year as I learn how to deal with its idiosyncracies. But, I have regrets. Next time, if there is a next time, I'll look for something with a little more keel, a little more rudder, and a little less fancy-schmancy sailplan. Call me old-fashioned, but I want a boat that I can heave to.  

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