Hunter Owner Reviews

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

Review of the Hunter 336 by Tom Keough

Year built 1996  
Location of boat Newburyport, Massachusetts  
The boat is sailed on Open ocean  
How the boat is used Day sailing  
Normal wind strength 16-22 knots  
Average size of crew 2-4  
Liveaboard?  
Owner bought the boat in 1996  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Yes, although, like anything else, you don't discover all of the important little details until you have lived with it for a while.  
Gear that's been added Autohelm 4000, GPS at nav station, wind speed, direction readout, cockpit cushions, dodger  
Structural or complex improvements NO. None needed yet.  
The boat's best features Speed close-hauled or on a reach. Weather helm. Powerful mainsail, almost a self-tacking jib. Wonderful cockpit for entertaining at the dock. Great dinghy access through helm seat, swim platform, ladder engineering. Interior light and room. Plenty of teak inside and not outside.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. Almost every component that is screwed in is suspect because of the poor holding characteristics of the attachment. Every mechanic wants to use electric screw drivers and they immediately strip the threads because of the thin material the screws are expected to hold in. Seems like Hunter could have designed in a better backing or material thickness at these mounting points.  
Sailing characterisitcs She is very sensitive to proper sail trim and positioning and the wheel will fight the helmsman until the trim is to her liking. It is actually good to play with because she immediately responds either positively or negatively to every minor adjustment made. Very educational.Have either won or placed second in every regatta I have raced her in. Even in unlimited class races. The crew deserves some credit, but the boat is the main success story.  
Motoring characterisitcs Wonderful control under power. I keep her on a floating dock in the Merrimack River, known to the USCG as the third worst harbor entrance in the US. But she handles the conditions extremely well. Much better than my previous Hunter, a 1979 27 foot sloop. All the power I need, turns within her own length to port and backs down like an automobile. I look like a pro putting her onto the dock in a fast running current, no matter what the wind conditions.  
Liveability VERY. Roomy, light and airy, convenient.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) Greg Emerson at Hunter has been very helpful and responsive to my few problems. He has called me back and informed me of all his communications with the dealer. Very impressed with his efforts.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any Seacoast Marine of Newburyport, MA sold me the boat. They took my 1979 Hunter 27 in trade so the transition was an almost painless one.1996 was a boom year for them so they were unable to keep up with the commissioning schedule, let alone take care of the minor little defects that always accompany a new boat.Now, in 1998, I am getting some of the issues resolved with the help of Hunter Marine's Greg Emerson.  
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 |