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Review of the Hunter 356 by Richardckrug

Year built 2003  
Location of boat Currently in Florida  
The boat is sailed on The Great Lakes  
How the boat is used Multi-week coastal cruising  
Normal wind strength 10-15 knots  
Average size of crew 2-4  
Liveaboard? Yes  
Owner bought the boat in 2021  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Maybe not  
Gear that's been added 750W solar, 2 - 40A charge controllers, 3000W inverter, Composting Head, Desalinization System for fresh water, All new RayMarine Electronics, Quantum Doppler Radar, AIS transceiver, EPERB, and more  
Structural or complex improvements New Rudder, reinforce/repair a bulkhead that separated while on passage back from the Bahamas  
The boat's best features Ability to sail up wind and roominess of the interior.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. Portside bulkhead separated from the hull and the rudder has to be replaced due to poor design and structural failure.  
Sailing characterisitcs  
Motoring characterisitcs Great fuel efficiency and reliable.  
Liveability  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any  
Other comments We thought we needed to replace the bearings on the rudder post. Not the case anymore. This post is no longer just about a bearing issue. After some research and time, we discovered that the rudder Hunter installed on our 2003 356 has a history of catastrophic failures. My rudder is a composite post and the rudder needs to be replaced due to cracking and water intrusion that starts along the entire leading edge of the rudder and runs down under and up the trailing edge, about 8 inches. I have been informed by a rudder manufacture in Florida that we are very lucky, as most of these composite shaft rudders fail without warning and literally break off and just sink instantly because they are so water logged. This rudder design put owners at risk of serious bodily injury or even death if the rudder broke off while navigating. Please see attached photos. The leading edge of the rudder and along the bottom leaked water for days prior to me removing part of the fiberglass shell. Note the large voids that formed between the foam and fiberglass shell during manufacturing of this rudder. Also note there is no substantial support structure attaching the post to the spade. The Post also had a crack around the circumference where it joined the spade of the rudder. Hunter 356 owners, make sure you check your rudder and insure it is a Stainless Steel Shaft that attaches to the spade. If you have a composite rudder, I would not hesitate to replace it if I were you!!!  

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