Hunter Owner Reviews

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

Review of the Hunter 306 by Jim Bomar

Year built 2002  
Location of boat Biscayne Bay, Florida (Miami)  
The boat is sailed on Bays, sounds, or protected salt water  
How the boat is used Multi-week coastal cruising  
Normal wind strength 16-22 knots  
Average size of crew 2-4  
Liveaboard? No  
Owner bought the boat in 2004  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Most definately, I have had 2 Catalina's (27  
Gear that's been added GPS Chartplotter, 22 pound DELTA anchor, Dripless Shaft Seal,  
Structural or complex improvements None  
The boat's best features Sailing and motoring ability. The In-Mast furling system is delightful.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. I have a tank tender that doesn't work, the anchor well has some fibeglass delamination that will require repair and the windlass breaker trips making it using the windlass more trouble than it is worth. The 2 cylinder YANMAR (18HP) should be replaced in future models with a 3 cylinder model to reduce vibration.  
Sailing characterisitcs The sailing ability of the 306 is unsurpassed. I recently sailed in 18 knots without reefing and was doing 6.5 to 7 knots as verified on GPS. There was no appreciable weather helm. Everyone who sails with me expresses amazement that the boat handles so easily.  
Motoring characterisitcs The boat handles superbly under power making 5 knots at 2200 RPM. It backs up straight without the usual kick to port experienced on many-many sailboats. It docks easily and stops readily when put into reverse for backdown.  
Liveability My only serious complaint is the dinette table should have been bulkhead mounted so that it could be removed out of the way when not dinning. This is one place where the Catalina 30 was better thought out than the Hunter 306. Everthing in the galley is right there and many a good meal has been made. A few overnight visitors have mentioned poor ventilation in the after cabin.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) Hunter responds well to questions, no problem.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any I bought my boat used from the Miami dealer and I personally feel that a few problem areas were deliberately concealed prior to the survey.  
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 |