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Review of the Hunter 380 by Colonel John W. Day

Year built 2000  
Location of boat Fort Monroe, Virginia  
The boat is sailed on Bays, sounds, or protected salt water  
How the boat is used Weekends and longer  
Normal wind strength 16-22 knots  
Average size of crew 2-4  
Liveaboard? No  
Owner bought the boat in 2000  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Absolutely!  
Gear that's been added All by the factory or the dealer. Selden roller furling main. Doyle crusing spinnaker. Associated spinnaker halyard, winches, etc. Autohelm 7000+, Raynav 300 GPS, Wind Instrument, Northern Lights 6.5 kW generator, AC, refrigeration, Cable, TV antennae, phone jacks, dodger, bimini, anchor windlass.  
Structural or complex improvements Just the addition of the spinnaker gear.  
The boat's best features Reefed properly (which is easy with the roller furling main), the 380 is a dream. I've had her out in thirty plus knots of wind and four to six foot seas and she rages ... upwind, downwind, it just doesn't matter. Feels like she'll point straight into the wind yet still keeps the speed up. Gets into a groove easily and stays there.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. Wind instrument needed to be replaced. Piston on the refrigerator door failed in less than a month. Awaiting parts. Long, port window leaked and needed to be replaced. Leak in the aft, starboard rub rail (while heeling) allows about a gallon of water an hour to work it's way into the back cabin. Hunter sending a team to work the deck joint for the proposed repair. Autohelm computer failed and was replaced.  
Sailing characterisitcs Points fantastic. Cruising spinnaker is awesome on reaches and downwind. Heard this was the third sail the yacht needed ... great tip from the HOW! Sails extremely easy to balance, especially if you look at the winds and fly the right amount of main. The roller furling main rules!  
Motoring characterisitcs Stepping up from my old Hunter 27, I feel like I could pull skiers, especially in flat water. Nice quiet ride from the 36 hp yanmar. Almost no helm torque in reverse.  
Liveability Excellent. The generator is a bit louder than I expected. This summer when anchored out, we'll move to the forward bunks to sleep unless we have guests on board. Then, I suspect, we'll use some earplugs if we want to get a good night's sleep. I'll trade that for the AC any day! Salon is really nice and the kitchen set up keeps the cook in the conversation both above and below decks.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) They've been fantastic about answering questions on the spinnaker gear and some other aesthetic improvements I've made.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any The boat was in Deltaville in mid-December with a planned delivery of 2 Mar 01. Delivery was fully two weeks late. I got over it. Norton's Yacht Sales has worked every problem I've found with vigor. I have really been impressed.  
Other comments I absolutely love it. Hope to shake out the rest of the bugs in the next few weeks and fuly expect to have a great summer on the Chesapeake.  

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