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Review of the Hunter 336 by Steve Harkins

Year built 1996  
Location of boat Cape May 3 years...now Annapolis  
The boat is sailed on Open ocean  
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 1999  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Absolutely -- There is the normal wear and tear items, but after 3 years of open ocean sails from Cape May to Atlantic City and Ocean City, MD, etc., Kay and I have no qualms about this boat. The cockpit is the true selling point. Countless people in our marina have stopped and marveled at the size of it. We have had parties in our cockpit because bigger boats didn't have the space. We often teak oil the interior, which keeps its new look.  
Gear that's been added none - other than the regular hand held GPS and 13" TV.  
Structural or complex improvements We just finished redoing the bottom. Over time, and everyone with this boat should understand, the wing bulb creates a lot of stress at the keel bolt area. This doesn't happen as much with a fin, because the top of the fin is actually part of the fiberglass hull mold. The 336's entire keel is NOT part of the original hull mold, and is therefore bolted on at the hull. I found, after taking on water prior to pulling it for the winter, that there was quite a bit of cracking around the hull. I had it sandblasted, and found even more...good thing I did. Ablative paints will just keep covering this up - I finished 7 coats of the West System, [finally!] this week. Switching to VC Offshore. Please, please, check for cracks between the keel and the hull. Remember, most boats sink at the dock, mine could have...it's perfect now. Every 5 years or so, you HAVE to check this out on a wing keel -- just the nature of the beast.  
The boat's best features Interior space is similar to older 38-40 footers. The aft cabin bed is extremely roomy. I am qualified to say this since I am 6'4". My spouse loves the entire layout. We can't think of anything that we would change.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. We have had minor problems with the macerator. A second item concerns the door latches that occasionialy break, which are easily replacable. The 'T' handle that keeps the dinette up has been stripped. I'm going to attempt to re-tap it. Right now we use a pair of Vice Grips to keep it up.  
Sailing characterisitcs Helm is fairly balanced - more weather than leeward; but that of course has to due more with sail trim. We use the A/P nearly all the time...it's just too convenient not to! The asymetrical spinnacker w/ sock is a breeze to set, and works all the way around to a deep beam reach...can't quite go too far abaft the beam into a broad though. We had the clew clips part at 13 knots. Now we know - when we hit double digit winds, it comes down. Sails great!  
Motoring characterisitcs Motoring is a non-event. The helm maintains near perfect balance regardless of RPM.  
Liveability There is plenty of room as stated before, to move around, even with 6 people on board. This design is quite functional. The head is quite large, with 2 people standing in there at the same time poses no problem. Try that with an older 40 footer.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) N/A  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any Excellent service from the Hunter dealer - but then again, he WAS trying to sell me a boat!  
Other comments N/A  

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