Hunter Owner Reviews

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

Review of the Hunter 376 by Dennis West

Year built 1997  
Location of boat Channel Islands Harbor, CA  
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 1997  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Yes  
Gear that's been added Before I bought my boat, I went out on the dealer's demo 376 and knew the mainsail was very big and not easy to get up. I had them put a two speed Harken electric winch for the main halyard and main sheet. Also, I had them install a Harken Battcar track on the mast. I wanted the sail to come all the way down with just opening the lever, in case it started blowing real hard while sailing solo (instead of going on deck to pull). Also installed was a Garmin GPS chart plotter, wind speed/direction indicater & Autohelm autopilot. I did not waste money on an electric windlass. This boat needs an electric winch first. I use a lightweight Fortress aluminum anchor and 40 feet of chain, and have no problem pulling it up by hand.  
Structural or complex improvements When my 376 was trucked from Florida to California, it had too much weight resting on the keel. This caused hairline cracks to show on the inside the bilge area. To Hunter's credit, they immediately flew their top hull production engineer to LA with tools and hardware. He spent two days fixing it to be stronger than stock by grinding away and adding new layers of glass with super duper epoxy. I was very pleased by their service and eagerness to uphold a reputation of quality. I improved the sails. The stock main stretches too much. I had a custom kevlar main made ( By Morelli) with more roach added up top and an extra batten. For the jib I got a UK Kevlar tapedrive. The new main makes this boat totally smoke by any other 376. Since there is no backstay there is no reason why all Hunter 376 owners cant add more sail area in the roach, too.  
The boat's best features The best thing about the 376 is the well thoughtout use of space below and the ease of sailing. I love the way it's layed out. And I love sailing it, almost every weekend since I bought it new. On a reach or downwind with a spinaker she sails faster than a C&C 38, Beneteau first 38, Catalina 38 and other faster rated larger boats ( with my sails). To trim this boat, think like it's a catamaran. Don't trim the main too tight. Let it out more than the jib. Trim the Jib tight to put air on the back of the main. If the main bubbles a little at the front, then it's driving hard & happy. Don't try to point too high, especially if the water is choppy. Plan on making it up on the downwind run. I wish the jib lead track went further forward because my jib clew is lower than the stock sail. I have blocks on the chain plates and run extra outboard sheets for off the wind non spinaker sailing. This keeps the jib from twisting off too much up top. The main can over power the boat if you get a gust. Spill the main first, ALWAYS. Leave it out if you get weather helm. A reef will be neccessary before other boats would. At 18 apparent upwind, you'll go faster with a reef and point higher.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. I see alot of new Hunters being sold with furling masts. This is not good, because it negates the whole purpose of the B&R rig with no backstay. You need lots of roach with full battons to make up for the small jib. Those little furling girly mains make people think Hunters are slow boats because they don't sail worth a darn. Yuck! What makes more since for Hunter is to offer furling booms, that can roll up a big roachy mainsail with full battons. I wish I had a furling boom. That would be my next purchase. It is so simple to just roll up a couple of feet when the wind picks up, and then roll up a little more with each increase of wind. With Hunter buying these systems in volume they should be able to get the cost down. Keep in mind that they don't charge extra for a furling mast. A boom should be cheaper than a mast!  
Sailing characterisitcs The 376 is easy to sail. When we are racing we can do fast tacks without using a winch handle for tighting the jib. Having a small jib and large main is the way to go for sure. In the future all Catalinas and Beneteaus will be the same way. Look at the new top level racing sail boats. Big mains and fractional rig small jibs. They use running backstays, but the Hunter design eliminates that headach. This year we were doing 10 to 11 knots for three hours in the race from Santa Barbara to King harbor (85 miles). At one point we had 30 knots of true wind dead behind us while flying full main and poled back spinaker. Trying to gybe in this at night was a little tough with the large main. After seeing other boats around us being knocked down we dropped the chute and did a chicken gybe ( 300 degree tack into the wind) and put the chute back up. Last year we won this race, this year we got third. Still, we were sailing past boats that started ahead of us and rated 102. I love the looks on their faces. The fastest I've had my 376 was 13.5 knots, surfing big seas, downwind in 35 knots with no headsail at all and a second reefed main. That was a double handed race with just two on board. We won.  
Motoring characterisitcs With a two-blade folding prop I can motor at 7 knots at 3000 RPMs in smooth water( with the main up). 6.5 if it's a big chop. Slowing down and backing up is no problem after you get use to it.  
Liveability The 376 has more room below than most 40 footers. The way the salon table rotates on the mast compression post enables you to have more space. I sometimes slide it up and move it forward out of the way for certain occassions. For racing I keep the table down with the cushion on top for extra berth space, and to protect the finish from a rowdy racing crew. The sink in the forward cabin keeps people from occupying the head for stuff like brushing teeth and grooming. The rear cabin berth is very big and where I sleep most. Even during the over night race into Mexico I sleep there while the boat's heeled way over. It's wide enough to lay bow to stern. The one thing about the rear hull shape that is not perfect is you do get some noise when waves smack it at the dock or anchor.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) When my boat was brand new I talked with the factory folks several times and was pleased by their willingness to make sure I was happy with it. Steve Pentingil even called me up and gave me sailing tips unique to the 376. Another thing that impresses me about Hunter is the way they try new design philosophies. I was new to sailing and came from a motorcycle and auto racing background. Therefore I wasn't bound to any kind of oldstyle tradition. Some old salty sailors spit when they say the word Hunter, and these are the guys I love to take sailing and show them how easy, fast and efficient the 376 really works. They always step off my boat with new respect for Hunters. When I design and build my dream 50 footer it will have a Hunter B&R rig.  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any When I bought my bought new, 6 years ago, the local Hunter dealer ( at the time) was very eager to sell boats. They had demo boats on hand that customers could try out. They had major discounts as incentive. That is why I bought my boat. I tried one out and liked it. They gave me an exceptonal good deal that was fair. The thing that keeps me from trading in for a 466 is the new dealer doesn't let you sail the boat until after you buy it. And their "special" low price deal is more than what Hunter dealers in Florida sell them for. Maybe Hunter will come out with a new 45 just right for me ( like the 50 but with more wood below and two wheels, sweet.)  
Other comments The 376 is a great boat for the money. I'm very happy with the reliability and performance of mine. The biggest improvement to this boat is a stronger mainsail (kevlar) that doesn't stretch and twist off at the top. With mine, I can get the bottom and top to match angles and it stays like that when the wind picks up. The swept back spreaders don't chafe the sail like non-Hunter owners claim. I let my kevlar main all the way out downwind, with the sail against the spreaders. Its no problem. Maybe once a year I check the dacron rub patch and stick a new peice on where a little wear is noticeable.  

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 |