Hunter 356
A B&R-rig cruiser with a stiff backstay-free mast and an open modern interior, easy to single-hand with the arch-mounted mainsheet.
Made to order: your copy is researched, fact-checked, and typeset to our standard, then delivered within about two weeks. We'll email you the moment it's ready.
About the Hunter 356 (2001-2005)
The Hunter 356 was one of the most popular mid-size cruisers of its era, built from 2000 to 2005 in a run of about 480 hulls. Designed by Glenn Henderson, it packs a lot into 35 feet: two cabins, a head with a separate shower stall, and a 12 foot beam carried aft to a T-shaped cockpit.
The appeal is easy, shorthanded cruising. The B&R rig (swept-back spreaders and diagonal rods support the mast, so no backstay is needed) pairs a big mainsail with a small headsail, and most boats have in-mast furling, so one person can reef from the cockpit. It is a coastal cruiser, not an ocean racer, and priced accordingly.
Specifications at a glance
| Years | 2000 to 2005, about 480 hulls |
| Designer | Glenn Henderson, built by Hunter Marine |
| LOA / LWL | 35 ft 6 in (10.8 m) / 30 ft 7 in (9.3 m) |
| Beam | 12 ft 0 in (3.66 m) |
| Draft | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) deep fin, 5 ft 0 in (1.52 m) shoal wing |
| Displacement / ballast | 13,900 lb (6,305 kg) / 4,000 lb (1,814 kg) |
| Sail area | 632 sq ft (58.7 sq m), mainsail plus 100 percent jib |
| Engine | Yanmar diesel, 27 hp (20 kW) |
Known issues to check before you buy
- Hull-to-deck joint and deck hardware leaks. The earliest boats are worst, and surveys on 2002 hulls have found several leak points along the joint; stanchion base bolts are a repeat offender. Look for staining and swollen wood in lockers.
- Early keel work. Roughly the first 50 hulls had a keel problem Hunter rectified under warranty, so confirm what was done. The crack at the hull-keel joint, the "smile", is usually just fairing compound, but check the bilge floor above it for soft laminate, a sign of grounding damage.
- In-mast furling mainsail. Test a full furl and unfurl at the dock, then again under sail. These jam when halyard tension or boom angle is off, and a replacement sail is expensive.
- Mainsail chafe on the spreaders. With no backstay the spreaders sweep about 30 degrees aft, so the main rubs them when running deep. Check the sail for wear, and expect to steer slightly off a dead run.
- Yanmar cooling and exhaust. The mixing elbow cokes up with carbon and the heat exchanger silts, showing as high temperature and an engine that will not reach full revs. Ask when the elbow last came off.
Owning one
A well-sorted 356 gives more usable boat per dollar than most 35 footers, provided it stayed dry inside and the rig and furling gear were serviced. This volume documents the Hunter 356 (2001-2005) specifically: verified specifications, the documented weak points and how to inspect each, the service data, and the parts and owner community.
Inside this volume
Known issues & a survey guide
The documented weak points for this exact model, how to inspect each, and what a proper fix costs, a checklist to carry to the survey.
Full specifications
Every published figure, hull and rig or engine detail, tankage, and running change, with the conflicts flagged, not guessed.
Systems & maintenance
Engine, electrical, plumbing, steering, and ground tackle, plus service intervals and the fluid and torque data.
Parts, yards & community
Where the parts are, what cross-references, and the owners associations and forums that keep the model alive.
Make it your boat.
We fold in your year, your engine and options, your refits and modifications, your hull number, and your own boat's photo on the cover. The book stops describing the boat that left the yard and starts describing the one in your slip.