The Hunter 336 is an American

sailboat A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture. Types Although sailboat terminology ...

that was designed by

Rob Mazza Rob or ROB may refer to: Places * Rob, Velike Lašče, a settlement in Slovenia * Republic of Belarus People * Rob (given name), a given name or nickname, e.g., for Robert(o), Robin/Robyn * Rob (surname) * ''Rob.'', taxonomic author abbreviat ...

as coastal cruising boat and first built in 1995. The Hunter 336 is a development of the smaller Hunter 29.5.

Production

The design was built by

Hunter Marine Hunter Marine was an American boat builder, now known as Marlow-Hunter, LLC, owned by David E. Marlow. The company did produce the Mainship powerboat brand. Marlow also owns and manufactures the Marlow Yachts brand consisting of long range ...

in the

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, but it is now out of production.

Design

The Hunter 336 was designed as a larger twin cabin version of the Hunter 29.5, with a market of owners moving up from smaller sailboats. It is a recreational

keelboat A keelboat is a riverine cargo-capable working boat, or a small- to mid-sized recreational sailing yacht. The boats in the first category have shallow structural keels, and are nearly flat-bottomed and often used leeboards if forced in open w ...

, built predominantly of

fiberglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) is a common type of fibre-reinforced plastic, fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened i ...

, with wood trim. It has a fractional sloop

B&R rig The B&R rig is a variant of the Bermuda sailboat rig, designed and patented by Swedish aeronautical engineers Lars Bergström and Sven Ridder. It employs swept spreaders that are usually angled aft, together with "stays" running diagonally down ...

, a slightly

raked stem The stem is the most forward part of a boat or ship's bow and is an extension of the keel itself. It is often found on wooden boats or ships, but not exclusively. Description The stem is the curved edge stretching from the keel below, up to ...

, a walk-through

reverse transom In some boats and ships, a transom is the aft transverse surface of the hull that forms the stern of a vessel. Historically, they are a development from the canoe stern (or "double-ender") wherein which both bow and stern are pointed. Transom ...

, an internally-mounted spade-type

rudder A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, airship, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (usually air or water). On an airplane, the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw ...

controlled by a

wheel A wheel is a rotating component (typically circular in shape) that is intended to turn on an axle Bearing (mechanical), bearing. The wheel is one of the key components of the wheel and axle which is one of the Simple machine, six simple machin ...

and a fixed fin

keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element of a watercraft, important for stability. On some sailboats, it may have a fluid dynamics, hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose as well. The keel laying, laying of the keel is often ...

. It displaces and carries of ballast. The boat has a draft of with the standard keel fitted. The boat is fitted with a Japanese

Yanmar is a Japanese diesel engine, heavy machinery and agricultural machinery manufacturer founded in Osaka, Japan, in 1912. Yanmar manufactures and sells engines used in a wide range of applications, including seagoing vessels, pleasure boats, cons ...

3GM30F

diesel engine The diesel engine, named after the German engineer Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which Combustion, ignition of diesel fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to Mechanics, mechanical Compr ...

of . The fuel tank holds and the fresh water tank has a capacity of .

Operational history

Thom Burns, writing for ''Northern Breezes'' in a 1997 review of the design praised its light air performance, making knots in a wind of . Burns noted the sailing qualities, "The fractional rig points pretty well. We were around the high 30’s to 40 degrees apparent even in the very light stuff. The power is in the main. Since the spreaders are angled aft to eliminate the backstay, vang trimming for good sail shape is essential. The main also has lazyjacks which make it easy to take the main down or reef it with only one other person aboard. Hunter has made this boat easy to handle by a couple and single handling should be easy as well." Of the interior he wrote, "Like all modern Hunters, the Hunter 336 has a light, airy look and feel. The 336 comes in two layouts to fit the boat owner’s needs. The first has a large open salon with a full wrap around settee and open forward V-berth with curtains. This is designed for folks who only occasionally have sleep over guests. It is ideal for entertaining below. The second layout below offers an enclosed forward stateroom for family or friends. This second version is preferred by several charter companies. There are a fair amount of teak and ash accents below." A 2003 review on Boats.com noted that the design is fast in light air and also praised the interior. It states, "Our performance in the day's conditions quickly erased any prior doubts I had held about the 336's unconventional rig and sailplan. In fact, by the end of our sail Bergstrom's elegant tapered, fractional spar was amongst my favorite features of the boat. Without a backstay I hypothesized that in 20-knots apparent the forestay would be sagging like a wet noodle. To my surprise however, the furler's extrusions were deflected by no more than a few inches." On the interior the writer said, "Down below the 336 has a airy and open two cabin layout. The Hunter is, as Lamia Charlebois observed, like a "condo"—perfect for entertaining or enjoying a sit-down meal with two other couples. There are so many opening windows and hatches (11 in total) that I felt for a moment, albeit brief, that I was inside a solarium and not a cabin."

References

{{Hunter Marine Keelboats 1990s sailboat type designs Sailing yachts Sailboat type designs by Rob Mazza Sailboat types built by Hunter Marine

Production

Design

Operational history

See also

References