Hunter 310 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The 310’s hull is rounded and relatively narrow, with a table-straight sheer, lots of freeboard, and beam carried well out on deck. Below the waterline the hull is solid glass, laid-up by hand in a female mold, while a Baltek balsa core runs from waterline to sheerline and the deck is cored with a mix of balsa and plywood. Structural integrity comes from a molded fiberglass reinforcing grid glassed into the hull, anchored with extra fabric that wraps around the grid to spread rig and keel loads into the laminate. The hull and deck meet at out-turning flanges, joined with 3M 5200 sealant and through-bolted vertically on 6-inch centers with 1/4-20 stainless steel bolts, then capped by a vinyl rubrail. Chainplates are bolted horizontally at the gunwale through the deck bulwark, and the mast sits directly atop the compression post. The standard shoal-draft solution is a bulb-wing keel, and the boat carries a big internally mounted spade rudder with composite rudder and rudderstock construction that impressed testers.

Rig and Handling

The Hunter 310 uses a fractional Bergstrom & Ridder sloop rig, a configuration that combines cross-stressed diagonals, cap shrouds, and intermediates with swept-back spreaders and a conventional headstay, doing away with any backstay. Deck-mounted struts support the spar above the gooseneck, allowing a lighter, thinner mast and fostering big-roach mainsails with full-length battens and a low center of effort. The standard cockpit arch clears the mainsheet from the cockpit, serves as a mount for traveler controls, and makes a Bimini workable. On the water, Practical Sailor found the 310 maneuverable, reversing course in twice her length or less, and relatively close-winded in flat light air at about 40 degrees from the apparent wind. The same review reached hull speed near 7.1 knots at 3,200 rpm under the 18-horsepower two-cylinder Yanmar, yet noted she accelerated slowly and did not ghost well in fitful breeze. Her rounded bilges give little form stability, and the short keels generate considerable parasitic drag.

Accommodations

Privacy anchors the 310’s interior plan: double berths sit fore and aft, separated by as much hull as possible and enclosed by solid doors. The saloon lies further forward than is conventional, and light from the profusion of windows and hull ports keeps the cabin exceptionally bright. Reading and overhead lights are plentiful, and locker fronts use positive push-buttons. One owner found the athwartships aft double berth too low to be comfortable, and cross-ventilation in that cabin is minimal. The molded interior locates furniture and bulkheads glassed to the hull, but the boat shows a relative lack of heavy-duty storage, no convenient sea berth, and an indifferently insulated engine box placed in the middle of the living and sleeping space — though engine access itself is excellent.

Known Issues

The swept-back spreaders have a tendency to poke alarmingly into the mainsail when sailing downwind. The circular cockpit well, achieved by carrying seatbacks to the sheer with a central molded table and pedestal, will take a long time to drain. A high sill sits where a bridge deck should be, and the shallow bilge compounds the drainage concern.

Refits and Ownership

The cockpit arch is standard but may be omitted for a small extra cost, and the helm seat pivots to form the gate to a walk-aboard transom. A windlass mounts in the anchor locker, a footlight is built into the pedestal base, and serious non-skid with strut handholds covers the decks. Cockpit lockers are shallow due to the aft cabin, and the control assembly for the swim-platform shower is convenient yet unobtrusive. Rack and pinion steering drew praise from many owners.

The Verdict

The Hunter 310 is a thoughtfully engineered cruiser that trades outright speed for ease and security under short-handed crew. Its B&R rig and circular cockpit are genuine innovations, but the design’s small sail plan and draining shortcomings ask a buyer to weigh livability against performance.

Pros