Hunter 326 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Hull and Construction

Glenn Henderson laid up the 326 with a moderately full forward section designed to carry crew and stores without affecting trim, recognizing that family coastal cruising demands carrying capacity as much as speed. The hull is solid fiberglass below the waterline; above the waterline the topsides combine Coremat and Baltek end-grain balsa. More distinctively, Hunter incorporated four layers of hybrid E-glass and Kevlar in high-impact areas from the forward edge of the keel to the stem — a lamination schedule called Hunter Kevlar Technology that adds resilience where groundings and dock encounters do the most damage. Decks are woven roving over marine-grade plywood, with aluminum backing plates laminated in at hardware locations. The hull-deck joint is sealed with 3M 5200 and concealed by a rubrail, a standard approach that has proven durable across decades of production. Hunter earned CE Category B certification for the 326 — the offshore category covering conditions up to Force 8 — which reflects the design's ambition beyond sheltered-water day sailing.

Rig and Sail Handling

The 326's most polarizing feature is its double-spreader B&R rig. Spreaders are swept aft and there is no backstay; shrouds run in a diamond pattern, with one set terminating on the rail and the other on the cabintop. Hunter argues this arrangement enables smaller and lighter mast sections while permitting a full-roach mainsail that would be impossible with a conventional backstay. The practical payoff is a generous, powerful main that compensates for the relatively modest foretriangle. Sail controls are routed to a stainless steel arch over the cockpit, keeping the mainsheet traveler and associated hardware entirely out of the cockpit sole. The Harken traveler track terminates near the helmsman's fingertips, and the sheet runs from the end of the boom forward to the mast before leading aft — an arrangement that aids sail-shape control but demands good boom management. The B&R rig's swept spreaders also simplify the standing rigging, reducing the number of adjustments an owner needs to make when setting up or striking the boat. On deck, only two Lewmar self-tailing winches are installed as standard on the coachroof, with coamings pre-molded to accept optional primary winches — an economy that critics of the time noted as a shortcoming relative to competitors.

Cockpit and On-Deck Experience

The Whitlock rack-and-pinion steering on the 326 was observed to feel more responsive than the cable systems on comparable boats, and the 32-inch stainless wheel suits either a seated or standing helmsman. The cockpit itself carries Hunter's rounded, bathtub-like shape — a byproduct of the high-freeboard, rounded-stern hull form — which concentrates seating differently than the broader, more conventional sterns on competing designs. One persistent ergonomic complaint: space between the pedestal and companionway is only 24 inches, versus 36 to 39 inches on comparable boats, creating a genuinely cramped passage for crew moving through the cockpit. The pedestal houses a built-in cooler, but the table leaves on the side of the pedestal impede movement when raised. Two storage compartments on the swim platform partially offset the limited under-seat stowage caused by the emergency-exit hatch beneath one cockpit seat. The open walk-through reverse transom with its integral swim ladder is a practical and user-friendly feature that distinguishes the 326 from more traditional designs.

Accommodations

Below, the 326 delivers what Practical Sailor described as the largest saloon of the three boats compared — 128 inches from the companionway step to the forward bulkhead, 90 inches wide between settee backs. Hunter achieved this by borrowing space from the cockpit. Light wood and white headliners keep the interior feeling open; the builder later introduced a "Whisper Soft" headliner that removed 120 pounds from the overhead, most of it putty, and which is easily removed for maintenance access. The aft stateroom offers a queen-sized berth oriented athwartships only four inches above the cabin sole, dramatically increasing overhead clearance compared to many aft staterooms and allowing a full six feet of headroom at its entrance. A large hanging locker is adjacent. The forward stateroom is the 326's interior compromise: headroom drops to five feet five inches in the V-berth, and with the insert in place there is no room to stand. The galley is the largest of its class, a C-shaped arrangement with a counter on the aft bulkhead and an L-shaped work area at the sink, teak-trimmed and equipped with stove, microwave, and icebox. The nav station is workable but requires instruments to be surface-mounted on the bulkhead. With 50 gallons of water and 28 gallons of fuel aboard, the boat is genuinely capable of multi-day coastal passages.

Known Issues and Ownership Considerations

Owners have reported leaks around hatches, concerns with keel bolts, and maintenance needs for the rigging system, which are recurring themes worth investigating before purchase. The arch-based mainsheet system, while functionally sound, creates a specific challenge: without a mainsail flaking system, managing the full-roach main on the after end of the boom requires uncommon reach. The Hunter was noted to be the most tender of its class in moderate puffs, and the cockpit's ergonomics — particularly the lack of a built-in foot brace — make steering while heeled and seated uncomfortable. The B&R rig itself, while elegant in theory, requires owners to understand the swept-spreader geometry; conventional forestay-to-backstay tuning intuitions do not apply. Hunter Marine was subsequently sold to Marlow-Hunter in 2012, so owners should factor independent sourcing into their parts and service plans.

The Verdict

The Hunter 326 is a well-resolved family coastal cruiser whose interior volume, privacy layout, and sail-shaping capability consistently outperform its 32-foot length. Henderson's expanded definition of performance — centering safety and comfort rather than pure speed — produced a boat that handles coastal conditions capably and rewards owners who appreciate the B&R rig's advantages. It is not a bluewater passage-maker by temperament or by its comfort-ratio numbers, and the cockpit ergonomics require accommodation. But for couples and young families wanting genuine two-stateroom comfort with easy sail handling, the 326 remains a compelling platform.

Pros