Like many American production cruisers of the late 1990s, the 340 emphasizes interior volume and low-maintenance decks rather than bluewater austerity.
Design and Construction
The 340 has a solid fiberglass hull with a thick gelcoat finish. A through-bolted hull-to-deck joint is capped by a continuous rubrail. The keel was set in bedding compound and then bolted in place.
There’s no wood trim on deck, which reduces seasonal upkeep. At the stern, a walk-through reverse transom leads directly to an integrated swim platform with a freshwater shower and stainless telescoping ladder. The helmsman’s seat hinges out of the way, allowing the crew to step onto the platform without climbing over cockpit furniture.
The boat was engineered to carry less weight aloft by using smaller mast sections. Its most visible structural feature is the integrated arch just forward of the cockpit. On 1998 and 1999 boats, the arch was molded fiberglass; Hunter switched to stainless steel for the 2000 and 2001 model years. More than a styling feature, the arch carries the mainsheet traveler and means cockpit crew don’t need to move when the boat tacks.
Rig, Sailing Performance, and Handling
What set the 340 apart in its era was its fractional B&R rig. Descended from the system invented by Lars Bergstrom and Sven Ridder, it uses swept spreaders, reverse diagonals, and mast-support struts to eliminate the backstay entirely. This arrangement allows for a large-roached mainsail and a 110-percent working jib. The mast and boom are aluminum, while most deck fittings are stainless steel.
There is a clear trade-off: the swept spreaders prevent the main from being fully eased on a dead run. Upwind, skippers have reported that the small genoa and large mainsail produce weather helm. In winds of 15 knots or more, reefing becomes necessary to keep the boat balanced. As the breeze builds, that weather helm can also overpower the optional battery autopilot.
Sail handling presents other compromises. The jib winches are on the cabintop rather than the coaming and can’t be reached from the wheel, making singlehanding awkward. Some boats left the factory with only one starboard winch to share between sail-handling tasks. The mast shrouds attach to both the cabin side and the toerail, partly obstructing the route forward for foredeck work.
Despite these quirks, owners report a typical upwind top speed of just over 7 knots. The 340 can take part in around-the-buoys racing in many fleets, but it’s better regarded as a coastal cruiser. Its average PHRF rating is around 141.
Cockpit and Accommodations
The 340 was laid out with entertaining in mind. Its cockpit seats eight and is explicitly arranged for socializing. A 28-inch destroyer-style wheel is mounted on a console that incorporates a folding table, small cooler, and storage. Two stern-rail seats provide comfortable perches for the breeze and view.
Below, the saloon has 6 feet 4 inches of headroom and a sprawling dining table for eight. The gourmet galley includes a two-burner stove, oven, microwave, two-basin sink, refrigerator, freezer, and Corian counter.
The boat sleeps seven across two private staterooms and the main cabin: two people in the forward V-berth, two aft, and three on the convertible dinette and settee. Three hanging lockers serve the sleeping areas, while the head is built around a large shower.
Overall, the 340 comes across as much as a dockside summer gathering place as a passage-maker.
Known Issues
Because it has a deck-stepped mast, the 340 is susceptible over time to excess compression at the step. Water intrusion can also cause deck delamination—both familiar weak points of this construction choice.
Some owners have found thin line cracks on the hull bottom near the bolted-on keel. The gray nonskid deck paint also tends to wear and peel with age.
The most serious concern for offshore ambitions is at the stern. The swim platform opens directly to the bilge and is secured only by rubber latches, potentially allowing water below in rough seas.
The electrical system has also drawn criticism. One owner described it bluntly as “bare bones,” citing the limited number of breakers and a single 30-amp shore-power inlet.
Refits and Ownership
Practical refits tend to focus on the boat’s known weak points. Sturdier latches on the swim-platform lockers, together with an internal barrier inside those lockers, address the flooding path. Adding a bowsprit and extra winches expands the boat’s sail-handling options.
Some owners have lined the edges of the engine-access panels with thick felt to quiet rattles. Others have fitted a sump pump so the shower drains overboard instead of into the bilge.
The earliest hulls are now more than twenty years old, and owners report that the hulls are holding up without major defects or breakdowns. A Hunter 340 Facebook group has roughly 60 members across the United States, Canada, and Australia.
The Verdict
The Hunter 340 is a thoughtfully packaged late-1990s coastal cruiser. It trades traditional rig simplicity for interior volume, low maintenance, and a sociable cockpit. The B&R rig and arch-mounted traveler are genuine innovations, but the weather helm, cabintop winches, and swim-platform latches call for a buyer who plans to sail within the boat’s coastal brief.
Pros
- Integrated arch carries the traveler and keeps cockpit crew from having to move during tacks
- Roomy eight-seat cockpit
- Saloon with 6 feet 4 inches of headroom and a large galley
- Solid fiberglass hull with a through-bolted joint and bolted-on lead keel
- No wood deck trim, reducing seasonal upkeep
Cons
- Swept-spreader B&R rig limits how far the mainsail can be eased downwind
- Small genoa and large mainsail can produce upwind weather helm
- Swim platform opens to the bilge and is secured only by rubber latches
- Jib winches can’t be reached from the helm, and some boats have only one starboard winch to share
- Deck-stepped mast is susceptible to compression and, if water enters, deck delamination
