Design and Construction
Henderson’s hull is very broad at the transom, although most of that beam lies above the waterline. A special reflex shape beneath lets the hull behave as if it were narrower, reducing drag and leaving surprisingly little wake.
Below the waterline, the bottom is solid fiberglass reinforced with Kevlar from the stem to the keel sump. This protective forward layup is intended to improve impact resistance. Above the boot stripe, the hull is cored with Baltek, while the fiberglass deck is cored with Baltek and plywood.
The hull-to-deck flange is sealed with 3M 5200 and through-bolted on 6-inch centers. A heavy-duty rubrail track is screwed between the bolts, with a stainless rubrail fitted over it. The composite rudder is lighter and stronger than conventional materials and impervious to corrosion.
The cabin uses modular construction. Hunter builds the entire cabin outside the hull in three sections, which are fiberglassed to a grid and to one another. Hunter developed this technique with its parent company, Luhrs Marine Group.
Rig and Handling
The 356 has a fractional sloop rig with a 110 percent headsail. Roller furling on the headsail is standard, and in-mast furling is optional.
Hunter’s B&R rig uses two spreaders and reverse diagonals, eliminating the backstay. This arrangement allows the lower stays to move inboard while the upper stays attach outboard of the walkway. It also permits a smaller-diameter mast, helping to keep the center of gravity low and reduce pitching.
A stainless arch carries the mainsheet close to the end of the boom while keeping the cockpit open. All lines lead to the cockpit, so a crew of two can handle the boat easily.
Steering is by Whitlock rack and pinion. Test sailors found it tight and responsive—more like a sports car than a cable system. The sealed rudder tube ties the deck and hull together without a stuffing box or leaks.
Writing in Cruising World, one judge described the 356 as a paradigm shift for Hunter. Driven hard for a shoal-draft boat, the reviewer found that she balanced nicely and tracked easily.
Deck and Cockpit
The deck layout provides more room than usual for a boat of this size. Molded two-tone skid-resistant decking, stainless grabrails, and hardware from Harken, Lewmar, Spinlock, Profurl, and Schaffer are standard.
At the bow are two anchor rollers, with a Delta plow carried on one. At the helm, standard instruments include Raymarine ST40 depth and speed displays. A Windex vane and cabin VHF are also included.
The helm seat flips up to become steps at the transom, and a telescoping ladder helps with boarding. The cockpit table folds away into centerline storage. A hot/cold cockpit shower is standard.
Cockpit stowage is generous beneath the aft seats and transom. A cavernous port locker is sized for a genset, air conditioning, a watermaker, and batteries. However, the large sugar-scoop lockers drain into the bilge, creating a potential flooding path.
Accommodations
Below, the cabin has an upscale feel, with softer, rounder joinery, bullnose moldings, and upgraded hardware. A high-gloss teak-and-holly sole runs through the interior, and headroom is a generous 6 feet 5 inches for the most part.
The saloon includes a convertible dinette for two and a settee opposite. There’s a double berth forward and a queen berth aft in the master suite. The aft berth takes standard sheets and has an innerspring mattress. In all, the 356 sleeps six.
Storage includes two hanging lockers forward, one aft, and drawers in each sleeping compartment. The head has a separate stall shower.
The navigation table sits aft and to port. It accommodates full-size NOAA charts and has bulkhead space above for electronics.
The galley has an L-shaped Corian counter, a double stainless-steel sink, a two-burner propane stove, and teak fiddles that double as handholds. Refrigeration is optional, while a microwave and pressurized hot and cold water are standard. A hot-water heater is also part of the standard equipment.
The Verdict
The Hunter 356 is a spirited, easy-to-handle coastal cruiser that test crews found comfortable on both short and long passages. Its thoughtful deck layout and modular cabin provide unusual space and a refined interior for the boat’s size.
The shoal keel trades a little draft for stability and gives up some ultimate windward ability for reduced draft. The backstay-free B&R rig, cockpit-led lines, and responsive Whitlock steering make the boat well suited to short-handed sailing. Its Category B rating, however, places it in the coastal and moderate-offshore category rather than among unrestricted offshore cruisers.
Pros
- Reflex hull and Kevlar-reinforced forward solid-glass bottom, with low-drag, low-wake behavior
- B&R rig with a small-diameter mast, cockpit-led lines, and easy two-person handling
- Upscale modular cabin with six berths, a separate shower, and a chart-sized navigation table
- Whitlock steering and a sealed rudder tube with no stuffing box
Cons
- Large sugar-scoop lockers drain into the bilge, creating a potential flooding path
- Category B rating limits the boat to coastal and moderate-offshore use
- Shoal keel trades some ultimate windward ability for reduced draft
