Design and Construction
Below the waterline the hull is solid hand-laid fiberglass with an anti-osmotic vinylester skin, while above the line it carries a balsa core; the deck is marine-grade plywood cored except in solid load areas. A tapered 5.5-inch reinforced fiberglass rudderpost carries the spade rudder, and the shrouds terminate at chain plates tied into the hull's stress-spreading grid, the structural logic behind Hunter's three-point standing rigging set every 120 degrees. The builder kept exterior teak minimal to limit maintenance, and a conspicuous rub rail guards the hull against dock and piling contact. A wraparound deck skylight, nine screened opening hatches, seven screened opening ports, and seven fixed hull ports give the cabin a bright, ventilated character without resorting to teak trim.
Rig and Handling
Hunter had become a leader in the deck-stepped fractional rig by the time the 376 appeared, and her version draws directly on a BOC-tested B&R design anchor. Shrouds lead aft through swept-back spreaders in place of a permanent backstay, supporting a fully battened mainsail and a standard furling jib with a Dutchman flaking system. The internally mounted spade rudder is wheel controlled, and with a PHRF average of 150 — ranging from 129 to 165 — she sits firmly in the cruiser-racer middle ground rather than the out-and-out racer band.
Accommodations
The master stateroom aft sits under the cockpit, while the forward stateroom adds drawers, a vanity with mirror and sink, and a bulkhead window opening to the saloon. All hanging lockers are cedar lined, and the head is a fully enclosed unit with a separate shower stall independent of it. The starboard galley near the companionway carries Corian counters, a three-burner propane stove with oven, two stainless sinks, a heavily insulated dual icebox, and a microwave; a teak-and-holly sole, indirect lighting, and a dinette that converts to a berth round out the living spaces.
Deck and Cockpit Detail
The oval cockpit coaming widens to the gunwales at its broadest, and the space opens aft to a stern platform for swimming, dinghy landing, and outside showering. A hinged helmsman's seat, two pushpit corner seats, and a user-friendly pedestal with an inspection port and folding table put the steering station within easy reach of the heavy-duty dual-anchor rollers at the stemhead. Nine hatches and seven ports keep the interior aired, and the wraparound skylight floods the saloon by day.
Systems and Access
A 36-horsepower Yanmar sits in a well-insulated box that hinges up on a pneumatic lift anchor, and the thru-hulls are labeled, backed, and easy to reach. The bilge pump mounts on a pull-up platform for direct access to pump and strainer, while cabin headliners carry inspection points to the backs of thru-deck fittings. Heavy-duty insulated cable runs through anti-chafe conduit, and the electrical panel includes a wiring diagram — details that make owner maintenance markedly less opaque than on many contemporaries.
The Verdict
The Hunter 376 is a thoughtfully specified 1990s cruiser whose strength lies in accessible systems, a bright and practical interior, and a rig concept proven in offshore testing. She is less a stripped racer than a comfortable coastal voyager with real attention to the owner's later life with the boat.
Pros
- Shared hull with the 386 and B&R rig lineage from BOC testing
- Separate shower stall, cedar-lined lockers, and convertible dinette berth
- Pneumatic-lift engine box, pull-up bilge platform, and labeled thru-hulls ease service
- Minimal exterior teak and a protective rub rail reduce upkeep and dock damage
Cons
- Wing keel and 150 PHRF mark her as a cruiser, not a light-air performer
- Production ran only 1996–1998, limiting hull availability in any single year
