Hunter e36: New and Improved

This midsized cruiser offers more than just a large saloon.

by Bill Springer

Down below, the e36 has all the interior space and cruising comforts for which Hunters are known. The matte-finished varnished-teak woodwork and white cabin-top liner give the overall accommodations a clean, crisp look; the large cabin-top windows and hull ports let in lots of natural light; and the simple, light teak cabin sole is a stylish improvement over traditional teak and holly. The long, straight bench seat in the saloon to port could double as a sea berth, and the standard settee to starboard is set up like a booth you’d find in some restaurants; the more conventional C-shaped version is an available option. The booth settee gives the saloon a different look and maybe a more cozy feel, but I’d probably choose the extra spot at the table and the extra sea berth that the optional C-shaped settee provides.

The galley has a good amount of Corian counter space and locker space that’ll swallow a week’s worth of provisions. The nav station faces aft and occupies the end of the port settee rather than having its own dedicated seat, but it has a good-sized chart table and plenty of space to mount electronics. Since most people will do their navigating on the chart plotter up in the cockpit, it seems well-suited to its intended use.

I can’t really tell which cabin I’d claim if this were my boat. The forward cabin has better light and ventilation thanks to a large opening hatch over the bunk, but the square, athwartships-oriented bunk in the aft cabin is a good bit bigger than the V-shaped bunk up forward. Both cabins have a decent amount of storage space and neither has an en suite head, so I can only say that both cabins should be comfortable, just in different ways.

If you’re in the market for a new midsized cruiser, the e36 is well worth a look. It accomplishes the difficult task of combining all the cruising comforts that a dyed-in-the-wool Hunter owner would expect with an updated look and available performance features that a soon-to-be-Hunter-owner might really enjoy.

Specs

LOA    35’ 6”    (10.82 m.)
LWL    31’ 1”    (9.47 m.)
Beam    12’ 4”    (3.76 m.)
Draft (standard)    4’ 11”     (1.5 m.)
           (performance)    6’ 5”     (1.96 m.)
Sail Area (100%)    621 sq. ft.    (57.7 sq. m.)
Ballast    5,064 lb.    (2,302 kg.)
Displacement    13,900 lb.    (6,318 kg.)
Ballast/D    .36
D/L    219
SA/D (100%)    17.9
Water    75 gal.    (284 l.)
Fuel    35 gal.    (144 l.)
Holding    30 gal.    (114 l.)
Mast Height    55’ 3”    (16.84 m.)
Engine    29-hp. Yanmar
Designer    Hunter Design Team
Price    $169,000