HUnter 310/320 diferences

[Ed]

I am about to purchase a new 306, and as it happens someone is trading in a 2000 310. I am not familiar with that model although I am familiar with the 320. Does the 310 have a SS arch in 2000, or is it fiberglass. How would you compare it overall with the 320? or for that matter with the 306 (new version of the 290)?

 

[Bob Knott]

306,310,320

I just saw the first 306 at Sailing Specialties in CT during the Hunter Rendezvous. It is a great boat but is I'm not mistaken it's a upgraded 290, not a smaller 320. All Hunters switched to S/S arches by late 1999 and early 2000.The biggest thing I noticed about the 2002 H306 was the new rub rail with inset S/S rub strake. We owners have bitched for years about the Hunter rubrails. 1st was the square gray version, then the semi-circular gray version, then the semi circular gray version with stainless steel rubing strakes, both of which you could never keep clean. At the rendezvous it was explained that the new rubrails are a harder material borrowed from the Mainship traweler line which is very hard PVC, inset with stainless steel rubing strakes. This should allow you to set the boat against a piling without damage to your rub rail and also elimintae the constant cleaning the gray stuff requires. Other that that the 306 is just a evolutionary change from the 290, slightly bigger, and always improving something or another.Hope this helps.Bob KnottH380

 

[Stephen Baltes]

Look closely for what you really want

Ed -Hunter is good about making small, evolutionary changes to their models. Major things like the hull length don't change that often. The 306 will be mostly identical to a 290 I would think. So, if that 310 is reasonably priced (like close to a new 306) I would probably go with the larger 310. Those 3 extra feet are very large feet!! Look at the water line lengths of all three! And arches are great - stainless is best but fiberglass is also nice, so any of these would be good choices. I've seen 2000 H-310's with both type arches so somewhere in mid-stream they changed that feature I guess.The changes between the 320 and 326 are little things also. I really like my 320, so some of the "changes" to the 326 are not improvements to my point of view. Like I prefer the larger port openings in my galley to the smaller, horizontal plastic ones in the 326. It's all very exciting, so just go back several times to look over the differences. See which are most important to you, and get out on the water!