This is too late for the OP but for the
archives.
I am currently cruising on a Hunter 376. I've done about 5000 miles offshore in her and about half of that or more is crossing the
Gulf of Mexico and the
Caribbean sea a few times.
My boat had some manufacture defects and I think I've finally fixed them all. Things like cabinites not bolted down,
deck liner rubbing on bulkhead...things like that. The deck flexes a lot due to the traveler being so far forward and the
jib sheets angled so hard, which causes my boat to squeak a lot due to those defects. I think I've fixed them all, just need to test it.
The boat loves light air. I do 7 knots in 11 knots apparent on a reach. Give me 25 knots offshore and I'm lucky to get 5.8 knots. It bounces around a bit in the steep 10 footers in the
Caribbean and the tall
mast causes a lot of heel in high winds. With no
sails up and 18 knots on the beam it heals 6 degrees. It's a big tall
mast so it catches a lot of
wind.
All in all, it's a pretty good boat but not meant for cruising long distances. I push it because, well, it's what I own. Maybe someday I'll buy an IP or something else but right now I plan on at least 5 more years of cruising on her in the
eastern Caribbean. Nice on
anchor except you'll need an
hull slap silencer.
As far as the mast and
rigging goes, it's one of the most stable rigs out there as long as that forestay doesn't give. My mast came down in the Caribbean when the top cotter pin came out. The mast is so strong that even though it took out my
wind generator and a
solar panel and my stern railing, no real damage to the mast. If it's a
furling main, just make sure that
furling drum is in perfect condition because ZSpar doesn't make them anymore
If I keep the boat I'll be changing to a boom furling main in 5 years.
Those who talk about the lack of backstay making it weak doesn't understand how the B&R rig works. It has it's limitations like not being able to let the boom out much, but as for strength, it's very strong.
Franklin