The Marlow Hunter Hunter 36 - 2011 Furling mainsail Furling mainsail 2011 vs Marlow Hunter Marlow Hunter 31 Deep draft Deep draft 2015 comparison sits squarely in the category of decisions where specs alone won't tell the whole story — intended use, storage, and long-term ownership costs all factor in.
On paper these two are close siblings in the size department — Marlow Hunter Hunter 36 - 2011 Furling mainsail Furling mainsail 2011 at 34,7 ft versus Marlow Hunter Marlow Hunter 31 Deep draft Deep draft 2015 at 32,4 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Marlow Hunter Hunter 36 - 2011 Furling mainsail Furling mainsail 2011 tips the scales at 15 329 lbs — 3 475 lbs more than the Marlow Hunter Marlow Hunter 31 Deep draft Deep draft 2015 at 11 854 lbs. That difference is meaningful if you're working within a half-ton or three-quarter-ton truck's tow rating, especially once you factor in a motor, gear, and fuel.
Both boats share a closely matched power ceiling — 29 hp for the Marlow Hunter Hunter 36 - 2011 Furling mainsail Furling mainsail 2011 and 29 hp for the Marlow Hunter Marlow Hunter 31 Deep draft Deep draft 2015. Real-world performance will come down more to which motor is actually bolted on, its load at the time, and whether it's a 4-stroke or 2-stroke setup. Fuel capacity breaks the other way: the Marlow Hunter Hunter 36 - 2011 Furling mainsail Furling mainsail 2011 carries 37 gallons versus 21 gallons in the Marlow Hunter Marlow Hunter 31 Deep draft Deep draft 2015. On a lake day that's negligible, but for coastal cruising or long reservoir runs the extra range matters.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Marlow Hunter Hunter 36 - 2011 Furling mainsail Furling mainsail 2011 is rated for 10 passengers, while the Marlow Hunter Marlow Hunter 31 Deep draft Deep draft 2015 caps at 9. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Marlow Hunter Hunter 36 - 2011 Furling mainsail Furling mainsail 2011 could be the deciding factor.
Displacement is where these two sailboats genuinely part ways. The Marlow Hunter Hunter 36 - 2011 Furling mainsail Furling mainsail 2011 displaces 15 329 lbs — a 3 475-lb difference over the Marlow Hunter Marlow Hunter 31 Deep draft Deep draft 2015 at 11 854 lbs. That gap separates two entirely different categories of sailing: the heavier boat is built for offshore passage-making and load-carrying, while the lighter hull rewards performance sailing and easier handling in lighter air.
Draft is a practical consideration that many buyers underestimate until they're already at the marina. The Marlow Hunter Marlow Hunter 31 Deep draft Deep draft 2015 draws 5,5 ft, compared to 4,1 ft for the Marlow Hunter Hunter 36 - 2011 Furling mainsail Furling mainsail 2011. That 1,4-foot difference affects which anchorages you can access, which haul-out facilities will take you, and how carefully you need to read the tide tables in shallower cruising grounds.
The Marlow Hunter Hunter 36 - 2011 Furling mainsail Furling mainsail 2011 uses fractional_rig_sloop rigging.
Hull speed is rated at 7,5 knots for the Marlow Hunter Hunter 36 - 2011 Furling mainsail Furling mainsail 2011 and 7,3 knots for the Marlow Hunter Marlow Hunter 31 Deep draft Deep draft 2015. For extended cruising, water capacity matters: the Marlow Hunter Hunter 36 - 2011 Furling mainsail Furling mainsail 2011 carries 75 gallons versus 50 gallons on the Marlow Hunter Marlow Hunter 31 Deep draft Deep draft 2015 — a significant advantage on longer passages where watermaker or provisioning stops aren't guaranteed.
Bottom line: The Marlow Hunter Hunter 36 - 2011 Furling mainsail Furling mainsail 2011 is the offshore and bluewater choice — at 15 329 lbs displacement and 35 ft it has the load capacity, range, and seakeeping for extended passages. The Marlow Hunter Marlow Hunter 31 Deep draft Deep draft 2015 at 11 854 lbs is the more nimble, accessible option — easier to single-hand and better suited to coastal and inland sailing.