2017 Dufour Yachts 360 Grand Large

The Dufour 360 is a well-tweaked version of the Dufour 350, and the changes are quite worthwhile.

Dufour has always been a step above many standard production boats in fit and finish quality, and the 360 is no exception. The joinery is precise, the wood grains are quite attractive, and little touches like airlifts on lockers abound.

On a more basic, structural level, Dufour hulls are made of vacuum-bagged fiberglass, and the decks are laminated with a foam core. I found the plumbing throughout to be neat, bundled and labeled, and all hoses and connections to the metal sea cocks double-clamped and secure. Wiring harnesses behind the panel are similarly neat, although all the positive leads are red, so a technician will need to have diagrams of the connector pin outs in order to do any troubleshooting—not a good thing. Color-coded wires for specific circuits are better.

It is easy to move about on deck and to step up onto the cabintop aboard the Dufour 360. The boom is also low enough for a person of normal height to reach, an important feature that buyers may overlook until it comes time try to adjust something up there. Using teak for the toerail is a nice touch, and the amount of teak is small enough that nobody will be offended if you let it turn gray with age rather than keep it varnished. The anchor lives on a short bowsprit that can also be used to secure the tack of an A-sail, a setup that will be handy for cruising.

Beyond that, the changes from the Dufour 350 to the 360 include a new deck mold that incorporates a fixed port in the front of the cabinhouse, new steering pedestals and a grill at the aft end of the cockpit. The new stern configuration might sound like a gimmick, but it’s actually a very cool idea, as the transom platform drops down to perform double duty as both a swim step and the floor of a cooking area for working at the built-in grill and counter top.