hunter 28 sailboat review

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Full Chapter One

by David Pascoe

First impressions are often lasting ones, especially when they are negative impressions like my first experience with Hunter in the early 1980's. Back then I had been hired by an unfortunate Hunter owner who had a forty footer with a grid liner that all came apart, causing some serious structural problems. At the time, Hunter had just converted to the use of grid liners (one of, if not the first to do so) and were far from perfecting the method, once again proving my point that far too many boat builders perform their experimentation in their product line, at the expense of their customers.

After much haggling we finally got that straightened out, but when you see stuff like that, you don't soon forget. Your opinion of a builder is ever afterward tainted. So we weren't too surprised to see that Hunter had finally got the grid liner right in this 1991 model. While this is unquestionably a low price boat, overall it seemed to be fairly well built and there were no problems with the framing system at all.  

The interior has a complete fiberglass liner that is well executed.  With the mast stepped on deck, there was no sign of the structural weakness in the cabin to as is so often the case with this type of boat.We were also suprised to find that there were no significant leaks inside.   The deck is bolted on a horizontal flange joint with bolts every 3", but it couldn't be determined if the joint was glassed over since nowhere in the boat could the deck joint be seen. The decks and cockpit area seemed sturdy enough and there were no stress cracks anywhere on the exterior decks, except in way of the poorly designed bow pulpit leg bases where there was considerable crazing.

With the sole angled at 45 degrees and the standup space only 20" wide by 5' long, this is not exactly good design.

The interior layout, like most boats this size, attempts to cram too much into too small a space. Despite it's 10'6" beam, its pretty cramped inside, mainly owning to faux "aft cabin" that is just a cave behind the engine with a cushion on the floor. The cushions being vinyl over foam rubber, this might lead to a rather sleepless nights in warm weather. Like wrapping yourself in insulation. The aft cabin area cuts into the main cabin area, rendering it somewhat less than useful. In fact, judging from the pristine condition of the galley stove, icebox and other interior components, this boat looked like it had been used as a day sailor only. It was now going on its third owner in 9 years. After spending a few hours aboard her, we could understand why.

We can understand that because the sole in the head is above the turn of the bilge so that it is steeply angled and one can hardly even stand up in there. The ladies will love it since to sit on the head, you sort of have to fall down onto it because it is very low, not at normal height. Ouch! And the guys will love trying to stand up on the 45 degree angled sole.  The area is also a deep rectangle, making it very awkward to enter, altogether a terrible layout in my view. The entrance to the "aft cabin" is the same way with the steeply angled sole, causing your feet to slip every time you step on it. Add to this the fact that the aft-facing, U-shaped settee in the main cabin has a seat width that is too narrow to sit comfortably, and we think the overall layout is a flop. With a drop leaf table in the center, the only place anyone will sit is at the ends, rendering the main part of the settee rather unuseable. So the effective interior seating capacity is two. The only thing we found convenient to use was the galley area. The interior is under-scaled for anyone over about 5'6" and a trim build.

The hull-recessed swim platform is a nice feature on larger boats, but this boat is too small for it. Basically it just allows a swimmer to get aboard, but at the considerable expense of interior and cockpit space. Sacrificing two feet of space for a steeply reversing transom on a 28 footer is an unreasonable  price to pay for style in our view. One really nice feature was the bow anchor locker which is one of the few that we've seen that is well designed.

Yes, we recognize that you're not going to get perfection in a budget priced 28 footer, but you can do a lot better than this. Here we go again with the rigging going down through the deck right in the middle of the traffic pattern. Getting around the rigging is a real pain. That's because to keep the price down, they went with a 3/4 instead of full head rig, with extraordinarily light rigging with only single lowers. The uppers were only 0.20" and the lowers and wishbone backstay a mere 0.15" wire! Would you want  to sea in a boat rigged like that? Not me, no thank you. Time has made of me a believer in safety margins.  Every time a gust of wind would come up, I'd have to wonder if the rig was going to fall down. Yike!

This is one of the major problems of the so-called racer-cruiser. It is the ultimate compromise of everything that leaves you happy with nothing. You want to win races and cruise, but its poorly suited for either.

Nor will you likely appreciate the very small deck hatch that makes stowing a sail rather difficult but, then, this one had roller furling that, unfortunately, couldn't be tensioned adequately because of the lightness of the rig. Wishbone back stays are not exactly the best arrangement for roller furling gear. Going racing with roller furling? Don't think so.

Next, lets talk about cockpit design. It had the large 30" destroyer wheel, which is fine except you have to crawl over the seats to get to the helm. That's the price you pay for a large wheel in any small boat. But what really ruins this cockpit layout was the sheet winch islands which are shallow and steeply sloping outboard, with no horizontal surface. Okay, so it makes the winches more or less level when heeled. Problem is that when you're tacking, the boat is not heeled over so much, and the winches would be more level if they were mounted in the normal manner. But in addition to this, you no longer have any back support while sitting in the cockpit, so that you cannot sit on the leeward side at all without continuously hanging on for dear life when heeled over even just a bit. When I leaned back against it, it hit me right in the small of my back, making it very uncomfortable. My feeling was that the lack of any raised coamings to lean back against was just plain ridiculous. Sail boat cockpits tend to be uncomfortable anyway, but this is one of the worst I've seen.

Plus, this design has also created a steeply sloping deck section in way of the winch island that about wants to break your ankle when you step on it. With a Bimini top, getting in and out of the cockpit is something of a Houdini trick as it is on most boats. But constantly climbing over the lifelines because there is no life line gate there didn't improve my disposition much. The owner had to install a small aluminum step on the outside of the rail just to climb aboard. By saving a few dollars, you get to risk slipping and falling on your face.

A winged, bulbous keel? Ought to be fun trying to get unstuck when you  run aground in this one. Especially in mud. The bottom of the thing is shaped like a giant suction cup. A winged keel made of cast lead? Wow, what a great idea! Oh, well, maybe you'll have fun hammering it back in shape every time you run aground. Does that oddly shaped hunk of lead reduce resistance and makes it go faster, too? Not likely. But it certainly had the effect of making her unusually tender. You notice that the moment you step aboard.   Heading around a sharp bend in the river under power, the boat heeled over at least 20 degrees, which I thought was ridiculous. It may stiffen up under sail, but with a complete lack of wind, we didn't get to find out.  Fads are cool, until you find out that's all it is.

Unfortunately, there were other problems that continue to prove the point that very low cost usually translates to very big problems. It was not until she was hauled that we could understand why this boat sells at such a low price. The fiberglass content of the hull is about as little as it could be without falling apart. The hull bottom was so thin that it  frightened me. In just about any place there wasn't a frame, you could push in the bottom with your thumb. Tapping on it with a hammer, it would vibrate. In the unsupported aft quarters, it dimpled as easily as an oil can. Granted, there were no signs of immanent structural failure, or even stress cracks on the bottom. But everything I saw on this boat suggested that it hadn't been used much,  so I doubt that the hull has ever been seriously stressed.

Some people don't think that a weak hull on a boat is much to be concerned about. The attitude is that as long as it doesn't fail under normal conditions, then its okay. My view on that is that people who hold that attitude have never been out to sea in a storm. I've sail raced all over North American, and I've seen my share of hull failures, including some that have cost lives. In one case, a knock down with the spinnaker up resulted in the deck pulling right off the hull. In another, the hull side caved in when hit by a wave broadside. And these boats were built far better than the Hunter 28. Of course, many people rationalize by saying that they only go sailing on nice days. Okay, its you're life. But add to this the fact that this very thin bottom was badly blistered and you have plenty of reasons to take a pass on the Hunter 28.

The list grows a bit longer when we discuss the large soft spots found in the rudder, but we have no idea what's going on there, just that its getting a little mushy. We might surmise that like a lot of rudders, its just some fiberglass laid over a foam core, as a lot of cheap rudders are.  We can add to the long list of Yanmar diesels with flubber engine mounts that are so soft and loose that the engine does the Watusi when you start it up. An engine that won't hold still and oscillates by as much as 1/2" is going to cause damage to the drive system sooner or later. Start with rapidly wearing cutlass bearings and packing glands and graduate eventually to transmission damage.

There are no gauges for the engine, and the control panel is down near the bottom of the cockpit where you can easily reach it by bending over in a space where there's not enough room to bend over. Why builders continue to place the engine controls in locations like this just beyond me. I guess the scuppers will never get plugged up and that electrical stuff will never get wet. At the bottom of the cockpit. The plastic throttle level on the steering pedestal felt like it was going to break off in my hand, it bent so much. Then there is a   plastic fuel tank  held in place with packaging straps and steel clips that will rust and fall apart as soon as they get wet a few times. The boat comes with a Mayfair bilge pump that is smaller than most coffee cups, and the single, small  12 volt automotive battery is sure to keep it running for a long time. Of course, small boats never get big leaks, so why worry?  This is getting kind of sad, isn't it?

Anyone who peruses the various sailing publications these days can't help but notice the inordinate number of boats that are either breaking apart or being dismasted, as well as the increasing number of fatalities. Instead of using the word dismasted, which implies the connotation of some external force as the cause of the dismasting, perhaps I should just say "masts falling down." Far too many of these dismastings ARE simply a matter of ultralight rigs toppling over because the designer pushed the safety margin to the limits, or beyond. Its not the weather conditions that were the cause; no, its hot shot design that pushes the bounds of sensibility. Far too many rudders and keels are falling off, deck joints separating and hulls splitting open. The average weekend sailor, lacking much heavy weather experience, has no idea of the terror he may be in for when he makes the mistake of venturing far from shore in what is nothing more than a day sailor. Those of you who get ideas about "bluewater voyaging" in a bargain boat like this would do well to reconsider that the ocean remains a dangerous place.

This could have been a nice, well-made boat. Parts of it are, but the builder didn't have his priorities straight. If all you're going to do is sail around the pond on balmy days, its probably fine for that. A serious deep water sailor she's not.  This is a price boat, and there's altogether too much that you don't get for what you don't pay, for any serious sailor to take the Hunter 28 seriously. There's a good reason why first impressions should be taken seriously, too. What you don't pay for up front will surely be heavily loaded on the back end. Count on it.

If  you wonder why people are leaving sailing like the plague just arrived, possibly this boat offers some reasons. There are too many just like it.

Posted August 1, 1998

David Pascoe - Biography

David Pascoe is a second generation marine surveyor in his family who began his surveying career at age 16 as an apprentice in 1965 as the era of wooden boats was drawing to a close.

Certified by the National Association of Marine Surveyors in 1972, he has conducted over 5,000 pre purchase surveys in addition to having conducted hundreds of boating accident investigations, including fires, sinkings, hull failures and machinery failure analysis.

Over forty years of knowledge and experience are brought to bear in following books. David Pascoe is the author of:

• " Mid Size Power Boats " (2003)
• " Buyers’ Guide to Outboard Boats " (2002)
• " Surveying Fiberglass Power Boats " (2001, 2nd Edition - 2005)
• " Marine Investigations " (2004).

In addition to readers in the United States, boaters and boat industry professionals worldwide from nearly 80 countries have purchased David Pascoe's books, since introduction of his first book in 2001.

In 2012, David Pascoe has retired from marine surveying business at age 65.

On November 23rd, 2018, David Pascoe has passed away at age 71.

Biography - Long version

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Published by: D. H. Pascoe & Co., Inc. Articles, Images: Copyright © 1997 - 2018 David H. Pascoe All rights reserved. Articles, Images: Copyright © 2019-2022 Junko A. Pascoe All rights reserved. Web site design & developement: Copyright © 1997 - 2023 Junko A. Pascoe All rights reserved. Web site: Maintained by Junko A. Pascoe

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• Sailboat Guide

Hunter 28 is a 28 ′ 0 ″ / 8.5 m monohull sailboat built by Hunter Marine between 1989 and 1994.

• 1 / 9 Canyon Lake, TX, US 1992 Hunter 28 $22,000 USD View
• 2 / 9 Canyon Lake, TX, US 1992 Hunter 28 $22,000 USD View
• 3 / 9 Canyon Lake, TX, US 1992 Hunter 28 $22,000 USD View
• 4 / 9 Canyon Lake, TX, US 1992 Hunter 28 $22,000 USD View
• 5 / 9 Canyon Lake, TX, US 1992 Hunter 28 $22,000 USD View
• 6 / 9 Canyon Lake, TX, US 1992 Hunter 28 $22,000 USD View
• 7 / 9 Canyon Lake, TX, US 1992 Hunter 28 $22,000 USD View
• 8 / 9 Canyon Lake, TX, US 1992 Hunter 28 $22,000 USD View
• 9 / 9 Canyon Lake, TX, US 1992 Hunter 28 $22,000 USD View

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

Thanks to Phil Galbiati for providing information on this boat. Update of the HUNTER 28.5 (1985-1988).

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• Hunter 28.5

The Hunter 28.5 Sailboat

The lack of a backstay on this Hunter 28.5 sailboat tells us that it sports a B&R (Lars Bergström and Sven Ridder) rig.

Published Specification for the Hunter 28.5

Hull Type:  Fin keel with spade rudder

Hull Material:   GRP (fibreglass)

Length Overall:  28' 5" / 8.7m

Waterline Length:  23' 9" / 7.2m

Beam:  10' 6" / 3.2m

Draft:  5' 2" / 1.6m

Rig Type:  B&R

Displacement:  7,000lb / 3,175kg

Sail Area/Displacement Ratio:  17.5

Displacement/Length Ratio:  233

Designer:  Hunter Design

Builder:  Hunter Marine (USA)

Year First Built:  1985

Year Last Built:  1988

Number Built:  not known

Owners Association:   The Hunter Association

Published Design Ratios for the Hunter 28.5

Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 17.5

Ballast/Displacement Ratio:  42.9

Displacement/Length Ratio:  233

Comfort Ratio: 18.8

Capsize Screening Formula:   2.2

read more about these all-revealing numbers...

Summary Analysis of Published Design Ratios for the Hunter 28.5

1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 17.5 suggests that the Hunter 28.5 will, in the right conditions, approach her maximum hull speed readily and satisfy the sailing performance expectations of most cruising sailors.

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 42.9 means that the Hunter 28.5 will stand up well to her canvas in a blow, helping her to power through the waves.

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 233, tells us the Hunter 28.5 is a moderate displacement cruiser, which means she'll carry all your cruising gear without it having a dramatic effect on her performance. Most of today's sailboats intended for offshore cruising fall into this displacement category.

4. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 18.8 suggests that crew comfort of a Hunter 28.5 in a seaway is similar to what you would associate with the motion of a coastal cruiser with moderate stability, which is not encouraging news for anyone prone to seasickness. 

5. The Capsize Screening Formula (CSF) of 2.2 indicates that a Hunter 28.5 would not be the wisest choice of sailboat for ocean passage-making owing to the lower resistance to capsize in strong winds and heavy seas that is associated with similar sailboats with a CSF of 2.0 and above.

More about the Hunter 28.5...

The Hunter 28.5 is rigged as a sloop with a split backstay and a B&R rig, which means that it has no backstay and uses swept-back spreaders to support the mast. The mast is deck-stepped and has a height of 12.6m (41.33 ft) above the waterline. The sail area is 36.9m² (397 sq ft), with a mainsail of 16m² (172 sq ft) and a genoa of 21m² (226 sq ft).

The boat is powered by an inboard diesel engine with a power of around 15 hp. The fuel tank has a capacity of 42 l (11 gal) and the water tank has a capacity of 102 l (27 gal).

The boat has a hull speed of 7.4 kn (8.5 mph) and a PHRF rating of around 180, which means that it is moderately fast and competitive in its class.

Accommodation The Hunter 28.5 has a spacious and comfortable interior that can accommodate up to six people. The layout consists of:

• A V-berth cabin forward with storage lockers and shelves.
• A head compartment to port with a marine toilet, sink, shower, and storage.
• A hanging locker to port aft of the head.
• A saloon with a U-shaped dinette to port that converts into a double berth, and a settee to starboard that can be used as a single berth.
• A navigation station to starboard aft of the settee with a chart table, electrical panel, and instruments.
• A galley to port aft of the dinette with a two-burner stove, sink, icebox, and storage.
• A private aft cabin to port with a double berth and storage.

The boat has plenty of natural light and ventilation from several opening ports and hatches. The cabin sole is made of teak and holly wood, which adds warmth and elegance to the interior.

Hull and Deck The Hunter 28.5 has a fiberglass hull and deck with wood trim. The hull shape is round-bottomed with a raked stem and a reverse transom. The keel is either a fixed fin keel or an optional shoal draft wing keel, both made of lead. The rudder is an internally-mounted spade-type rudder that is controlled by a wheel in the cockpit.

The deck is wide and flat, with non-skid surfaces for safety and ease of movement. The cockpit is large and comfortable, with high coamings, cushioned seats, and storage lockers. The helm station has an instrument pod, engine controls, compass, and cup holders.

The deck hardware includes two self-tailing two-speed jib sheet winches, two halyard winches on the cabin top, traveler on the arch above the companionway, genoa tracks and cars on the side decks, bow pulpit, stern rail, stanchions, lifelines, anchor roller, anchor locker, cleats, chocks, handrails, swim ladder, etc.

The boat comes standard with a 110% genoa on roller furling system and a mainsail with two reef points on lazy jack system.

The above text was drafted by sailboat-cruising.com using GPT-4 (OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model) as a research assistant to develop source material; we believe it to be accurate to the best of our knowledge.

Other sailboats in the Hunter range include:

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Hunter 28 Reviews and more (1989-1994)

Hunter 28 Under Sail

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HUNTER 28 Detailed Review

If you are a boat enthusiast looking to get more information on specs, built, make, etc. of different boats, then here is a complete review of HUNTER 28. Built by Hunter Marine (USA) and designed by undefined, the boat was first built in 1989. It has a hull type of Wing Keel and LOA is 8.54. Its sail area/displacement ratio 16.82. Its auxiliary power tank, manufactured by Yanmar, runs on Diesel.

HUNTER 28 has retained its value as a result of superior building, a solid reputation, and a devoted owner base. Read on to find out more about HUNTER 28 and decide if it is a fit for your boating needs.

Boat Information

Boat specifications, sail boat calculation, rig and sail specs, auxillary power tank, accomodations, contributions, who builds hunter 28.

HUNTER 28 is built by Hunter Marine (USA).

When was HUNTER 28 first built?

HUNTER 28 was first built in 1989.

How long is HUNTER 28?

HUNTER 28 is 7.37 m in length.

What is mast height on HUNTER 28?

HUNTER 28 has a mast height of 11.43 m.

Member Boats at HarborMoor

Review of Hunter 28.5

Basic specs..

The hull is made of fibreglass. Generally, a hull made of fibreglass requires only a minimum of maintenance during the sailing season. And outside the sailing season, just bottom cleaning and perhaps anti-fouling painting once a year - a few hours of work, that's all.

The Hunter 28.5 has been built with different keels.

One option is a fin keel. A boat with a fin keel is more manoeuvrable but has less directional stability than a similar boat with a full keel.

The boat can enter most marinas as the draft is just about 1.55 - 1.65 meter (5.09 - 5.39 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.

Another option is a fin keel.

The boat can enter even shallow marinas as the draft is just about 1.19 - 1.29 meter (3.90 - 4.20 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.

Sailing characteristics

This section covers widely used rules of thumb to describe the sailing characteristics. Please note that even though the calculations are correct, the interpretation of the results might not be valid for extreme boats.

What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?

The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 6.5 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.

The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Hunter 28.5 is about 154 kg/cm, alternatively 866 lbs/inch. Meaning: if you load 154 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 866 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

Sailing statistics

This section is statistical comparison with similar boats of the same category. The basis of the following statistical computations is our unique database with more than 26,000 different boat types and 350,000 data points.

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

What is a Ballast Ratio?

Maintenance

When buying anti-fouling bottom paint, it's nice to know how much to buy. The surface of the wet bottom is about 26m 2 (279 ft 2 ). Based on this, your favourite maritime shop can tell you the quantity you need.

Are your sails worn out? You might find your next sail here: Sails for Sale

If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.

This section is reserved boat owner's modifications, improvements, etc. Here you might find (or contribute with) inspiration for your boat.

Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what you have done.

We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Hunter 28.5 it would be a great help.

If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us . Criticism helps us to improve.

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Hunter 28.5 Concerns!!

• Thread starter Eric Grant
• Start date Dec 25, 1999
• Hunter Owner Forums
• Mid-Size Boats

Help!! Am in the throws on making an offer on an 85' Hunter 28.5, subject to survey. Have just received an E-mail from a third party indicating this boat sails and motors like a pig! After reading owners reviews on this boat, I got no sense of negative handling qualities, except downwind dificulties with sail handling due to swept back spreaders/shrouds. Perhaps handling characteristics not problematic in bays/lakes, such as reported, would be much more severe off our coast in the North Atlantic. While I have no illusions of this being a "blue water craft" I don't want something that can't handle well in a blow/swell, or point decently. Need feedback here as deal closes in early Jan/00!!Thanks, and best of the SeasonEric grant  

Personal Experience Eric, I have owned my 28.5 (87) for about 8 years. We have have her to the Bahamas a number of times and really enjoy her. I have had her in 6 to 8 foot seas, and although it was not particularly comfortable, I never felt unsafe. We have also raced the boat locally with respectablesuccess. She is very maneuverable, both under power and sail. Easy to dock. The stearn will walk a little to port in reverse, but if you take it easy on the power, it is perfectly managable an can be used to advantage. She is not a stiff boat, that is she overpowers easily. The key to keeping her on her feet is to reef early and let out the traveller as needed. She will drive very well under the 110% jib. I highly recommend agressive use of a cunningham and outhaul to keepthe draft shallow and forward when the wind picks up. Moving the geona cars aft will also help keep her on her feet in a blow. The 2GM20 Yanmar is one of the most reliable engines around, almost impossible to kill!  I added dual anchor rollers to the bow for quick release of the anchor. We are very happy with our 28.5. Indeed, not a blue water boat, but I think that you would be happy with her. E-mail me, or for that matter, any of the other 28.5 owners, if you have any questions. We are all happy to share our views and give help. Good luck and enjoy your new boat!  

A fine boat I bought a used 1985 Hunter 28.5 in 1994. She’s a great boat for our purposes (bays and light intracoastal cruising). The only negative is that she has a strong weather helm in winds over 15 knots (even when reefed). But I’ve had her keeled over 35 degrees and was never worried that she couldn’t handle it. (NOTE: I was never worried. My wife and mother-in-law, who were onboard at the time is another story that I won’t go into here).In moderate winds she sails beautifully. She can turn on a dime. Visibility from the cockpit is good. Maintenance is easy, and the engine is about as accessible as any I’ve seen.She and her engine are very reliable. A fine boat for the money.Mike BatesZenith II[email protected]  

Ernie Scott

Good Boat I'll echo the other replies: I've had my '85 28.5 for about 2 years and have become quite comfortable taking her out in winds to 30kts and seas 6-8ft (as indicated, however, comfort in the integrity of the boat and actual seaway comfort are not necessarily the same...)Learn when to reef her and trim accordingly and your knuckles won't be white. A recent trip from Canaveral to the Keys and back via the ocean route we averaged 5.5 to 7.5kts (the higher end compliments of the Gulfstream). We don't race but, on the other hand, we don't get passed very frequently by other boats under sail.Comfortable and affordable - my family of 4 does up to 2 weeks at a time on board without mutiny.Good luck.EScott5406@AOL  

h28.5 I owned an '86 28.5 for 5 yrs. All the previous posts are correct, it is a good boat and a big boat for her size. Much bigger than a Catalina 27 and almost as big as a C-30. I don't know where your "third party" got his info but my 28.5 sailed, motored and steered like a dream. I could easily stay with C-30s when sailing. Most 28.5 owners replace the stock %110 jib with a %125-%150 genny and then she will really move. For downwind get a cruising spinnaker. The 2GM20 is a great engine, never had any trouble with mine. The rig is tall so learn how to reef and don't be afraid to do it.  

H28.5 good boat I have had a 28.5 since purchased new in '86. Good boat and good Yanmar engine.Boat tends to be a bit elastic(jumpy) in a light to modest puff in the first 0 to 15 degrees then stiffens up very well having converted the wind to forward motion. Keep the trav center to slightly windward or one tends to burry gunnels in a blow.Since yours is one of the first built, I'd make sure that it had its fuel box and bubble box "upgraded"!. Initially these boats had a "TV dinner pie plate" molded in approach to making these two adjacent items out of fiberglas with a "fiber cover over both of them. Since the seal on both wasn't a good seal it was "boxing" exhaust bubble box water into my fuel box. It took a season of searching before we found out how my fuel was getting watered. Hunter did me right by sending a drop-in poly fuel box insert and a separate bubble box. After that no problem. So make sure yours is upgraded.Also check the hot water hoses that run from the 2GMF engine under the floor boards to the heater box in the front of the "U" set tee seat. In some cases I seen (other 28.5) that the cabin floor screws were driven thru these hoses!. In my case, a friction over the years cause the drill holes thru which the hoses were run forward thru the ribs to cut into the hoses. Now I pulled out the heater and relocated it to the rear of the cockpit locker and ran the hoses to that location- didn't have to buy extra hose either -worked with the good section of what I had.  

H28.5 concerns- one more thing Re:The fellow that says the boat is a pig. The boat does suffer if you don't keep the bottom clean of growth. Speed will drop and converting a puff to speed will be significantly hampered. In motoring with a dirty bottom, you will "boil water" rather than make expected hull speed. and you will see vibration at that point. If it vibrates otherwise I'd check my cutlass bearing condition and my alignment.That's it.  

Don't buy it just yet.... Eric,I have something that you will definitely want to know before you buy...email me @ [email protected] and I will fill you in!!!James-  

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Hunter 28.5 or Mariner 28

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Looking for advise ! I have been looking at both a Hunter 28.5 and a Mariner 28. Daysailing and weekend trips for usually two. Any advise on either of these boats would be appreciated.  

See what you make of Boat Review by David Pascoe - Hunter 28  

Mariner 28 I owned a Mariner 28 for several years. She was a fairly decent sailor and quite stiff. Her build quality was good, although given her age, she needed new electronics and internal repairs to cabin sole. She has a shallow bilge so water can slop around unless you automatic bilge pump is working well. The 8 opening ports were a big plus in hot weather. Richard M.  

Mariner 28 If you can get a Mariner 28 that is in decent shape, I wouldn't even consider the Hunter. That said, I looked at a Mariner 28 that had been horribly neglected, and I wouldn't have sailed that boat anywhere. My Mariner 28 sails great, is very well built and has an interior that blows the Hunter away. The entire cabin is wood, and is very well laid out. The cockpit is very large, and great for entertaining, but also has a bridgedeck that makes the boat safer on the ocean. Check out both of the boats and if the Mariner is in good shape, go for it. There is a great website (not mine) that details a couple who has cruised with their Mariner south. Search on google for: nimue mariner sorry, this site won't let me put the link up happy sailing  

I have had my 1979 Mariner 28 for 4 years. Its a very good and very well built boat. She sails well but can develop a weather helm in wind over 12-15 knots. Reefing down a bit helps a lot with no loss of speed. Mine was in very good condition when bought but I have put a lot of boat units into upgrades etc. The electrical systm if not upgraded shold be looked at closely. Mariner made a great boat. Are you located in New England?  

Thanks for the advise. I am located on the west end Lake Ontario. Shipping costs become a concern with a boat of that value. I have never sailed on a Mariner, but for some reason the boat has just caught my eye. Most things I have read about it have been positive, just not too many on the market.  

1st off the boat review by Pascoe is not the same boat might be the same hull but nothing after that. I don't know that Mariner 28 so got nothing on that. But I did own a H 28.5 for 5 years and really liked the boat. We raced and cruised the boat and did very well racing. We raced against Tartan 30's Catalina 30's, Oday 28's Person 30's and pretty much owned the fleet. It would seem to be our race to lose. Yanmar moves the boat real well cockpit is ok size could be a little bigger but they all could be a little bigger. B&R Rig was not much of a problem but mail would be in the rig on down wind sailing. Build quality was good we had no out side water leaks which is great for a 20 some year old boat. Cast Iron Keel will rust but juat knock off the rust in the spring and re-paint it and move on. Boat ail's well to it PHRF # of 174 on Lake Erie. We cruised went on vaction for 2 weeks every summer sailing all of Lake Erie. So after selling it the question is would I buy it or another one again? For the price of these boat on the market now from $12K to $17K it is a good deal allot of boat for the money and this is pretty much what all Hunters are. We sold our bought a J 29 (LOVE THE J 29) But times have changed we are not racing much with the J 29 and are thinking of selling it and buying another H 28.5. (Edit) Keeping the J 29 love it to much Cliff H 28.5 Red Dog  

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