Design and Construction
The 212 departs from conventional fiberglass practice in its hull chemistry. She is built predominantly of ACP — Advanced Composite Process — a non-fiberglass plastic material that Hunter advertising identified only as ACP and claimed was five times more impact resistant than fiberglass. The construction is a sandwich of an 18-inch sheet of ABS plastic and an inch or more of closed-cell foam with a fiberglass mat backing, and the hulls were molded by JY Sailboats in a joint venture arrangement. Visually she shares the bulbous modern look seen across several other Hunter boats of the era, with a slightly raked stem and an open reverse transom. The rudder is transom-hung and swings up, controlled by a tiller, and the centerboard keel gives her a board-down draft of 5 feet and a board-up draft of about ten inches — the latter permitting beaching or trailer transport.
Rig and Handling
Above the deck she carries a fractional sloop B&R rig, also described as a Bermuda rig, with a mainsail of 118 square feet and a jib of 83 square feet for a total sail area just over 201 square feet. A mast height of 31 feet from the waterline makes stepping the stick a chore unless the buyer has the optional mast-raising device designed for single-handed use. With only 140 pounds of fixed ballast and a 135-pound weighted centerboard as the sole ballast, practically all the vessel's stability comes from hull form and crew weight. The PHRF average handicap of 216 and a hull speed of 5.69 knots place her firmly in the casual day-sail and modest cruising camp rather than the club-racer ranks.
Accommodations
Below, the 212 sleeps four: a double V-berth in the bow cabin and two straight settee berths in the main cabin. The galley sits on the port side under the bow berth, and the head is in the bow cabin on the starboard side under the V-berth — a portable unit as standard factory equipment. Cabin headroom is 52 inches, which confines standing comfort to the smallest of adults but suits a boat whose brief is trailerable weekending rather than liveaboard cruising.
Known Issues
The light ballast plan drew a period reviewer's guess that her stability in a breeze would be considerably worse than any of her competitors, a direct consequence of deriving nearly all righting moment from form and crew rather than lead. The ACP structure poses a real ownership hazard: it requires special adhesives to bond repairs, and plain resins, epoxy, or marine fillers will not stick and hold. Any hull damage therefore demands a repair facility that knows the material, not a standard fiberglass shop.
The Verdict
The Hunter 212 is a clever pocket cruiser that trades ballast-derived seaworthiness for trailering convenience and a surprisingly complete interior. She suits a sailor who wants to launch at a ramp, sleep four in modest comfort, and never pay for a marina slip — provided the owner respects the limits of her stability and the special demands of her ACP hull.
Pros
- Retractable centerboard enables beaching and trailer transport
- Four-berth layout with enclosed head in a 21-foot hull
- B&R fractional rig with optional one-person mast raising device
Cons
- Minimal ballast makes her tender compared with ballasted competitors
- ACP hull requires specialist adhesives for any repair
