Design and Construction
Henderson set out to build a trailerable sloop usable for daysailing but not for camping, and the hull reflects that brief with a sportboat type hull form. A plumb bow maximizes waterline while hollow forward sections cut resistance and let volume distribute controllably; a slight reflex in the stern profile artificially extends the sailing length. Low-lift, low-drag underwater appendages are meant to improve speed and induce lift. The 216 is built predominantly of thermo plastic, and Hunter’s Advanced Composite Process produces the hull in a closed mold with a skin coat of BASF Luran-S, a foam core, and fibercloth backing. The urethane foam inner core was claimed to provide nearly five times the impact resistance of traditional fiberglass because the hull flexes under load, and the foam backing supplies more than 1,500 pounds of positive flotation that makes the boat unsinkable even when filled. After a collision the thermoplastic hull can be sanded and buffed back to its original appearance. At the time of review the 216 was the largest model built by this thermo-forming method, though the machinery could handle up to 23-footers.
Rig and Handling
The rig is a single-spreader fractional sloop carrying a 105 percent overlapping jib that keeps sheet loads light and tacking easy. Designed for trailer sailors, the 30-foot-10-inch mast is stepped inside the boat rather than on deck and slides into a groove at the forward end of the V-shaped companionway as it rises, so a stabilizing bridle is unnecessary. A weighted 500-pound solid-lead centerboard tucks into a recess and lifts from 3 feet 6 inches to 1 foot retracted, operated by a hydraulic system with a corrosion-resistant aluminum ram in place of the usual ratchet-wire setup. The rudder uses Henderson’s VARA system — an internal foil in a round rotating pod that can be raised or removed for trailering, beaching, and maintenance yet behaves like a permanent rudder. Its very high aspect ratio contributes significant lift upwind. Writing in Practical Sailor, test sailors found the boat moved quickly and smoothly through flat water in 6 to 10 knots, heeled and accelerated in puffs without increased leeway, and tacked or jibed effortlessly. The VARA pod also permits a centerline engine mount and a small transom scoop.
Accommodations and Cockpit
This is a daysailer at heart, and the cockpit shows it: testers described a remarkably open layout with long bench seats that give good back support and easy movement about the boat. There is no interior camping accommodation by design intent. The open cockpit and reverse transom suit day use and simplify access for trailering or beaching, though the original test boats revealed shortcomings addressed below.
Known Issues
The two boats sailed for review came without any coaming handholds and showed a total absence of non-skid on the seats and cockpit well, and the Bitter End Yacht Club fleet showed masts pumping and inverting in heavy air, which forced beefed-up spreader brackets and better mast bracing with a retention pin and collar. Those fixes — non-skid surfacing and reinforced spreader brackets — became standard on all production 216s. Some BEYC boats also had ball-bearing trouble in the VARA rudder assemblies from an isolated installation glitch. Testers noted the boats are tender when the breeze reaches 20 knots with only two aboard.
Ownership and Refits
Standard equipment included North Sails mainsail and jib, a Harken furler, and a trailer; an optional spinnaker package added a bowsprit and asymmetrical sail, and a retractable bowsprit drew strong early order interest. The hydraulic keel lift took about 70 pump throws — a couple minutes of effort — though the builder claimed roughly 30 seconds with the lever pump. The 216’s thermoplastic construction and trailering focus make it a straightforward owner boat, and its design lineage continued when the thermo plastic hull was developed into the Hunter 22-2 in 2010.
The Verdict
The Hunter 216 is a focused daysailer that borrows sportboat thinking to make a 21-foot trailerable feel quick and manageable. Its hydraulic centerboard, VARA rudder, and inside-stepped mast remove the usual muscle work from trailering and launching, and the unsinkable thermoplastic hull is genuinely low-maintenance. Early production had real rig and cockpit-grip defects, but those were corrected in standard production. It is not a cruiser, and it is tender in a breeze with a light crew.
Pros
- Sportboat-derived hull with plumb bow and hollow forward sections for low-resistance daysailing performance
- Hydraulic lifting 500-pound lead centerboard and VARA rudder simplify trailering and beaching
- Unsinkable thermoplastic hull with foam-core impact resistance and repairable finish
- Inside-stepped fractional rig with light sheet loads and no need for a mast bridle
Cons
- Tender when overpowered with only two crew
- Early boats shipped without cockpit non-skid or handholds; mast pumping required production fixes
- Designed for daysailing only, not overnight or camping use
