Design and Construction
The 23.5's defining trait is its water ballast: 125 gallons (1,000 pounds) held immediately below the waterline in about 16 cubic feet of volume, which can be drained to strip that weight from the trailering package water ballast system. Boat, motor, and trailer together weigh 2,450 pounds, and the operator can remove the 1,000 pounds of ballast for the road. A retractable centerboard, kick-up rudder, and a mast that is fairly easy to step and unstep further enhance trailerability, while enough foam is built in to provide positive flotation. Construction is straightforward for the period—balsa coring in the hull and plywood in the deck, with a modified shoebox deck/hull joint bonded with glass and fastened through the rubrail. Stanchions land on aluminum backing plates that are glassed in and are sturdy, and nonskid is molded in. Hunter's process built a mock-up and then an extensively tested prototype before finalizing the design, and writing in Practical Sailor, the inspectors of hull number 8 noted careful attention to detail and finish even in awkward corners. The builder offered a five-year bottom blister warranty on the 23.5.
Rig and Handling
The rig is a B&R design with a 28-foot Z. Spar mast, fractionally rigged with swept-back spreaders that eliminate the need for a backstay no backstay. There is also no traveler or topping lift. Main and jib halyards are internal and led aft to the cockpit, and power comes from a fully battened 128-square-foot mainsail and a 110-percent, 108-square-foot jib for 236 square feet total and a sail-area-displacement ratio of 18.9. Test sailors found the shallow-body, lightweight hull moved up to speed quickly in light air, pointed high with no noticeable helm, and glided easily on a reach and downwind. The boat sails well on all points in light air and does well off the wind in heavier air, but in 15–20 knots with a single reef it consistently rounds up and stalls, a tendency linked to the very high-aspect ratio centerboard generally associated with quick stall. Crews also had some trouble finding a definitive groove after tacking, and test sailors found the cam cleat for the mainsheet sits down near the cockpit sole where it is hard to reach in heavy air on a beat. Windward work above 15 knots was judged poor.
Accommodations
Below, the cabin extends to the rail with no side decks, so you climb over the top to reach the foredeck. The main cabin is sizable with more headroom than typical for a 23-footer, and a pop-top hatch lets those below stand in the center; Hunter put drains all around the pop-top, though its water tightness was not vouched for. Three ports per side, a basic cream liner, and a grayish close-weave fabric on part of the topsides fill out the space. Aft to port sits a galley station with a one-burner alcohol stove, sink, and fold-out table with storage; forward of it is a child-sized settee/berth with a cutout for a portable ice chest, and opposite is a longer settee/berth of less than six feet. A centerline slot holds a small table that also sets up in the cockpit. The portable toilet is tucked to starboard behind a curtain under the V-berth, and a double berth lies aft under the cockpit. In the cockpit, a centerline ridge serves as a footrest, seatbacks carry foam padding, and lazarets on either side give on-deck stowage. A #8 Barient winch on each side of the cabin top handles the sheets.
Known Issues
The plywood deck core carries the potential to encourage water migration should a deck leak occur at some point plywood core. The mainsheet cam cleat's low position near the cockpit sole is a practical handling weak spot in strong wind on the wind. The pop-top's sealing was left unverified by reviewers, and there is no waterline or boot scribed in the hull—an odd omission for a production boat.
Refits and Ownership
The boat comes with the Cruise Pac, which provides just about anything a customer needs including sails, motor, trailer, lifelines, anchor, and life jacket. The water ballast is brought on board in about two minutes by flipping up a lid at the base of the companionway, opening a vent, and turning a T-valve that drops a circular stainless plate aft of the keel to expose four hull holes. A brushed aluminum tube tiller arches over the walk-through transom, where a swim ladder comes standard. An optional canvas camper top adds weather protection, and helpful additions include an automatic bilge pump and access plates under the cockpit winches.
The Verdict
The Hunter 23.5 is a cleverly engineered trailerable that trades traditional ballast for drained water weight and wraps surprising cabin volume into a low, full hull. Its light-air manners and easy trailering are genuine strengths, but strong-wind windward performance and a few cockpit ergonomics need a buyer's tolerance.
Pros
- Water ballast drains 1,000 pounds for trailering; combined road weight 2,450 pounds
- Easy mast stepping, retractable centerboard, kick-up rudder, positive flotation
- Standing headroom via pop-top; roomy cabin for a 23-footer with double berth aft
- B&R fractional rig with internal halyards and no backstay simplifies setup
Cons
- Rounds up and stalls in 15–20 knots with reef; poor windward over 15 knots
- Plywood deck core risks water migration if a leak starts
- Mainsheet cam cleat hard to reach near cockpit sole; no scribed waterline
