Design and Construction
Hunter Marine built the 25-2 as a solid-fiberglass hull with a raked stem and a walk-through, rounded reverse transom, closed off by a transom-hung rudder controlled by a wheel. The fixed fin shoal-draft keel draws just 2.00 feet, a figure that deliberately lets the boat be moved on a trailer over land anchor. That same shallow appendage defines much of the design's character: at 35.38 percent ballast-to-displacement the boat is reasonably weighted for its size, but the 2-foot keel trades upwind grip for ramp-and-road practicality. Henderson's hand is visible in the B&R masthead sloop rig on aluminum spars, a configuration that pairs a 25-foot I foretriangle with a 23.42-foot mainsail luff for a total sail area of 217.5 square feet.
Rig and Handling
The B&R rig and masthead sloop plan give the 25-2 a documented PHRF average handicap of 225 and a theoretical hull speed of 6.3 knots. The shoal keel's compromise is explicit in period assessment: the extremely shallow fixed keel is not adequate to prevent noticeable sideslip while sailing upwind anchor. A buyer expecting to claw off a lee shore on the wind will find the boat wandering to leeward more than a deeper-finned 25-footer would. Offsetting the rig's trailer nature, a mast-raising system similar to the Catalina 250 makes life at the launching ramp easier, and the elevated seats on the stern quarters have proven to be very popular among boat buyers.
Accommodations
Below, the 25-2 sleeps four, using a double V-berth in the bow cabin and an aft double under the cockpit. The galley sits to starboard just forward of the companionway ladder, with the head to port beside the companionway steps — a compact but conventional cruiser layout for the length. The main cabin carries a drop-leaf table flanked by two straight settees, each wide enough for two, and the cabin is lit by forward-facing rectangular ports. Headroom is 64 inches, and the fresh water tank holds 10 U.S. gallons. The arrangement is honest weekender scale rather than pocket-cruiser sprawl.
Known Issues
The one documented shortcoming specific to the design is the upwind performance penalty imposed by the 2-foot fixed shoal keel. Because the appendage is so shallow, the boat exhibits noticeable sideslip when sailed to weather, a behavior rooted directly in the draft chosen to permit trailering. The keel's leeway is a design trade, not a failure.
The Verdict
The Hunter 25-2 is a purpose-built trailerable cruiser that trades upwind efficiency for road transport and ramp launching. Henderson's B&R rig, wheel steering, and clever mast-raising system make it an approachable small boat for lake and coastal explorers who value easy ownership over racing sharpness.
Pros
- Trailerable on a standard shoal-draft keel of just 2 feet
- Mast-raising system eases launch ramp handling
- Sleeps four with practical galley and head placement
- Popular elevated stern-quarter seating
Cons
- Shallow fixed keel produces noticeable upwind sideslip
