Design and Construction
The Hunter 28 is built predominantly of fiberglass, with a fractional Bermuda sloop rig, a raked stem, and a reverse transom that contributes to an interior swim platform arrangement. The hull displaces 7,400 pounds and carries 2,800 pounds of ballast, with a wing keel drawing only 3.75 feet — a figure that opened shallow anchorages to its owners but introduced tradeoffs explored below.
Marine surveyor David Pascoe, who conducted a pre-purchase survey on a 1991 example, found the grid liner well executed on this model, noting that Hunter had resolved earlier structural problems with the system. The interior fiberglass liner was also well executed, and there were no significant leaks found inside. That said, these were the extent of the structural compliments. When the boat was hauled, the fiberglass content of the hull was about as little as it could be without falling apart. Pascoe reported that the hull bottom was so thin it could be pushed in with a thumb in areas unsupported by frames, vibrating when struck with a hammer. The aft quarters dimpled as easily as an oil can. The bottom was also found to be badly blistered on the surveyed example.
Rig and Handling
The fractional sloop carries a mainsail of just over 215 square feet and a jib or genoa of nearly 184 square feet, for a total sail area approaching 400 square feet. The foretriangle height of 35 feet and a mainsail luff of 37.5 feet give the boat reasonable canvas for its size.
Pascoe's concern, however, was with the weight of the standing rigging chosen to support it. To keep the price down, the builder went with a three-quarter instead of full-head rig, with extraordinarily light rigging using only single lowers. The uppers measured only 0.20 inches in diameter and the lowers and wishbone backstay a mere 0.15 inches — dimensions Pascoe found alarming from a safety margin standpoint. The wishbone backstay arrangement also presented a specific problem: the roller furling could not be adequately tensioned because of the lightness of the rig, and a wishbone backstay is not considered a suitable arrangement for roller furling gear.
The wing keel contributed to a boat unusually tender for its ballast-to-displacement ratio, with Pascoe observing the hull heel over roughly 20 degrees when the boat made a sharp turn under power in calm conditions.
Accommodations and Interior Layout
Despite a 10-foot, 6-inch beam that suggests generous interior volume, the interior attempts to cram too much into too small a space and is pretty cramped inside. The culprit is the faux aft cabin — what Pascoe described as just a cave behind the engine with a cushion on the floor. This arrangement cuts into the main cabin area, rendering it somewhat less than useful.
The head compartment suffered from a steeply angled sole above the turn of the bilge, making it genuinely difficult to stand or use comfortably. The main saloon settee proved similarly compromised: the U-shaped settee had a seat width too narrow to sit comfortably, and with a drop leaf table in the center, the effective interior seating capacity was two.
The galley area was noted as the one convenient interior element. The bow anchor locker was also praised as one of the few well-designed examples of its type. Fresh water capacity is 30 US gallons and fuel capacity is 18 US gallons, both reasonable figures for coastal cruising use.
Cockpit and Deck Issues
The cockpit design generated pointed criticism. Sheet winch islands are shallow and steeply sloping outboard with no horizontal surface, a configuration designed to keep winches level when heeled but eliminating the back support that makes cockpit sailing manageable. The complete lack of raised coamings to lean back against made the cockpit one of the worst Pascoe had encountered. The rigging passes down through the deck right in the middle of the traffic pattern, a cost-driven decision that creates an obstacle on an already constrained side deck.
The deck hatch is very small, making stowing a sail difficult. There is no lifeline gate, requiring crew to climb over the lifelines every time they board — a minor but telling detail about where compromises were made. Control panel placement drew specific criticism, with the engine controls placed near the bottom of the cockpit where they are exposed to scupper drainage and awkward to reach.
Known Issues and Surveyor Findings
Beyond the hull laminate thinness and osmotic blistering, Pascoe identified large soft spots in the rudder consistent with foam-cored construction. The Yanmar diesel was mounted on engine mounts so soft and loose that the engine oscillated by as much as half an inch at startup, a condition that accelerates wear on cutlass bearings, stuffing boxes, and ultimately the transmission.
Electrical infrastructure was minimal: a single small 12-volt automotive battery powering the systems, with a bilge pump smaller than most coffee cups. The plastic fuel tank was held in place with packaging straps and steel clips prone to rust. These details collectively paint a picture of a boat built to a price rather than a standard.
The Verdict
The Hunter 28 is an honest artifact of its era — a production boat designed to open sailing to buyers who could not afford a more expensive cruiser. Its fractional sloop rig and wing keel deliver a usable, shallow-draft coastal sailor, and on a calm day in settled conditions, the wide beam and straightforward sail plan make the boat accessible and easy to manage. But the compromises required to achieve its price point are structural rather than cosmetic, and the surveyor's findings suggest that many of these issues are endemic to the design rather than the result of poor ownership.
The reverse transom and swim platform were fashionable at the time but cost interior and cockpit space on a hull that cannot spare either. The ultra-light standing rigging is a legitimate safety concern for any owner who sails in variable conditions. The hull laminate, by Pascoe's account, was built to a minimum that leaves little margin for stress.
For a buyer considering a Hunter 28, the priorities before purchase should be a proper haulout survey focusing on hull laminate thickness, blister remediation history, rudder condition, standing rigging diameter verification, and engine mount replacement. None of these is unusual work on a boat of this vintage, but the combination of thin laminate and light rigging means deferred maintenance here carries higher consequence than on a more conservatively built contemporary.
Pros
- Shallow wing keel draft (3.75 ft) opens anchorages unavailable to fin-keel competitors
- Wide beam provides relative volume for the waterline length
- Fractional rig and wheel steering are approachable for newer sailors
- Well-executed grid liner and interior fiberglass liner on later examples
- Good bow anchor locker design
Cons
- Hull laminate critically thin by surveyor measurement; bottom easily deflected by hand pressure
- Standing rigging undersized (0.15–0.20 in.) with single lowers; inadequate safety margins offshore
- Aft cabin is non-functional; interior layout poorly proportioned despite wide beam
- Wing keel creates difficult grounding situations and contributes to tenderness
- Head compartment steeply angled and effectively unusable at normal height
- Cockpit lacks back support; no lifeline gate; engine controls poorly positioned
- Rudder core soft spots endemic to the design; engine mounts require early replacement
