Design and Construction
The hull is solid fiberglass with wood trim, a raked stem, and a reverse transom, built as a recreational keelboat with an internally‑mounted spade‑type rudder controlled by a wheel. The fixed fin keel or shoal draft wing keel gave buyers a choice between a deep fin drawing 5 feet 2 inches and a wing keel drawing just 4 feet; the shoal version adds 100 pounds of displacement and ballast to 3,100 pounds. A 27‑gallon water capacity and 11.5‑gallon diesel tank sit within a hull whose wetted surface measures about 279 square feet, and the boat’s immersion rate of 866 pounds per inch means she loads predictably. Hunter Marine’s construction of this era used solid glass below the waterline, and the 28.5’s relatively high ballast ratio and beamy hull are what let her carry a masthead B&R rig without feeling tender.
Rig and Handling
What sets the 28.5 apart from a conventional sloop is the B&R rig with swept‑back spreaders and no backstay, a patented system that uses a split backstay to manage forestay sag instead of a traditional running backstay. She is a masthead sloop carrying a 171.9‑square‑foot main and a 225.5‑square‑foot foretriangle for a total sail area of 397.4 square feet, and one comparison judged her slightly over‑rigged relative to two‑thirds of similar boats. The standard 110 percent genoa was fed by two self‑tailing two‑speed jib winches, and the wheel‑steered spade rudder gives good control in the marina drafts her fin keel allows. Her sail‑area‑to‑displacement ratio of 17.5 and displacement‑length ratio of 233 place her firmly in the moderate‑displacement cruiser camp, with a theoretical hull speed of about 6.5 knots.
Accommodations
Below, the 28.5 used a fore‑and‑aft arrangement for the aft berth that preserved usable stowage on the opposite side, and factory standard equipment ran to a teak‑and‑holly cabin sole, dinette table, navigation table, stainless sink, two‑burner stove, icebox, and a hot‑and‑cold pressurized water system. Double lifelines, an anchor, life jackets, and the genoa rounded out the spec. The wide 10 foot 6 inch beam is what earns the boat her roomy reputation against peers, and the traditional transom noted in one review distinguishes her from later Hunter revisions that went to a reverse transom styling language.
Known Issues
The B&R rig’s swept‑back spreaders and absent backstay mean mast stability depends entirely on the split backstay and chainplate integrity; any deterioration of sealant around deck‑level chainplate covers lets water track onto structural bulkheads. The wing‑keel version carries a PHRF average of 180, and the shoal keel’s added weight and reduced draft make grounding damage a more likely encounter in shallow cruising.
Refits and Ownership
Owners shopping a 28.5 will find a boat with a modest 13‑horsepower diesel inboard and a simple systems list that ages gracefully. The factory spinnaker option and self‑tailing winches suggest the original brief was family cruising with occasional club racing, and the 27‑gallon water and 11.5‑gallon fuel figures keep the boat in weekend‑cruise territory rather than long‑range voyaging. The development into the Hunter 28 in 1989 means later parts and familiarity flow from that sibling, but the 28.5’s unique B&R masthead rig is its own animal.
The Verdict
The Hunter 28.5 is a beamy, high‑ballast cruiser whose B&R rig and roomy cabin made her a standout in the mid‑eighties 28‑foot class. She rewards a careful survey of her chainplate sealing and keel joint, but offers more below‑deck space than most rivals and a predictable, stable helm.
Pros
- Ballast ratio above 66 percent of similar designs, with 3,000 lb lead on deep fin
- Beam of 10'6" yields cabin room exceeding 86 percent of comparable boats
- B&R rig with split backstay simplifies the rigging aft
- Shoal wing keel option opens shallow marinas
Cons
- No traditional backstay; rig integrity hinges on split backstay and chainplates
- Wing‑keel version adds weight and is more grounding‑prone in thin water
- Out of production since 1988; spares familiarity leans on the Hunter 28 successor
