Hull Design and Underbody
Henderson carried the successful 44 DS hull shape forward almost unchanged into the 45 DS, a deliberate conservative move. The bottom is contemporary cruiser: moderate displacement, wide beam carried well aft, and a hollow bow and shallow forefoot that resist pitching in a chop. What changed from the predecessor was freeboard and overall length — the 45 DS is over a foot longer than the 44 while measuring the same at the waterline, a trade-off that bought interior volume at the cost of a slightly higher, bulkier profile. The iron production keel, offered in both deep- and shoal-draft versions, pairs a smaller lateral-plane area with a substantially enlarged rudder. The result is a boat that needs to foot rather than pinch, trading close-hauled efficiency for reduced weather helm and better light-air maneuverability.
The all-iron keel deserves specific attention. Hunter switched from lead to iron primarily due to a dramatic rise in lead costs around the boat's introduction. Iron keels are structurally sound and widely used, but they carry a maintenance burden: even minor groundings invite rust, and owners typically face annual grinding, priming, and sealing before launch.
Rig and Sail Handling
The 45 DS uses Hunter's familiar deck-stepped B&R fractional rig, with cap shrouds running to the toerail and lowers terminating at the base of the cabinhouse. The arrangement was designed to reduce compression loading and eliminate the backstay, which is a genuine structural and ergonomic advantage — until the choice of in-mast furling enters the picture. In-mast furling negates the B&R's most compelling advantage: accommodating a powerful mainsail with a generous roach. The furled slab that emerges from an in-mast drum has a straight leech and a modest shape, limiting drive in light air and upwind. Practical Sailor noted the test boat felt slightly under-canvassed during their evaluation, and the sailplan's center of effort sits high — the boom is more than 11 feet above the water, which is notably elevated for a monohull in this category.
Upwind in 13 knots apparent, the boat makes around 5.8 knots and tacks through roughly 110 degrees. Tacking recovery is leisurely, averaging about 35 seconds to return to full speed. Downwind, the picture brightens considerably: a cruising spinnaker produces better than 7 knots on a broad reach, jibing through 90 to 100 degrees with ease. The responsive Lewmar steering system, with its direct shaft linkages to the rudder quadrant, makes the helm light and predictable throughout.
Cockpit and Deck Layout
The cockpit is one of the 45 DS's strongest suits. Twin helms offer good sightlines forward and solid protection; the stainless radar arch spans the cockpit, taking the traveler and mainsheet entirely out of the crew's way while providing a ready mount for the bimini, electronics, and overhead speakers. The centerline cockpit table has well-rounded edges and doubles as a useful brace at sea. A double-ended mainsheet allows trimming from the port helm or the companionway winch — a practical arrangement for short-handed sailing.
On deck, headsail winches are located just outboard and forward of each steering station, so the helmsperson can manage most trimming duties solo. Spinlock XTS clutches and dedicated sheet-tail cubbies keep running rigging organized. Sidedecks are on the narrow side relative to comparable boats, but two sections of stainless grab rail on each side of the cabintop provide adequate security when moving forward. The anchor well is generous, with a recessed shelf, Lewmar vertical windlass, and foot-operated deck buttons — the one ergonomic annoyance being a slightly awkward rode-to-cleat transfer that would benefit from a chain stopper.
Accommodations
Below, the seven feet of headroom in the main saloon, combined with the wraparound windscreen and generous natural light, creates an impression of space well beyond the boat's actual footprint. The saloon is the heart of the design's success. The L-shaped galley offers over six square feet of Corian counter space, good stowage in under-sole trays and a bank of drawers, and a Force 10 gimbaled propane stove alongside a microwave and front-opening refrigerator. Engine noise at 2,500 rpm measured a moderate 74 decibels at the nav station — better than average for a boat of this type.
The forward cabin carries a Pullman berth 75 inches long and 50 inches wide at the shoulders, with its own dedicated head and shower molded in smooth fiberglass liner that resists mildew. The aft owner's cabin is where the layout stumbles. The queen island berth is comfortable, but headroom is limited throughout — you stoop to move between sides. Subsequent changes to the deck mold improved the situation modestly, but full standing headroom in the aft cabin was never achieved. For a boat marketed partly toward offshore passagemaking, the absence of true sea berths is a meaningful omission.
Known Issues and Construction Details
Hunter's construction method is methodical: a molded structural grid receives the interior modules and bulkheads, which are fiberglassed to the keel sump and bonded elsewhere with Plexus adhesive before the hull is pulled from the mold. The deck is mechanically fastened and sealed to the hull flange with 3M 5200. The hull laminate is glass-and-balsa-core above the waterline, solid glass below, with Kevlar reinforcement in the bow. The cherry interior uses film veneer over marine plywood laminate that is described as hard to dent — durable if not luxurious.
Practical Sailor's test sail surfaced some fit-and-finish concerns. Inspection hatches in the cabin sole lacked dogging hardware — an unusual omission on a vessel pitched as capable offshore. A wooden cleat supporting a settee access hatch failed under normal use. The Whitlock Mamba steering system incorporates corrosion-prone metals and requires regular inspection and anticorrosive treatment. Wet-cell battery banks in the under-floor location are difficult to service. None of these are fatal flaws individually, but collectively they point to finish and detail quality that lags what the boat's category and aspirations suggest.
Refits and Upgrades
Hunter made incremental improvements to the production mold during the model's run: the bridgedeck was extended aft to improve aft-cabin headroom, and the soft headliners and bunk mattress height were adjusted accordingly. Owners pursuing a thorough refit would be well advised to address the iron keel proactively — annual grinding and sealing is the baseline; owners who shrug off minor groundings invite accelerating corrosion. Adding a chain stopper at the anchor system is a straightforward upgrade that simplifies rode management considerably. The electric winch option — available from the factory for the mainsail — is worth retrofitting if not already fitted, given the in-mast furling demands. Dogging hardware on all cabin sole hatches is a low-cost safety improvement. For those planning extended offshore passages, the lack of dedicated sea berths is worth solving through cushion arrangements or pilot berth additions in the saloon.
The Verdict
The Hunter 45 DS is exactly what Glenn Henderson said it would be: a boat that makes passage-making easy rather than heroic. The deck layout is genuinely clever, the saloon is impressively livable, and the motion in a chop is predictable and comfortable. For coastal cruising, liveaboard use, or casual offshore passages with an experienced crew, the 45 DS delivers real value in a package that most sailors will find manageable and enjoyable.
The shortcomings are real, though. The iron keel demands a maintenance commitment that lead-ballasted alternatives do not. The aft cabin fails to provide what an owner's stateroom should. The in-mast furling mainsail undermines the rig's structural logic without delivering much practical simplicity over a well-executed slab rig. And Practical Sailor's finish concerns — while partly addressed in later production — remain a consideration when evaluating examples from early build years.
Pros
- Spacious, well-lit main saloon with seven feet of headroom
- Clever twin-helm cockpit with traveler and mainsheet moved entirely to the arch
- Low-pitched motion in a chop thanks to the hollow bow and shallow forefoot
- Good engine access and above-average noise abatement for the category
- Large, maneuverable rudder makes handling in tight quarters easy
- Double-ended mainsheet enables short-handed sail trim from multiple positions
Cons
- Iron keel requires diligent annual maintenance and is vulnerable to even minor groundings
- Aft owner's cabin lacks full standing headroom despite mold revisions
- In-mast furling mainsail sacrifices roach and sail power, leaving the boat feeling under-canvassed
- No true sea berths for offshore passagemaking
- Sidedecks are narrower than comparable competitors
- Fit and finish on earlier examples fell below expectations for the price category
