Hunter 28.5

Description

The Hunter 28.5 is an American fractional-rig cruiser designed by the Hunter Design Team and built by Hunter Marine from 1985 to 1988, with roughly 800 hulls produced as a direct replacement for the popular Hunter 26.5. At 28 feet 5 inches LOA with a generous 10-foot 6-inch beam and a moderate displacement of 7,000 lbs (2,900 lbs ballast), it features a shoal-draft winged keel drawing only 4 feet (or optional deeper fin at 5 feet 2 inches), a skeg-hung rudder, and a spacious T-shaped cockpit with pedestal wheel steering and a full walk-through transom with swim platform—one of the first production boats under 30 feet to offer this feature. The design yields surprisingly good performance (PHRF around 180–195) and easy handling. Below, the bright, teak-trimmed interior is notably roomy: huge aft cabin with a true double berth (almost queen-size), private forward V-berth, large U-shaped galley, enclosed head with shower, nav station, and a dinette that converts to another double—genuinely sleeping six adults with over 6 feet of headroom. Known for its excellent ventilation, forgiving manners, and genuine coastal-cruising ability in a package that can still be towed by a three-quarter-ton truck, the Hunter 28.5 remains a favorite Great Lakes and East Coast family cruiser with active owner groups and strong resale values today.