A boat for our time?

Back in 2012, I went for a spin on the Hunter Channel 245 – a robust and chunky little cruiser that punched above her weight in lots of ways.

Here was a boat with a hull length of just 23ft (7m) that offered up to six berths, an enclosed heads, a separate aft cabin, a chart table (often not found on much larger boats these days), full standing headroom for a six-footer, a respectable galley, an inboard engine, a choice of fin or twin keels and, despite so much accommodation, a remarkably good sailing performance.

What’s more, she met the requirements for Category B under the RCD (Recreational Craft Directive). While it might be debatable just what a boat’s RCD classification actually means in practical terms, Category B signifies that it’s deemed to be an offshore cruiser. In the case of the Hunter, this status is backed up by qualities that undoubtedly do mean something, such as her impressive AVS (Angle of Vanishing Stability) of 140° with either keel configuration.

WATCH ONLINE!

Great British Boats test footage of the Hunter Channel Ranger 245 at pbo.co.uk/hunter245

‘Hunters and Thomas were past masters at creating fast but unextreme designs’

There was a lot to like about this spirited little ship back in 1996 when she had just been launched as the Ranger 245. Andrew Simpson, ’s associate editor at the time and not one to lavish praise on a boat unless it was well earned, concluded his test in 1997 with the