When we bought our Catalina 25 in spring, my father in law bought our Venture 21. 
He had always wanted to try sailing, and was eager to give it a shot. He put the boat in up at the Great Salt Lake, and spent many days out there sailing it.
After a few months, he was convinced of two things. First, that he loved sailing. And second, that he needed a bigger boat. So he looked around a purchased a Hunter 25.5.
For Utah Lake
, you really can’t get much bigger than a 25′ boat. 
The lake is 10-12 feet deep, and the marinas are shallower. And although you can slip your boat at the marinas from spring through fall, you must get them in and out with a trailer.
But my father in law, being on the Great Salt Lake, started looking for a bigger boat. Eventually, he landed on a Hunter 30. What a great boat. The Hunters are very roomy inside, they make great cruising boats. He laughs when he tells us what the resident marina ranger said 
of the Hunter, calling it a “Furniture Boat.”
I have been out on several trips on the Hunter 30 now, and really enjoy sailing her. These pictures are from a
day sail we took in November. It was really cold, but the lake was beautiful and the weather clear.
With a step down stern, we back the boat into the slip. This was quite a challenge to get used to with such a big boat in a tight marina, but then someone suggested standing foreward of the wheel, facing aft when backing the boat in. That really makes it much easier – much more intuitive.