It has an unstayed cat ketch or, optionally, a sloop rig, a plumb stem, raked transom, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller and a retractable centerboard.
[5] The designer noted, "The main advantages of the cat ketch sail plan of the BEACHCOMBER 25 are its simplicity and ease of handling combined with good performance.
The sails unfurl from the masts like window shades, controlled from the cockpit, with no need to go forward except to release mooring lines or haul up the anchor.
A small winch is required in the case of the mainsail in order to obtain the desired degree of sail flatness.
"[4] In a 2010 review Steve Henkel wrote of the design, "best features: The Beachcomber has a 1,400 pound grounding shoe and an extremely shallow, 15-inch draft, so she can be run up on a beach or mud flats—plus a high-efficiency centerboard for going to windward.