Passage Maker J-24 - Any Suggestions

[lucast70]

I race with a J/24 the last 12 years. Offshore and class races. It feels as stable and forgivable as a 36 footer, at least in the Greek waters where I sail. But I would never recommend to anyone to take long passages with it. After 10 hours you will be really tired. Wind speed above 25 knots or waves with a length longer than 24 feet will make it even harder and very wet.

The link below shows an experiment some friends did, after a few cans of beer, 18 years ago

J24 Up-Side Down

[speedoo]

Originally Posted by lucast70

I race with a J/24 the last 12 years. Offshore and class races. It feels as stable and forgivable as a 36 footer, at least in the Greek waters where I sail. But I would never recommend to anyone to take long passages with it. After 10 hours you will be really tired. Wind speed above 25 knots or waves with a length longer than 24 feet will make it even harder and very wet.

The link below shows an experiment some friends did, after a few cans of beer, 18 years ago

J24 Up-Side Down

It's too bad the crew of the upside down J-24 forgot to secure the cockpit lockers. As you can see in pic #7 the starboard locker is wide open and water is flowing into the hull.

However, with cockpit lockers secured, and with hatches closed and the companionway washboard in place, very little water would have gotten into the boat, even upside down for a few minutes.

It's a tough, well-built boat that can handle very bad weather long enough to get its crew to safety as long as that crew knows what it's doing. I raced mine for about 15 years and would gladly sail one in unprotected waters as long as a safe harbor was 4 - 5 hours away. And if I were younger and had a solution to the lack of back support in the cockpit, I would not shy away from taking a properly prepared J-24 offshore.

[lucast70]

Originally Posted by speedoo

It's too bad the crew of the upside down J-24 forgot to secure the cockpit lockers. As you can see in pic #7 the starboard locker is wide open and water is flowing into the hull.

However, with cockpit lockers secured, and with hatches closed and the companionway washboard in place, very little water would have gotten into the boat, even upside down for a few minutes.

It's a tough, well-built boat that can handle very bad weather long enough to get its crew to safety as long as that crew knows what it's doing. I raced mine for about 15 years and would gladly sail one in unprotected waters as long as a safe harbor was 4 - 5 hours away. And if I were younger and had a solution to the lack of back support in the cockpit, I would not shy away from taking a properly prepared J-24 offshore.

Believe me, they had no time to secure anything. It was a joke anyway.

J/24 is an absolutely secure boat. I have sailed it under 37 knots true wind speed, during a national championship in Crete, back in 2001. I have sailed it in the Aegean with 8-9ft tall waves. I never felt to be in danger. But it is not a long passage maker anyway.

The picture below was taken in Nov, 2006 in the Saronic Gulf. The wind speed was more than 30 knots.

Lucas Tsatiris's Photos | Facebook

[roverhi]

If you are serious about cruising in a smaller boat look at this one. Tartan 27 S&S cruising sloop, diesel, refit

A J24 has got to be about the most uncomfortable and ill suited boat for passage making.