J-24 is a racer. The cabin is VERY small, though berths are generous. It's
still a campout and I wouldn't want to do more than overnight on one.
Still, a great daysailer and racer with clubs everywhere.
Robert B
P30 NY
There is not much difference between the earlier and the later boats. the
style for the hatches has changed and some of the earlier boats had
vermiculite under the cabin sole. This absorbed a lot of water and made the
boats heavy. To remove it, you had to cut away the cabin floor, remove the
stuff and rebuild the floor. J-boats did (still does?) supply a kit to
rebuild the floor.
Not sure where you're located, but if there are any in your area, take a
look at the Shark 24. They area older and narrower design than the J-24 but
still sail very well. They will get up on a plane and are very controllable
on all points of sail, including when you've pushed too hard. J-24s get a
bit unforgiving once pushed too far. The Shark looks much smaller on the
outside than the J-24 but has a usable cabin. We're not talking luxury here
but usable. I owned one for 10 years and we regularly cruised for 2 weeks
on end.
Can't really comment on the J-80 except to say that it looks like a blast to
sail and the general hull shape looks similar to the Shark.
--
Matt Koch
PY26, "Mischief"
Bobsprit <bobs...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:19991012095831...@ng-fj1.aol.com...
Well, I dunno about "racing machine" but the J-80 is a sportboat. Hardly
any cabin at all, nice cockpit, easy to fly asymmetric spinnaker. Fast
as heck is the right conditions, fun to sail and not slow otherwise.
The J-24 is older generation racer. Sure the cabin is a little bit
roomier, but it's still teeny inside. They are known for a number of
structural problems too. The new ones are better built to remedy this,
stronger around the stern and the keel root. They aren't particularly
fast although they are responsive &fun to sail.
Fresh Breezes- Doug King
--
This is what we look like when we're at our best:
http://freehosting.at.webjump.com/ei/eisboch-webjump/45.htm
> J-24 is a racer...
Actually the J-24 was first marketed as a multi-purpose boat. The first
ads, around 1979, described the advantages of the unorthodox (for that
time) fractional rig for maneuvering around an anchorage under main only.
Of course once the one-desing fleet caught on, the cruising potential of
the boat was forgotten. But it's still a very capable weekender.
--
fish...@netcom.com
http://www.well.com/~pk/fishmeal.html
-"Call me Fishmeal"-
Douglas King <doug...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:380368...@mindspring.com...
Al,
Take a look at a Merit 22 or a S2 6.9. They use a lead drop keel that
eliminates all the problems of a swing keel and they provide all the
performance of a fixed keel. I owned a Merit for 9 years and never got tired
of it.
"Trains are a winter sport"
See the links section for a couple of magazine reviews.
Roy
T22 #2016
Al Kubeluis wrote:
> Doug,
> Thanks again.
> The J's don't seem to be what I'm looking for now based on what you and
> others have told me.
> I'm beginning to think that what's best for me next is a stable cruising
> boat in the 20' to 25' range with a maximum draft of 2' and a pivoting
> centerboard, since low tide at my pier is 2' at times. My prior emphasis on
> speed is giving way to stability, since I want to take family and friends
> sailing more than race. Great if one boat has both speed and stability, but
> I suspect there is a tradeoff, at least in this range of boats.
--
Matt Koch
PY26, "Mischief"
Roy Suttie <ro...@newbridge.com> wrote in message
news:3806097E...@newbridge.com...
Look at an F24 trimaran. You get speed, stability and shallow draft with
the only tradeoff being money.
Jesse Deupree
F27 ION
Portland Maine
>J-24 is a racer...
But dig up some of the original magazine ads for the J-24, from about
1979, before the class took off as a one-design racer: You'll see that it
was marketed as a multipurpose boat, with weekend cruising capabilities a
big selling point. My Merit 25 has a very similar interior, and it's a
perfectly adequate cruiser for a small family who knows what to expect
from that type of boat.
Love that boat. Had a Merit 22 for 9 years. Really wanted a 28. Merits are
great boats.