j 24 sailboat problems

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• Sailboat Reviews

The right boat at the right time, the J/24 has proven to be a wildly successful one-design racer.

The J/24 is one of those boats that happened along at just the right time, with the right marketing to a ready market. Some may wonder whether the tale of her success would make a better textbook or a better storybook. Either way, much of the marine industry has studied her story, and then flattered her with the praise of emulation. However, no imitation or variation of the J/24 has yet to achieve her popularity.

Since her humble beginnings in 1976 in the garage of an amateur designer, thousands of boats have been sold from factories in Rhode Island, California, Australia, Japan, Italy, England, France, Brazil and Argentina. All of the builders are licensed by a company called J-Boats to build the J/24 to strict one-design tolerances. J-Boats is owned and run by two brothers—Bob and Rod Johnstone (the J in J-Boats).

Bob is the marketing whiz and Rod is the designer. Conservative estimates put their total revenue from the J/24, after buying the boats from the builders and selling them to the dealers, at several million dollars. Not bad considering how it all began….

Ragtime was a 24′ inspiration evolved by Rod Johnstone and his family in their garage as a two-year weekend project. Rod was a salesman for a marine publication, and an avid racer with a successful background in high-performance one designs. He had undertaken, but never completed, the Westlawn home-study course in naval architecture (although he has since been awarded an honorary degree so the school could use his name in its advertisements). Ragtime was launched in 1976, and was an instant winner, taking 17 firsts in 19 starts in eastern Connecticut. People began asking for their own boats.

At this time, brother Bob, also a respected racer, was working in the marketing department of AMF Alcort (Sunfish, Paceship, etc.). When Alcort declined to produce the J/24, Bob quit and formed JBoats. Tillotson-Pearson, builder of the Etchells 22 and the Freedom line of boats, was more receptive and production began in 1977. The first J/24s were as fast as Ragtime , and dominated regattas like the 1977 MORC Internationals. Bob made sure that the favorable results were well publicized; more than 200 boats were sold that year, and nearly 1,000 the next.

It was a big hit for a number of reasons. She moved into a void, appealing to two groups of sailors who were ripe for her type of racing: those who had outgrown athletic small boats, yet still yearned for the competition of one-design racing, and those who wished to compete without the expense, hassles and uncertainties of handicap racing.

The J/24 is a one design’s one design. Like the Laser, Windsurfer, and Hobie Cat, she is proprietary-built under the supervision of one company. Unlike most proprietary one designs, sails are not provided by the J/24’s builder. This was a particularly astute move by the Johnstones as it involved sailmakers in the class. Sailmakers comprise many of the big names in racing; by getting them in the regatta results, the Johnstones added instant credibility to the J/24’s budding status as a “hot” class. By the midwinter championship in 1979, almost every boat in the top 15 finishers had a sailmaker on board.

The big advantage that proprietary one designs have over “independent” one designs (classes with competing builders) is the power of centralized, bigbucks promotion. J-Boats has organized and promoted regattas, and had a heavy hand in running the class association. J/24s got a lot of press, thanks to JBoats. Full color, multi-page advertisements appeared monthly in the slick sailing magazines. Promotion has been primary; money is no object. J/24s have been donated for several high visibility USYRU championships. Big discounts have been given for fleet purchases (sometimes to effectively crush interest in competing one designs).

With the help of British enthusiasts, the Johnstones were able to make the J/24 an IYRU (International Yacht Racing Union) recognized class. More international lobbying got the J/24 into the Pan American Games.

There are some disadvantages to proprietary one designs. First, the class is in a real bind if the builder goes bankrupt. Likewise if the builder should ever abuse his power by ignoring class administration or changing construction of the boat to suit economic demands. Although a proprietary builder faces competition from other types of boats, there is no competition building his boat. This can inflate the price, especially when there are three substantial markups in the pricing structure (builder, J-Boats, and the dealer).

Construction

The J/24 has the distinct advantage of having been produced in great numbers and been subjected to the rigors of hard racing. It’s safe to say that nearly everything that could have broken, has broken, and that the J/24 is now almost bulletproof. J-Boats has done a commendable job in correcting nearly all of the “bugs” in the J/24. However, if you are planning to purchase a boat several years old you should be watchful for some of the old bugs.

Boats built during the first two years of production had particular problems with leaking along the hull-to-deck joint, delamination of the main bulkhead, and the attachment of the keel to the hull. The hull-to-deck leak was due to failure of the silicone sealant in the joint.

The inward-turning hull flange is overlapped by the deck, which is bedded in sealant and through-bolted at close intervals through a teak toe rail. Now this joint is bedded with 3M 5200, a pliable strong adhesive, and leaks are infrequent. Fortunately, the internal side of the joint is exposed throughout the boat’s interior, so recaulking is not difficult.

Harder to rectify is the problem of delamination of the main bulkhead. J/24s are raced hard, often with substantial rig tension. The chainplates pierce the deck and are bolted to the main bulkhead. The plywood bulkhead is tabbed with fiberglass to the hull and deck. The mast is stepped through the deck and sits on an aluminum beam, which is also tabbed to the main bulkhead. Rig tension pulls upward on the bulkhead while mast compression pushes downward on the beam, resulting in tremendous shearing forces on the bulkhead and its tabbing.

On some of the older J/24s, the plywood has delaminated, letting the mast “sink” 1/4 inch or more. Owners of these boats have either returned them to the factory for replacement of the bulkhead, or ground off the delamination and reglassed the bulkhead themselves. The builder now uses a better grade of plywood and installs screws to reinforce the bulkhead tabbing. As an added precaution, the boat owner may wish to bolt the mast-bearing beam to the bulkhead with an angle-iron.

The third problem with some of the older J/24s is the keel-to-hull attachment. The builder used to fill the keel sump with a vermiculite mixture of resin and plant fiber. The keel bolts were fastened through the vermiculite which, when saturated with water, is less rigid than solid laminations of fiberglass. After several years of sailing, or a hard grounding, the keel bolts would begin to work, and the keel would loosen enough to be able to be wobbled by hand with the boat suspended from a hoist. The first sign of this problem is the appearance of a crack along the keel stub. Tightening of the keel bolts, which are quality stainless steel, is a simple but temporary fix. What is needed is a backing plate for the bolts, bedded on top of the vermiculite.

There was a variety of other problems with early J/24s: The mast has three internal halyards; two jib halyards exit below the headstay with the spinnaker halyard above. On the older boats, a large square hole was cut in the mast to accommodate the sheaves, leaving an open, poorly supported space adjacent to the spinnaker sheave. This is sometimes the source of mast cracks; the fix is to weld a plate over it.

In January of 1980, the J/24 got much-improved companionway and forward hatches. The hatches on older boats were molded of thin fiberglass, and had a tendency to leak and fracture under the weight of heavy crew members. The new forward hatches are lexan, and the companionway hatch is now much heavier with a lower profile.

The J/24’s rudder is heavy and strong. The builder claims you can hang a 900 pound keel from the rudder tip without breaking it. Although the J/24’s rudder pintles appear more than adequate, after several years of use they have been known to develop corrosion cracks where the pintle is welded to its strap. In 1981, the builder began equipping J/24s with weldless pintles; the builder also offers the new system as a replacement for old boats.

The starboard chainplate bolts through both the bulkhead and the hull liner. The port chainplate bolts through only the bulkhead. After the first two years of production, the port bulkhead was reinforced with fiberglass in the chainplate area. On earlier boats, a backing plate should be added to prevent the chainplate bolts from elongating their holes.

The hull and deck of the J/24 are cored with balsa, which makes them stiff, light, quiet and relatively condensation-free. We have heard of occasional delaminations resulting from trailering with improperly adjusted poppets. The Kenyon mast section is the same as that used on the Etchells 22, a bigger boat. It is more than adequate for any strength of wind.

The J/24 does not have positive flotation, and she has been known to capsize in severe conditions. This is usually not a problem as she floats on her side with the companionway well out of the water. However, should the leeward cockpit locker fall open, water can rush below, filling the cabin and causing her to sink. While fastening the lockers in heavy weather prevents the problem, the manufacturer began to seal off the lockers from the cabin with an additional bulkhead several years ago, as a safety measure.

Of the 2,500 J/24s sold in the US, nearly 2,000 of them have been built by Tillotson-Pearson in Rhode Island. The others were built by Performance Sailcraft in San Francisco, which is now defunct. New boats are now shipped cross country. Top west coast sailors tell us they favor the east coast built boats, claiming the keels and rudders on the west coast built boats are too thick to be competitive. The west coast keels are thick because they are covered with injection-molded gelcoat. Tillotson-Pearson fairs the keels with auto body putty.

Handling Under Sail

The J/24’s PHRF rating ranges from 165 to 174, depending on the handicapper. She rates as fast as or faster than a C&C 30, Santana 30, or Pearson 30. One must remember that, because the J/24 has attracted competent owners, her PHRF rating is probably somewhat inflated. While the J/24 is an excellent training boat because she is so responsive, a beginning racer may have an especially hard time making her perform to her PHRF rating.

Aside from her speed, the J/24’s greatest asset is her maneuverability. With her stern hung rudder she can be turned in her own length, sculled out to a mooring in light air, and brought to a screeching halt by jamming the rudder over 90 degrees.

The J/24 has a narrow “groove;” it takes a lot of concentration to keep her going at top speed. She is sensitive to backstay trim, sheet tension, weight placement and lower shroud tension. The lower shrouds act like running backstays, because they are anchored aft of the mast. They must be loosened in light air to create some headstay sag, and then tightened in heavy air to straighten the mast, making backstay tension more effective in removing the sag.

Sheet tension is also critical. Top crews rarely cleat the genoa sheets, having one crewmember hold the tail while hiking from the rail. Some of the best sailors even lead the jib to the weather winch so the sail can be trimmed without sending crew weight to leeward.

The class rules allow you to race with a mainsail, a 150% genoa, a working jib and a single spinnaker. This makes sail selection simple and the inventory affordable (about $2,600 total). However, the one genoa must carry the boat all the way from a flat calm up to 20 knots or more. To be competitive in light air, the genoa must be full; yet to hold the boat level with this full genoa in a strong breeze, you need a lot of crew weight. Most of the top crews are now sailing with five people on board for a total crew weight of 800 to 900 pounds. The J/24 is a small boat, and the additional fifth crew member really makes the boat cramped. Add to this the increasing trend of some skippers making the crew sit in the cabin on the leeward bunk in light air, and you have a boat which can be less than fun to crew on.

There are two worthwhile improvements that can help a J/24’s performance. To decrease the boat’s slight tendency toward a lee helm in light air, the mast should be cut to minimum length allowed in the class rules, and the headstay should be lengthened to the maximum allowed to give the mast more rake. The other improvement is fairing the keel to minimum dimensions. The keel is much thicker than is necessary for optimum performance. It comes relatively fair from the builder, but most owners will want to grind off the builder’s auto-body filler and sharpen the trailing edge. On some of the older boats, the trailing edge is twice the minimum thickness.

Some racers go so far as to spend $500-$1,000 to have the keel professionally faired.

While all indications are that the builder has excellent quality control, there have been complaints that some of the spars provided by Kenyon in the last two years have come with the wrong length shrouds, or widely differing bend characteristics. One top sailor said he would never buy a used J/24 without first making sure that he could make the mast stand straight sideways with substantial shroud tension.

The J/24 is best suited for racing; there are many boats in her size range that are far more comfortable and practical for daysaiIing. However, the J/24 is a joy to sail under mainsail alone. Unlike most boats, she balances and sails upwind at a respectable speed, and her maneuverability gives her tremendous freedom in crowded harbors.

Handling Under Power

The J/24 is powered by an outboard engine; an inboard is not feasible or available. Class rules require that an outboard with a minimum of 3.5 hp be carried while racing. Most owners opt for a 3.5-4 hp outboard. It provides adequate power and is as much weight as you want to be hefting over a transom. Although the cockpit locker is plenty big enough, most owners stow the outboard under a berth in the cabin to keep the weight out of the stern. This makes using the outboard inconvenient. The factory-supplied optional outboard bracket has a spring-loaded hinge to lift the engine for easy mounting; we recommend it. Because the outboard is likely to be stored in the cabin, a remote gas tank will keep fuel spillage and odor to a minimum.

Above Decks

The J/24 is very well laid out, yet she is still not a comfortable or easy boat to crew on. When she was first launched, sailors said her layout could be no better, and she was copied by manufacturers of competing boats. However, after years of racing, sailors have discovered several things that could be improved.

Cockpit winches are located just forward of the mainsheet traveler, which spans the middle of the cockpit. Many sailors have moved the winches forward, so the crewmember tacking the genoa can face forward instead of aft during a tack. It pays to check to see if relocated deck hardware was installed properly; one J/24 owner we know discovered that the previous owner had moved the winches, but hadn’t installed proper backing plates or filled the original holes correctly. As a result, seepage had occurred and several square feet of the balsa-cored deck above the quarterberth had become sodden and rotten.

The standard mainsheet cleat is attached to the traveler car so that, when you trim the sheet, you inadvertently pull the car to weather. Many sailors have solved this by mounting a fixed cleat with a swivel base at the center of the traveler bar.

On older boats the backstay was single-ended at the transom. Boats now come with a double-ended backstay led forward to the helmsman on each side of the cockpit. Foot blocks need to be mounted on the traveler to keep helmsmen from falling to leeward as the boat heels (you must steer from forward and well outboard of the traveler).

For those who plan to try cross-sheeting to the weather winch, leading the jib sheets through Harken ratchet blocks is advised. Most sailors will also want to mount barber haulers to pull the genoa sheet outboard in strong winds. Cam cleats for the barber haulers should be mounted on the companionway so they “self-cleat” when led to the weather winch.

Cabin-top winches for the halyards and spinnaker guys are optional and essential. Because the J/24 has single spinnaker sheets, most sailors mount “twings,” which pull the guy down to the deck outboard of the shrouds when reaching.

In the search for a cleaner deck, it is now common to mount the spinnaker halyard cleat on the mast. Most sailors use only one jib halyard. Although a second jib halyard is optional, it is necessary only for long distance handicap racing. On short one design courses it is better to struggle along overpowered than to place crew weight on the bow to change headsails. Instruments are also unnecessary in one design racing. There are more than enough boats on a one design race course to judge your speed without the help of a speedometer.

The J/24 comes equipped with a Headfoil II grooved headstay system, which works very smoothly. Early boats came with Stern Twinstays, which have occasionally failed when the bearings freeze up with age. Some sailors have exchanged the grooved headstay system for cloth snaps on their headsails (you seldom change sails anyway). We applaud this idea, as it makes the sails more manageable in severe weather.

Although the flat decks are well suited for racing, the cockpit is less than comfortable for daysailing. There are no seat backs and the boom is dangerously low. Visibility with the deck-sweeping 150% genoa is terrible, and is often the cause of nightmarish collisions on crowded race courses. Lower life lines are optional and recommended for those with children, but they interfere with fast tacks when racing. The boom is rigged with a 4-to-1 vang, which is swiveled on the more recent J/24s to be adjustable from either rail on a windy spinnaker reach. The boom is also rigged with reef lines which exit through stoppers at the gooseneck.

Top sailors have discovered that the boat always sails better without a reef, which is a good thing, because the stoppers are both difficult to operate and have a history of slipping.

The interior is simple and functional. On most boats it is used for little more than sail storage. However, for a couple who enjoys roughing it, it could make for occasional weekend cruising. The first thing you notic below is the lack of headroom. You can sit in comfort, but to move about you must crawl.

The interior is finished off in bare white gelcoat. Early boats had coarse, non-skid gelcoat on the overhead. While this may have been more attractive than smooth gelcoat, it really did a number on elbows and bald heads. It also tended to collect dirt and mildew. Earlier through-bolted deck fittings were capped with acorn nuts. Now the nuts lie flush with the overhead—less pain when bumped.

A molded hull liner is used to form the two quarter berths, the cabin sole, and two lockers and a galley just aft of the main bulkhead. One locker is deep enough to serve as a wet locker for foul weather gear; the other is best used to store the rudiments of a meal. The galley consists of a sink with a hand pump. A small, two burner stove could be mounted in the small, removable “table” forward of the port quarter berth. The icebox, a large portable cooler made by Igloo, has a piece of teak glued to it and doubles as a companionway step. After a season or two of jumping on the ice chest, the lid disintegrates.

The forward V-berth, although divided by the mast, is still large and comfortable enough for a couple. The boat does not come equipped with a head. To avoid the extra drag of a through-hull fitting, portable heads are often used. We would rather use a cedar bucket—there simply isn’t enough space in the cabin of a J/24 to cohabitate with a portable head. If you plan to seriously race, you won’t want to load the boat’s lockers with cruising equipment. If you do cruise, it will probably be out of a duffel bag.

J/24: How Trailerable?

The J/24 is not launchable from a boat ramp, unless the ramp is steep, paved or of hard sand, and you use a long extender between the tongue of the trailer and your trailer hitch. Her 3,100 pounds (fully loaded) require a big, 8-cylinder vehicle to tow her. She is easily launched from a 2-ton hoist which can attach to a strap on her keel bolts. However, the hatch slides just far enough forward to allow the hoisting cable to clear it, so the hatch tends to get chewed by the cable.

The J/24 was originally designed to sail at a displacement of 2,800 pounds. The class minimum was later increased to 3,100. The original single axle trailer provide as a factory option was barely adequate for the intended, 2,800 pound boat, and totally inadequate for a fully loaded boat. Tales abound of blown tires and broken trailer welds. The factory now offers both a single and double axle trailer; we recommend the double axle.

If you want to seriously race a J/24, trailering is a necessity. Local fleets grow and shrink each year with the whims of their members, but national and regional regattas continue to attract many participants. Make no mistake, however; trailering is expensive.

The owning and maintenance of a big car, the gas and tolls of trailering, and the housing of crew are not cheap.

Conclusions

The appeal of the J/24 is as a racer. If you plan to do anything else, she is not for you. Although the J/24 is relatively easy to sail, she is very difficult to sail well. To many people, she represents a chance to compete in the big leagues; by traveling to major regattas you can sail against some of the best sailors in the country. However, the big leagues are tough—if you like to race with a pick-up crew and a hangover you’d also better be satisfied with finishing last.

One appeal of the J/24 is that, unlike many big league boats, you can always come home and sail because the boat has so big a following. There are enough boats to race it one-design almost anywhere; and in a pinch, there is always handicap racing. As long as you don’t want to travel, the boat is inexpensive to maintain.

Despite our effort to highlight every flaw that has appeared throughout the J/24’s evolution, we’d like to emphasize that she is more hardy than most boats of her type. Few boats can take the punishment that a J/24 gets during a season of racing and come through with so few scars. No racing boat will appreciate; but the J/24 can keep her value.

The dream boat with the fairy tale success story has turned out, after all, to be a rugged winner in the real world.

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J 24 keel mystery

• Thread starter wetsu82
• Start date Jun 22, 2015
• Forums for All Owners
• Ask All Sailors

Hello all, picked up a 1978 J 24, had to do a little work on it seems to be in good shape. HOWEVER, the keel has some small hair line cracks toward the top and center and looks like rust colored water seeping out. What do I do? Thanks  

J-24 keels. You MUST make sure the keel bolts stay tight. If they loosen they create slop in the keel/hull interface. That's bad. http://www.j24class.org/news/keel-bolt-maintenance-bulletin/  

J24 keel mystery Also do a search for "J24 vermiculite keel issues" This is a very well known problem with the early J24's and there has been a lot written about how to deal with it. Moisture in the vermiculite can be causing your keel bolts to compress the area where the keel bolts are and thus causing them to loosen and leak. This can potentially cause a serious crevice corrosion problem if your keel bolts have be subjected to water for a long period of time. Drop the keel to verify their condition. It's a pretty big project.  

Ted said: Also do a search for "J24 vermiculite keel issues" This is a very well known problem with the early J24's and there has been a lot written about how to deal with it. Moisture in the vermiculite can be causing your keel bolts to compress the area where the keel bolts are and thus causing them to loosen and leak. This can potentially cause a serious crevice corrosion problem if your keel bolts have be subjected to water for a long period of time. Drop the keel to verify their condition. It's a pretty big project. Click to expand

My 1979 boat, early on used to weep from hairline cracks (4 or so inches from the hull) where the hull molding stops and the keel is bolted on.. What I did was ground down the glass that covers the hull/keel joint and ground our the gap. Inspected for potential problems with the bolts and then epoxied the joint back together and faired it. This was part of an overall keel fairing to the minimums allowed using class templates. We did ours back in the early 80's and we were getting rust stains then, so I don't think I'd panic just yet. You might contact randy Borges at Waterline Systems too and pick his brain. There is also a lot of information on prepping old boats at the J24 Class Association website and there is a forum there too. Lot's of knowledge. http://waterlinesystems.com/boats/j24/ http://www.j24usa.com/ And, we did pull the vermiculite out of tha cabin sole. There is a kit to redo the base and cabin sole. Great Boat! I raced mine for 30 years before selling it and buying the Beneteau. Enjoy. JRacer OutraJe - USA 1427  

JRacer said: My 1979 boat, early on used to weep from hairline cracks (4 or so inches from the hull) where the hull molding stops and the keel is bolted on.. What I did was ground down the glass that covers the hull/keel joint and ground our the gap. Inspected for potential problems with the bolts and then epoxied the joint back together and faired it. This was part of an overall keel fairing to the minimums allowed using class templates. We did ours back in the early 80's and we were getting rust stains then, so I don't think I'd panic just yet. You might contact randy Borges at Waterline Systems too and pick his brain. There is also a lot of information on prepping old boats at the J24 Class Association website and there is a forum there too. Lot's of knowledge. http://waterlinesystems.com/boats/j24/ http://www.j24usa.com/ And, we did pull the vermiculite out of tha cabin sole. There is a kit to redo the base and cabin sole. Great Boat! I raced mine for 30 years before selling it and buying the Beneteau. Enjoy. JRacer OutraJe - USA 1427 Click to expand

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A compilation of questions and answers we have received over the years.

What’s the recommended tension for the backstay?

With regards to the backstay, we think that having it off to measure would make it easier to get a method where all boats could be tuned the same.

With that in mind we suggest (this is in the tuning guide) that the tension on the backstay bridle always be adjusted so the blocks sit about 8″ below the triangle that joins everything together.. So each time you tighten or loosen the shrouds for a change in wind velocity you will need to do the same for the backstay bridle.

Can you give me some hints on how to go faster on a J/24?

It is really important to sail at max weight 882 lbs. In anything above 10 kts, that extra weight is noticeable in terms of upwind performance. At the top of the fleet, we try really hard to make sure we are max crew weight.

Changing gears in the J/24 is huge! The skipper has a lot on his plate. The top guys make the skipper responsible for the backstay, traveler, mainsheet, genoa trim and steering the boat. Let me try to explain how this works. A nice steady breeze makes it a lot easier obviously. In the steady breeze you can kind of get things set up and just rumble. In a puffy breeze, there is a constant adjustment of the controls.

You want to start by getting your boom at centerline. You accomplish this with mainsheet tension and traveler. The mainsheet tension controls the amount of twist in the sail and leech tension. In light air or light spots, you want twist (and the top leech tell tale flying) so softer mainsheet tension and a higher traveler to keep boom at centerline. A twisty main is also good for accelerating or for bow down modes. You want nice twist in your main after a tack to help the boat get back up to speed quickly. In medium breeze, you want a tighter mainsheet to close the leech a little for better pointing. You have to ease traveler down to keep boom at centerline if you pull on mainsheet tension. The only time you let the boom go below centerline and go traveler down is when you really need to de-power and keep the boat flat. Even before a lot of traveler down, I am usually putting on some backstay to de-power.

The backstay has a few rules of thumb. Take some off for more power and pull some on to de-power. If your main starts to invert and flog, you should ease some backstay to get flow over the sails going again. Backstay is more of a macro adjustment unless it is really puffy, then you are constantly easing it off in the light spots. Also, if you are ever overstood in breeze and need to crack off, put lots of backstay on. If you need to point higher in a short distance like if you understood the windward mark, take backstay off.

The genoa trimming by the skipper is key. Basically the skipper sits right next to the winch that has a winch handle in place. In a puff the trimmer, who is hiking out all the way, will ease the genoa in anticipation of the puff, not letting the boat heal over (we’re talking like a foot or more of ease at times), and then the skipper winds the winch handle to crank the sail back in before the boat heals to windward. This takes some practice, but once you get it, it’s huge. Never let the boat heal to leeward. Anytime the boat is healing it is sliding sideways a lot faster than you think. When a 30 knot puff hits, you actually have better VMG if your boat stops dead in the water and remains flat, than if you heal over, go forward but slide sideways. The boat that stopped dead in the water will actually be closer to the windward mark after the exchange.

How often do we get new sails? The Genoa obviously takes the biggest beating. After only a couple heavy air regattas you will be able to notice a performance difference between a new and used sail. It’s not only the beating the sail takes against the mast in tacks, but also the crew stuffing it up on the bow during downwind sailing. You might not like to hear this but we make sure we have a new Genoa for every big event.

What do I do when a puff huts?

Puff hits…crew eases genoa, skipper eases traveler.

Puff begins to ease up,skipper pulls traveler back up, cleats it. Then moves quickly to the winch handle and cranks in the genoa.

Repeat the above sequence with each new puff.

There are different variations of this depending on-strength of the puffs. If the puffs are very strong…vang sheeting-becomes a little more effective. A super tight vang and using the process above, but instead of easing traveler down, you’re easing mainsheet.

The backstay should be set as close to a happy-medium as possible, but every now and then it should be adjusted based on the overall trend of the breeze. I like to have it eased in the light spots as much as possible, as long as you can get enough back on before the next big puff hits.

It would be nice to have three hands. Trust me it is not easy…it takes a lot of practice.

I’ve been told J/24’s roll tack easy enough. Using techniques I adapted from dingy racing and a basic knowledge of hydrodynamics, I tested this theory and couldn’t get it to roll over. Is there a better technique for fixed keels that i don’t know about?

Roll facing out and push down on the windward life line. Start from the middle of the boat and do it all together. With four people rolling you should be able to get the windward rail all the way down to the water, once it is flatten the boat slowly and you will get a nice squirt forward.

What is your opinion about having multi color sails. I read somewhere that it was better to have one color due to the stretch in the panels over time. Is this a big issue?

We highly suggest having the head and clews of the sail each a solid color. Also I would try to have these areas lighter colored if possible. This way the top and bottom of the sail is made from the same lot of cloth and it will stretch relatively evenly over the life of the sail. Also making the sail with lighter cloth in the top and bottom will insure that you are getting a sail made with Grade A woven cloth. With darker colors flaws can be hidden and even though all the cloth is tested by the maker and us this generally seems a safer bet.

The tuning guides tell me about which ring to fly the pole from but as the wind builds I find that the floating tack sometimes wants to fly quite high. The question is, once you have got the pole to horizontal, do you keep raising the pole to keep the kite level or do you use the barber hauler (twinning lines) to keep the floating tack down to the pole tack. Does water conditions affect your thinking on this?

Generally the J/24 likes the pole on the low side so while we try to keep the clews level we also work on keeping the pole end a little lower than the free flying end. We generally twing the pole side down enough that the pole will sit right up at the tack of the spinnaker at all times.

Generally do not use the leeward twing on a J/24. The boom acts as plently of a twing when needed.

When to move the mast butt position?

There is no real reason to have to change the mast butt position once you find the proper location. Here we use a Loos Model B tension gauge and with the lowers on 21 and the uppers on 24 we measure the headstay tension with the backstay completely disconnected. The headstay will be loose and the tip of the gauge should be about 30 mm from the headstay if you have everything set up right. You will also have about 3 to 4 cm of prebend at this point. The only time I have seen adjusting the butt while racing work is when it is really blowing hard (25 knots plus) and then moving it forward just a bit MIGHT help.

How to ease and trim the main and jib together smoothly? Well..easing isn’t hard but since I grind the winch for the jib/genoa and pull in the main they don’t come in together, it’s always one or the other first. Both together is obviously better but I’m not sure how to do it. Do you have the cockpit guy grind in the jib himself and only worry about the main when both are eased or do I just try to do both myself. How do you do it?

You are talking about when you are cross sheeting the genoa and jib. Basically I think the best thing to do is if you just ease the jib a inch or two, you need to grind the sail back in a keep the cockpit guy hiking out.

Yes the sail will not be trimmed in exactly the same but I think this is less disruptive. If you have the ease the jib a lot (like when ducking) have the cockpit guy turn around and grind and tail the sheet him/herself. This way you can concentrate on the mainsail.

The balance between the two sails on a boat like a J with the a small keel is important. Keep playing the sails in concert with one another.

How can I get my J/24 to point higher?

Generally the reason a J/24 does not point (or sail as close to the wind as the boats around it is because the boat is not developing enough weather helm. The boat needs a small amount of weather helm to be able to always sail as close to the wind as possible.

The first thing to do is to recheck your boat against the tuning guide to make sure you have followed everything correctly. If this is so then I like to go out sailing with the rig tuned properly for the wind and take a close look at the mainsail set up. Usually what you will find in these cases is that the lower part of the main to too flat relative to the top of the sail. In general the sail should have a nice smooth shape from top to bottom, often in cases where the boat is not pointing well the bottom of the main will be very flat right off of the mast indicating that we need to move the mast butt forward. Start by moving it ¼” and see if that makes a difference, it should make the lower part of the mast a lot straighter and give you more helm and height!

My J/24 sails nice and high but I can’t get it to go as fast as the other boats through the water. What can I do?

You basically have the opposite problem of the folks in the question above. There are times in race where tactically you want to ” put the bow down” and just go fast regardless of height. If your boat won’t do this you are handicapped a bit. The problem is that your lower mast is too straight which makes the main too full and causes you too develop an excess amount of weather helm. Every time you try to sail the boat low and fast the boat heels too much and develops more weather helm. Move the mast butt back ¼” to put in more lower bend, recheck your shroud tensions and you should be all set.

Should I use the upper or lower ring on the mast for the spinnaker pole?

With the Slant Nose+ spinnaker we use the lower ring until about 15 knots of wind. For the FR-2 spinnaker use the lower ring until about 10 knots.

When I sail in heavy air with the jib I can’t get the jib halyard tight enough to remove all the wrinkles in the luff of the sail?

Above 20 knots you want the luff of the class jib smooth with no wrinkles. To get the halyard tight enough sail downwind before the start with the backstay off and have two crew pull up the halyard. This should get it tight enough. Be sure to get the jib up BEFORE you tighten the backstay at the leeward mark.

How important is the J/24 spreader angle adjustment? This seems to be hard to get right.

The spreader angle is hard to get right but it is worth the effort. The spreader angle affects how “stiff” the mast will be in the boat. Angle the spreaders forward and the mast gets stiffer, sweep back and the mast gets more flexible. This is important because as we tighten the backstay we need a certain amount of stiffness in the mast so the headstay will get tighter and flatten the genoa as the breeze builds.

If you have a older mast with “male” stainless steel fittings coming off the mast we suggest either retrofitting to a thrubar set up or using the Allis Racing style spreader adjusters. With a newer mast you may need to bend your thru bar to get the right angle (see your local machine shop).

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J24 Good first boat???

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Hi, I''m fairly new to sailing. I''ve sailed around on a sunfish and a snark, and now I feel I want a little more. Something I may be able to do a weekend on. I''ve been looking at a J24. Would it be a good first boat? One that I can learn on, and have around for a while to grow with as well? Thanks for any advice  

I think they make great first boats. They are pretty easy to handle. You can learn an enormouss amount about sail trim and boat handling. As your skills build they are still good raceboats and so you can further develop your skills. They are not the best overnighters but I cruised my old Kirby 25 which has even less of an interior. They can be a little tricky in heavier winds but get rid of the jib and if things get really bad reef the main and you can sail in almost anything you might normally encounter. I personally son''t like sailing in J-24''s as the cockpits and deck layout are pretty uncomfortable but that is really more of a nitpick. Jeff  

I would not get a J24 as a first boat, unless your goal is to get into racing right away. You may want to get something with a more comfortable cockpit. Also, get a boat that you can sell easily when you are ready for the next one. How much do you want to spend, and what kind of sailing are you going to do other than occasional overnighting? Rob ~~~~_/)~~~~  

Thanks for your comments JeffH  

I am looking to spend under 5k. I found a j24 that is for 4k. I haven''t looked at it yet. My main concern is the hull, since it is cored. I guess the most sailing I will do will be day sails on Long Island Sound. At least at first. Maybe an overnight every so often, but that is it for now. Since you say that a J boat isn''t that comfortable in terms of cockpit, what other boats could you recomend? Thanks  

I guess it would be best to look at a few different boats and see what the cockpits are like. I would guess that the J for less than 5k is going to have some problems and need some work. 5k is a small budget but it can be done. Look at some common boats__Catalina 22 for example. Go to www.boats.com and do a search on sailboats in the 19 to 25 foot range and see what you come up with. I used to sail on Long Island Sound in a Flying Scot (19''). You can certainly get one for less than 5k, but there is no cabin. Take your time looking and don''t just buy the first boat. Rob ~~~~_/)~~~~  

A J-24 would be an excellent boat for what you want to do. They have good light air performance and so are nice boats on the Sound. A $5K J-24 is not likely to be in competitive condition and would need a fair amount (sails and bottom fairing) to go racing. You will need to have the boat surveyed because J-24''s in that price range are prone to hull and deck delamination and also problems at the keel stub. Still you can find sound but not competitive J-24''s in that price range. It should hold its price quite well and serve your purpose quite admirably. You might also look for a Kirby 25 or a Capri 25 which should be similarly priced but harder to sell. The J-24 should hold its price as well as the Catalina 22, be better built and easier to sell, sail much better and faster. Good luck Jeff  

A J-24 in one piece for that price is incredible. While they have shortcomings the J-24 is an outstanding sailor. Before you buy it however consider that it will always be small. That the "cabin" is a joke and unless you and your friend are slender and very young you will soon dislike it for overnights. The boat is a wet one for the sound. It can get rough out there when the wind blows. However it''s a lark to the young of heart. That said I paid a lot more for my first keel boat, a 1972 Cal 25. You can always sell the J-24. If it passes a survey without major work needed buy it.  

I own a J/24 and would have to recommend it as a first boat. The J/24 is a spirited boat to sail, in light air she is fun, in med-heavy air she is a blast. The J is a racing boat so accommodations are sparse but not appalling, if you are looking for a "living room" with sails then go with the the others. You will never outgrow the J/24, 4000 of the 5500 produced are being raced all over the world, a testament to the performance and durability. Most of these boats are 20 years old and command high price in race condition. If you find a "J" for under $7000 in any condition it''s a good deal, as long as the hull is in good shape, every thing else is easy to fix. Most ''79-''83s sell for $9000-$15000, not bad resale, what dose a 20 year old Catalina sell for? Due to the fact that the boat is raced there are many used sails and parts on the market, most with only one season or regatta,usually at 50% or retail. If you are interested in sailing on a J/24 let me know, i will contact the fleet captain in your area and you can see for yourself. This offer goes for anyone else reading this post. If your anywhere near chicago come on down you won''t be disappointed. We sail two to three times a week, i can''t say that about the hundreds of cruising boats i see, week after week just swinging around there mooring. Tony "Frenzy" #2569  

Tony, this is a old post, but I'm looking at a j24 and would enjoy going out on one before making a choice on buying one. I live in Raleigh NC and would travel to coast or lake to go sailing on one  

timtim said: Tony, this is a old post... Click to expand...

I owned a J24. I think it would be a great boat to start with.  

This is a pretty old thread, but if it's good enough for bob.... I'd add that as a starter boat, it's a good sailing boat. Now these boats can be had all day long for under $5k... finding one that is dry is tough. A good friend of mine just sold his to get rid of it for $3000, and it was a lot of boat (in great shape with a lot of sails) for $3500 (boat, motor and trailer, with like 10 sails). That being said, the J/24 has some caveats for a new sailor, that mostly apply to someone wanting to trailer it. It's a keel stepped mast (making it difficult but not impossible for 2 or 3 people to step the mast)... It's a deep fin keel, so trailer launching is "exciting" if you've never strap launched a keel boat. Once you get over those 2 hurdles though, it's a spritely boat, that sails well in light air. I think it holds up nicely as the winds come up, but you need more crew on to keep her flat. If the above caveats are an issue, the J/22 is a slightly newer platform with a deck stepped mast.  

agree completely schnool I would argue however that a j24 is not the BEST starting boat by a long shot... however if the price is right and you have some good sailor friends with j experience you can learn well and fast! first off the rudder needs constant input even in wind angles assumed steady like upwind for example. ddw the ride can be wild, wet and needs a good helmsman j24 are known to turtle not saying sailing beer can races this happen but it has MANY times, this can be atrbuted to a design feature but also to racing hard, REALLY HARD. in chop you need to power through stuff and that requires above average sail trim and knowledge that a new sailor wont necessarily have or know of yet so you might be surprised that the j24 isnt as fast as you thought it would be.. not a con just not what you "expected" a perfect beginner boat for the most part wont be a boat that excells in one design racing around the world "just sayin" you need a boat that tracks easy(maintains course without much input), tacks easy, and steers easily...of these 3 only tacking can be easy on a j24 once you get the technique down now thats just my opinion, however for me a perfect beginner boat in the low to mid 20s would be one with a shallow long keel and attached rudder and a sailplan with a low aspect main and a boat prefferrably with a self tacking jib. THATS A BEGINNER BOAT however a catalina 22 would be a great beginner boat in my book too that has a nice easy to use swing keel(of the 3 models they offer) if you grow out if it soon by learning fast, by all means step it up to a j boat or similar however my opinion is that going all in FIRST rarely gives the new sailor any benefit in the long run and quite often what happens is they get scared and shy away. this is something only you will know, the op in this case... for example Im possibly buying a merit 25 from a sailor who didnt have much experience(with these kind of boats) all it took was 1 broach down wind because he got caught in a summer gust of just 25knots to scare the living crap out of him, he never once set a chute, never sailed a race and only went out for short daysails...a racer isnt necessarily the best boat in this scenario is it? he then left the boat unattended for 3 years just sayin others experience may vary ps. I could also add that the j24 has no cabin to speak of, has no portlights so its dark and is quite weird inside...also the decks are ballooned right to the edge which makes it a perfect rail meat deck(again for racing) but a very weird deck for a NEW sailor to get used to...it always feels like you are falling into the water... Im sorry if this info has all been mentioned before fwiw  

I can't see how you can recommend a J-24 for anything other than one-design racing. The cockpit and deck are not laid out for any form of siting comfort. I sailed a J-24 some 30+ tears ago, and I still remember how sore I was the next day, the helmsperson was the one sailor not required to sit on a block, winch or cleat. The second most comfortable position on the boat was siting on the rail...It's one thing to ignore the dis-comfort for a 2-3 hour race, during which you are pretty busy, but to purposely day-sail on one, forgetaboutit.  

Perhaps, I've figured out why sailing has become a less popular sport these days. I've sailed a Catalina 22... and it's like sailing a brick. It's OK a couple boats I've sailed (and owned) were bricks too... its fine if you'd rather a wine and cheese cruise. We might be able to keep more people sailing if what they first sailed was a little more "spirited." Perhaps that's how you get the younger water-skier types to stick with sailing anyway... But this is why when I see these first boat threads (and again this is a VERY old thread, but you know someone will search it) and the Catalina 22 comes up, I champion, no BEG, that the newbie consider a Capri 22... it's nearly as popular a boat as the Cat 22, just as easy to find parts for, sails better, and is still made! But if someone got a deal on a J/24? It's not a bad way to start. I'd say start with the main only though. Broach? Not sure how many newbie sailors are going to try a spinnaker honestly, but OK... lets assume since the boat has one, a newb goes OK, lets try the colorful sail! By the time they get around to "Trying" I would think they'd know enough about the boat to not try it in 20 knots breeze. Anything under say 10 knots, and even newb will have time to figure out what to do...  

you can broach without a spinnaker...in fact thats what the owner of my soon to be boat did I opted not to recomend any boats as usually you will get flack from the racer guys saying why get a crappy slow boat? but Ive seen it way too many times where people get scared away doing just this, Im not being archaic here just realist. those that start off fast and learn fast and learn on a spirited boat already have some sailing background and or are familiar with sailboats and the basics the basics is that a j24 IS NOT a beginner boat in any sense and making new racers suffer a bit by having a "cool" boat well it really just doesnt work that way in my experience I might add being a trainer at a sailing association back home I could get people hooked on sailing(getting new members was part of my job, 10 a month to be exact) by taking them first on a hobie 16 and wizz by at 20miles an hour by their friends and family on the shore, wave by take pics, etc... then when they signed up to the club I showed them our keel boats including small 16. 18 and 21 footers, there where also lasers and optis for the kids...a couple of 505s and some wood boats... then and only after they took some classes would we take the j24 out...and after crewing a while they could day sail and charter the boat with a skipper at the club. what I dont reccomend doing ever is skip important steps...its not constructive to getting a good solid base sailing wise if all you want to do is have fun on a spirited boat the j24 is awesome for that Im not arguing that at all but a beginner boat like the op asked the honest answer I think is no.  

first off the rudder needs constant input even in wind angles assumed steady like upwind for example. Click to expand...

dont get me wrong me too! just there are better boats out there to get you started and more enjoyable to begin with...like portlights in the cabin and a good cockpit for petes sake! ajajajaa  

Anyone here tried a Colgate 26? I've been a racing as crew on J24s for several seasons and was considering getting one myself, but the prospect of maintenance for the old boat (balsa core, etc) and uncomfortable layout for social daysailing has directed me elsewhere. Most lately I've come up with the Colgate 26. It's substantially more expensive, but it looks like a lower-maintenance boat over long term and plenty of cockpit room for social daysailing on non-race days. There's no one-design racing for C26 that I know of other than collegiate fleets, but it can race against J24s and the like in PHRF at the local yacht club. Of course once I've saved up enough for a C26, there will surely be yet another, more expensive boat for me to set my sights on...  

Orwig3 said: Anyone here tried a Colgate 26? I've been a racing as crew on J24s for several seasons and was considering getting one myself, but the prospect of maintenance for the old boat (balsa core, etc) and uncomfortable layout for social daysailing has directed me elsewhere. Most lately I've come up with the Colgate 26. It's substantially more expensive, but it looks like a lower-maintenance boat over long term and plenty of cockpit room for social daysailing on non-race days. There's no one-design racing for C26 that I know of other than collegiate fleets, but it can race against J24s and the like in PHRF at the local yacht club. Of course once I've saved up enough for a C26, there will surely be yet another, more expensive boat for me to set my sights on... Click to expand...

bobperry said: I owned a J24. I think it would be a great boat to start with. Click to expand...

Colgate 26, is a great starter boat, and is used by many ASA schools to teach. I'm thinking someone would need to work hard to broach a J24 in under 20 knots wind without a spinnaker. Perhaps we define broach differently. To me a broach includes water in the cockpit, water in the sails (well past 45 degrees, more like 70). I've never broached without a spinnaker involved. I suppose I did a lot in my Centerboard boat. My own boat won't heel past 35 degrees without a hard roundup, so a broach isn't a white sails event without massive waves. The J/24 can't be much different. There is an exception of course, which is if the lazarette hatches flop open and fill with water (yep my Capri 25 was designed the same way, so I set about to fix that). By the way the Colgate 26, is also a pretty racer centric boat as well.  

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This compact one-design racer remains as popular as ever

Johnstone spends about $400 on fiberglass matt and roving, wood, resin and other boatbuilding staples. Over many weekends, he brings Ragtime to life—24 feet long with a 9-foot beam—the end result of drawings made while enrolled at Westlawn School of Yacht Design in the 1960s. 

Launch day arrives in 1976. With family and friends aboard, Ragtime dominates the racecourse, beating just about every other boat that dares pull up alongside. As news of Ragtime’s capabilities spreads throughout the sailing community, the designer and his brother, Bob Johnstone, officially establish the J/Boats company. Soon after, they contract with respected boatbuilder Everett Pearson of Rhode Island, owner of Tillotson-Pearson Inc., who agrees to construct J/24s at an old textile mill near Fall River, Massachusetts. For his part in the bargain, Pearson is to receive the domestic building rights to the J/24. 

Bob Johnstone, then a vice president of marketing at AMF/Alcort, makers of Sunfish sailboats, uses his corporate skills to call attention to the J/24 and invests $20,000 to help cover startup costs. By 1977, the J/24 is gaining traction among competitive sailors hungry for a small, performance-oriented keelboat that can be used for racing as well as family weekend sailing. Within a year of partnering with Pearson, more than 250 J/24s are sold and delivered. 

The J/24 remained one of the most popular recreational, offshore keelboats in the world, with 5,400 produced. 

First Impressions

There’s no way to look at a J/24 and not imagine having fun. These boats still generate excitement although they’re no longer the cutting-edge designs they were in the late 1970s. It has four bunks and a sink in the cabin, but this boat is clearly all about racing. Newcomers to the sport welcome its simplified rigging, manageable size and affordable price.

Construction

The hull is made from fiberglass mat and roving coated with resin. Both hull and deck are a sandwich construction of fiberglass layers with a core of end-grain balsa. The technique makes the boat lighter but also opens up the possibility of water infusion and eventual delamination. Soft spots on the deck and discoloration of the gelcoat are telltale signs of water damage. Boats made before 1981 contain vermiculite, a yellowish-brown mineral often used for insulation or as a moisture-retentive medium for growing plants. The vermiculite was set into the bilge where it helped stabilize the protruding keel bolts. The J/24 has lead ballast, a fin keel and transom-hung rudder.

What to look for

Potential buyers should examine the hull-to-deck joint on J/24s built before 1980 because the sealant often failed, causing leaks. Boats constructed after that date were bonded with 3M 5200 sealant. The earliest boats had relatively weak companionway and foredeck hatches that cracked under average use. Chainplates attached to the main bulkhead should be examined for hairline fractures and wear, as should the mast where the halyard sheaves are attached. Welds on the rudder attachment have been known to crack. 

The earliest boats had pintles and gudgeons that occasionally failed. Inspect the transom where the outboard engine bracket is attached for cracks. Check to ensure the keel is securely attached to the hull, and look for delamination on deck. Until 1981, vermiculite was used to support the keel bolts vertically and laterally. This material tends to soften and weaken, and removing it is a laborious and potentially expensive process requiring an estimated 20 work hours. Discoloration of the hull inside the V-berth can denote hole repairs. A yellow or brownish color along cracks in the fiberglass at deck fittings or elsewhere suggests water absorption, especially if the crack is wider than a pencil mark. 

The J/24 is a fractional rig sloop with aluminum spars. Safety features include stainless bow and stern pulpits, and stanchions with lifelines. Dents in the pulpits may be an indication the boat suffered a collision. Wiggle each stanchion to check for firmness and inspect the base for stress cracks. The traveler is bolted across the cockpit seats forward of the tiller. The running rigging has end-boom sheeting. The boat is rigged to fly a spinnaker, and a mechanical boom vang assists with sail trim. The cockpit has lazerettes and sitting room for two during races. Primary winches on the earlier models were not self-tailing. A halyard winch is bolted on the cabintop. Make sure any holes drilled in the deck have been properly filled, otherwise water may enter the balsa core and lead to delamination.

The cabin is snug and doesn’t offer standing head room, but there’s a V-berth, two quarterberths, a portable toilet, portable ice chest, sink with small counter and a few equipment lockers—just enough for a weekend cruise. 

Since J/24s are occasionally trailered at the start and finish of the sailing season, as well as to and from races, the hull should be examined for fairness because trailer pads can cause damage if not placed correctly. Inspect the fin keel to see if it has grounded. Keep in mind that older J/24s have thicker, less efficient rudders than those built by TPI after 1985. 

The J/24 was designed to carry a 3.5-horsepower outboard engine that attaches to a transom-mounted bracket. The engine can be raised or lowered using this bracket. Class rules require at least a 3.5-horsepower engine but anything much larger would likely add unwanted weight.

In heavy winds, the J/24 can be a tricky boat to sail, requiring quick reefing and headsail dousing. But in light-to-medium winds, this performance keelboat does just that, showing off the ability to maneuver, plane and rapidly accelerate. The J/24 is renowned for its light-air performance. As one satisfied owner put it, the J/24 “sails in anything from close to dead calm to 25 knots plus.”

The cockpit is relatively small and uncomfortable, a common complaint among J/24 racers. Ideally the boat should be raced with a crew of five, but it’s crowded. Class rules  require a crew of three or more. Sailors note the J/24 can be a wet boat.

The J/24 is an affordable, high-performance, one-design keelboat popular the world over, suitable for competitive sailing or for simply taking the family on a weekend cruise.

PRICE :  A used J/24 in good condition typically sells for between $5,000 and $15,000, although market prices can go as low as $2,500 or approach $20,000. Higher prices are often asked for boats built after 1981.  (3.5 sailboats)

DESIGN QUALITY:   Designed by Rod Johnstone, the J/24 was one of the most popular one-designs launched. It is a highly maneuverable keelboat that’s easy to rig and easy to sail. Johnstone went on to design many other successful J/boats. (3.5 sailboats)

CONSTRUCTION QUALITY: Tillotson-Pearson constructed the first J/24s and other companies have been licensed to build J/24s. The hulls and decks are fiberglass cloth and resin with an end-grain balsa wood core to keep down overall weight.  (3.5 sailboats)

USER-FRIENDLINESS:   Fast and responsive, the J/24 sails like a dinghy but carries significantly more ballast, which gives it characteristics more commonly found in a keelboat. The boat tightly sleeps four if used for short duration cruising. The cockpit is small and uncomfortable. (3.5 sailboats)

SAFETY:   The J/24’s low freeboard, low center of gravity and relatively lightweight makes it susceptible to a knockdown in heavy winds. Once swamped, the boat can be difficult to right and may sink if cockpit locker doors are not securely fastened to prevent taking on water. (2.5 sailboats)

TYPICAL CONDITION:   Condition depends on the degree of care the boat has received and the amount of racing it endured. Boats built after 1980 will be in better condition because of improvements in construction. (3 sailboats)

REFITTING:   Refitting often includes installing stronger foredeck and companionway hatches, and addressing any rudder attachment hardware that has begun to show age. Mast cracks have proved problematic where holes were cut for halyard sheaves. (3 sailboats)

SUPPORT: J/Boats is based in Newport, Rhode Island, (401-846-8410 www.jboats.com ) and owners can register on J-Boats’ Owner Resources website, which offers technical information. The J/24 Class Association ( www.j24usa.com and www.j24class.org ) has links for active fleets. (4 sailboats)

AVAILABILITY: In mid-2015, there were dozens of J/24s on the used-boat market across the United States and Canada. Although some of the boats built in the late 1970s can still be found, most for sale are from the early1980s. There were 5,400 constructed.  (4 sailboats)

INVESTMENT AND RESALE:   Owners report slow devaluation, particularly for J/24s that have been maintained well. A brand-new J/24 in 1981 would have had a sticker price of about $15,000, which on average is about twice today’s asking price in the used boat market. (3.5 sailboats)

Overall "SVG" Rating: 3.5 sailboats

Also in Used Boat Notebook

• Hunter Passage 42
• Pearson Rhodes 41
• Santa Cruz 52
• Allied Princess 36
• Kelly-Peterson 46

Also from David Liscio

• Chasing a dream
• The wide, wide world of multihulls
• Flares are expired. Now what?
• Saved from the scrap heap
• Pedal to the Medal

International Class Association

Keel Bolt Maintenance Bulletin

Failure of any keel bolt is bad, but most bolts are part of a massively redundant system, where the failure of any one bolt is rarely immediately catastrophic.  For boats that are hoisted, the failure of a bolt holding the lifting gear can be catastrophic and has the potential to lead to the loss of the boat, or much, much worse.

While this article is being distributed to USWatercraft and J/Boats customers, it applies to virtually all production boats, regardless of builder or brand.  If they use Stainless Steel keelboats and most of them do, it applies. Feel free to pass it along to your friends and fellow boat owners.  It’s pretty important.

Since they live in the bilge, keel bolts can fall into the category of “out of sight, out of mind”. It is because they live in the bilge that they need routine care and attention.

J/22 keels are made using 316 Stainless Steel threaded rod, which is cast into the lead. The nuts, washers and lifting bar are made using 304 Stainless and are then electro polished. This has been the industry standard for many years, and has provided many years of service life.

Stainless Steel is corrosion resistant, not corrosion proof

The basic resistance of stainless steel occurs because of its ability to form a protective coating on the metal surface. This coating is a “passive” film, which resists further “oxidation” or rusting. The formation of this film is instantaneous in an oxidizing atmosphere such as air, water, or other fluids that contain oxygen. Once the layer has formed, we say that the metal has become “passivated” and the oxidation or “rusting” rate will slow down to less than 0.002″ per year (0,05 mm. per year).

Unlike aluminum or silver this passive film is invisible in stainless steel. It’s created when oxygen combines with the chrome in the stainless to form chrome oxide, which is more commonly called “ceramic”. This protective oxide or ceramic coating is common to most corrosion resistant materials. Unfortunately Halogen salts, especially chlorides easily penetrate this passive film and will allow corrosive attack to occur.

CONCENTRATED CELL OR CREVICE CORROSION

This corrosion is common between nut and bolt surfaces. Salt water applications are a severe problem because of the salt water’s low PH and its high chloride content. Here is the mechanism:

•     Chlorides pit the passivated stainless steel surface.

•     The low PH salt water attacks the active layer that is exposed.

•     The absence of oxygen inhibits the re-forming of the passive layer.

These three factors work together in a vicious cycle, repeatedly attacking the same small area.  If the metal is under tensile stress- like from an over torqued keel bolt nut, the pit formed can transform itself into a crack.  When a crack forms the process repeats and accelerates as the surface area of the ‘active’ layer is now much larger.

Prevention is the best cure

The best way to prevent corrosion is to keep salt away from your bolts.  The best way to do that is to keep your bilge clean and dry.  We’ve designed our interiors to be easily washed down. Take advantage of this.  At the end of the day, when you hose off your deck hardware, stick the hose down the companionway and blast out the bilge and bolts. Pump and sponge dry and leave the floorboard off when you leave.  Not only will this protect your keel bolts from corrosion, it will prevent mildew and keep your interior looking and smelling fresh.

Important note! Avoid using any cleaning products containing chlorine.  Chlorides are just what we are avoiding.  Read the label.  Clorox, Comet, and Fantastic are all products that while good for most stuff are bad for this application.  Check the label.

Annual Maintenance

Checking your keel bolts should be part of your annual maintenance plan.  Working one bolt at a time, remove the nut and washer and clean the threads with a small nylon or brass brush or scotch brite.  Do not use a steel wire brush, as this can lead to other corrosion issues not covered here!  Check for signs of rust.  If everything looks good, use a generous coating of anti-galling compound and re-torque the nut. Most J/22 keel bolts are 5/8

Keel Bolt Torque Table

This Table is derived from information in Table A7 from ISO/DIS 12215-9.2. These values are for well greased threads. Friction in the screw and under the bolt head makes up approximately 90% of the tightening torque and approximately 10% contributes to prestressing of the bolt. The user is cautioned to use good judgment in applying these values.

Tip- If you can pull in your mainsheet, you probably don’t need a big breaker bar to torque your nuts.  Over-torqueing is extremely bad.  Particularly on the bolts holding your lifting rig, under-torqueing is equally bad.  If the nut is loose enough to allow movement in the bar, the bolt can be loaded unequally, leading to tension stress on one side of the bolt.

While you are there

Since you are spending some time with your bilge anyway, this is a good time to give the rest of your lifting gear a good look over.  Check your sling for any signs of wear; fraying, cuts, abrasions and the like.  Your sling should look essentially new.

If you use a shackle in your system, check it too.  If it is bent, rusted or shows signs of wear, just replace it.  A new sling costs around 50 bucks and a shackle around 9 bucks.  It is the cheapest peace of mind available.

If you think you find a problem

If you find or suspect you have problems beyond a good cleanup you should contact a marine surveyor who can inspect and report findings. Your surveyor will have the specialized knowledge and tools to give you an informed recommendation.

Additional Resources

Lots of info on Stainless http://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=1177#_Background

Recommended Anti-Galling compound

Loctite(R) Marine Grade Anti-Seize  available @ Amazon and a gajillion other places

http://www.amazon.com/16-Oz-Marine-Grade-Anti-seize/dp/B0042T5MS0/ref=pd_sbs_indust_4

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• Sailboat Guide

J/24 is a 24 ′ 0 ″ / 7.3 m monohull sailboat designed by Rod Johnstone and built by J Boats, Sydney Yachts/Bashford Int., Ovington Boats Ltd., and Waterline Systems, LLC starting in 1977.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

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• About Sailboat Guide

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