# San Juan 24



## TSOJOURNER

Hello, We are planning on buying a San Juan 24 this summer. We are new to sailing so this will be our first boat. Any pro''s or con''s we should be aware of?

Thanks for any input!


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## Jeff_H

The San Juan 24''s were designed as IOR rule beating race boats. Rule beating is a design process where a designer shapes a boat and its rig to have a good rating rather than to a shape that would be more ideal for sailing abbility, speed or seaworthiness. 

While the San Juan 24 is a nice little boat that sails pretty well, the compromises that to beat the rule meant that they were a little tender (tippy) and also that their cockpits were a bit cramped compared to other boats that length. 

San Juans were built to be ''value oriented'' and so were not the most robust of boats, but they were well built for what they were. A major concern is the age of these boats. I think they probably went out of production somewhere around 1980. That is pretty old for a lightly built boat in ''boat life'' terms. I strongly suggest that you have the boat surveyed by a NAMS or SAMS certified marine surveyor. While it is a little unmlikelt to be the case, the kinds of problems that could be present could easily be more expensive to fix than the entire value of the boat. 

Regards
Jeff


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## rbh1515

San Juans were made by the Clark Boat Co. I think they were a very well made boat. My dad still has his San Juan 21 from the early 1970''s and it has held up great with NO problems. Of course with boats this age you do want to hire a good surveyor to look for problems. Find out if the boat was raced--this can certainly add alot of wear and tear. There are a few web sites out there dedicated to San Juan sailboats, and I would definately check these out and ask questions from people that own these boats. Also I would not consider the SJ24 a "tender" boat. It does very well in stiff winds. Rob ~~~~_/)~~~~


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## TSOJOURNER

Thanks Jeff and Rob for your input!
Buying a boat will be a very hard decision!

What would you recommend as a first boat for coastal cruising, in the Pacific Northwest part of BC?


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## photodonn

*Sj24*

I just bought a 1977 San Juan 24 and it is in great shape. It was rigged for racing, but I am rigging her for cruising. I live in sw Florida and sail the Gulf.
I would reccomend it.

..Donn


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## captainmidnight

The SJ 24 is a terrific first boat. Don't spend more than 4k. PM me for leads on two in Skagit county if you're interested.


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## photodonn

*sj24*

I only paid $1200 without trailer.


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## TSOJOURNER

SJ24 is a fine sailing boat. [Bruce Kirby design]

You might also consider:
24 Columbia
25 Catalina [cb]
25 Cal
24 C&C
26 Ericson
25 Buccaneer [Gary Mull design]
24 Freedom [Bill Tripp design]
24 Shark [C&C design]
24 Islander 
J/24 [fast & fun]
24 Laguna [Shad Turner design] swing keel
24 Melges
24 Mirage [Robert Perry]
26 Niagara
25 Oday
25 Olson
25 Ontario [C&C design]
25 Cal-Pearson
26 Ranger [Gary Mull design]
24 S2
525 Santana
24 Seidelmann
24 Tanzer
25 Yamaha
24 Yankee

As you can see, there are numerous boats to consider. These are mostly under $10K. Good luck in your hunt.

C&C 27
Astoria, OR

[Hint: Boats are cheaper in Portland than around Seattle & the Puget Sound]


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## blt2ski

You folks do realize that the OP was done back in 2002!?!?!?!?!

Marty


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## sanjuanderer

I've owned my SanJuan 24 for three years and am delighted with it.
A more fun boat would be hard to find.
As far as tippy, well you can get them to 25 degrees pretty fast but they were made to sail at 15 to 20 and use of the traveller or main sheet keeps it manageable.
I couldn't recomend the San Juan 24 more for someone learning to sail.
I don't race mine but enjoy it for cruising.


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## Imperial88

i am a new member and cannot make private messages. I'm looking for information specific to the san juan 24 as i have recently purchased on and have begun making repairs on it.

Thanks
Zach
[email protected]


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## azaquaazaqua

Is there a set of polars to look at for racing downwind?


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## Stu Jackson

Imperial88 said:


> i am a new member and cannot make private messages. I'm looking for information specific to the san juan 24 as i have recently purchased on and have begun making repairs on it.
> 
> Thanks
> Zach
> [email protected]


Zach, congrats on your new boat.

Unless there is an owenrs association, we have found that Google is the best way to find info, although you may have to wade through a lot of hits to find what you're looking for.

Most boats aren't much different and unless there's something specific about a particular model (i.e., rotten mast supports that are hidden from view), repairs are same old, same old between any boats.

Don Casey's Good Old Boat (2nd edition - much cheaper than the newer one) is one of the best overall books I've found, although his stuff on electrical is sadly dated and in some cases wrong.


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## Stu Jackson

azaquaazaqua said:


> Is there a set of polars to look at for racing downwind?


Almost all boats will do ddw slower than gybing downwind. I've found polars to be more a guide than any absolutes. And the pinched stern IOR boats have always been known to be squirrely downwind. Good luck.


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## PNWHunter40

I race a SJ24 and they are a lot of fun. We run an asym for a kite that works very well but trying to go deep with it makes it a handful . We have corrected out in front of SC27s and J boats on a upwind course. Really points well due to some modifications.

Highly recommended!


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## Gumboot

*Re: Sj24*

Hi. Do you still have the San Juan you had in 2008? How'd it work out?


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