# J24 Good first boat???



## Cap_Jdog (Aug 16, 2001)

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


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## Guest (Aug 18, 2001)

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


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## rbh1515 (Jul 7, 2000)

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 ~~~~_/)~~~~


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## Cap_Jdog (Aug 16, 2001)

Thanks for your comments JeffH


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## Cap_Jdog (Aug 16, 2001)

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


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## rbh1515 (Jul 7, 2000)

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
~~~~_/)~~~~


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## Guest (Aug 19, 2001)

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


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

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.


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## Frenzy (Jun 27, 2001)

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


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## timtim (Dec 16, 2012)

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


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## Fstbttms (Feb 25, 2003)

timtim said:


> Tony, this is a old post...


FYI- Tony hasn't posted on this forum in over two years.


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## bobperry (Apr 29, 2011)

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


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## SHNOOL (Jun 7, 2007)

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.


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## christian.hess (Sep 18, 2013)

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


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## sailingfool (Apr 17, 2000)

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.


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## SHNOOL (Jun 7, 2007)

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...


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## christian.hess (Sep 18, 2013)

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.


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## WGEwald (Jun 2, 2014)

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


Agree with that from sailing a J24 in Annapolis, and it is Spartan, but I would recommend.


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## christian.hess (Sep 18, 2013)

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


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## Orwig3 (Jul 22, 2015)

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...


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## sailingfool (Apr 17, 2000)

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...


I taught ASA 101 classes in Colgate and found them a delightful boat to sail. Lots of good seating space even without the extra space after the traveller. 


bobperry said:


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


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## SHNOOL (Jun 7, 2007)

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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