I might be able to beat this J24

Apr 5, 2009
2,774
Catalina '88 C30 tr/bs Oak Harbor, WA
I was reading Webb Chiles' blog about his 6th circumnavigation currently in progress aboard his Moore 24 GANNET and came across this photo. Apparently it was reported missing from its mooring and found a couple of years later by a diver inspecting the mooring ball and tackle.
j24.jpg:yikes:
 
May 17, 2004
5,032
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
That’ll buff right out.

The Craigslist ad will read “environmentally friendly racer / cruiser with a bottom as well kept and smooth as the topsides”.
 
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Likes: Will Gilmore
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Sank several years ago in NYC City Island. Pulled from the bottom the next year.

J24s like to sink.
 
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Likes: Meriachee
Apr 4, 2016
201
Newport 28 Richardson Marina
A couple of hours with a pressure washer and she'll clean right up
 
Oct 19, 2017
7,733
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
Yeah, she's a little dirty and the sailcover looks like it needs to be replaced. I couldn't tell from the picture, does she have roller furling? She floats pretty high for all the extra weight. Probably could sell her to Hollywood or Disney for a lot more than you could get on Craigslist.
- Will (Dragonfly)
 

Ross S

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Oct 20, 2011
120
Precision 21 Great Sacandaga Lake
Sank several years ago in NYC City Island. Pulled from the bottom the next year.

J24s like to sink.
I'm unfamiliar with the J24 particulars. What makes them more susceptible to sinking than other boats of similar size/design?
 

JRacer

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Aug 9, 2011
1,331
Beneteau 310 Cheney KS (Wichita)
Older boats had only a partial bulkhead between the aft lockers and the cabin - did not run all the way up to the deck. When the boat heeled to extremes or was held down by crew in the water trying to hang on or get back aboard, the locker top would go over center and flop open allowing water to enter that locker. Once that filled and flowed over the partial bulkhead, the cabin would begin to fill. From there it was a matter of time until it sank. J Boats changed that bulkhead along the way so the locker was a sealed compartment and offered a retrofit kit for the older boats. We always used a snap hook on the hasps for those lockers to prevent them from opening that way.
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
I'm unfamiliar with the J24 particulars. What makes them more susceptible to sinking than other boats of similar size/design?
First up, the J/24 has an Angle of Vanishing Stability of less than 90 degrees. This is almost unheard of in modern yacht design. AVS is the angle of heel that the boat will last turn upright. More than this the boat will want to turn down. In most boats, this angle is between 100 and 130. On a J/24 the mast does not even have to be in the water before it turns!

The boat's cockpit and companionway design are very susceptible to downflooding at moderate angles; water entering the boat proper when heeled. This compounds #1

The cockpit lockers do not positively latch unless locked, a dumb builder trick shared by lots of small boats. They will flood the boat if opened.

The boats are race aggressively under spinnaker, which compounds the likelihood of wipe-outs.
 
Oct 19, 2017
7,733
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
It looks like the owner left the hatch open during a couple of storms, in the picture. Left her on her mooring and was unable to get back for a while. On the other hand, the hatch is open because the recovery people needed to empty her out. Why did she sink from the locker bulkhead while on the mooring? Is there a point at which she just keeps filling once there's a certain amount of water in her? Or, am I mistaken in assuming she was moored when she sank?
- Will (Dragonfly)
 

Ross S

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Oct 20, 2011
120
Precision 21 Great Sacandaga Lake
First up, the J/24 has an Angle of Vanishing Stability of less than 90 degrees. This is almost unheard of in modern yacht design. AVS is the angle of heel that the boat will last turn upright. More than this the boat will want to turn down. In most boats, this angle is between 100 and 130. On a J/24 the mast does not even have to be in the water before it turns!

The boat's cockpit and companionway design are very susceptible to downflooding at moderate angles; water entering the boat proper when heeled. This compounds #1

The cockpit lockers do not positively latch unless locked, a dumb builder trick shared by lots of small boats. They will flood the boat if opened.

The boats are race aggressively under spinnaker, which compounds the likelihood of wipe-outs.
My own boat, a Precision 21, shares the cockpit locker weakness. Quite a few people have modified their Precisions to rectify this weakness and I need to get off my butt and do it also.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
My Montgomery 15 had this problem. The lazarette opened to the boat cabin. Had to build an inside lock to the seat hatch. The designer countered the issue by filling the cavities with Styrofoam blocks. Boat would float about 5 inches above the gunwale even full of water. This was not a preferred condition, but better than sinking.
 
Oct 19, 2017
7,733
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
At Hurricane Island Outward Bound, we did a capsized drill in the pulling boats we sailed. We had to flip the pulling boats over into Penobscot Bay. Collect all of us on one side of the boat, count heads (14) then, flip the boats back over and climb aboard.
Once all 14 of us were in, these boats only had about 3/4" above water at the lowest point in the shear. We started bailing by hand and bucket.
3/4" was enough to keep the sea from coming in and we lifted those boats back out till we were mopping the bilges dry with sponges. So, I figure any amount of freeboard means a boat that can be bailed.
- Will (Dragonfly)