J/24 on distance cruises?

[Christopher]

Ok, I realize I posted about finding a newer sturdy boat, but I've been spending more time on J/24's lately and I really like the way they handle.  I've found some really nice looking ones, late 80's for 10-12K$.  The one problem I have with the sturdy, heavy boats is that I like to participate in the local races in Milwaukee and they just don't have the speed.  I know the J/24 isn't exactly seaworthy, but there was a guy in a H23 on the Queen's Cup race (Milwaukee, WI to Grand Haven, MI) I was in and he made it just fine.
Anyone have any thoughts on whether one could make some day trips, or overnight trips in the Great Lakes with a J/24?

[Norm]

I have spent too much time on the J24...  That said, go anywhere you want on the boat.  It has limitations, as do all boats.  Some have sailed to Bermuda, though the boat is not a sea boat at all.  With care on your part the J24 will take care of you.  What is the hull number?

Change the headsail down in a blow before reefing the main.

Keep the cockpit lockers latched securely at all times.

Make certain you have the new through the mast spreaders and not he old rivet to the mast old style.

Have fun.

Norm
Boston

[Christopher]

I've read a lot about these boats being "sinkable" and the sailing club where I sail the J's I hear too often "remember, this boat will sink".  I don't have a J at this time, but I really enjoy sailing them at the center.  I have a lot of friends that would like to do some night sailing and some coastal cruising, but we are limited in how far we can go at the center.  The J's seem readily available, and with a boat that small and light, I can get a super deal on storage and a mooring pin at the center.  I've got plans to buy a boat in the next year or two, and I'm not quite certain on which way to go.  I like the J/24's speed and handling, but my wife is more a fan of comfort than speed and spray.  Further, the J's are widely available in my area and very affordable.

[Godot]

You can cruise in almost anything, if you are willing to pay the price.  There are folks out there who are, quite literally, cruising in dinghies (in fact, I believe there is at least one association dedicated to dingy cruising).  I used to take my Stevenson Weekender, which is a very small unballasted boat, on trips of several days to a week.  I don't know much about J/24's; but I bet they are better suited to the task than my little weekender!  Choose weather suitable to the capabilities of the boat, and you will likely be able to avoid disaster. 

As to being sinkable ... well, the majority of us sail sinkable boats.  Keep the water out and she'll keep on floating.

Oh, one last thing.  Give serious thought to keeping your wife happy.  I guarantee you, if she ain't happy, you ain't happy.

[okawbow]

I crewed on a J-24 once in 20K+ winds. it was a great ride for me, but the woman on board was very nervous because we were sailing on the "edge" most of the time. She was an experianced sailor, but the J-24 was not comfortable for her. That said; I don't see why it wouldn't make a decent cruiser if sailed conservatively. I think most of the problems for this boat occur because of spinnaker broaches. 

You would have to do some work to make one comforatle, and the headroom and lighting in the cabin is very poor.

[Christopher]

I suppose, there's always a trade off.  Keeping the wife happy will be a big part of it.  She doesn't enjoy solings.  She really likes the Ensigns as they are comfortable and roomy in the cockpit and the boom is well above your head.  The J/24 seems a reasonable mix of these, but the cockpit is not roomy at all.
Any thoughts on other boats that are in a similar class as the J/24 with more comfortable cockpits?  I saw the Olson 25 and that boat looks really nice.  They seem harder to come by than the J's however.

After looking at the cost of storage, mooring and tender fees, I think I'm going to have to get a smaller boat to start with.  The Milwaukee Sailing Center has great rates for a boat under 26 feet that has a light displacement.

I read that article about the guy who took his 14 foot dinghy on a North Atlantic crossing and had to fire off his locator beacon.  What an incredible story!  The things people will do...

[Norm]

Hey:
I'd think we sailed out of the same place, Boston, except you mention Ensigns and Milwaukee.  Club sailing is a pretty good deal.  After buying a boat, we still miss the spontaneous evening sail, no maintenance, and gatherings of sailing friends at the Sailing Center.

J24s are not comfortable cruising boats and the boom is low.  If you have a J24, that's that.  If not... check out the Olson 25, Merit 25, Pearson 26, etc.

A factor in choosing an old J24 is water in the deck core.  A cheap J24 with a soft deck is no end of trouble.

Robert Manry sailed the 13 footer Tinkerbelle to England in the late 60s.  Also, Dewell in Kawabunga had a good sail on a very small cruiser in the Pacific recently.

[Christopher]

Cool Norm - I love the sailing center.  The distances I can travel are pretty limited however.  I've been sailing there for about 5 years now, and it's time for me to spread my sails.  I've been crewing on a couple of different boats in races and trips to gain offshore experience.  I don't have a J/24, but this is just one boat that I've become very familiar with at the center.  I read someone's post about a speed rant, but it's a factor for me.
I don't think a J/24, or any boat under 25 feet is going to outrun a 30 foot full keel boat in a crossing of Lake Michigan or more so out on the Atlantic.  My last race saw us through about 150 miles of sailing and only about 4 or 5 hours of the 30 or 40 hours we were out on the water were suitable for optimal performance of a J/24.  The rest was all swells of 4 feet or higher and the J/24 isn't so fast in that kind of water. 

I'm just doing my homework for buying a boat.  My wife is finally on board with the idea (I've complained and obsessed for long enough).  After researching the local costs of storage and mooring, I think I'm going to have to get something smaller.  The Merit 25 looks like a cool little boat.  I saw a Catalina Capri that also looked cool.  These seem a bit more befitting of my wife's desire for comfort in the cockpit and her distaste for boom dodging and deck rolls.

What kinds of things should I look out for in these types of boats?

[AdriftAtSea]

The Olson 25 is a good solid little boat too.. :)

You could also look at some of the trailerable boats, since that might lower your storage costs, since, if you have the space at home, you could winter the boat there instead of paying for winter storage.

[Christopher]

Ohhhhh no.  I've been explicitly told there will be no monstrous boat sitting alongside our house.  WE have our standard quarter acre in the burbs and everyone's yard is all perfect and pretty.  Heaven forbid we use the land we pay for!!!  But.. it's a battle I've fought and lost more times than I can count.  I'd see a nice looking trailer sailer with a for sale sign on it for $2500 and "ooh look at that!" and she quickly snaps back "We aren't going to have junk in our yard.  We pay a lot of money for our house and I don't want it to look like a junkyard". 

You get the idea :)

[vinegarj]

milwaukee chris-
just a few comments. 
i'm pretty certain that a J24 is faster than my alberg 29 and with a few modifications/reinforcements it would be safe for lake michigan crossings.
it looks like it might be pretty spartan below deck, but if you want to go fast the j boat would do the trick.
storage....check out jerry guyer's yard (on water street, right across from the third ward...honest, fair, and very competitive rates for small boat storage).
and milwaukee moorings, i'm pretty certain we could find something reasonable for you at southshore (there are at least two J24's on moorings over here at present).
one starter boat that might be a good compromise of speed, comfort, and price...a catalina 25.
my two centavos.

[CharlieJ]

What I don't understand here is the insistence on a J 24. Seems to me to be a small boat inside, so you'd be cramped in cruising mode. Also, think of where ya gonna stow a couple of anchors and all the food required for a weeks long ( or even more so a two week) cruise. Cooking gear? Dishes? Extra clothes? Fishing rods?

There are many many boats out there at reasonable prices that have much more in the way of cruising amenities.  Plus would be much more comfortable since you'd not have to sail "on the edge" as much.The Catalina 25 was mentioned- there are more. Hey- even the Catalina 22 looks to have more accommodations- and there are literally THOUSANDS of those around, many for sale.

Why start with something that was never built nor intended to be a "cruising boat"? Seems to me you'd be handicapping yourself from the beginning.

Unless of course you DO intend to compete in J 24 events- THEN it makes sense.

[Christopher]

I really don't have an insistence on the J/24.  They are just something I'm comfortable sailing on and am used to.  I've never taken one on a long cruise and while I know it's not an ideal cruiser, I wanted to get other people's thoughts as to its potential seaworthiness.  I've read a lot of stories about people sinking them :).

I've gotten a ton of good information from all of you and I really appreciate it all!  I really like the looks of the Olson 25, the Catalina Capri 25, and the Merit 25.  I think these boats would be much more befitting of my situation and desires than the J.  I can't get a boat until at least next season so I'm just gathering as much information as possible.  I like to do my homework :)

[Norm]

Hope you keep this thread going as you and your wife search out a boat.  It seems to me that there are so many choices.  A lot of innovation has taken place in the small boat arena.  Tell us what you find.

Models you might explore are the Express 27, Santa Cruz 27, and Olson 30.  All are West Coast flyers but very comfortable, light weight, inexpensive, and fast as the dickens.  Sometimes "fast is fun" to quote designer Bill Lee.  All these models are used for ocean racing and sometimes make the Hawaii trip to and from.  Look at Latitude 38 magazine for boats for sale.

I had use of an Olson 30 years ago when my girls were 2 and 6.  My wife loved lounging in the comfy cockpit, the 2 year old would splash around in the cockpit... scuppers plugged and six inches of water in the pool... while the 6 year old towed astern.  We sailed (drifted more likely) past a 50 footer one afternoon.  The 50 footer wife looked over and declared "Harry, their little boat has a pool."  Poor Harry, now he has to buy a boat with a pool!  True story.

Have fun.

[Christopher]

So after a season of heavy sailing, I think I can confidently say I'm not going to want to get a J-24 as a cruising boat for my wife and I.  I spent some time on a Merit 25 in heavy seas and it was not exactly a pleasure sail.  I also put some distance behind me on the J24 with only one crew member.  It was a lot to handle and I don't think my wife wants to do the amount of work that my crew member had to do.
That being said, now I'm swaying back towards the mindset of a sturdy boat with nice simple controls.  Considering my wife's being on the fence about sailing as a whole, I need to get something that is going to be pleasant for her (and me) and not roll too much in the seas. 
We'll see what next year brings!

[Zen]

J-24 are racers not cruisers  :o

[Christopher]

Yeah - the reason I was considering one is because there are a multitude of J24's available in my area and for very cheap prices, and I like to go fast too.  After a season of heavy sailing on the J's and the Merit, I'm convinced it's not for me.