San Juan 24

Akacake · #1 (**permalink**) 03-04-2002

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!

Jeff_H · #2 (**permalink**) 03-05-2002

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

rbh1515 · #3 (**permalink**) 03-05-2002

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 ~~~~_/)~~~~

Akacake · #4 (**permalink**) 03-05-2002

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?