Getting a boat measured

FormulaReed

New Member
Hello all,

I am looking to buy a J24 and I have a question about getting it measured. One of the boats that I have found seems like a nice boat thats been well maintained but it's only been PHRF raced and never been measured. The boat has had the verm removed, and the seller said that "The Keel sump re-fibreglassed with reinforced floor beams in 1995" does this sound legal? My previous boat was a Thunderbird and any "reinforcement" was a big no no.

What are common things that people do that are not 1D legal? Is there anything that I should be on the look out for that could make it not legal? I glanced over the rule book and the thing that I am most afraid of is weighing the boat. Is there a quick way to guess the weight, like a measurement point to the water line just to get a idea of how much she weighs?

Thanks,

Reed
 
Reed,

Welcome to the world of J24s. I hope you get a boat and get started in class racing. You will never have more fun and hang around better folks than you find in the J24.

As for your questions. Rebuilding the sump in a J24 is pretty standard and is legal, most of the time. Most older boats will have had this done at some point. The biggest concern is how it was put together. If it was done with resin, glass, penske board, ect, it is fine. However, if it was done with metal or lead, it is illegal. For this reason, J24's keel sumps are metal detected as part of the measurement process at Worlds. Some boats have been found with lead in the sumps and have had to be rebuilt. I would ask the owner how he did the job. If you have concerns, see if you can get a class measurer to come metal detect the sump.

Common things for a J24 would be to rake the mast back more than allowed and put the keel too far forward. The rig is easily fixed by swapping a forestay. The keel is a big job. But, I doubt a PHRF boat will have a keel that has been moved beyond max forward.

As for weight, the only way to do it is to weigh the boat, a measurer can help you with that. There is really no way to guess at it. There is a 60 kg difference between the all up weight and the empty weight. Heavy boats just carry less stuff and sail at the same weight as the light boats, to a point.

I don't know where you are or what other boats are available, but purchasing a boat with a valid measurement certificate would alleviate many of your concerns.

Good Luck !
 

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