BoatsCal Boats 24

Cal Boats 24

Fractional Sloop · Keel/centreboard · 1958–1965

The inaugural Jensen Marine Cal model, this fractional keel-centerboard sloop was built for shoal-water versatility

Designed by C. William Lapworth, built by Jensen Marine.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.

See her sail

The Cal Boats 24, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Sailing Magic Carpet

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

TrailerableBeam 2.44 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 1,361 kg of hull, so roughly 1,950 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Shoal draftDraws 0.76 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelyComfort 14Sea-kindly
CoastalCapsize 2.22Bluewater
LightD/L 166Heavy
EasygoingSA/D 20.1Powered-up
TenderBallast 33%Stiff

Light and lively — happiest day-sailing and coastal-hopping in settled weather.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen once across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

What broke, what changed

Gear aboard, as the crews told it

Moments from individual boats of this model that the fleet has filmed — one crew, one piece of kit, one day on the water. Not a review of the class, and not a count of anything.

Each line is one crew's account of their own boat. Another Cal Boats 24 may be fitted out entirely differently.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
33.3%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
20.1
Displacement / length
166.2
Comfort ratio
13.6
Capsize screening
2.22
Hull speed
6.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
573
Hull
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Mixed Iron/Lead
Production
Years built
1958–1965
Units built
184
Designer
C. William Lapworth
Builder
Jensen Marine, Cal Boats

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

O'day 23-26.93 mSame hull family0.5 m shorterA masthead keel-centerboard sloop produced in Brazil and the U.S. for over a decade as a popular coastal cruiser
Juliano and the sailboat Tupã12:35from Podcast Maré Sonora ®
Macgregor 26X7.87 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA water-ballasted sail-power hybrid designed for versatile coastal cruising and easy trailering
7 Sailboats You Should Never Buy (Unless You Know This) - Ep 357 - Lady K Sailing5:20from Lady K Sailing
Catalina Yachts 227.26 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA swing-keel masthead sloop with 15,000 units sold, offering a highly versatile and trailerable coastal cruiser
These Are The WRONG Sails For This Boat (+ Fiberglass Progress)!!4:07from BoatworksToday
Dufour Yachts T66.15 mSame hull family1.3 m shorterA lightweight 800kg fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited performance in light air
Who I am and why the sea is part of my life0:56from NAUTICPIOLI
RS 216.40 mSame hull family1.0 m shorter
Training Sea Cadet Instructors | RS21 Keelboat Sailing – Welsh Harp1:37from City Sailing
Este 247.50 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA lightweight 7.5-metre fractional sloop with a lifting keel, designed by German Frers for high-performance sailing
A Story of Overcoming: 40 Years at Sea with Only One Leg5:19from Hashtag Sal

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Cal Boats 34A masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, favored by Jensen Marine founder Jack Jensen for personal cruisingCal 2-24The first of Lapworth's finer-bow designs, this fractional sloop was drawn for improved windward performanceCal 20A nimble fractional sloop from C. William Lapworth, featuring a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited sailingCal 25A flush-deck masthead sloop featuring a pop-top companionway that became one of the most popular models in the fleet

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The fleet has more to say

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