Able poitin 24 Information

[STALKER]

Here is another great example of Able Poitin 24 - introducing "STALKER" - racing version of sistership "Hakuna Matata". We've owned this boat for the last 10 years and invested a lot of time and effort in it. It was the hottest boat on Long Island Sound some 30+ years ago. People call it the grandfather of J-24, nevertheless, this particular grandfather still kicks asses!

[admin]

Great stuff, thanks for posting it here. Mind posting the synopisis of the ALIR race you sent me? You all are amazing with the distance races you do on the 24 footer.

[STALKER]

This year's ALIR was rough for such a small boat. We took start at 3:15 PM. Right after start our speed was better than that of Jeanneau 40, that was sailing close to us. However, we were not prepared for winds over 40 knots, we did not even have 2nd reef on the main and our storm jib was a bit too big. One of our crew did not have any foul weather gear and was barefoot! Even though we gave him our spare clothes, he was starting to show signs of hypothermia around 9 PM. We were by Jones Beach at that time. Every wave covered all boat and it heeled so much that our stanchions were in the water completely, even the tips. Several times we were really close to capsizing. I think we were last ones to turn around, when we heard warning on the radio about increasing winds after midnight and decided not to take the risk. We turned back at 10 PM and docked in Gateway Marina in about 2 hours. Of course, while going downwind you get the impression that the wind has died already, and the will to proceed with the race was fighting with the common sense to just surrender. Nevertheless, we were doing about 9 knots with the help of huge waves pushing from abaft, and our boat's open cockpit was full of water with every wave. All next day we were cursing ourselves for turning around and not finishing, as we have never done such a thing before. That's about it.

[fred douglass]

Wonderful to hear about you guys and your interest in the old Poitin. I got to know the boat really well, racing on three or four of them, three in R.I. and one on Cape Cod. Since I went ahead and bought a Pointin' 29 from Nick Gregory ("Pamela"), I have never owned a 24, but learned quite a bit about them from Bob Evelyn. Sally [RIP:-(] was the first to tell me that Rod Johnstone lived "right across the street" down in Essex and more or less copied the Poitin. Made the J-24 a bit narrower and 500 lbs. lighter. Also really got in on the marketing angle and forced Bob to "move up" to Pointin' Star, the premier 29 when the J-24s took off. THEN Johnstone essentially copied THAT Evelyn design which, of course, became the J-30! Nick Gregory corroborated this also. Bob Evelyn's boats profited immensely from having Airex cored hulls, as opposed to balsa. Look up David Pascoe, a Florida-based marine surveyor, if you want the scoop on balsa. Seemed not enough builders remember Heyedahl's ridiculous "Kon Tiki", eh?

In any case, Bob Evelyn told me that the only design element he wished he'd changed on the 24's was the "hips". Obviously put in there as reserve stability, they nonetheless exert a tad too much parasitic drag for his taste. Whit Batchelder, who built Cherry Pi (and I dunno how many other 24's), chided Bob for not "aerating his resin". Cherry Pi also has balsa blocks in lieu of other core material. It also may well have been Batchelder who made several of the modified 24's with the "popped-up" coach roof. They're very distinctive. Incredibly, I actually saw one of these "headroom" 24's from a train, while riding back from NYC to Providence! Right alongside a building in eastern Connecticut, about 20 yards from the tracks! Can't miss a Poitin! This popped deck may well ALSO have eliminated the odd and clumsy hatch arrangement on the Poitin.

Speaking of the latter, I actually modified a Poitin (bound for Ohio, I think) after it was sold to a gent while sitting high and dry in Mashpee (Cape Cod). I took some Airex, made a huge "bracket" which came from the sides of the hull, across under the companionway and up either side of the hatch opening. Cutting out that transverse "bar" in the decking and heavy glassing PLUS a thick aluminum fascia "bracket" finished the job. As far as I could tell, the mod didn't introduce any flexing or weakness and it ABSOLUTELY made going down below a much more pleasant chore! I strongly recommend this move. You could even do what I did and add that thick (buffable) aluminum "horseshoe" to supplement the Airex and glass bracket.

I raced on John Hatfield's Samaki out of Megansett (North Falmouth). John actually put a BMW inboard in it. Later, John had pranged the keel horrendously on Seal Rocks (Buzzards Bay) and he "solved" the bent result by going into the NACA foil book and microballooning a truly FAT keel section. Two strikes against it. Later, I saw it for sale in Soundings. The guy who had bought it had lavished huge bucks on it. Since Samaki had an Etchells (?) mast and was essentially a 3/4 rig, it had runners. This new owner had put industrial-strength runners in :-0. Kinda humorous. Otherwise, he HAD done a beautiful job cosmetically, but really swore he knew nothing about the bent and slathered keel! One of the nicest Poitins I sailed was "Point Blank" out of Swampscot. There are still a few lurking around western RI. A couple I raced on had a brutal device which was essentially a "universally adjustable" jib-lead. Not nice to sit on! :-)

When you're working on your Poitins, pay particular attention to the bulkheads. Sometimes these need new glass. It would also be a brute, but doable, to grind out and fair in those "hips". They're unnecessary and S-L-O-W-W-W-W-W-W. I'm truly warped in that I love the smell of resin in the morning.......have grinder, will travel!

Also, if you're racing, get North* (!) to cut your main pretty deep draft----the boats need driving power in winds below 12 knots. I have actually beaten some J-24s in Narragansett Bay, but it took a lot of wild-ass tactical gymnastics. Poitins just a smidge slower in light-to-moderate air (the weight, plus ?). Come into their own above 18 kts. Be sure to have main AND jib cunninghams.

Good luck guys.

Fred Douglass
P. O. Box 96
Cataumet, MA 02534
(508) 564-4297

*As I always say: "If you wanna win, go North, young man!"

[poitin24]

Still in the process of rebuilding this boat. I will post some new pics when the deck and hull have been painted. Always open to new information about the boat! Feel free to email me at VPgts14@ufl.edu

[poitin24]

Hey everyone, Heres an update...

The boat is finished! I will be launching it in St Augustine, FL in two weeks once I get back from a vacation. Will have to take some pictures of the finished product so you can see really how much had to be done on the boat!

[dave299]

Hi everyone

We just got our hand on an 76 poitin24. We are planning a full restore project. Anyone could send us photo of your poitin 24 deck and mast gear so we can figure out what the original looks like? Would also need sail dimension.

Here few pic of of our poor and old lady!

David
819-620-8872
Bouchard.david6(at)gmail.com