Achilles 24 Buyer's Guide
The Achilles 24 is a British-built cruiser-racer that first appeared in 1968 as a development of the open Ajax. For a shopper scanning the used market in the United Kingdom and Ireland, the boat presents as a small, narrow-beam offshore type with a real singlehanded-racing ancestry rather than a coastal weekender.
Layouts on the Used Market
Two keel configurations dominate the used fleet. The fin-keel boat carries a bulbed fin and is the quicker, better-winded sailor; the optional triple keel is shoal-draught and can be beached upright, but period testers found it much more pedestrian and the builder’s own 3% penalty claim understates the felt difference. Inside, every example is tight: four berths made up of two quarter berths and a forward V-berth, a chemical head under the V-berth, and a split galley with a port double sink and starboard two-burner stove. Headroom is a uniform 4ft 8in, so the accommodation is functional shelter, not standing-room living. Early boats show three cabin windows; later ones a single long window.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Propulsion is the clearest split among survivors. Most of the 350-plus originally sold without engines and many still run a small outboard, while an inboard gasoline engine was optional and was usually quickly replaced with a small diesel; many were retro-fitted with diesel engines. Anchor-well-equipped boats are those built after about serial number 250. Buyers should view the engine question as a core variable: outboard simplicity versus diesel repower maturity.
What to Inspect
The central used-market risk is construction origin. Factory-built boats were sound, strong but simple, while the quality of the many home-built kit boats will be variable anchor. Any amateur-built example needs close scrutiny of hull and deck join, bulkhead bonding, and keel attachment. On fin-keel boats, confirm the bulbed fin is intact and unmodified; on triple-keel boats, verify the centerboard or fixed side keels allow the advertised upright beaching without structural strain. Check whether an inboard was added and how cleanly the diesel conversion was executed versus the original outboard well.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The Achilles 24 is typically found in the United Kingdom and Ireland. For a buyer, the shortlist is: confirm factory versus home-built status; choose fin keel for performance or triple keel for shoal access; verify engine type and repower quality; inspect serial number for anchor-well fitment after 250; and accept the 4ft 8in headroom as non-negotiable. She is a small, tough cruiser-racer best suited to an owner who prizes sea-keeping over space.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Achilles 24. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 7 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 2 | $1,248 | — |
| Dec 25 | 1 | $699 | -44.0% |
| Jan 26 | 1 | $4,078 | +483.4% |
| Apr 26 | 2 | $1,630 | -60.0% |
| Jun 26 | 2 | $1,968 | +20.7% |
| Jul 26 | 1 | $1,699 | -13.7% |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $2,039 | +20.0% |
Where they're listed
Achilles 24 listings appear across 2 countries. United Kingdom has the most listings with 8 (80.0%), followed by Ireland.
Country view
10 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $1,801 | 8 | 4 | 80.0% |
| Ireland | $1,427 | 2 | 0 | 20.0% |