Design and Construction
Cardell specified a hand-laid fiberglass hull, a simple construction method that requires little attention during the sailing season. That low seasonal maintenance burden should suit an owner who would rather spend time on the water than in the bilge.
The hull carries an iron fin keel with a bulb. This arrangement lowers the center of gravity to increase righting moment while keeping the draft shallow enough for modest marinas. Depending on load, draft is roughly 3.94 to 4.24 feet. Compared with a full keel, the fin keel makes the boat more maneuverable but less directionally stable—a familiar trade-off in small performance cruisers.
Rig and Handling
The Balaton 24 has a masthead sloop rig. Its chief virtues are simplicity and the ability to carry a given sail area lower than a fractional rig would, reducing heeling moment for the same cloth. The combined working sail area of the mainsail and jib is 272.3 square feet.
The sheet specifications are practical and consistent:
- Jib and genoa sheets: about 24.4 feet, at 3/8 inch
- Mainsheet: 61.1 feet, at 3/8 inch
- Spinnaker sheets: 53.8 feet
The ballast ratio is 42 percent, higher than that of 62 percent of comparable designs. A displacement-length figure of 210 places the boat among “moderate racers,” with more than half of similar boats rated heavier. Cardell appears to have chosen a slightly quicker hull form, and the fin keel’s agility complements that intent.
Performance Profile
The design figures describe a light, narrow, and comfortable small boat. Her length-to-beam ratio is 3.12, making her slimmer than 69 percent of similar sailboats. Theoretical hull speed is 6.2 knots.
The capsize screening value is 1.87, which, by that formula alone, would admit her to ocean racing. Her Motion Comfort Ratio ranges from 18.7 to 21.2 and is reported as more comfortable than 76 percent of similar designs. Immersion is about 578 pounds per inch, while wetted surface is approximately 17m2 (182 ft2).
None of these figures makes the Balaton 24 a heavy offshore voyager, but they help explain why she feels settled for her size.
Accommodations
Below, the Balaton 24 provides five berths, while headroom is near the class average. That berth count is generous for a 24-footer and reflects her intended role as a weekend coastal cruiser rather than a daysailer with a cabin.
Verdict
The Balaton 24 is a thoughtfully proportioned small sloop: narrow, well-ballasted, and comfortably tuned for her length. Her low-maintenance fiberglass hull and shallow-draft bulb keel widen her cruising range. She isn’t a stiff passage-maker, but for a mid-1960s design, she balances simplicity and pace better than most of her peers.
Pros
- Hand-laid fiberglass hull with minimal seasonal upkeep
- Bulb fin keel lowers the center of gravity while keeping draft below 4.25 feet
- Simple masthead rig with a lower heeling moment than a fractional setup
- Comfort and ballast ratios better than those of most similar designs
Cons
- Fin keel sacrifices directional stability compared with a full keel
- Shallow draft and light displacement limit heavy-weather authority
