Balboa 24 Buyer's Guide
Shopping a Balboa 24 on the used market means looking at a 1981-onward trailerable racer-cruiser designed by W. Shad Turner and William Downing and built in California by Coastal Recreation and Laguna Yachts. Now out of production, the boat draws just under 3 feet on a fixed fin shoal keel and sleeps five, which makes it a practical small cruiser that can still be launched behind a family vehicle.
Layouts on the Used Market
The cabin plan is consistent across the class: a double V-berth forward, a straight settee in the main saloon, and an aft berth to port. The galley is an L-shape to starboard just forward of the companionway, with a two-burner alcohol stove, ice box, and sink, while the head sits just aft of the bow cabin on the starboard side. A pop-top expands headroom at anchor, and the teak interior trim is the visible age indicator buyers should note.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
A spinnaker, chartplotter, and short-handed setup are commonly fitted to boats offered today, the last meaning led lines and reduced crew workload for single or pair handling. The standard boat normally carries a small outboard for docking, so the presence of a short-handed setup complements the outboard configuration.
What to Inspect
The transom-hung rudder and tiller should be checked for free play at the pintles and gudgeons, since wear there lets the blade wobble and admit water into the hull. On the pop-top, look for hardened or cracked seals that allow leaks around the joint. Where a taller rig is fitted, confirm the 28-foot mast is paired with the 200 additional pounds of ballast Richard Sherwood recorded for that version, because a mismatched rig and ballast changes handling and resale.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The Balboa 24 is typically found in the United States. A short used-boat checklist:
- Confirm the rudder pintles and gudgeons for wear
- Test the pop-top seal for leaks
- Match the mast height to the ballast configuration
- Verify the outboard bracket and transom condition
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Balboa 24. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 1 row
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 26 | 1 | $6,000 | — |
Where they're listed
Balboa 24 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 1.
Country view
1 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $6,000 | 1 | 0 | 100.0% |