Design and Construction
The Captiva 240 is a 24-foot monohull with a 20-foot waterline, an 8.16-foot beam, and a displacement of just 2,400 pounds carrying 1,000 pounds of ballast. Those numbers put her at the light end of the scale for a boat with cruising equipment, and Steve Henkel noted that she is relatively light in weight especially considering she is equipped with a pull-out galley, dining table, head, and sleeping accommodation for five. The hull, deck, and hull liners were fabricated under contract by Custom Fiberglass Products of Port Richey, Florida, while Captiva Yachts handled assembly in Clearwater. Construction is predominantly fiberglass with wooden trim, a solid build approach rather than a cored laminate. Above the waterline she shows a raked stem and a slightly reverse transom, with a transom-hung rudder on a tiller and a fixed stub keel carrying a centerboard that swings the draft from 4.67 feet down to 2.0 feet up—a trailerable profile that trades little for the shoal-draft option.
Rig and Handling
The boat carries a Bermuda fractional sloop rig with a deck-stepped mast, an I of 31 feet, J of 8.5 feet, and a mainsail luff of 27 feet on an 11-foot foot. Total sail area is 280.25 square feet, split between a 148.5-square-foot main and a 131.75-square-foot jib. The fractional layout and light displacement yield a hull speed of 6.1 knots. On the race course her PHRF average handicap of 213 marks her as a modest performer; Henkel observed that the rating may keep her from winning as many races as she otherwise might. Docking and maneuvering are handled by a small 3 to 6 hp outboard mounted on the transom, consistent with the trailerable, beachable concept.
Accommodations
Below, the Captiva 240 sleeps five. A double V-berth fills the bow cabin, while the main cabin offers a straight settee to starboard and a drop-down dinette to port that converts to a second double. Headroom is 67 inches. The sliding, pull-out galley sits to starboard just forward of the companionway and carries a stove and sink, and the head is a portable unit tucked under the V-berth on the port side. An anchor locker in the bow and pulpits with lifelines all around round out the deck and interior equipment list. For a 24-footer the arrangement is unusually complete, reflecting Scott's racer-cruiser intent more than a stripped racer's interior.
The Verdict
The Captiva 240 is a compact, genuinely trailerable racer-cruiser with a complete five-berth interior and a shoal-draft centerboard configuration that extends real versatility. Her light weight and fractional rig make her an easy boat to own and launch, though the PHRF window limits her as a serious club-racing weapon. The short production run and the builder's quick closure mean surviving examples are a finite, small population.
Pros
- Light 2,400 lb displacement with full cruising gear for five
- Centerboard stub keel drops to 2.0 ft for trailering and shoal anchorages
- Complete interior: V-berth, convertible dinette, pull-out galley, portable head
Cons
- PHRF 213 restricts race-winning potential
- Only 140 built; builder closed shortly after launch, limiting support legacy
