Hutton 24 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used Hutton 24 means looking at a small, beamy Australian keel yacht built from 1978 that was developed out of quarter-ton racing designs. These boats were built to make offshore coastal passages and to race at club level, so a secondhand example is usually a versatile little yacht rather than a bare daysailer. Most survivors on the market are the standard lifting-keel sloop, with the swing-keel and motor-sailer variants only ever at planning stage when the design was reviewed.
Layouts on the Used Market
The cabin is the Hutton's headline trick: it feels about as large inside as many 26-footers. A standard boat provides six berths, and the test configuration showed a quarter berth aft, two berths along the settees, plus a large double in the forepeak, while later hulls could be ordered with two quarter berths. Headroom is 1.53m, and a fair number of owners specified the optional poptop that lifts galley-area headroom to 1.89m — worth confirming on any boat you view if standing room matters. The galley has a sink and stove, there is an enclosed WC, and in place of a fixed icebox the companionway steps hide space for a portable Esky. The saloon table seats six when erected.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the used market the Hutton 24 commonly carries solar power, a spinnaker, a bimini, and a chartplotter as part of its cruising outfit. Beyond those, the original spec is well defined: stock Hood sails, Barlow sheet winches in the cockpit, and an outboard bracket on the transom for the builder-recommended six to eight hp auxiliary. The rig was made up by the builders themselves. A buyer should check whether the main halyard has been led aft to the cockpit, as the reviewed test boat had that arrangement, and confirm the presence of a poptop if headroom is a priority.
What to Inspect
The hull-to-deck joint is a known construction focus: the builders fibreglass bond it from the inside and also use an alloy toe rail to mechanically secure it, so inspect that seam for any separation or crazing. The bottom is laid up to 30 oz and all deck areas are reinforced with Airex foam, but note the side decks are a bit narrow and there are no cabin-top handrails from the factory — check for owner-fitted grab rails and any deck wear from traffic. The keel is a lead-filled cast unit bolting to the hull; verify the bolt integrity and any corrosion at the hull interface. The rudder is a stainless steel spade made with the stock, and the cockpit is self-draining but has no lockers, so assess any moisture intrusion at the bridgedeck where the mainsheet traveller sits.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The typical market for these yachts is Australia. For a buyer, the checklist is straightforward: confirm the lifting keel and lead ballast bolt-up, look for an optional poptop if headroom matters, verify the hull-to-deck joint bond, and expect a well-optioned example to carry solar, spinnaker, bimini, and chartplotter. Check the outboard bracket and the six-to-eight hp recommendation before committing to auxiliary power.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Hutton 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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 26 | 1 | $7,158 | — |
Where they're listed
Hutton 24 listings appear across 1 country. Australia has the most listings with 1.
Country view
1 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | $7,158 | 1 | 0 | 100.0% |