The 24S shares its basic hull with the Balboa 24, which appeared in 1981. Laguna introduced the trunk-cabin 24ST variant in 1984.
Design and Construction
The Laguna 24S is a fiberglass monohull with wood trim. It has a raked stem, a plumb transom, a fixed fin keel, and a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller. This rudder arrangement keeps the steering gear clear of the hull and makes it easy to service.
The boat measures 23 feet 7 inches overall, with a 20 foot waterline, an 8 foot 4 inch beam, and a 2 foot 11 inch draft. It displaces 2,600 pounds and carries 900 pounds of lead ballast. These figures place it in the light-displacement cruiser class. Its ballast-to-displacement ratio is roughly 35 percent, while its capsize screening figure is 2.42. Together, those numbers characterize it as a stable small coastal vessel rather than a bluewater wanderer.
The same underlying hull lines were used for the Balboa 24, confirming that Turner’s form found favor beyond the Laguna badge.
Rig, Handling, and Auxiliary Power
The Laguna carries a Bermuda-rigged fractional sloop with about 220 square feet of sail. Combined with its modest displacement and fin keel, that gives the boat a sail-area-to-displacement ratio near 18.6.
The fractional rig keeps genoa handling manageable for short-handed cruising. A tiller and transom-hung rudder provide direct helm feedback in close quarters.
A small outboard motor is the normal auxiliary. It’s intended for docking and maneuvering rather than sustained passage-making, which fits the boat’s trailerable character. The outboard also leaves the interior free of an engine box and shaft clutter.
Accommodations
Turner designed the 24S expressly as a cruiser, and the wood trim adds period warmth to the fiberglass interior. Its trailerable dimensions limit the total volume below, but the 20 foot waterline and beamy 8 foot 4 inch hull provide a usable cabin for weekend coastal trips.
Cruising rather than day racing shaped the layout. Its priorities are sheltered sleeping space and a simple galley within a 2,600 pound hull that can be pulled from the water on a standard trailer.
Verdict
The Laguna 24S is a tidy, limited-production American cruiser that combines a fractional sloop rig and tiller steering in a trailerable 24 foot hull. Its seven-year, 350-boat production run and the hull’s later use for the Balboa 24 speak to a sound small-boat formula. Since the model is no longer in production, however, buying one is necessarily a used-market exercise.
The 24S best suits an owner who values simplicity and the freedom to launch from a ramp more than cabin luxury.
Pros
- Trailerable American cruiser with 350 boats built during a defined 1980–1987 production run
- Fractional sloop rig and tiller-steered, transom-hung rudder suit short-handed handling
- Shared hull with the Balboa 24 confirms a proven small-cruiser form
Cons
- Out of production since 1987, so all examples are used
- Small outboard auxiliary isn’t suited to extended motoring
- Compact trailerable dimensions restrict accommodation below decks
