Design and Construction
Mortensen drew the LM 24 as a small motorsailer with a masthead sloop rig carried on a solid fiberglass hull and a long iron-keeled profile, the ballast accounting for 40 percent of her 5,512-pound displacement built with a long keel. The internal joinery is mahogany, a typical LM choice, and the deck follows the builder's sandwich practice for stiffness and condensation control. With a displacement-to-length ratio of 307 she sits firmly in the heavy-cruiser category, and her length-to-beam ratio of 2.93 gives her the beamy, volume-oriented body of a pocket motoring cruiser rather than a lithe day sailer.
Rig and Handling
The masthead rig is modestly proportioned: the sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 12.4 with the ISO reference sail and 14.3 with a 135 percent genoa, meaning she carries slightly less canvas than 58 percent of her peers and is best described as slightly underrigged. In light air she is quicker than only 14 percent of comparable designs, so the diesel is doing real work on calm days. What she lacks in acceleration she recovers in steadiness — the Motion Comfort Ratio of roughly 25 places her ahead of 96 percent of similar sailboats for ride quality, and a capsize screening value of 1.82 with a wetted surface area near 172 square feet speaks to a stable, predictable hull. Her theoretical hull speed is 6 knots and immersion runs about 562 pounds per inch, so she trims honestly with load.
Accommodations
Below, the LM 24 is laid out as a motorsailer with one cabin, a galley, and a toilet facility, carrying 90 liters of fresh water and the same volume of diesel fuel. The mahogany interior and enclosed head mark her as a weekender built for shelter and simplicity rather than racing spartanism. The single-cabin arrangement keeps the footprint honest for a 23.6-foot hull and favors a couple or solo cruiser who values a warm, contained cabin over berth count.
Refits and Ownership
Engines listed for the design include the Bukh DV10 of 10 horsepower and the optional Volvo Penta MD 7A or MD 11C diesels, so a buyer should confirm which plant sits in the bay and whether mounts and exhaust reflect the original layout. Standing and running rigging follow masthead dimensions — 20.9-meter halyards at 8 mm, 7.2-meter genoa sheets at 10 mm, an 18-meter mainsheet — meaning a re-rig is a known, catalogable expense rather than a mystery.
The Verdict
The LM 24 is a purposeful little motorsailer: not quick off the line, but exceptionally steady on the water and straightforward to own. Her heavy-cruiser hull, long keel, and mahogany cabin make her a sensible sheltered-water cruiser for the sailor who prizes comfort and simplicity over speed.
Pros
- Motion Comfort Ratio surpasses 96 percent of similar designs
- Long-keel solid-fiberglass hull with 40 percent ballast ratio
- Single-cabin motorsailer layout with galley and head
Cons
- Slightly underrigged; quicker than only 14 percent of peers in light wind
- Modest 6-knot hull speed limits passage pace
- Small 23.6-foot footprint constrains accommodation scale
