Design and Construction
Mortensen drew the LM 24 as a small motorsailer with a masthead sloop rig, a solid-fiberglass hull, and a long iron-keeled profile, built with a long keel. Ballast accounts for 40 percent of her 5,512-pound displacement.
The deck follows the builder’s sandwich-construction practice, intended to provide stiffness and control condensation. Below, LM used mahogany joinery, a typical choice for the yard.
With a displacement-to-length ratio of 307, the LM 24 sits firmly in the heavy-cruiser category. Her length-to-beam ratio of 2.93 gives her the broad, volume-oriented form of a pocket motoring cruiser rather than the leaner proportions of a day sailer.
Rig, Performance, 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. She carries slightly less canvas than 58 percent of her peers and is best described as slightly underrigged.
In light air, she’s quicker than only 14 percent of comparable designs, so the diesel does real work on calm days. What the LM 24 lacks in acceleration, she recovers in steadiness. A Motion Comfort Ratio of roughly 25 places her ahead of 96 percent of similar sailboats for ride quality. Her capsize screening value is 1.82, and wetted surface area is near 172 square feet—figures that speak to a stable, predictable hull.
Theoretical hull speed is 6 knots. Immersion is about 562 pounds per inch, so she trims honestly with load.
The standing and running rigging use conventional masthead dimensions: 20.9-meter halyards at 8 mm, 7.2-meter genoa sheets at 10 mm, and an 18-meter mainsheet. That makes a re-rig a known, catalogable expense rather than a mystery.
Accommodations
Below, the LM 24 has one cabin, a galley, and a toilet facility. She carries 90 liters of fresh water and the same volume of diesel fuel.
The mahogany interior and enclosed head suit a weekender designed around shelter and simplicity rather than racing spartanism. The single-cabin layout keeps expectations realistic for a 23.6-foot hull. It favors a couple or solo cruiser who values a warm, contained cabin more than a high berth count.
Engines and Ownership
Engines listed for the design include the 10-horsepower Bukh DV10 and the optional Volvo Penta MD 7A or MD 11C diesels. A buyer should therefore confirm which engine is in the bay and whether its mounts and exhaust reflect the original layout.
Verdict
The LM 24 is a purposeful little motorsailer. She isn’t quick off the line, but she is 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 sailors who value comfort and simplicity over speed.
Pros
- Motion Comfort Ratio surpasses 96 percent of similar designs
- Long-keel, solid-fiberglass hull with a 40 percent ballast ratio
- Single-cabin motorsailer layout with galley and head
Cons
- Slightly underrigged and quicker than only 14 percent of peers in light wind
- Modest 6-knot hull speed limits passage pace
- Small 23.6-foot footprint constrains the scale of the accommodations
