Design and Construction
The 324 draws directly on the Nonsuch 30 hull, a proven shape that Ellis carried forward rather than redrew same hull design as the Nonsuch 30. The boat is built predominantly of fiberglass, with a plumb stem and a vertical transom, and steers through an internally mounted spade-type rudder controlled by a wheel. Beneath her sits a fixed, shallow-draft wing keel drawing 4.33 feet, paired with 4,240 pounds of ballast in a 11,500-pound displacement — a 36.87 ballast-displacement ratio that, with the 11.83-foot beam over a 28.75-foot waterline, gives the hull a steady, volume-rich profile rather than a fin-keeled racer's stance. At 32.33 feet overall, she is a compact coastal cruiser with a hull speed of 7.18 knots.
Rig and Handling
Where the 324 diverges from her parent is above the deck. She keeps the cat rig and unstayed mast of the line but takes a taller rig and more sail area than the Nonsuch 30, driving a single 689-square-foot mainsail on a carbon fibre wishbone boom. The unstayed mast means no shrouds or headstay to clutter the foretriangle, and the wishbone handles the fat cat mainsail without a conventional boom. The PHRF average handicap of 174 to 175 places her fairly among casual club racers and daysailers, and the shallow wing keel suits her to shoal waters and easy storage, though the spade rudder and modest draft trade some offshore stiffness for that accessibility.
Accommodations
The tankage tells its own story of a boat built for extended weekends afloat: a 105-U.S.-gallon fresh water tank against a 25-U.S.-gallon diesel tank fed by a 27-horsepower Yanmar engine. That water capacity dwarfs the fuel, a proportion typical of a sheltered-water cruiser that trusts her rig for motion and reserves the engine for calm or docking. The cat rig's unobstructed cabin trunk also frees the saloon of mast partners and chainplate intrusion.
Known Issues
The principal ownership caveat is scarcity: spares and rigging components such as the carbon fibre wishbone are harder to source than for the longer-produced Nonsuch 30 because few hulls exist. The hull-to-deck joint and the unstayed mast's loads on the partners are worth a surveyor's attention.
Refits and Ownership
Ownership of a 324 means living with the last and least-built of the Nonsuch line. The Yanmar diesel is a standard marine unit, and the wing keel is a fixed casting rather than a lifting arrangement, so underwater gear is straightforward. The carbon mast and wishbone are the items to budget around: being late-generation composite parts with low production volume, any damage or wear will be slower and costlier to remedy than on a mass-produced sloop.
The Verdict
The Nonsuch 324 is a quiet footnote to a bold idea — a cat-rigged cruiser that kept the 30's hull and gained a taller, larger sail plan on composite spars. She rewards the sailor who wants unstayed simplicity and shoal draft, and punishes the one who expects fleet support and easy parts.
Pros
- Last and most developed Nonsuch, with taller rig and more sail than the 30
- Shallow 4.33-foot wing keel and unstayed carbon mast for uncluttered decks
- Generous 105-gallon water capacity for a 32-foot coastal cruiser
Cons
- Very few built, complicating spares and specialist survey
- Single 689-square-foot mainsail leaves no headsail option
- Fixed wing keel and spade rudder limit offshore versatility
