Its lineage reaches back to Cobelens’ own Woodpecker. The NB24’s hull form was based on that earlier design, which Cobelens had sailed for more than twenty years. The result is a small yacht with a deliberate, carefully considered character rather than trend-driven novelty.
Design and Construction
The North Beach 24 has a centreboard keel built around a shallow, attached box keel. The box is 15 cm wide and fabricated from 12 mm steel, with a 20 mm steel sole. The full-laminate centreboard retracts completely into it, allowing the boat to dry out. The board has Teflon wear strips and is raised and lowered by rod and tackle. Its ballast is sufficient only to hold it down; it contributes nothing to the boat’s stability. These details form part of the boat’s centreboard-keel arrangement.
Instead, the hull provides the footing. It is broad at the waterline, with fairly hard bilges that give substantial form stability. That matters because the shoal-draft arrangement trades the security of deep ballast for greater flexibility in shallow water.
The hull and deck use full foam-sandwich construction. The standard colour scheme combines a dark-green hull with a cream deck, superstructure, and cockpit. A short, low superstructure keeps the profile modest, while a large 80 × 80 cm sliding hatch over the companionway creates useful volume below. Headroom is 1.95 m beneath a sprayhood and 1.65 m with the hatch closed.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The NB24 carries an intentionally simple cutter rig. Its backstay is led far enough aft that running backstays could be omitted. A roller-furling genoa sets on a retractable bowsprit for broad reaches and light air, while the self-tacking jib has a reef for reduced sail.
The mast can be struck easily using a sprenkel. With the centreboard raised, draft falls to 2.79 ft, opening access to shallow creeks and tidal harbours.
The 271 sq ft sail plan is set against a displacement of 6,173 lb. With a 46% ballast ratio, the boat has a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 12.88—enough to keep her moving without requiring a large crew. A capsize angle of 120 to 130 degrees and a capsize screening value of 1.79 place her firmly among stable, seaworthy cruisers rather than dinghy-like dayboats.
Accommodation and Cockpit
Below, the North Beach 24 has a proper cabin with sleeping space for five. Three berths measure 1.90 m, and two measure 2.00 m; the pair of forward berths could be omitted on request.
Several details make good use of the available space. The chart table slides beneath the cockpit bench to free floor space. Both sides of the saloon table fold, and the whole table can swing out of the way. The galley has a stove and sink to port. The toilet is centrally positioned forward, where it retains a good fall and remains above the waterline.
A 60 × 60 cm foredeck hatch turns the bow into useful stowage. Outside, the cockpit is genuinely roomy, with two-metre benches and a lowered bridgedeck. Wide side decks and a large foredeck surround it, while the mandatory liferaft stows beneath the aft cockpit bench.
Engine and Options
The inboard diesel is a Yanmar rated at either 6.6 kW (9 hp) or 14 hp. The fuel tank is built into the keel, and the boat has a cruising speed of six to seven knots. Buyers could order sails in either white or cream.
Ownership
With only 45 boats built, the North Beach 24 is scarce on the second-hand market. Even so, it remains a coherent proposition: a yacht developed by a designer drawing on a boat he had sailed for more than twenty years, rather than as a marketing exercise.
Verdict
The North Beach 24 is a thoughtfully resolved small cruiser: a shoal-draft centreboarder with useful interior volume, sound form stability, and a simple, self-sufficient rig. Its scarcity and purpose-built details will appeal most to buyers who value tidal range and sheltered-water exploration over speed or glamour.
Pros
- Centreboard retracts fully into a steel box keel, allowing the boat to dry out and reducing draft to 2.79 ft
- Broad waterline and hard bilges provide strong form stability; capsize angle is 120–130°
- Five-berth interior with space-saving saloon-table and chart-table arrangements
- Simple cutter rig with a far-aft backstay requires no running backstays
Cons
- Only 45 were built, limiting second-hand availability
- Centreboard adds mechanical complexity compared with a fixed keel
- Low superstructure leaves modest headroom with the hatch closed: 1.65 m
