Design Brief & Intent
The Nutmeg 24 was designed as a versatile, trailerable pocket cruiser and club racer. It stood apart from its contemporaries by maintaining a distinctly traditional aesthetic, featuring a low freeboard, elegant overhangs, and a springy sheer line. Where competing manufacturers of the era began optimizing interior volume at the expense of exterior beauty, Shaw refused to compromise the vessel's lines.
This dedication to classic proportions dictated the character of the interior. The cabin is snug and simple, featuring sleeping accommodations for four across a V-berth and two narrow quarter berths. The joinery consists of basic marine plywood bulkhead panels and teak trim, which provide a cozy, shipshape atmosphere. However, the primary sacrifice of the boat's elegant, low-profile coachroof is headroom. With only 51 inches (4.25 feet) of cabin clearance, the interior is strictly a sitting-only space. This limitation ultimately made it more of an overnight-capable day sailer or weekend pocket cruiser rather than a comfortable long-range liveaboard.
Variations & Configurations
The hallmark of the Nutmeg 24’s design is its stub keel and retractable centerboard configuration. The ballast consists of 1,475 pounds of lead poured directly into the fiberglass stub, which keeps the center of gravity low while allowing for a highly variable draft. With the centerboard retracted, the boat draws a shallow 2.75 feet, allowing it to be easily trailered, launched from a ramp, or navigated through thin coastal bays. With the board fully extended, the draft drops to 5.25 feet, optimizing upwind performance.
Production of the Nutmeg 24 was relatively short-lived under the Tanzer brand. In 1966, the design was licensed to Hughes Boat Works of Canada, which utilized the same molds to produce the Hughes 24. By 1968, Hughes modified the tooling to create the Hughes 25, replacing the traditional overhanging transom with a modern reverse transom and swapping the internally mounted keel-hung rudder for a spade rudder.
Sailing Performance & Handling
Under sail, the Nutmeg 24 behaves like a much larger yacht. With a ballast-to-displacement ratio of 38.82%, the boat is exceptionally stiff and carries its canvas well into a breeze. The masthead sloop rig has a sail area-to-displacement ratio of 17.61, ensuring that the boat has enough power to navigate light-to-moderate air without feeling sluggish.
The boat's displacement-to-length ratio of 267.93 places it in the medium-displacement category. Combined with a Comfort Ratio of 19.47, the Nutmeg 24 delivers a stable, reassuring, and predictable motion in a seaway. It does not suffer from the quick, jerky motion of modern, ultra-light flat-bottomed pocket cruisers. With a Capsize Screening Ratio of 1.94, the hull possesses a safe hull form that is highly resistant to rolling in heavy weather, making it a reassuring platform for inexperienced sailors or family day sails.
Market Snapshot & Economics
Because Tanzer Industries went bankrupt in 1986 and only a limited number of Nutmeg 24s were manufactured before production shifted to Hughes, the model is incredibly rare on the modern brokerage market. When a hull does surface, it is typically sold as an affordable classic project or an entry-level starter boat.
The primary economic reality of acquiring a Nutmeg 24 is the cost of modernization. Given the boat's age, buyers must expect to address structural degradation common to 1960s fiberglass builds. Key areas of concern include balsa-core deck rot around chainplates and stanchions, worn centerboard pivot pins, rusted centerboard lifting winches, and fatigued standing rigging. Restoring one of these pocket cruisers is rarely a profitable venture, but for owners who value classic lines, the investment is driven by a passion for maritime history and traditional aesthetics.
The Verdict
The Nutmeg 24 is a beautiful, stout, and traditional pocket cruiser that prioritizes sailing manners and aesthetic grace over interior volume. It is best suited for purists who want a trailerable day sailer with the solid, sea-kindly feel of a classic keelboat, and who do not mind sacrificing standing headroom for a gorgeous profile on the water.
Pros
- Beautiful classic lines with a low freeboard and springy sheer
- Stout construction with a stiff, lead-ballasted stub keel
- Highly versatile draft due to the retractable centerboard
- Comforting, heavy-boat motion in choppy waters
Cons
- Extremely limited cabin headroom of only 51 inches
- Very rare on the used market, making parts and sistership support difficult to find
- Launching and retrieving is more difficult compared to lighter, modern swing-keel trailer-sailers
- High likelihood of needing a major refit of aged 1960s GRP components
