Design and Construction
The Quickstep 24 measures 23 feet 11 inches overall, with a 19-foot waterline and a beam of 7 feet 11 inches. She displaces 4,000 pounds and carries 1,900 pounds of lead-and-iron ballast. That 48 percent ballast ratio contributes to her reputation as a fairly stiff boat.
Brewer gave her moderate freeboard, a pronounced sheer line, and a canoe stern. A nearly full keel and attached rudder complete a profile that looks traditional rather than racy. The keel is cut away significantly at the forefoot, with a second section cut away just forward of the rudder. These cutouts aren’t cosmetic: they reduce wetted surface and drag while shrinking the lateral plane. As a result, the boat meets less resistance when turning and is less likely to stall halfway through a tack.
All Quickstep 24 hulls have solid fiberglass laminates. Before Shannon Boat Company took over production, builders laid up the hulls with woven roving, chopped-strand mat, and polyester resin. Shannon switched to unidirectional and bidirectional fiberglass and used vinylester resin for the first layer below the waterline to help prevent osmotic blistering.
The decks are balsa-cored. The hull-to-deck joint sits on an inward flange, secured with sealant and closely spaced mechanical fasteners. At least four New England builders produced the boat: Stanard Boat Works, C.E. Ryder Corp., The Anchorage, and Shannon Boat Company. These are well-built production boats that have held up well with reasonable care.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Quickstep 24 is a masthead sloop with a well-balanced sail plan. Her modest sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 16.4 and displacement-length ratio of 260 describe a boat that’s no rocket, but one considered a great sailing little boat by all reports.
Most examples lead the halyards to the cabin top, allowing the crew to tack and trim without leaving the cockpit. The cockpit itself is huge and seats four adults comfortably. Passengers can sit far enough forward that the transom doesn’t drag through the water, even with four or five people aboard.
A 1978 manufacturer brochure listed a lighter displacement of 3,300 pounds and 1,300 pounds of ballast, for a 39 percent ballast ratio. Tester research suggests that only hulls one and two were built to those specifications. The fleet as sailed is the heavier, stiffer version.
Accommodations
Testers best describe the Quickstep 24 as a daysailer with overnight capabilities. The forward V-berth is adequate for two normal-sized adults, although the head shares the same area and offers no privacy.
Port and starboard quarter berths are sized for children, but crews more often use them for storage. On some models, a storage locker accessible through the cockpit seat replaced the port quarter berth. Galley facilities are minimal. The layout clearly favors daytime capacity and simple overnight trips rather than cruising comfort.
Auxiliary Power and Known Issues
The propulsion arrangement reflects a familiar small-boat compromise. Early models offered an inboard diesel, but the vast majority use outboards of six to 9.9 horsepower, mounted on the centerline in a lazarette well.
That centerline position reduces pitching moment and makes the motor less likely to pop out of the water in chop. However, the outboard can’t be raised clear when the boat is parked, and the well takes up storage space.
Cosmetic condition can also be an issue on older boats. Those with the popular dark blue or dark green gelcoat favored by first owners are particularly likely to need paint if they’re to regain a yacht-like finish.
The Verdict
The Quickstep 24 is a thoughtfully engineered small cruiser that offers more cockpit comfort and seakeeping steadiness than her length might suggest. Brewer’s keel cutouts and conservative hull form make her easy to handle and forgiving through a tack, while the New England construction has aged reasonably well.
She remains a minimalist overnight boat, however, with little privacy and only basic galley provisions. The outboard well is also a fixed compromise rather than a tidy retractable arrangement.
Pros
- Stiff, well-balanced sailing character
- Keel cutouts help her turn through tacks without stalling
- Large cockpit that accommodates four or five people without dragging the stern
- Solid-fiberglass hulls, with a later vinylester layer to help prevent blistering
- Centerline outboard well reduces pitching moment and makes the motor less likely to leave the water in chop
Cons
- Minimal galley and no private head below
- Outboard well prevents the motor from being raised clear and reduces storage space
- Dark-gelcoat hulls often need repainting as they age
