Design and Character
The Tamarisk 24 is a gaff-headed sloop with a long keel and transom-hung rudder. She measures 24 feet overall and 21.16 feet on the waterline, with a beam of 7.83 feet. Displacement is roughly 6,270 pounds, including 2,500 pounds of lead ballast.
Cannell’s hull choices reflect a deliberate balance. A displacement-length ratio of 295 places the boat among “heavy cruisers”; only 18% of comparable designs are heavier. Yet her length-beam ratio of 3.06 makes her slimmer than 66% of similar boats, and the review says the designer chose a slightly speedier hull form within that narrow parameter. Her heavy displacement, combined with a smaller waterplane area, produces less acceleration and a more comfortable motion than a lighter, broader boat would have.
The Motion Comfort Ratio of 28.1 is higher than that of 98% of similar sailboat designs. That’s a striking figure for a 24-footer and helps explain her reputation as a steady small yacht rather than a lively racer.
Performance and Seakeeping
The Tamarisk 24 has a theoretical hull speed of 6.2 knots. Her capsize screening value of 1.70 is high enough that, by that formula alone, she could be accepted for ocean racing. This isn’t a claim of offshore pedigree, but it does mean her stability index clears a conservative threshold.
An immersion rate of about 578 pounds per inch means the boat sits deeply and changes trim slowly under load, reinforcing her comfort-oriented character. With a sail-area-displacement ratio of 17.05, she is moderately powered for her weight—enough to drive the hull in a breeze, but not enough to make her a lightweight that leaps onto a plane.
Rig and Sail Handling
The gaff-headed sloop rig is a period choice that combines a modest sail plan with workable lead lengths. The jib and genoa sheets are specified at 24 feet, with a diameter of 3/8 inch. The mainsheet is 60 feet, while the spinnaker sheet is just under 53 feet; all use 3/8-inch line.
These dimensions tell an owner what to carry as spares. They also suggest a simple, traditional control layout in which long mainsheet travel was expected for trimming the gaff mainsail.
Construction
The Tamarisk 24 has a solid fiberglass hull and solid fiberglass deck; no cored panels are indicated in the structure. Her fixed long keel carries 2,500 pounds of lead ballast, while the transom-hung rudder is a straightforward external fitting. The builder named in the record is North Sea Craft/Cutriss Boats.
Verdict
The Tamarisk 24 is a small, solidly built cruiser with an unusually high comfort rating for her size and a stability index that clears ocean-race screening formulas. She is narrow and heavy rather than flashy—a boat for sailors who value steady motion and simple systems over speed or sparkle. The gaff rig and long keel place her firmly in a traditionalist niche.
Pros
- Motion Comfort Ratio exceeds that of 98% of similar designs
- Capsize screening value of 1.70 meets the ocean-race formula threshold
- Solid fiberglass hull and deck
- Lead-ballasted long keel
- Slim, moderately speedy hull form for a heavy-displacement boat
Cons
- Modest sail-area-displacement ratio of 17.05 limits light-air performance
- Gaff rig and long keel favor tradition over modern handling ease
