LM24 characteristics query

[larkib]

Good evening LM owners,

Thanks for reading my intro. I am interested in the LM 24 and would appreciate any info that existing and previous owners have about the boats, in particular:

1. Sailing performance, will the 24 make way to windward under sail only?

2. Do they steer in reverse...thinking of marina berthing etc?

3. Bukh engine, any thoughts on spare parts, reliability and best horse power rating?

4. What is the headroom in the saloon?

Thanks for reading this post and for any info received

Bill

[Sula]

Welcome to the forum, Bill.

I haven't sailed an LM24, but I can answer some of your questions (I have its bigger sister, the LM27, from which the LM24 was derived, and have been on an LM26, the successor to the 24). Hopefully one of the forum members with an LM24 will be along before too long to give you further and more detailed information.

1) Yes, the LM24 will sail to windward, as you can see from the following video. www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN-OpvYZQQM LM24s and 27s aren't as close winded as more sporty craft, but the consensus seems to be they will sail at about 50 degrees to the apparent wind.  They do sail much better than people expect from their chunky shape, and in comparison to most other 'motor-sailers'.  

2) I would expect that, like the LM27, they do steer in reverse, though certainly not as easily as a fin-keeled boat. (But better than a long-keeled boat with the traditional rudder on the back of the keel and a prop cut-out.)  It can be challenging in a tight marina, especially at first, but you do get more used to it with practice.  You need to have regard to which way your prop-wash will push the boat, and how the wind will affect it.

3) The Bukh DV engines (10, 20, 24, 36 etc.) are very solid, simple, well-engineered engines that are reliable if properly maintained. (My Bukh is 40 years old and performs well.) They have been in continuous production for over 40 years, and are still made today (except the DV10).  These days they are mainly fitted to lifeboats (they are too heavy and expensive to be a popular choice for today's boatbuilders). Almost all parts are readily available, but they tend to be expensive. Although the DV10 is no longer built, it shares most parts with the DV20 (the DV20 is a two cylinder version of the single cylinder DV10). I can't authoritatively advise on hp, but I would expect that 10hp would be perfectly adequate, and 20hp would be more than enough.

4) I would guess standing headroom with your head ducked a bit.

Hope that helps until someone else can give you more detailed and authoritative info.

[larkib]

Hi Sula, thanks for the LM24/27 info in response to my queries, it makes interesting reading and hope I might get further info from LM 24 owners.
My apologies for being a bit "direct" with my question list and without much preamble. I really like the look of the 24 and its size makes sense for me
as I often sail singlehanded and its shorter length keeps berthing fees down a bit!

Thanks and kind regards

Bill 

[thompsontwins]

Bill

My brother and I own an LM24. Unbelievable little ship. Extremely well designed and manufactured. Do not hesitate to buy one. I would say they are better for 2 people for sleeping. Too cramped for 4. I reckon they were designed for a young family,2 adults, 2 kids. Research will say they sail better than they should. It is true. Sails to windward no problem. Reverse is no problem either. Headroom, we are both over 6' and have to duck our heads, but no hardship. Even in the head. Our engine is Bukh10hp. I was concerned it would not be powerful enough. Never had a problem. Remember, it is standard fitment, and everything about this boat is about right. Probably due to the heavy flywheel it feels more powerful. Uses one litre diesel an hour. Easy to work on. Cracked exhaust elbows are common. I replaced it with stainless steel. Spares plentiful,easy to get, but not cheap.Only problems we have had was it needed new roller reefing, and electrics, which are still a work in progress.
We are in Ipswich if you want to look.
Good luck,
Paul

[ian]

Hi Bill
We bought our LM24 "Magpie" just last week, we are based on the Isle of Wight.
We are not long term sailers, and still have a lot to learn. We had a lighter 24ft yacht a few years ago and always liked the look of the LM models. We have been out in the Solent a couple of times and our initial impressions are:

She feels safe and secure.
The Bukh engine has a great feel and settles into a rhythm well.
She rolls a lot under power if the waves are on the quarter, but raising the main sail helps a lot to dampen the motion.
I was concerned about reversing etc, but in practice it is not so scary. I had to turn her in a a very confined space a few times and I was able to use reverse/forward to spin her round without any drama.
Sailing against the tide we went no where ! But she has a lot of slime underneath so I will see how she goes after a clean up.

Hope you find a good one.

Ian & Tracey


We are very pleased with her, and hope to do some solent cruising this year.

[larkib]

Thanks Paul, Ian and Tracey for all your very useful info and observations about the LM 24 and its characteristics. Thanks Paul for your kind offer to visit in Ipswich, will bear that in mind.
Still looking, maybe something will come up on East coast later
this year!
Enjoy the rest of this season

Bills