boatsgear wheels
Quickstep 24
How did I miss this little gem for so
many years? Awhile back, a friend called
who was looking to replace the cruising
boat he‘d recently sold with something
smaller that he could use as a daysailer
and an occasional weekend cruiser. He was
attracted to the large cockpit and accommodations of the Sailmaster 22 but had
concluded these aging centerboard models were too high-maintenance. The Cape
Dory 25 appealed to him aesthetically
but he felt the cockpit was too small and
uncomfortable. I asked him if he’d considered a Quickstep 24. “What’s a Quickstep
24?” he replied. This one is for you, Buck.
The Quickstep 24 was designed by
Ted Brewer in the late 1970s and was originally intended for aluminum construction,
which never worked out. Eventually the
design caught the eye of Rhode Island sailor and boatbuilder Bill Stanard who purchased the rights for fiberglass production.
With moderate freeboard, a pronounced
sheer line, canoe stern, and a nearly full
keel with attached rudder, I think it’s safe
to describe the Quickstep 24 as a conservative design. As is Brewer’s tradition, the
keel is cut away significantly at the forefoot
with a second “bite” taken out just forward
of the rudder. By doing this, the wetted
surface and the drag associated with it is
lessened and the lateral plane reduced so
there is less resistance to turning and less
tendency to stall halfway through a tack.
From 1977 to 1990, the Quickstep
24 was built by at least four different New
England builders including Stanard Boat
Works, C.E. Ryder Corp., The Anchorage,
and Shannon Boat Company. Prior to
Shannon taking over production, the
Quickstep’s hulls were built using woven
roving, chopped strand mat, and polyester resin. Shannon chose more current
unidirectional and bidirectional fiberglass
materials and used Vinylester resin for the
first layer of laminate below the waterline
to help mitigate osmotic blistering. All
Quickstep hulls are solid fiberglass laminates while decks are balsa cored. The deck
and hull are joined on an inward flange with
a combination of sealant
and mechanical fasteners closely
spaced. In all
cases these are
well-built production boats
that have held
up well with reasonable care and
maintenance. On a
small boat it’s tough
to get too creative or
incorporate too many features into a deck arrangement, but the Quickstep has several features worth mentioning. First, there
is a huge cockpit that accommodates four
adults and allows passengers to sit far
enough forward so that, even with four or
five people aboard, the boat can be sailed
without the transom dragging through
the water. Secondly, most Quickstep 24s
have halyards led to the cabin top so that
the boat can be sailed without leaving the
safety of the cockpit.
The Quickstep 24 is sometimes
described as a “pocket cruiser” but this is
a stretch; it’s best described as a daysailer
with overnight capabilities. The cabin features a V-berth forward adequate for two
adults. There are port and starboard quarter berths suitable for children but more
commonly used for storage; in fact, some
models sacrificed the port quarter berth in
favor of a storage locker accessible from the
cockpit seat. Galley facilities are minimal
and the head, as is typical for this type
boat, is in the V-berth area.
According to advertisements and
specifications from both Stanard Boat
Works and Shannon Boat Company, their
Quickstep 24 models were offered with the
option of an inboard diesel engine, although
I have never seen a model so equipped. It
is safe to say the vast majority of Quickstep
24s are powered by outboards — usually
ranging from 6 to 9. 9 hp. Outboards are
CLASSICS
mounted in a lazarette well which
places them on
centerline and
further forward
than if transom-mounted. This
results in less
pitching moment
and less tendency
to pop out of the
water in choppy seas
but has the disadvantage of not being able to
be raised clear of the water
when not in use and sacrifices storage space.
The Quickstep’s displacement-length ratio is 260, certainly moderate for
a full keel boat of this length, and the sail
area/displacement ratio is a modest 16. 4.
Generally, the Quickstep 24 is considered
a fairly stiff boat owing to a ballast/displace-ment ratio of 48%. The sail area is well
balanced and by all reports this is a great
sailing little boat.
Somewhere in the neighborhood of
200 Quickstep 24s were built, all by
New England builders. Late last year,
there were six boats offered for sale by
Yachtworld.com. Asking prices ranged from
$11,000 to $15,700 and the two highest priced included over-the-road trailers.
Five mid-to-late 1980s Quicksteps have
been reported sold over the last year with
an average selling price of $9,700. None
of the recently sold boats had trailers.
Whether it’s for my friend or anyone
else, I am hard pressed to think of a
daysailer/weekender in this size and price
range that I would recommend over a
Quickstep 24. — By Jack Hornor
Jack Hornor, N.A.,
is the principal
surveyor and senior
designer for the
Annapolis-based
Marine Survey &
Design Co.
www.msdco.com
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