There is no stretch of water on the planet that the Dana couldn’t get to. I do not know why they chose to change the old proven system. The cockpit is over 6 feet long. You might think this is simply overkill but in 25 years of making the Dana and 350 examples there are no stories about any that have fallen off or failed. Another nice feature that might not be obvious is that they are placed on the outside of the hull which has the advantage of making the decks wider and thus easier to walk along and also reduce the chance of deck leaks. The only very slight niggle I have is that once, just once, we were sailing down a particularly steep wave and I was on the foredeck tidying the sails and I felt that the bows lacked a bit of buoyancy. The interior fittings are white matte below counter height and teak above. Some have optionally been setup for single handing with sheeting and halyard lines led back into the safety of the cockpit. Above the fridge is the electric panel which hinges down for easy access to display beautifully presented and tidy colour coded wires. The Dana has 4 solid teak wash boards that slot in and a solid sliding hatch made of fibreglass. Thank you for the in-depth review of both your boat and boat buying experience. Boats, reviews, photography, bikes and an occasional rant. year manufactured: 1985 1985 Pacific Seacraft 24, in good shape, equipped for coastal sailing and very capable of ocean crossings. Cleaning the bilge is one job that is practically impossible to do as there is no way to get to it. What this means is that there are no streaks of dirt down the hull as you will find on many modern boats. The table is big enough to seat four and is strong enough to stand on, I know because I do it all the time. Doolittle has flush fitting locker doors using Soss invisible hinges. If sailing has been on your mind, then this boat, with its comfortable yet no-nonsense design, is a must see. Most lockers on the Dana are big enough to get into. Once with a completely flat sea and a very light breeze, I was able to get Doolittle to hove to for half an hour with just the main sail. The rudder is fully protected behind the Dana’s full keel. This is much better and slows down corrosion yet as far as I know, not one European manufacturer uses it. Four in the ceiling and four reading lamps well placed at each end of the saloon bunks. The layup is generous indeed and the Dana’s hull is much thicker than any other contemporary boat of the same length. When it’s choppy this combination allows the Dana to sail through the waves with very little effort. It’s like being on a magic carpet ride, so smooth is her motion. They say you can’t polish the paint when it dulls because it ruins the paint but I have successfully polished the mast and it still looks good today. Some owners have had the staysail cut a little higher to rectify this. We know this because we can often hear dolphins calling long before we see them. The Dana 24, built by Pacific Seacraft, is a well designed and seaworthy pocket cruiser. The Dana is completely hand made using a variety of different cloths and then hand squeegied to get the very best cloth to resin ratio. It’s an excellent oven with flame failure devices and a spark for lighting the various flames. So what happens is that it doesn’t get varnished, water gets in and the bowsprit starts to rot. Inside the fridge are two clear Perspex shelves dividing the space. Compromise on her size means that she is lacking the distinctive Crealock double-ended stern in favor of a wide and almost vertical transom. I wouldn’t hesitate to go anywhere in a Dana. I think at the end of the day it just comes down to personal preference. By using more laminates you introduce more glued area and the chances of the sprit delaminating are reduced. The foam is latex and even after 5 years of being slept on it’s lost nothing of it’s springyness and comfort. The mark one Danas have one scupper, later versions two. I do not believe that the Dana was ever supplied with runners but there’s a chance that the mast will have the necessary fitting already on it so fitting them is no hardship. With the Dana the hull was designed first to be seaworthy and efficient with the accommodation being cleverly designed to fit within afterwards. Originally there were 4 solid teak washboards. I don’t need crew, I can just up and leave at a moment’s notice. I can understand your passion for the Dana 24 given it is the type of boat you own, but this is one of the best boat reviews for any boat I have read. Even the fridge lid is about three inches thick and because it’s a top loader it is even more efficient. I am 5’6′ but a little round in the hips and in no way shape or form could get into that ice box! The mast and rig on the Dana is also heavy duty yet simple. The problem the Dana has is that she has a high freeboard up forward, a bowsprit and thus a lot of leverage at the bows which catches the wind and then the bows get blown off. I laughed (perhaps slightly hysterically) to think that we were there at all. I work on small areas at a time. Lead is used as ballast and is encapsulated in fiberglass. The spares kit they sell for it doesn’t contain the O rings you need for the small bronze switch over valve which leaks after a year or so. It’s not a fluke either, it happens every time we are in a quartering sea. The mighty Dana has all the features of a large cruising yacht in a small package and is capable of taking you anywhere. She's covered with over sized bronze hardware, and loads of solid teak down below. The galley was small as well. I would like permission to use one of your picture, would you contact me please? Pacific Seacraft preowned sailboats for sale by owner. It consists of a strong framework of stainless steel and has been engineered to be self supporting yet just to be sure PSC also fit a hefty bronze gudgeon to support the bottom end. Nothing fell off the shelves, in fact the motion down below was actually rather mellow and well damped. She sails upwind well and although she doesn’t point as high as some more modern yachts, she never disgraces herself. Perhaps he wasn’t joking. In 2009 we sailed north from Puget Sound up the west coast of Vancouver Island to the Queen Charlotte Islands (now called Haida Gwaii.) 1986 Pacific Seacraft Dana 24` 22,900.00 OBO Located in Rockport Texas.The Pacific Seacraft Dana is arguably the finest 24` sailboat built.Conceived for cruising and designed for performance, she is built to a standard of excellence that has always set Pacific Seacraft apart from the rest.Underway, the Dana 24 provides the same feeling of security and safety associated with much larger I f I was to change my Colvic Watson 32 Motor Sailor the Dana would be my only choise. Under the table are two large sliding drawers and a third locker where the speed transducer is fitted. They are top loading. Each vessel is hand crafted in Washington, North Carolina by master shipbuilders. The keel simply cannot fall off. Perhaps he thought PSC was a cash cow and he’d make a packet but I think he soon tired of the idea and lost interest. I too would be proud to own such a vessel. This uses about 1.25litres an hour so we have a range of about 40 hours which isn’t huge but then this is a sailing boat! In light airs many big boats do not do so well. I have regularly added coats of teak oil and over the years the teak has mellowed and it all shares a nice warm red/brown colour, except for the bulkhead by the companionway which has gone quite light from the sun. Leica M9, 21mm Asph Cabin looking aft. All I know is that I did get my boat and only a week late. 1985 Pacific Seacraft 24, in good shape, equipped for coastal sailing and very capable of ocean crossings. Cockpit cushions have since been fitted. If I had been in any other boat I might have been worried but the Dana is so solid and tough that I knew she wouldn’t let us down. Simply fantastic review of the Dana. Find out why and read about the Dana’s little sister the Flicka here: http://www.flicka20.com/Portals/30/articlePDF/small%20boat%20article%2023-10-08.pdf. 1985 Pacific Seacraft Dana 24, located on Salt Spring Island. From one Dana owner to another, this is a very well written piece that certainly does justice to what this vessel is. Wood is an amazing material but it absorbs moisture and changes shape slightly all the time. It is set up well, and clean. 1985 Pacific Seacraft Dana 24 1985 Pacific Seacraft Dana 24. This little mizzen (Slocum called it a jigger) allows the Dana to hove to perfectly. Another feature of the Dana that is worth mentioning is the fact that the cut out for the prop is placed in the hull and not the rudder. Everywhere you look, from her solid bronze fittings and hardware to the exquisite detailing of her teak joinery work, the unparalleled excellence of the master boat builder is in evidence. Her sheerline is elegant and she has a memorably plumb bow with a teak bowsprit platform. The Dana can be made to turn almost in it’s own length, she is really very agile. (See website). In fact it is there as a foot hold. It is a full 28mm thick! The V berth is a supremely comfy bed made all the more pleasant by having the forehatch directly above one’s head. The design was built by Pacific Seacraft in the United States from 1974 to 1999, but the company went out of business in 2007. Something else that the new sailor may not realise is the importance of a product that has been built to a specification and not to a price. A very expensive boat for its size. Later Danas are fitted with fibreglass tanks which should last a lifetime. Nothing much. The ports PSC use now for the Dana are pressed stainless ones which are smaller and give the Dana a squinty look, also they look like baking tins and to my mind spoil the boat completely. Fuel tanks were made of aluminium until recently and after 20 years of sitting in bilge water many of them corrode and start to leak. The first Danas cost about $100,000 at the time but later on, a cheaper way of building the hulls was found ( I never did discover what this was – I know the layup and types of cloth were changed and the Dana also lost a bit of weight). Salem, Massachusetts. If I won the lottery I wouldn’t buy a bigger boat. The basics of the design have stayed the same because the demands of the seas haven’t changed. The Dana is so small that I can easily sail it singlehanded. In fact she’s quite happy in nasty conditions like this but she would be better if she would just sit at 45 degrees to the wind. Pete Gallienne. Leica Digilux 2. The power of the Kiwiprop in reverse is awesome. Again, practical but somehow out of character, cold and unfriendly. Most boats 30 feet long don’t have a fridge this size. I’ve been researching bluewater boats for months, with intent to purchase very soon, and this is by far the most comprehensive review I have come across for any bluewater boat. There is over 6 foot headroom throughout the cabin which is pretty good for a 24 foot boat. I will be getting one . Mind you, it’s a small price to pay for the safety that a completely separate locker for the gas gives you. It took 15 years but now I have the boat of my dreams. The trick is not to ‘pinch’ and to ease the sheets a little. Today most boats are designed around their accommodation. The price and the length but this is an inadequate way to judge any craft. The cockpit is a great place to be. There are things you can do to try and alleviate the rolling but there is nothing better than a hull form that stops it happening in the first place. Doors are not original either. It will soon be time to sand it lightly and get it flat again. Proof of this can be seen in the Dana’s high second hand values. Ny boat is a modified version on the Dolphin 24 or Yankee Dolphin 34 built in USA. The hull is easy to clean using a brush on a pole but there are two areas that are impossible to get at from the deck and that is aft on both sides where the transom tucks under. The misconception being that big boats are better, more comfortable and faster. Depending on how the wood was cut and the direction of the grain will have a huge effect on how much and in what direction it moves. We soon got bored of fitting and removing the boards so I made some doors which is a much more sensible solution if you live aboard. All credit would be given of course! $40,000. Even the teak rubbing strake has a groove cut into it so that drips of water fall from the strake instead of running down the hull and making streaks. 1978 25' Pacific Seacraft 25. The answer to that is probably not many, but having spent too many depressing times in cold and filthy Marina shower blocks I was determined to have a shower on my boat. Yet for all her offshore capabilities she is one of a select few that can go home on a trailer. If that’s not elegant enough a solution take a look at the Stasha which is a very light nesting dinghy that fits perfectly on the Dana’s foredeck. When a boat is correctly hove to it should be fore reaching very slowly (about half a knot) and it should be pointing to windward (about 50 degrees of so). I did ask PSC at the time why they fitted such a big engine to such a small boat. On the Pacific Seacraft Flicka, there is a deep quarter berth that is excellent for things like that but the Dana lacks this feature. She will point very high but she loses too much speed so I have found that she’s happiest (and fastest) about 40 degrees from the apparent wind. Behind the fridge is a useful cupboard although most Danas use this space to make a space wasting place for plates and cups. Maybe it’s best to think of the Dana as a 30 foot boat which can go on a trailer or find a cheap place in any marina at any time of the year. The William Crealock-designed Pacific Seacraft Dana 24 is well known in the sailing world for its sturdy construction, its compact efficient design and for being comfortable and capable in the waters of the Pacific Northwest or in the open ocean. Pacific Seacraft built the Dana well. FL. With just 2200 rpm we can motor at 5 knots on a flat sea. TX. 1987 Pacific Sea Craft Dana 24 This little Dana has been cruising Florida and the Bahamas for many seasons. Actually that’s not true. The toilet is a Grocco HF. In the old days, PSC had their own portholes cast in New Zealand. Your article has spurred me on! Because people insist on aft cabins these days, sterns have become wider and wider making steering the boat difficult and possibly dangerous in heavy weather situations. It’s just one of the prices that must be paid for that large open plan interior. She will satisfy the criteria of a couple interested in owning a moderate-displacement boat designed to sail in tough conditions. It is incredible just how many stores can be packed away on a Dana. I have never seen a more detailed report on a yacht in 58 years of sailing. Although the Dana 24 has never been a cheap boat to buy, owners can console themselves with the lower maintenance bills from a blue water cruiser of diminutive size. Advertisement. My last boat was covered in varnish. The Crealock philosophy being comfort and stability translates to lower crew fatigue and faster, safer passages. Pacific Seacraft Dana 24 is a 27′ 3″ monohull sailboat designed by William Crealock and built by Pacific Seacraft between 1984 and 1999. Some of the locker doors are made with slats for ventilation which is helpful but what they should have done is made every locker door like this. However there’s no reason why it should cause trouble for decades but…. As hard as they tried, PSC just couldn’t get their hands on an original set of ports for Doolittle so I had to settle for these made by New Found Metals. This simple feature is really needed or the door would stick too far into the cabin to be safe. Author in the fridge. This obsessive attention to detail makes for one incredibly strong boat. Having the Kiwiprop helps a lot and I can now confidently moor Doolittle in the most demanding conditions. If only I can win that Lottery I know the boat I want..lol. The mast is easy to look after as it is well painted. There is a lot of wood down below in a Dana and varnishing that lot would take weeks, not to mention the dust and the mess. Halberg Rassy’s new 35 footer has no chart table and I’m sure that in the future very few, if any, small boats will have dedicated chart tables. The Dana does come as standard with a swimming ladder whose bottom step goes far into the water making getting in and out of the water a doddle although it does make getting on and off from the stern at the quay rather inconvenient. They are all either below the water or exit through the transom. There is storage in every spare space. Her hull is easily driven and she prefers to sail more of less upright, she will still perform when over pressed and well heeled but it loads up the helm and is quite hard work so it’s simply better to pop a reef in since she’ll go almost as fast a lot more comfortably with less sail. I’m obviously biased as I hate varnishing but teak oil does protect the wood and that is what matters to me. Laurence, Thanks so much for the review. Considering how important a rudder is I applaud PSCs efforts. The trick with successful teak oil is to make sure there are enough coats protecting the wood. www.pacificseacraft.com . This is the Dana deck mould. Under the sink is a large cupboard taken up mainly by the fridge drain pump and the sink seacock. Teak oiling is a far simpler solution. Despite these cosmetic problems we still launched the boat and after just one week set off home across the Atlantic. It has not been very reliable and has needed repairs a few times. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRdKIpvHdNo. This is something I just cannot imagine happening on the Dana. The stanchions are all 26” high and this adds to the feeling of security. $47,900 Seller Sailboats Northeast 34. Down below you'll find of 6' 1" of headroom and it's apparent that 8' 7" of beam has been plenty for Crealock to play with. Mind you we had 35 knots of wind, two reefs in the main and the staysail. Pacific Seacraft Dana 24 boats for sale 4 Boats Available. I too am a little biased since I own a Orion 27, but when I was looking for my Pacific Seacraft sailboat I checked out used Flickas, Dana24s, and PS31s. Pacific Seacraft is the award winning manufacturer of ocean going sailing yachts. If in years to come the wood needs cheering up, it’s much less work scraping off dried teak oil than dried varnish! The remedy is to remove these, dig out all the old sealant and then replace it. The Bill Crealock designed sailboats are internationally recognized as one of the finest blue water sailing yachts in the world. I can well believe it. Because the cabin is open plan, it’s all used as a living space and there is no where to even put a boat hook, unless you don’t mind putting it on the bed. Bill Crealock is well known for cruising boats with exceptional performance, and the Dana is the culmination of all he has learned. It displaces 7,400 lb … For example, there are many boats which are so badly designed that water can collect on deck or in the cockpit. If the whole boat was wood it might be a bit much. The Mark 2 Danas were about $70,000 which although still expensive for a 24 foot boat were more attainable and about 350 have been made over the last 25 years.