The North Haven 24 is based on one of my older designs, a fishing boat called Sea Chaser. The North Haven 24 is constructed with the well-proven stitch-and-glue method, using BS-1088 Okoume marine plywood and epoxy resin. The specifications call for complete sheathing of the exterior, first with 6-ounce fiberglass cloth, then a layer of Dynel or Xynol polyester cloth over that—all set in epoxy. Interior surfaces are saturated and sealed with epoxy resin, as well.

The NH 24 can then be painted simply or fancily, with either single-part paints or two-part linear polyurethane (LPUs). This little girl can get some dirt on her hands or put the on make-up and prance about on the dance floor: it’s your choice how to finish and use her.

The result is a boat that’s strong, light, easy to maintain, and simple to repair, should that be necessary. Very solid and tough, she will be warm to the touch, not cold like an aluminum or fiberglass boat. And the NH24 will be stiff: there’ll be none of the panel flexing that increases noise in hulls built of other materials. Finally, the NH 24 will be absolutely unsinkable: epoxy-sealed wood floats.

Powered by a quiet, fuel-efficient, virtually smokeless four-stroke outboard of modest horsepower, she’ll easily and comfortably cruise in the 20- to 25-knot range. Hence, the NH 24 will be excellent for island hopping and—thanks to her keel and sheathing—even beaching, whether your goal is exploring or commuting.

You can read all about the new North Haven 24 here.