Review of Drabant 24

Both the hull and the deck is made of fibreglass. Generally, a hull made of fibreglass requires only a minimum of maintenance during the sailing season. And outside the sailing season, just bottom cleaning and perhaps anti-fouling painting once a year - a few hours of work, that's all.
The deck is a double deck which improves the indoor climate.

The interior is like most other boats made of teak. Teak has the advantage of being naturally very oily and therefore water-repellent, which is suitable on boats.
The boat is equipped with one cabin, 4 berths and a galley.

Note: the boat has also been sold to be self-made/-interiored, which means that the quality of each boat may vary.

Galley of Drabant 24 anno 1980. Original galley

Drabant 24 has more than one rig.

One option is a fractional rig. A fractional rig has smaller headsails which make tacking easier, which is an advantage for cruisers and racers, of course. The downside is that having the wind from behind often requires a gennaker or a spinnaker for optimal speed.

Another option is a masthead rig. The advantage of a masthead rig is its simplicity and the fact that a given sail area - compared with a fractional rig - can be carried lower and thus with less heeling moment.

Keel of Drabant 24 anno 1980. Ready for fouling

Fin keel

The Drabant 24 is equipped with a fin keel. The fin keel is the most common keel and provides splendid manoeuvrability. The downside is that it has less directional stability than a long keel.

The keel is made of iron. Many people prefer lead keel in favour of iron. The main argument is that lead is much heavier than iron and a lead keel can therefore be made smaller which again result in less wet surface, i.e. less drag. In fact iron is quite heavy, just 30% less heavy than lead, so the advantage of a lead keel is often overstated. As the surface of a fin type keel is just a fraction of the total wet surface, the difference between an iron keel and a lead keel can in reality be ignored for cruising yachts.

The boat can enter even shallow marinas as the draft is just about 1.40 - 1.50 meter (4.59 - 4.89 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.

The Drabant 24 has been equipped with different engine alternatives.

Alternative 1:

An outboard motor is often used on this boat. In that case the boat will typically require a power of 4 - 5 hp, alternatively 93 - 111 lbs thrust if you prefer an electrical motor. Electric outboards are becoming popular for sailboat owners who want clean instant power with less noise and no exhaust fumes.

Alternative 2:

Drabant 24 may be equipped with an inboard engine

What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?

The capsize screening value for Drabant 24 is 1.99, indicating that this boat could - if evaluated by this formula alone - be accepted to participate in ocean races.

What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?

The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 6.3 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.

The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Drabant 24 is about 114 kg/cm, alternatively 640 lbs/inch.
Meaning: if you load 114 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 640 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

What is Motion Comfort Ratio (MCR)?

The Motion Comfort Ratio for Drabant 24 is 18.6.

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

The l/b ratio for Drabant 24 is 2.95.

What is a Ballast Ratio?

The ballast ratio for Drabant 24 is 44%.

What is Displacement Length Ratio?

The DL-ratio for Drabant 24 is 190 which categorizes this boat among 'light racers'.

What is SA/D (Sail Area Displacement ratio)?

The SA/D for Drabant 24 with ISO 8666 reference sail is 14.5, with a 135% genua the SA/D is 17.2.

What is Relative Speed Performance?

The Relative Speed Performance for Drabant 24 is 69

When buying anti-fouling bottom paint, it's nice to know how much to buy. The surface of the wet bottom is about 20m² (215 ft²).
Based on this, your favourite maritime shop can tell you the quantity you need.

Note: If you use a paint roller you will need more paint than if you use a paintbrush.

Dimensions of sail for masthead rig.

Are your sails worn out? You might find your next sail here: Sails for Sale

If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.

This section is reserved boat owner's modifications, improvements, etc. Here you might find (or contribute with) inspiration for your boat.

Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what you have done.

Photographer: Allan Pedersen
Plexiglas which allow potential thiefs to see that there is nothing to steal.

Photographer: Allan Pedersen
Convenient installation of compas without making a hole the hull.

Photographer: Allan Pedersen

We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Drabant 24 it would be a great help.

If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us. Criticism helps us to improve.