J/108: Room, Plus Board
In terms of cruising amenities, the shoal-draft J/108 picks up where its smaller sibling, the J/95, left off. "Boat Review" from our April 2012 issue.
The varnished wood/white Formica interior is unpretentious yet practical. There’s an aft cabin to port with a spacious twin berth, changing seat, and full hanging locker. The forward V-berth offers good stowage, shelving, and another hanging locker.
A drop-leaf table runs down the center of the main saloon, with comfortable seats to either side that double as sea berths. A full-size head and shower compartment sits to starboard aft. The galley comes complete with twin stainless-steel sinks, a three-burner stove/oven, pressurized hot and cold water, a 90-liter icebox/fridge, and generous countertop space and stowage capacity.
A forward-facing chart table houses the instrumentation and electrical panel. The 30-horsepower Volvo diesel and saildrive lies under the companionway steps and is also accessed via doors in the head and aft cabin.
The J/108 should appeal to a broad range of sailors. By combining light yet strong, modern materials with the latest developments in keel, rudder, and rig designs, J/Boats has, with surprisingly little concession or compromise, delivered a vessel that promises pulse-pounding performance. Yet the boat remains simple enough to operate shorthanded, versatile enough to sail from shallow inland waters to the deep blue sea, and safe enough to bring the entire family along for the ride. And a joyful ride it will be.
View a complete photo gallery here.
LOA 35’ 0” (10.67 m.)
LWL 30’ 6” (9.30 m.)
Beam 11’ 6” (3.51 m.)
Draft (board up) 4’ 0” (1.22 m.)
Draft (board down) 6’ 10” (2.10 m.)
Sail Area (100%) 603 sq. ft. (56 sq. m.)
Ballast 4,400 lb. (1,996 kg.)
Displacement 11,400 lb. (5,172 kg.)
Ballast/D .39
D/L 179
SA/D 19.0
Water 33 gal. (125 l.)
Fuel 19 gal. (70 l.)
Holding 12 gal. (45 l.)
Mast Height 51’ 1” (15.57 m.)
Engine 30-hp. Volvo D1-30 with saildrive
Designer R. Alan Johnstone
Price $249,950 (base)
J/Boats Inc.
(401) 846-8410
www.jboats.com
Boat of the Year judge Alvah Simon’s classic tale of Arctic adventure, North to the Night, is now available on Kindle.
