Back in the 'Gatsby' era of commuters, a boater's style of vessel was often a direct reflection of their type of estate or cottage. Thus when a New Yorker headed for his retreat on Long Island Sound or a Torontonian set out for his cottage in Pointe au Baril, you could expect that not only was their boat fast and good-looking but it was also capable of transporting its passengers in relative comfort no matter what the weather or water conditions. Fortunately, today style and dependability are not restricted to a select group of boaters, but instead carry on in a vessel that has all these attributes and more.

Background
The deep-V hull found in the Limestone series of power boats originated in the late 1960s from a Ray Hunt design. Crafted for its superb off-shore capabilities, this hull design was ideally suited for the deep sea sports fisherman who required a vessel that was fast enough to chase the bill fish in heavy open water while still allowing for a comfortable smooth entry and a flared bow to keep the crew and equipment dry. Mark Ellis, a Canadian designer, was working for Hunt in the 1960s and was heavily involved in the design of the off-shore boat known as Moppie. As a result of Ellis's engineering and designs, the Limestone series of power boats, manufactured exclusively by Medeiros Boat Works in Oakville, Ontario, came to be.

Construction
In order to obtain greater insight into the manufacture of these well-constructed boats, I visited the operation in Oakville and was pleased to see that all aspects of the construction are conducted on-site. As a matter of course, Al Medeiros, son of the original founder, quotes high quality and low volume as the philosophy behind his Canadian boat building company. (Medeiros is building 35 to 40 boats per year.)

Jigs and molds are created at the Oakville facility. All hulls and decks are hand-laid with alternating layers of fiberglass mat and two layers of stitch mat on a half-inch balsa core. Each hull has fiberglass stringers that are reinforced with marine-ply and completely glassed in for strength and for protection against any moisture. All deck hardware is reinforced with aluminum mounting plates. The hull and deck are joined and locked together by bolts that arc neatly covered with aluminum strips that hold the traditional Limestone nylon trim, a trademark that not only looks good, but is functional.

Design
The hull of the 23'6" Limestone has three risers or strakes on each side of the 9'2" beam which run the complete length of the boat. This allows the vessel extra strength as well as the ability to get up on plane much more easily. The great flare forward, designed to deal with heavy water, enables the bow to lift quickly thus providing for a smoother entry into the oncoming wave.

Looking carefully, you can still see the original tapering of the hull to the transom called a tumble home. It adheres to the old adage, "If it's not broken, don't fix it!" this hull design has been such a continual success that no alterations have been made since its inception.

Interior
The 24 has comfortable padded seats across the stem that can be lifted to reveal a large storage area. Other storage compartments on the aft deck are under each gunwale as well as deep-V storage areas running adjacent to the engine compartment. The engine hatch opens effortlessly for easy access to all parts of the engine room. As an added feature, this area is completely sound-proofed.

Forward, we find two large padded helm and passenger seats, again with storage under each seat.

Moving into the teak-trimmed cuddy cabin, we find a tastefully decorated compartment that, with a filler cushion, sleeps two comfortably. A deck hatch provides a second entry into the cuddy as well as added ventilation. Medeiros will custom design each interior.

Back on deck, from the helm's position, all instrumentation is easily viewed. The windscreen provides excellent visibility and is hinged for ventilation.

Finally, the convertible top can be easily folded and uniquely drops on top of the windshield for convenient out-of-the-way storage.

Sea Trials
Sea-trialing the Medeiros 24-foot Limestone proved to be a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Leaving the dock, the 24.was easy to maneuver even at slow speeds, an important criteria for any vessel. The Limestone appears to wait for the command of the gear shifts and tracks well with very little sign of hunting.

I found the 24 lifted easily up onto plane with no stress or vibration. The combination of Mercury's new Bravo III engine and the hull design contributed to little or no torque or twisting of the hull on acceleration. Consequently the bow remained low and the hull lifted in unison. I executed some hard turns port and starboard. Again, the hull tracked well and did not break loose.

While crossing the wake of a second vessel, the Limestone 24 rode comfortably with a soft entry. Just as important, the three passengers and I all remained dry. With four adults on board as well as 120 US gallons of fuel, the vessel planed at 2000 rpm. It was clocked at 47 mph at 4800 rpm.

If stability and dependability are a must and craftsmanship is important, this vessel deserves a serious review.