ahhhhh help!!!

[Yotboss]

FISI - By now you should be able to see the huge compromises you must make - and we have all made - in chosing the 'perfect' boat. Finding a multihull that's fast, roomy and in your price range will be, IMHO, a struggle at best.

Have you been following the voyage of Liz Clark? For her, finding surf was the defining factor. She's out there now in a Cal 40 (60s vintage) surfing her cute brains out, in the South Pacific, in her early 20s (ok, so dad helped....). What an inspiration!

WetSand.com > The Green Room > Liz Clark Swell Voyage

Perhaps a more affordable boat (even a dreaded mono) and leaving earlier, with more reserve $ in your pocket would, in the long run, help you achieve your goal. My first cruising boat - in my 30s - was a Cal-Cruising 35 with no refer, no electronics, not much of anything. Had I waited to get the cat I have now, I would have missed out on five awesome years of glorious cruising while still young. Just go!

[Steve Rust]

Check out the Cross webste www.mysite.verizon.net/res78939/index/html
There is a Cross 39 for sale in Los Angles around 50k. It looks like one of his earlier designs. Looks to be in nice shape.

Kai nui is a member here and he has some experience saling on some Piver trimarans which may be similar to the one in La Paz. Many of Piver's proteges went on to design their own boats and many made improvements over the original designs. Brown ,Cross, and Horstman improved the concept in the 1960's and 70's. Better windward ability and a little better sailing performance. One noticable change was made to the main beams that held the boats together. The later boats reengineered this critical element to be a walk thru beam so no more ducking under.

Like you , I don't like the boxy high sided look of the Hortsman designs. The other aspect I don't like is the daggerboard in the ama. This is not as effective as a centerboardboard or keel in the main hull. What it does though is give a hull with a shallow draft and more room. Brown decided to put a big centerboard in the main hull and then put the cockpit on top of it. This divided the boat in two . Some like it some don't, but what it did do was to give the boat excellant windward ability and handling. The Cross designs fall somewhere between these two as he went with a keel on the main hull giving decent windward ability and relieving the interior of the centerboard structure. Many of the Piver designs had keel and rudder modifications by Norm Cross to improve performance. These three along with Piver acount for a large percentage of the cruising trimaran designs out there. There are many others like John Marples, Dick Newick, Kantola, Kelsall, Kristopherson, Ian Farrier, Tony Grainger, and more.

Most of these are capable Water boats">blue water boats but the designers used differant routes to all get to the same place. If you are interested in a trimaran it is good thing to understand the developement history. Just like in monohulls we have our classics, racers, and cruisers. One thing to keep in mind is the adage by Dick Newick. "Three aspects you want in a boat are high performance, low cost, and roomy interior. You can have any two in combination but you cannot have all three".

IMO the trimaran is just alot more fun to sail and as a surfer this might have some appeal to you.

I don't have any direct experience with the Cross 46 but I am familar with the plans. It is a big boat with an interior to rival that of a comparble size cat.

I will send you a PM on another subject.

[Steve Rust]

that link does not work try this CROSS Multihull Designs

[Finditsurfit]

thanks steve I will look at that one in LA It could be An option still lost but you guys are helping so much!

[mikereed100]

Findit,
One thing you might consider is to find a smaller boat for you and your partner and convince your friends that they would be better off with their own boats. Then you can "buddy boat" with none of the complications of live-in crew. I may join you myself in a couple years! Another boat to consider are the Wharrams. Not speed demons but very seaworthy and lots of deck space to spread surfboards, windsurfers etc.
Mike

[Finditsurfit]

yea I will only have friends on the boat maybe a 4-6 weeks a year but that will be spread out. but they will fund part of my cruising income. Well just sold off the last of our furniture and will be heading for florida in a week if I don't find anything here!