F-27 Trimaran

[SouthernHiker]

Starting to get serious about boat shopping. Maybe a month or two from purchase, but I wanted to ask about a specific boat I've seen a few of.

What does anyone know about Corsair F-27 Folding Trimarans?

I'd love as much info. as possible about them. Been looking at a few F-27 websites, anyone have any experience with them here?

[Sailmonkey]

I've raced one quite a bit. Extremly fast, but more like camping than larger heavier boats.

[SouthernHiker]

How so? What does the interior look like, typically contain?

[Mark Johnson]

They are indeed VERY fast, and the trailerable feature is great for storage in your yard, or running from a hurricane... INLAND!

The trailerable feature, and trailer, makes these boats quite expensive for what you get. They are however good daysailors...

For a small tri "cruiser", you could get a really well built Searunner 31 (A good one I said, not a dogamaran), for WAY less money. It would have twice the comfort & accommodations, as well as twice the ultimate seaworthiness. On the other hand, It would require more regular maintenance.

I guess that on days that the F27 was going 14 on a reach, the Searunner would be going just 9 or 10.

For a transportable daysailor, that you could weekend on occasionally... The F27 is a mighty fine boat. IT IS HOWEVER, CAMPING!

Mark

[SouthernHiker]

searunner looks nice, didnt see any 31s on yworld w a quick search. ill keep a lookout though.

for the f27, how Much "camping" is it? have a place for a head? galley? standing /walking headroom below?

[u4ea32]

Yes, there is headroom because the deck lifts -- its a "poptop." The F31 really has standing headroom below. And room for a head, although most don't have them.

Personally, I prefer the 31 to the 27 by a large margin, but the prices reflect that too. The F33 is really the one to get, but there are only a handful worldwide.

Camping is not a bad thing on boats. Its usually a lot more fun than pretending a boat is a house. At least, in my experience.

[Doodles]

Some answers here ....Corsair F-27: Popular foldable sports-cruiser trimaran

[u4ea32]

Oh: and they really work well in heavy weather! As well as in smooth water.

Here are some videos, in chronological order, first an F31, then F33:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g3mslBKfT0

http://www.youtube.com/user/Mokescam.../1/EsY_835zxOs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdRVIjWTRdY

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by SouthernHiker

Starting to get serious about boat shopping. Maybe a month or two from purchase, but I wanted to ask about a specific boat I've seen a few of.

What does anyone know about Corsair F-27 Folding Trimarans?

I'd love as much info. as possible about them. Been looking at a few F-27 websites, anyone have any experience with them here?

What kind of sailing do you plan to do? Daysailing? Cruising? Weekending or vacation cruising? Do you plan to keep it at a dock or mooring full-time, or are you thinking of dry-sailing off the trailer and launching each time? If you plan to do overnights are you more likely to be on the hook or pulling into marinas? Are you single or couple? Do you have kids, and if so how many / what ages? What's your wife's tolerance for "simple" accommodations (e.g. "boat camping" vs. having an enclosed head and decent galley)?

The more of this type of info you provide, the more likely you'll get relevant answers and advice.

[SouthernHiker]

Live Aboard Cruising is the plan. Anchoring out almost always.

Just the wife and I (late 20's). We are avid backpackers, so comfortable camping, but would want something with basic comfort day in and day out.

I'm starting to guess this has no galley or head enclosures? We're very happy with simple accommodations, but cooking, toilet, and being able to relax for a whole day (if necessary) out of bad weather are necessary.

I really haven't been able to find anything on the interior of this particular design. The fold up trailering is just so appealing to me for some reason.

The site Doodles posted is what I have been looking at a lot, but I couldn't determine interior sizes really from that. Focus seems to

[Mark Johnson]

You are young backpackers, so the camping aspect would be no big deal. If memory serves... the boat has a small simple stove & a non enclosed portapottie with a few days holding capacity.

This would be fine for coastal or inland weekending only. The cabin can sleep two. There is, however, NO WAY it is suitable as a liveaboard. It has neither the room nor payload for even the most minimal tankage or gear.

In F boats, you would have to move up to the 30'er, bare minimum, for a liveaboard. Then you are REALLY talking about some bucks! Besides, they weren't designed for this.

Well below this price range, their are hundreds of custom tris out there like 34 - 37' Searunners, or Crosses, which would make good liveaboards... but they require more maintenance skills / time, and don't fold.


Their are a few other folding production tris out there too, that could be minimal cruiser / liveaboards, once you get well over $100,000.

If you are thinking < half that price... Your choices are a 31 -35ish custom tri that's a bargain, but does not fold, or a small monohull that is more transportable, if that's an issue.

Good luck... Mark

[SailFastTri]

24 hours of downpour, and you will get cabin fever after the first 12 hours in an F27.

I would not consider anything smaller than 35 foot or larger for live-aboard cruising. You should look for inboard diesel and "systems" such as pressure hot water. Tankage is going to be limited on any tri that is performance oriented, and while a couple can use as little as 5 gallons of water per day for washing and dishes, even 40 gallons capacity doesn't let you stay away from the docks very long unless you can install and power a watermaker and/or catch rain. So if you don't have a diesel maybe you start to think in terms of an inverter generator and a bigger battery bank, other things that take space and add weight. If you want to power a 12v refrigerator (maybe you can't buy ice for a few days and need to keep some perishables cold) and perhaps one or two laptops, and cabin lights, nav lights, electronic instruments/autopilot/GPS etc. it is a slippery slope.

Don't get me wrong -- I love tri's and currently own my third one... each time larger. Bigger is better if you want to spend more time aboard and be comfortable. Nothing sails as well as a tri and if you really love sailing you might give up some comfort.

An F-27 is wonderful for a daysail or a few-week vacation but is not suitable for full-time cruisers. You should look at larger boats that have a more comfortable interior. BTW -- I don't want to knock F-boats but they are not known for interior finish or fit-out. Very spartan and plain.... carpet cabin lining and fiberglass counters with cut-outs instead of drawers/doors.

[DWR59]

Telstar 28 seems to be a good trailerable tri

Telstar 28 Trimaran Videos | Small Trimarans

[Sailmonkey]

if you can live aboard with this much room Corsair F-27: Popular foldable sports-cruiser trimaran then it's a good boat. keep in mind there's virtually no tankage, and any added weight destroys sailing performance. put a hundred gallons of water on a purpose built cruising boat, no big deal, put a hundred gallons of water in this thing...........may as well be sailing a leadmine.

[SouthernHiker]

Looks like the f-27 might just be too small. I didn't realize how low on holding tanks, etc. it was.

We're not attached to any particular style cat, tri, or mono. Like the idea of a multihull providing more room above deck to relax while at anchor, and a little better learning curve from a stability stand point, but its not essential.

I really like the idea of trailer-able...BUT seems most are too small to be cruising liveaboard friendly.

Guess I'll go back to the drawing board. Thanks for the help.

Really hoping to get in at about 20k or so, but need something we can sail up and down the ICW and then later cross the Gulf Stream and eventually begin sailing the Caribbean.