22-28' trimaran, farrier etc experience?

[tp12]

G'day,

I'm becoming partial to the idea of picking up a cheap'ish trimaran for coastal/harbour cruising based out of sydney for a few years. I'm keen to understand the cost of owning say an f boat maybe 25' would be over three years factoring in the buy and sale price, maintenance, etc. It needs to stay in decent shape so I can sail up and down the east coast of aus.

Needs to sleep two comfortably, have a toilet/shower, fridge and cooker. Open to creative solutions and adding bits post purchase. Must have a decent sail wardrobe.

How are the rotating masts for maintenance and lifespan?

What obvious things have I missed? I should be able to get a local marina spot but folding is essential. As is the relatively easy process of lowering the mast/rigging. It'd be cool if I could get her up the Tweed a bit to my parents house!

Cheers,

TP

[brownoarsman]

I'm also in the market for an f24 in the USA. New to them, so can't help with your questions, but have you browsed fboat and Fboats groups on Yahoo? You may find more boat-specific info there.

[SailFastTri]

Duplicate post, sorry

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by tp12

G'day,

I'm becoming partial to the idea of picking up a cheap'ish trimaran for coastal/harbour cruising based out of sydney for a few years. I'm keen to understand the cost of owning say an f boat maybe 25' would be over three years factoring in the buy and sale price, maintenance, etc. It needs to stay in decent shape so I can sail up and down the east coast of aus.

Needs to sleep two comfortably, have a toilet/shower, fridge and cooker. Open to creative solutions and adding bits post purchase. Must have a decent sail wardrobe.

How are the rotating masts for maintenance and lifespan?

What obvious things have I missed? I should be able to get a local marina spot but folding is essential. As is the relatively easy process of lowering the mast/rigging. It'd be cool if I could get her up the Tweed a bit to my parents house!

Cheers,

TP

As someone who has owned Dragonfly three tris (a 920' 1000, and 1200 since 2001) I can speak with experience that the size range you're thinking of will allow "boat camping" but will not be a comfortable cruising boat. Also, if you load it with provisions and water and "systems" you will sacrifice significant sailing performance.
I have sailed aboard someone else's Dragonfly 32 recently and it's amazing how space efficient that boat is, but it's not cheap and again - you need to keep it light for best performance.
Anyway, to sum up - my best advice is that if you're on a budget you can't have it all. If you want a good cruising boat you should give up on sport boat performance and just go for a good used monohull. That will give you the best cruising comfort for the money, and you won't be paying a premium for the performance that has already been designed out of it.
If you want to cruise on a tri, I think you need to be looking at something larger than mid 30's feet.

[tp12]

Just to clarify, I'm happy with camp style cruising on the smaller boat. The toilet can be a porta-potti type deal.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by tp12

Just to clarify, I'm happy with camp style cruising on the smaller boat. The toilet can be a porta-potti type deal.

Good thing, because space is a scarce commodity on a small tri. 😆

Ive been race crew on Corsairs quite a lot in the past, up to 31'. They try to cram accomodations in to them, but Ive always thought it a bit silly...they do make full on racing versions to though.

Staying aboard is definately sail-camping.

The netting between the main hull and the amas gives you some comfy outside space. Its a great place to sleep in good weather. I would consider awnings that cover the net area so it could be used at anchor in less than idea weather too. That plus a cockpit awning would give you a lot more outside living space.

Small performance tris can be a bit unruly when the weather picks up too. Best to try and get some experience in weather with them before heading off on any extended ventures. Very hard to sleep below underway in any significant sea state.

[out42]

I've had an F27, 28r and a 31-1d (full on racer) so have some knowledge. The boat that would meet your needs as close to the ideal is probably an f28 centre cockpit. It won't have all you want but it will sail brilliantly, folds, and is very easy to single-hand. Porta pottis work although that's a real camping choice, and you can get small fridges which might do the job.
But as others have said, you can't have a fast, light, cheap boat then load it with gear and hope all it will sail brilliantly. Something has to give.
However be warned: once you sail an F-boat, you won't go buying a monohull and sailing monos will become forever rather pedestrian for you.

[Factor]

Corsair 28 is doable, Corsair 31 would be better and Corsair 36 even better. Corsair 24 a little small. Of course price is an increasing factor. 28s are in the region of 75-100K, 31s around 90-125K and 36s around 150-175K. The 36s are relocatable rather than trailerable, i.e. the mast is largish and the folded beam exceeds the Australian no permit width. Easily achieved to move but not something you would be doing every weekend, more a once a season job

[tp12]

Originally Posted by out42

I've had an F27, 28r and a 31-1d (full on racer) so have some knowledge. The boat that would meet your needs as close to the ideal is probably an f28 centre cockpit. It won't have all you want but it will sail brilliantly, folds, and is very easy to single-hand. Porta pottis work although that's a real camping choice, and you can get small fridges which might do the job.
But as others have said, you can't have a fast, light, cheap boat then load it with gear and hope all it will sail brilliantly. Something has to give.
However be warned: once you sail an F-boat, you won't go buying a monohull and sailing monos will become forever rather pedestrian for you.

Hahaha, yeah I can see that happening. But then I think it's inevitable. I used to race motorbikes so it's all rather sedate and pedestrian.

My intention isn't for this boat to be a loaded up, home away from home for coastal cruising. Rather it's to be used as a day sailor and weekend camper around Sydney Harbour, Pittwater and so on and for the occasional trip to the Gold Coast.

The f-28cc seems to be a bit of a stretch price-wise but I agree, it's the one I think I like the most. The 31s etc are too much money and too much boat for what I want just now. I don't want to get in too deep as this boat will only ever be an interim boat before I build my cat. The main driver for this is although I sail most weekends racing and twilights etc I don't own the boat so I'm only rarely getting the helm. I've moved onto the main this year, which is cool, and I've covered every other spot on the boat but I want more experience helming and cruising before I build the cat and do my own serious cruising on that.

Originally Posted by Factor

Corsair 28 is doable, Corsair 31 would be better and Corsair 36 even better. Corsair 24 a little small. Of course price is an increasing factor. 28s are in the region of 75-100K, 31s around 90-125K and 36s around 150-175K. The 36s are relocatable rather than trailerable, i.e. the mast is largish and the folded beam exceeds the Australian no permit width. Easily achieved to move but not something you would be doing every weekend, more a once a season job

As the boat is going to be used as above, and considering their prices, I'm thinking that an f-24 II will be the boat. I'd much prefer the 28, even the 27, but they might be too much of a stretch. I don't really want to spend more than $50kAUD, preferably $40kAUD.

But then, factoring resale, I might be convinced to spend a bit more on a boat if the resale means it will be a smaller loss over the three years. But then how much more maintenance is a 28 over a 24? Difference in price of sails etc?

[alansmith]

I've had more experience on F31 than F27. But chartered f27 for several weeks at a time. Put a compost toilet on it and you won't have a disgusting experience with porta potty. You can get a small refridge like an Engel for things like sand which makings and put a couple kilos of frozen meat.

The wonderful thing u haven't mentioned , but I am sure u are aware of it is this....you can pull the boat trailer behind your truck at 100 kph to anywhere u want to drop her in. One of the things with monohulls is your cruising area is limited to a very small area due to cruising range. The F27 is wonderful coastal cruiser. You will be insane with how much fun they are to sail. Draft on the boat is less than 2 foot. Out board can be raised, centerboard can be raised, and rudder can be raised. So u can get in some really skinny water.

[tp12]

Originally Posted by alansmith

I've had more experience on F31 than F27. But chartered f27 for several weeks at a time. Put a compost toilet on it and you won't have a disgusting experience with porta potty. You can get a small refridge like an Engel for things like sand which makings and put a couple kilos of frozen meat.

The wonderful thing u haven't mentioned , but I am sure u are aware of it is this....you can pull the boat trailer behind your truck at 100 kph to anywhere u want to drop her in. One of the things with monohulls is your cruising area is limited to a very small area due to cruising range. The F27 is wonderful coastal cruiser. You will be insane with how much fun they are to sail. Draft on the boat is less than 2 foot. Out board can be raised, centerboard can be raised, and rudder can be raised. So u can get in some really skinny water.

Alan, your post only serves to whet my appetite some more!

The composting toilet idea is a very good one.

I'd love to get a 31 but they're too expensive as an 'interim' boat for me. I'd be keen to understand what the 31 ate from your maintenance fund?