F-24/C-760 for Cruising

[recollect]

Hi all,

Im looking into the viability of solo cruising on an F24. I am very much a minimalist and tend to cruise with only whats needed. I will be cruising the Sea of Cortez and the Bahamas with this boat. Id like to be able to do short passages in the Caribbean as well. Ive seen folks do this on F-27's so why not an F-24? I'm really curios if there is a compelling reason not to aside from load capacity and interior space. Id like to think this through all the way before committing to one.

Thank you in advance

Dan

[seaductive]

I’m also curious about this exact boat. I would love to have one. It’s on my short list if I ever feel like having two boats. Looking forward to some knowledgeable responses about cruising on an f-24. Quite a few videos about trimaran cruising on YouTube really has me interested. From what I know they don’t really have a lot of tankage or storage space for cruising stuff, they are weight sensitive from what I understand. Maybe I watched waterworld too many times…

[thomm225]

Those boats are capable of very high speeds which means they have a lot of sail area.

Your problem will be when the wind suddenly cranks up to 25-35 knots and you are tired.

Even the slower F-24 still has a SA/Disp of about 36 and only weighs 1800 lbs.

I was able to observe an F25C for maybe 40 miles once out in the Gulf during a race. (I was on a Nacra 6.0) It was great for a day sail or 100 mile race but for a few weeks of sailing in big winds maybe not.

F25 C SA/Disp is about 48 and disp 1760 or so

[Redreuben]

Utube Solo in home made 25' tri to Hawaii
https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...d.php?t=262755

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by recollect

Hi all,



Im looking into the viability of solo cruising on an F24. I am very much a minimalist and tend to cruise with only whats needed. I will be cruising the Sea of Cortez and the Bahamas with this boat. Id like to be able to do short passages in the Caribbean as well. Ive seen folks do this on F-27's so why not an F-24? I'm really curios if there is a compelling reason not to aside from load capacity and interior space. Id like to think this through all the way before committing to one.



Thank you in advance



Dan

Boat that small you need to think very carefully about all the weight you need to store.
Create a spreadsheet and start calcing it all.
Batteries are one thing, cabling, solar panels, solar controllers, distribution panel, wiring.
Motor, fuel, hoses, dinghy, oars
Stove, propane bottle, solenoid, hoses.
Rice, beans, condiments, various provisions
Water, tanks, jugs to transport from shore to boat. If you get a watermaker you need more solar and mor battery capacity. Even with the watermaker you need to carry a bare minimum of 1/2 gal/day for anticipated passages and make more as you go.
Sails
2 anchors oversized Fortress and a scoop, minimum 25’ of chain for each, 200’ of nylon for each, extra oversized cleats with backing plates, bridle between the amas. Don’t bother with a windlass unless you get the smallest manual you can find, that’s still probably 25-20lb you shouldn’t be carrying.
Autopilot and backup autopilot.

I’m not saying it can’t be done, I’m saying add up how much you need to carry so you know what you are getting into.

[Franziska]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mn9QO84cDhg&t=3

F24 Is fairly small, but an F27 with aft cabin might work to some degree.

Personally I'd go for a cat in this size. You can use one hull for all the wet and stinky stuff and one as dry "living" space.

Mind you a multihull of this size always requires you to live with basic comforts.
It can be done, I did this many years ago for well over 10000 miles and over 9months. Lots of fun, but, basic comfort.

[purvisgs]

Payload (water weight) and design (boat was never designed for offshore / some of the crossings you allude to are certainly pushing the limits) considerations aside, --for this type of ultralight backpacking mentality --

-- I do like the ability to make one large "at sea bunk" right in the center of the main cabin (mk1 f24 if you remove the tables) or even better (not necessarily easily done on f24) would be the pull out bed from under cockpit like f31 aft cockpit version has.

Overall great value at this point and if you can make it check off all the boxes --- seems hard to go wrong- plan for regular maintenance/expenses & buy an above average condition non-project boat that has already had updates/$ put into it, and ownership could end up being relatively quite affordable. Good used f-boat seems like it should/would still sell for the same ballpark you paid--- years later when you're ready to move on.

[recollect]

A cat of the same size is an interesting idea. I have been looking at a Wharram Tiki 26 as an alternative choice to the F-24. I dont have any experience with the Wharrams but I hear they are a seaworthy design.

Would a cat of similar size be more manageable than a tri over a crossing? Without much experience on either its difficult for me understand whats involved. I need to get out there and sail both it seems.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by recollect

A cat of the same size is an interesting idea. I have been looking at a Wharram Tiki 26 as an alternative choice to the F-24. I dont have any experience with the Wharrams but I hear they are a seaworthy design.

Would a cat of similar size be more manageable than a tri over a crossing? Without much experience on either its difficult for me understand whats involved. I need to get out there and sail both it seems.

Comparing a Wharram to an F-24 is pointless. The Wharram is a slug by comparison, slower and not nearly as weatherly. Safe, of course.



I have an F-24 and have taken it over night a few times. I used to have a PDQ cruising cat. IMO, the F-24 could do the job, if you separate wants from needs and pack smart. The V-berth is comfortable for one and storage can be stretched with dry bags on the wing decks and in the amas. I cruised my Stiletto 27 for weeks at a time 20 years ago. I'm just not interested in cruising anymore, which is part of why I down sized to the F_24. I wanted a small, agile boat. But single handed coastal cruising would be fine. They are fast, weatherly, and quite seaworthy when reefed down, being much wider than either the Stiletto or Wharram. You might put a 3rd reef in the main for cruising use.



Then if you like it, you might move up to a cruising cat. Or not. Everyone dreams about moving up and all the stuff they can carry. Instead, spend some nights in a motel. Everyone has different goals.


My blog has stuff about the Delmarva cruises and the Stiletto 27:
Sail Delmarva: Introduction to the New Sail Delmarva

[recollect]

Thank you for the reply. Ive been moving from larger boats to smaller boats. I have no desire to trade up again. I went from a Pacific Seacraft 37 to an older Westerly Centaur and I love the simplicity and size. I will be keeping the Westerly as I do take it on longer offshore trips and its comfortable for me.

For a second boat, i'm looking for something thats really flexible. Id like to be able to sail fast if desired or slow if i want to relax. I'm hoping the F-24 is manageable enough to get me where I want to go. Its technically unsinkable so I dont have any issues there. I guess my main concern is soloing over a few days on a passage. Ive read comments that the boat will tire you out. It seems to me with the proper sail area and the right autopilot one would be just fine in most conditions. Or no worst than a similar size mono.

If someone has done short passages in an F-24, id love to hear about your experience.

[Redreuben]

I crew on Corsair 24’s, yes they will tire you out when you sail them to their potential but shorten sail and they are docile as can be, certainly don’t take it out of you like a mono with clambering around a leaning boat.
The most tiresome thing is actually at rest as they flip from one float to the other, it tires your patience as much as anything.
An inflatable dinghy or even a tractor tube shoved under one float would make all the difference.

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by recollect

Thank you for the reply. Ive been moving from larger boats to smaller boats. I have no desire to trade up again. I went from a Pacific Seacraft 37 to an older Westerly Centaur and I love the simplicity and size. I will be keeping the Westerly as I do take it on longer offshore trips and its comfortable for me.



For a second boat, i'm looking for something thats really flexible. Id like to be able to sail fast if desired or slow if i want to relax. I'm hoping the F-24 is manageable enough to get me where I want to go. Its technically unsinkable so I dont have any issues there. I guess my main concern is soloing over a few days on a passage. Ive read comments that the boat will tire you out. It seems to me with the proper sail area and the right autopilot one would be just fine in most conditions. Or no worst than a similar size mono.



If someone has done short passages in an F-24, id love to hear about your experience.

For cruising I'd really look into the aft cabin version of the F27.
Not much bigger than the F24, but you can store anything wet and stinky apart from the "living" quarters.
The F27 is a slightly older model than the F24, so prices might match.
You can also fold the F27 to go into a marina and few of them have done (although pushing the envelope) ocean crossings.

If I ever need to downgrade that would be my choice. Fast & nimble, manageable in size, as it's an der model not as expensive as newer boats.

Regarding Wharrams, great boats for cruising, provided you find a well built one. Very seaworthy.
Reasonably priced.

[aqfishing]

This could be of interest.

https://youtu.be/dbQL-eieDFI

Shows modifications for offshore cruising and liveaboard.

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by aqfishing

This could be of interest.



https://youtu.be/dbQL-eieDFI



Shows modifications for offshore cruising and liveaboard.

Nice video. Good ideas.

[tbodine88]

Originally Posted by Franziska

F24 Is fairly small, but an F27 with aft cabin might work to some degree.

Personally I'd go for a cat in this size. You can use one hull for all the wet and stinky stuff and one as dry "living" space.

Mind you a multihull of this size always requires you to live with basic comforts.
It can be done, I did this many years ago for well over 10000 miles and over 9months. Lots of fun, but, basic comfort.

The F25 I was on had very small hatches in the Amas so it wasn't readily accessible as a dry living space.