Conference unifix::sailing

    re .0:
    
    John Spencer (sort of involuntarily) left Digital quite some time ago.
    
    My interest in multihulls is somewhat limited, though John and I have
    had several long discussions about them while sailing together (on a
    monohull). My impression is that the interior living/stowage space on a
    multihull is considerably less than that of a monohull of the same
    overall length (our C&C 26 had more interior space than the Condor 40
    trimaran I raced aboard briefly a few years ago). 
    
    Many of the older trimaran designs are actually not very fast (about
    like a similar-sized monohull), especially in cruising trim, and
    aesthetically I don't find many of them very attractive (which says
    nothing about them other than that I don't like their looks). 
    
    Alan
    

    I LOVE the new Cosair 31. And from the ads in Sailing, it looks like
    they are going to make them (orginally the new Australian owner had
    decided not to). At 98,000 dollars they are a bit steep, but in 20
    years, you pay for it entirely on mooring and winter storage. The
    inside is about the same as my 26 foot monohull.
    
    Anyhow, I suggest you contact the New England Multihull Association. A
    call to Pat Lussier (the NE Cosair rep) will get you started. You could
    also call US Sailing in Newport for a contact on the multihull council.
    Note that the coming US Sailing meeting is in Hyannis, and they have a
    half day discussion on multihulls planned.
    
    One thing to be sure of what you are going to use it for. There are
    racing multis and cruising multis, but seldom both. Also check how long
    it REALLY takes to set them up. I know Stilleto loves to say how you
    whip one together, but I saw an experienced owner take close to 3 hours
    to do the job from a trailer one day. 
    
    john
    

    Last I heard, John was still living in Rockport Ma. you may wish to try 
    information. Or leave a message at Sandy Bay Yacht Club in Rockport
    where John was pretty active.
    
    If that doesn't work, send me mail off line, and I'll call a couple of
    mutual acquaintances of ours.
    
    john

    I am a member of the New England Multi Hull Assoc.  Like you I 
    discovered the fun of "go fast" multi-hulls.  Tri Hulls, the most
    popular I've see being the F24/F27, have smaller cabin space. 
    Catamarans, on the other hand, are very spacious.  I receive the
    association's newsletter and there are some boats for sale.  Call me
    and I can give you some seller's names.  DTN is 297-2671.
    
    Paul (who loves the looks of monohulls, but the speed of multis)

    The cruising cats seemed (to me) to have more room per given length
    than their mono hulled counterparts.  This is what I remember from the
    boat show last year at least.  The tri's with a single central hull for
    living do seem to be smaller though.   FWIW a friend of mine has an
    F-27 and has enjoyed it immensely.  He trailered it to Florida and
    crused the Bahamas and Gulf of Mexico extensively over the last two
    winters.  He brings it back up in the summer.  Did not pay a lot
    either.  Found a used one at a good price.  WOuldn't want more than two
    people aboard for very long though.  
    
    Brian

	One benifit I have as far as space is concerened is that I am still 
used to a very small interior. If I were to move into a bigger monohull, it 
could be had for about half the price and we'd get a lot more space. But 
after getting used to that I would have a difficult time trading down in space,
and up in price. I am accustom to my 22'er with a dagger board trunk splitting 
the interior. A porta-potti is better than nothing and my one burner propane 
stove is adequate. But I don't store much on the boat. The entire galley, 
includeing pots, pans, utensils and the stove, come on in a bag when we go 
out for a weekend. I do get to cook wherever I want on the boat, but NEVER 
when it's moving. Nav. station? that's the wterproof chart I keep with me 
in the cockpit. Water tankage, that's the 5 gl. water container which seems to
have disappeared this year. We do okay with this, but we're normally the smallest 
boat in any anchorage we make.
	We chartered an f-27, that's the speeds I talked about. We had a marine 
head, no sewerveniors to bring home. There was a galley with a 2 burner alcohol 
stove. It was nice to cook with 2 burners and we could have cooked under way 
in some of the situations (12.5 knots over 5 foot chop, I don't think we could
have cooked). We could actually sit inside, face each other and talk. There 
was water accesible in a sink. It was all a lot more useable and comfortable 
than what I have. 
	Granted this was not the nav. station, galley and head that are on the 
Benateau  I race on, but they were a lot more than what I'm used to. So that's a 
key advantage I have is that I'm used to less. Looking a catamaran layouts it 
appears decadent. But it appears also that for that decadence we'd have to trade 
away trailerability of any sort. 
	Robyn wants an enclosed head, I want blazing speed, we both want a
modicum of comfort. 

	Geoff

    I have cruised/raced on friends' F27s and here are my observations: 
    
    1, On deck there is a lot of space, mostly on the nets, with fabulous
    sitting and viewing spaces.  Not to mention sleeping on nets.  
    
    2. Cockpit is very small probably because the only person in it is the
    helmsman.
    
    3. Below deck is cramped with no headroom (and I am only 5'7').  There
    is a port and starboard berth and an aft cabin that supposedly sleeps
    2, but really only sleeps one, but very comfortably.
    
    4. Performance-wise, in light winds 5-10knots, you can expect 8+knots
    boatspeed. In moderate to heavy winds, expect 10-16knots easily.
    
    5. There is absolutely no weather helm, even at high speeds. As a
    matter of fact, at high speeds you can steer with one finger. It is
    very unnerving at first to feel nothing on the tiller.
    
    6. The boat rides like a centerboard boat, meaning there is none of
    that "wallowing and pitching" that you get in a keel boat.  Instead you
    will feel that occasionally you are being slapped or knocked about by 
    the waves if it is a rough sea. At high speeds you simply ride up and
    over waves.  No plowing through waves. Surfing is another treat.
    
    7. When trailering, the sight is awesome - a lot of boat, wires, lines,
    and gear all folded up on itself. It almost looks like you have an
    accident with a boat in tow.
    
    I can see the allure of these boats. They go fast, ride beautifully,
    are very safe (but very wet), and trailerable.  I prefer the F24
    because you get a larger cockpit and really only give up the aft berth.
    
    The other characteristic I like is the lack of worrying too much about
    water depth.  If you hit bottom, just lift up the daggerboard and away
    you go (I've done that several times.) So gunkholing is easy.  And of
    course, you can beach these boats.
    
    People who have them (even old monohullers) love them.  I think because
    their trailerability and their speed makes cruising to distant places
    on a weekend more feasible. Racing is almost a given with multihulls.
    
    If any noters here have a multihull and need crew, give me a call.  I
    am trying to get as much experience on multis (especially cats) as
    possible. Someday I will buy my dream boat, but have not found one that
    I want to commit to yet. Plus kids in college make a boat unaffordable
    for the immediate future. DTN is 297-2671.
    
    Paul
                                

	Does anyone have any experience with Stilettos? I have to ask 
because I've seen more adds for Stiletto 27s than any other model of multi.
I have a vague recllection of reading an article many years ago decribing 
one as trailerable. But I really don't expect any cat that is trailerable 
to have much in the way of interior space. BUt are they a quality boat??
	Their abundance reminds me of Catalina 22s when I was shopping before.

	Any comments?