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Parallax October 23rd 04 03:15 AM

Courtney Thomas wrote in message ...
Don't know where you'd like to trailer-to, but........have you
considered just gettin' a tractor-trailer rig that'll haul what you've
got, forgetting building anything, haul it to wherever....and resume
sailing, now.

I got one from Ebay for $5K, including trailer and hydraulic hoist.

You don't need any other credentials since it'd not be a commercial rig,
rather your personal vehicle + you can get one with a sleeper, nay, even
double; so, you could 'camp out' on the way.

If you don't like it, sell it.

Good fortune,
Courtney


Parallax wrote:

"Brien Alkire" wrote in message ...

I experience peace when I am tuned into the rhythms of the wind, water, sun,
moon and tides. The ocean is a place where I often feel very small and
insignificant, and there is something enlightening about that experience. I
also love the adventure and romance of the sea. These are the reasons I
sail.

If I only have an afternoon then I love to sail a dinghy. It puts me in
closer contact with the wind and water than I would experience on a big
boat.

But there is a special feeling I can only get by being at sea for one or
more days, and that requires a big boat. I can't really put my finger on
it. But there's a frame of mind I get into when time is measured in watch
cycles and changes in the wind and sea rather than my work day schedule.


My questions about boat size vs amount of fun are not to be considered
rhetorical. I am actually asking for advice. After my cruise to the
Bahamas on my 28' monohull, I have been planning to build a 32'
trailerable trimaran. I will be able to sail my S2 until the tri is
finished so there is no delayed gratification. However, the fun of
sailing the MiniCups has me wondering if maybe a 32' tri is too big
and cumbersome. Would maybe a 27' trailer-tri be better and more fun?
What is the break point where hassle exceeds fun? I was formerly
considering a Kurt Hughes design but then decided that if I spend all
this time, I might as well simply buy the folding parts from Farrier
and build one of his; my reasoning being that the folding system will
make set-up and breakdown easier. Any advice on boat size vs fun for
a tri?



I actually have considered getting a large truck and trailering my
boat around. This really would be the cheapest solution. My fav
truck would be a 1949 International KB-5 with a flathead 6 engine.
Last ebay bid was $750 and I am sure I could get it in very good shape
(engine and brakes that is) for less than $2000. Gawd its a monster,
old red paint lots of rust, a REAL machine.
However, it would still be good for hauling the tri. After building
the MiniCups and the Two-Paw dinghy, I am addicted to baotbuilding.
Furthermore, I really like the idea of being able to pull it up to
shore or into very shallow water. The cruising speed of nearly 10 kts
of the tri beats the mono too. 5 kts for days ata time in the S2 has
driven me nuts before.

Parallax October 23rd 04 03:15 AM

Courtney Thomas wrote in message ...
Don't know where you'd like to trailer-to, but........have you
considered just gettin' a tractor-trailer rig that'll haul what you've
got, forgetting building anything, haul it to wherever....and resume
sailing, now.

I got one from Ebay for $5K, including trailer and hydraulic hoist.

You don't need any other credentials since it'd not be a commercial rig,
rather your personal vehicle + you can get one with a sleeper, nay, even
double; so, you could 'camp out' on the way.

If you don't like it, sell it.

Good fortune,
Courtney


Parallax wrote:

"Brien Alkire" wrote in message ...

I experience peace when I am tuned into the rhythms of the wind, water, sun,
moon and tides. The ocean is a place where I often feel very small and
insignificant, and there is something enlightening about that experience. I
also love the adventure and romance of the sea. These are the reasons I
sail.

If I only have an afternoon then I love to sail a dinghy. It puts me in
closer contact with the wind and water than I would experience on a big
boat.

But there is a special feeling I can only get by being at sea for one or
more days, and that requires a big boat. I can't really put my finger on
it. But there's a frame of mind I get into when time is measured in watch
cycles and changes in the wind and sea rather than my work day schedule.


My questions about boat size vs amount of fun are not to be considered
rhetorical. I am actually asking for advice. After my cruise to the
Bahamas on my 28' monohull, I have been planning to build a 32'
trailerable trimaran. I will be able to sail my S2 until the tri is
finished so there is no delayed gratification. However, the fun of
sailing the MiniCups has me wondering if maybe a 32' tri is too big
and cumbersome. Would maybe a 27' trailer-tri be better and more fun?
What is the break point where hassle exceeds fun? I was formerly
considering a Kurt Hughes design but then decided that if I spend all
this time, I might as well simply buy the folding parts from Farrier
and build one of his; my reasoning being that the folding system will
make set-up and breakdown easier. Any advice on boat size vs fun for
a tri?



I actually have considered getting a large truck and trailering my
boat around. This really would be the cheapest solution. My fav
truck would be a 1949 International KB-5 with a flathead 6 engine.
Last ebay bid was $750 and I am sure I could get it in very good shape
(engine and brakes that is) for less than $2000. Gawd its a monster,
old red paint lots of rust, a REAL machine.
However, it would still be good for hauling the tri. After building
the MiniCups and the Two-Paw dinghy, I am addicted to baotbuilding.
Furthermore, I really like the idea of being able to pull it up to
shore or into very shallow water. The cruising speed of nearly 10 kts
of the tri beats the mono too. 5 kts for days ata time in the S2 has
driven me nuts before.

Scott Vernon October 23rd 04 03:25 PM


"Parallax" wrote in message
om...
Courtney Thomas wrote in message

...
Don't know where you'd like to trailer-to, but........have you
considered just gettin' a tractor-trailer rig that'll haul what

you've
got, forgetting building anything, haul it to wherever....and

resume
sailing, now.

I got one from Ebay for $5K, including trailer and hydraulic

hoist.

You don't need any other credentials since it'd not be a

commercial rig,
rather your personal vehicle + you can get one with a sleeper,

nay, even
double; so, you could 'camp out' on the way.




You'd still need a CDL, and permits for every trip if the boat's over
8'6''. Do you know what the registration costs are? Ever heard of the
''2290'' highway use tax? You'd have to stop at scales and would be
susceptible to DOT inspections. And then there's the insurance........


shore or into very shallow water. The cruising speed of nearly 10

kts
of the tri beats the mono too. 5 kts for days ata time in the S2

has
driven me nuts before.


ever considered a speed boat?



--
Scott Vernon
Plowville Pa _/)__/)_/)_



Courtney Thomas October 23rd 04 08:32 PM

'Course anyone can come up with objections to anything, but in the
interest of facts regarding a tractor-trailer for personal use in
hauling your sailboat:

No.....a Commercial Driver's License is NOT required.
Registration $100/yr for the last one I bought.
There's an online outfit to handle state permitting for those not
wanting to do it.
Ins. ~$500/yr. [for me]
All my other vehicles are also inspected, so what.....
Many scale stops don't even require stopping if you're not overloaded.
....

HTH


Scott Vernon wrote:

"Parallax" wrote in message
om...

Courtney Thomas wrote in message

...

Don't know where you'd like to trailer-to, but........have you
considered just gettin' a tractor-trailer rig that'll haul what

you've

got, forgetting building anything, haul it to wherever....and

resume

sailing, now.

I got one from Ebay for $5K, including trailer and hydraulic

hoist.

You don't need any other credentials since it'd not be a

commercial rig,

rather your personal vehicle + you can get one with a sleeper,

nay, even

double; so, you could 'camp out' on the way.




You'd still need a CDL, and permits for every trip if the boat's over
8'6''. Do you know what the registration costs are? Ever heard of the
''2290'' highway use tax? You'd have to stop at scales and would be
susceptible to DOT inspections. And then there's the insurance........



shore or into very shallow water. The cruising speed of nearly 10

kts

of the tri beats the mono too. 5 kts for days ata time in the S2

has

driven me nuts before.


ever considered a speed boat?



--
Scott Vernon
Plowville Pa _/)__/)_/)_





--
s/v Mutiny
Rhodes Bounty II
lying Oriental, NC
WDB5619


Scott Vernon October 24th 04 04:11 PM


"Courtney Thomas" wrote in message
...
'Course anyone can come up with objections to anything, but in the
interest of facts regarding a tractor-trailer for personal use in
hauling your sailboat:

No.....a Commercial Driver's License is NOT required.


Do you have an antique small truck without air barakes?


Registration $100/yr for the last one I bought.


Really, cost me $1800/yr.


There's an online outfit to handle state permitting for those not
wanting to do it.


Yes, at $55 per state.


Ins. ~$500/yr. [for me]


Some states require 'special' ins. for oversized loads. Where are you?


All my other vehicles are also inspected, so what.....


Not 'on the spot' DOT inspections.


Many scale stops don't even require stopping if you're not

overloaded.

That is just plain wrong! And


--
Scott Vernon
Plowville Pa _/)__/)_/)_





Jere Lull October 25th 04 04:11 AM

In article ,
(Parallax) wrote:

I been doin a lot o thinking about sailin lately, especially as my
date to go cruisin gets closer, mostly wondering why I do this. I
came up with several reasons.


1. Just cuz its fun to sail.

2. Seeing new places that can only be seen by boat is fun.

3. Companionship

4. Thrill seeking

5. An obsession with problem solving (my personal fav)

6. Choose yer own reasons.

1. Now, I have long had a larger boat (28' and before that 23') but
only recently built two 12' Minicups. For just plain sailing fun,
the Minicups beat the big boat by a mile. Given a choice, I'll sail
them over the big boat. In the past 20 yrs of sailing, I have had
maybe 20 times of good sailing fun on the big boat, not a good
investment if sailing fun is the only reason.

2. Most large boats kept in the water see the same places and cannot
easily go far afield without taking a lot of time. However, the
dream is to go very far afield and this is seldom done. I am not
sure the investment has been justified. I wonder if a trailerable
boat would be better. The Minicups have already taken me several
places I could never sail in my big boat so although they are small,
they have been a great success. They cannot go to the Bahamas but
thya go other places.

3. I have always enjoyed the people I have met while cruising and
the boat nuts I have met at other times. With the two MiniCups, my
kids have enjoyed them immenseley, especially my son who can sail
with his friends and girls he meets.

4. I havent had the Minicups out in enough wind to scare me to death
so cannot compare to the big boat yet. The big boat has been a
thrill sometimes (as distinct from pure fun).

5. Both big and little boats allow for lots of problem solving.
However, the big boat allows me to excercise my real favorite,
navigation (yes, I am nuts, I like Trig.)

All this makes me wonder, are small boats more fun than big boats?
Should my next Big boat be a smaller trailerable big boat? Is the
old saying about boats being used in an amount inversely proportional
to their size true? What do y'all think?


A Minicup was my first boat; even did overnights camped out under the
tented sail. FUN boat & taught me a lot about sailing. It IS great for
the kids and around the anchorage. They're capable of pretty solid
winds; but I broke the mast step in the second season. It got a little
old when we ran out of nearby places, but I'd love to have it behind Xan
some days.

Moved up to a 21' trailed boat. Allowed having a friend for overnights &
longer. Gave us more regular weekend jaunts, and more reason to drive
further for a long weekend or so. Since it still handled like a dink and
couldn't sink, we got some great sailing skills in conditions far
tougher than we should have been out in. Since it floated in 6", we got
into some mighty nice places. Again, ran out of places within easy range
and a week (solo or dual) was a real trial. After a while, stepping the
mast each time got old, so we moored it out, anyway. Could do the
Bahamas in it, but stablity, stowage and creature comforts are low. That
boat would be pretty equivalent to your 31' tri.

Our current boat is similar to your 28. A month of two-up a wonderful
dream. I normally single-hand even when Pat's aboard. The sailing isn't
as intense (most days) or immediate, but there's a certain satisfaction
to coaxing past another boat on a long set of beats, or actually
fetching the anchorage you've been steering at for hours. Getting out of
a situation is a *real* rush -- after the shakes go away.

Finding yourself in the same situation and it not being a problem ....
priceless.

I find our 28 about a perfect size: Large enough to be comfortable for
two (plus) and stable; small, tough and manouverable enough that I do
not hesitate to try to get places that I wouldn't try in larger --or
smaller-- boats.

We got around the "same places" problem by moving the boat every year or
two to untouched areas. We're now docked about 2 hours away from home,
and have our choice of a half dozen or so sweet anchorages any weekend.
If we can get out Friday night, that number at least doubles.

As it happens, we often get "there" before the multi-hulls. When it's
rough, we usually do. If they're cruising like us, we almost always beat
them because we are designed for the "extra" weight; they aren't.

And I can stand up to put my pants on. After a few days out, that really
does make a difference.

If we weren't in such a primo cruising area, I would consider trailing
Xan before the 31' Tri you're considering. Trailing either is about
equivalent, but Xan's more capable and comfortable.

-----

Separate item. I have been a cabinent maker for many years,
professionally and privately. Though I completed the MiniCup in about a
week, building a larger boat --particularly a tri-- is out of range. I
can buy a proven boat for less than the tri could be built for,
particularly if I considered my time at even minimum wage. [One of Xan's
sisters sold for $4500 a few months ago. The sister was in better shape
than Xan's pics.]

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages:
http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

Parallax October 26th 04 04:03 AM

Jere Lull wrote in message ...
In article ,
(Parallax) wrote:

I been doin a lot o thinking about sailin lately, especially as my
date to go cruisin gets closer, mostly wondering why I do this. I
came up with several reasons.


1. Just cuz its fun to sail.

2. Seeing new places that can only be seen by boat is fun.

3. Companionship

4. Thrill seeking

5. An obsession with problem solving (my personal fav)

6. Choose yer own reasons.

1. Now, I have long had a larger boat (28' and before that 23') but
only recently built two 12' Minicups. For just plain sailing fun,
the Minicups beat the big boat by a mile. Given a choice, I'll sail
them over the big boat. In the past 20 yrs of sailing, I have had
maybe 20 times of good sailing fun on the big boat, not a good
investment if sailing fun is the only reason.

2. Most large boats kept in the water see the same places and cannot
easily go far afield without taking a lot of time. However, the
dream is to go very far afield and this is seldom done. I am not
sure the investment has been justified. I wonder if a trailerable
boat would be better. The Minicups have already taken me several
places I could never sail in my big boat so although they are small,
they have been a great success. They cannot go to the Bahamas but
thya go other places.

3. I have always enjoyed the people I have met while cruising and
the boat nuts I have met at other times. With the two MiniCups, my
kids have enjoyed them immenseley, especially my son who can sail
with his friends and girls he meets.

4. I havent had the Minicups out in enough wind to scare me to death
so cannot compare to the big boat yet. The big boat has been a
thrill sometimes (as distinct from pure fun).

5. Both big and little boats allow for lots of problem solving.
However, the big boat allows me to excercise my real favorite,
navigation (yes, I am nuts, I like Trig.)

All this makes me wonder, are small boats more fun than big boats?
Should my next Big boat be a smaller trailerable big boat? Is the
old saying about boats being used in an amount inversely proportional
to their size true? What do y'all think?


A Minicup was my first boat; even did overnights camped out under the
tented sail. FUN boat & taught me a lot about sailing. It IS great for
the kids and around the anchorage. They're capable of pretty solid
winds; but I broke the mast step in the second season. It got a little
old when we ran out of nearby places, but I'd love to have it behind Xan
some days.

Moved up to a 21' trailed boat. Allowed having a friend for overnights &
longer. Gave us more regular weekend jaunts, and more reason to drive
further for a long weekend or so. Since it still handled like a dink and
couldn't sink, we got some great sailing skills in conditions far
tougher than we should have been out in. Since it floated in 6", we got
into some mighty nice places. Again, ran out of places within easy range
and a week (solo or dual) was a real trial. After a while, stepping the
mast each time got old, so we moored it out, anyway. Could do the
Bahamas in it, but stablity, stowage and creature comforts are low. That
boat would be pretty equivalent to your 31' tri.

Our current boat is similar to your 28. A month of two-up a wonderful
dream. I normally single-hand even when Pat's aboard. The sailing isn't
as intense (most days) or immediate, but there's a certain satisfaction
to coaxing past another boat on a long set of beats, or actually
fetching the anchorage you've been steering at for hours. Getting out of
a situation is a *real* rush -- after the shakes go away.

Finding yourself in the same situation and it not being a problem ....
priceless.

I find our 28 about a perfect size: Large enough to be comfortable for
two (plus) and stable; small, tough and manouverable enough that I do
not hesitate to try to get places that I wouldn't try in larger --or
smaller-- boats.

We got around the "same places" problem by moving the boat every year or
two to untouched areas. We're now docked about 2 hours away from home,
and have our choice of a half dozen or so sweet anchorages any weekend.
If we can get out Friday night, that number at least doubles.

As it happens, we often get "there" before the multi-hulls. When it's
rough, we usually do. If they're cruising like us, we almost always beat
them because we are designed for the "extra" weight; they aren't.

And I can stand up to put my pants on. After a few days out, that really
does make a difference.

If we weren't in such a primo cruising area, I would consider trailing
Xan before the 31' Tri you're considering. Trailing either is about
equivalent, but Xan's more capable and comfortable.

-----

Separate item. I have been a cabinent maker for many years,
professionally and privately. Though I completed the MiniCup in about a
week, building a larger boat --particularly a tri-- is out of range. I
can buy a proven boat for less than the tri could be built for,
particularly if I considered my time at even minimum wage. [One of Xan's
sisters sold for $4500 a few months ago. The sister was in better shape
than Xan's pics.]


The Minicups (I built two) are a lot of fun and got me adicted to
boatbuilding. Currently I am building the Two-Paw-9 nesting dinghy to
replace my old Nautilus-8.
The threads getting sorta long so I'll address build vs buy in
another.

Thanks

Jeff Morris October 26th 04 05:24 PM

"Jere Lull" wrote
....

As it happens, we often get "there" before the multi-hulls. When it's
rough, we usually do. If they're cruising like us, we almost always beat
them because we are designed for the "extra" weight; they aren't.


This comment seems odd to me. One of the oft-cited virtues of multihulls is that they
"get there" long before monohulls. This is certainly true in our case. We generally
sail 20% faster than comparable monohulls, we power at about 7.5 knots, and can
motorsail at 9 knots. On top of that, the ride is usually so easy that it isn't too
much of a burden to go 8 to 10 hours, or longer.

It is certainly true that overloading a multihull will slow it down proportionally
more the monohull. While this is noticeable in a midsize cat (such as our PDQ36) it
isn't "fatal" as long as some care is taken. We traveled for a year "fully loaded"
and generally considered ourselves the fastest cruising boat around. (Of course, we
weren't challenging any racing boats to a round-the-buoys race in light air.)

However, when you go below 30 feet, the options in cats get rather limited. For cats,
the bridge deck clearance get very small, so overloading can cause problems in a chop.
For trimarans, they are normally designed for speed, and are so light that overloading
would dramatically affect trim. For example, a F27 only weighs 2600 pounds - that's
probably equal to what we carried (including fluids).

So Jere, I'd be very curious as to which multihulls you think you're faster than, and
under what conditions.


--
-jeff www.sv-loki.com
"The sea was angry that day, my friend. Like an old man trying to send back soup at
the deli."





Jere Lull October 27th 04 08:08 AM

In article ,
"Jeff Morris" wrote:

"Jere Lull" wrote
...

As it happens, we often get "there" before the multi-hulls. When
it's rough, we usually do. If they're cruising like us, we almost
always beat them because we are designed for the "extra" weight;
they aren't.


This comment seems odd to me. One of the oft-cited virtues of
multihulls is that they "get there" long before monohulls. This is
certainly true in our case. We generally sail 20% faster than
comparable monohulls, we power at about 7.5 knots, and can motorsail
at 9 knots. On top of that, the ride is usually so easy that it
isn't too much of a burden to go 8 to 10 hours, or longer.

It is certainly true that overloading a multihull will slow it down
proportionally more the monohull. While this is noticeable in a
midsize cat (such as our PDQ36) it isn't "fatal" as long as some care
is taken. We traveled for a year "fully loaded" and generally
considered ourselves the fastest cruising boat around. (Of course,
we weren't challenging any racing boats to a round-the-buoys race in
light air.)

However, when you go below 30 feet, the options in cats get rather
limited. For cats, the bridge deck clearance get very small, so
overloading can cause problems in a chop. For trimarans, they are
normally designed for speed, and are so light that overloading would
dramatically affect trim. For example, a F27 only weighs 2600 pounds
- that's probably equal to what we carried (including fluids).

So Jere, I'd be very curious as to which multihulls you think you're
faster than, and under what conditions.


A couple of months ago, we went out and terrorized a couple of Geminis
head to head. Passed them handily -- on every point of sail -- and they
were being fairly well sailed in just about ideal conditions. One of the
Geminis was a friend I was trying to find to take pics of. I chose the
wrong one first. Comparing notes over the years, they don't like
windward or rough weather work much, and don't motor worth a darn.
Slightest wave seems to knock them aside.

Also chartered a Gemini in Florida for a day a couple of years ago.
Perfect conditions and she flew, but the speeds seemed to be about what
I would have expected on Xan. And they *are* lightly built boats.

Had an indirect "race" with a 36' (?) Island Packet in about 20 knots,
broad reach, on the lower Bay. We started about the same time from the
same place and wound up docked next to each other. Comparing notes: What
a dog!

The past few 4th of July weekends, passed a total of 3 cats, from a
French 33 to an about 40' charter cat. All of us were under chute in
lightish winds between Rock Hall and Annapolis. Much of the time, we
were on autopilot with an overtrimmed chute, so it wasn't like I was
trying that hard.

All the above had waterline on us, and we carry a LOT of extra gear
aboard.

Now, Xan's a feisty little girl and often does things that shouldn't be
possible, but we've passed too many cats over the years to think much of
their overall sailing abilities. Yes, they can burst to nice speed (have
done it in the BVI), but over the long haul, they don't seem to really
go faster unless you have an attentive crew, and that's just not
cruising.

I'd love see what the PDQ does, but haven't seen one on the water that I
know of.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

rhys October 27th 04 04:09 PM

On Wed, 27 Oct 2004 07:08:42 GMT, Jere Lull wrote:


Now, Xan's a feisty little girl and often does things that shouldn't be
possible, but we've passed too many cats over the years to think much of
their overall sailing abilities.


Jere's right. Waterline length is obviously an important component of
overall speed, but it's only part of the puzzle. Angle of heel,
ballast ratio, rigging and pure seamanship all play a part. In
informal "throw-down" sprints in the fall and spring when the wind's
up on Lake Ontario, I regularly smoke much larger boats in 20 knots or
so. My boat's 33 feet and 32 years old and about 9,800 lbs. in the
slings. I've beaten C&C 35s, Hughes 38s and memorably, a Goderich 40
cutter ketch speed over ground.

Why? Because I know generally how to get the best out of my boat; I
have hank-on sails and a huge J measurement that allow me to point
pretty high, and a tiller that allows me to steer with my knees while
I trim sails. I also don't have a lot of heavy stuff on board, because
I like fast cruising even though I don't club race my own boat.

Now, all these flashy racing moves were done on a reach to a haul. My
IOR-stype high-aspect main is not very helpful on a run by the same
logic.

I think catamarans are great and that there's going to be considerable
refinement of them as long-term cruising boats in the coming years.
But I suspect they are fundamentally a different type of sailing
experience than that of monohull sailing in that the "tweaks"
available to catamaran sailors are fewer than to me. Sure, when
conditions are right they go like stink and OVERALL are bound to be
faster. So's a Star dinghy. But I can see where a '70s monohull
production cruiser like Jere's boat (and I know the type well as I
nearly bought one) can "beat" bigger boats that aren't, for whatever
reason, sailing to their full potential.

R.


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