Dragonfly 36 debut

[Chiara’s slave]

I have spent a pleasant afternoon going down the rabbit hole of Dragonfly trimarans even ending up thinking I wouldn't mind a 40C Performance and I have never even sailed anything with more than one hull except a Hobby Cat more years ago than I care to remember.
I did wonder where the batteries and inverter / charger were housed and where would you put a life raft and small inflatable, don't fancy the Kyak

Our tender goes in the cockpit floor locker. Life raft, on the foredeck. You’d get a rolled up rubber duck into the outrigger on the 40 no prob. Probably do that on a 32 too, the amas are much bigger than ours. We fit our paddleboards in, 10 fenders, warps, a 25 litre plastic jerrycan and the wetsuits and fins, vital boat scrubbing gear, that. I don’t know where the batteries etc are on other boats, but on ours, starting at the bow, under the forward double berth, is the water tank, the batteries, the holding tank and the charge controllers. Tri sailing is just like mono sailing to make it go along, then you just need to remember that the telltales must fly all the time. Downwind too. And that, if you don’t watch yourself, you’ll thunder off onto a reach whilst trying to beat. The apparent wind changes a couple of degrees, you might not notice. The log changes more….

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Our tender goes in the cockpit floor locker. Life raft, on the foredeck. You’d get a rolled up rubber duck into the outrigger on the 40 no prob. Probably do that on a 32 too, the amas are much bigger than ours. We fit our paddleboards in, 10 fenders, warps, a 25 litre plastic jerrycan and the wetsuits and fins, vital boat scrubbing gear, that. I don’t know where the batteries etc are on other boats, but on ours, starting at the bow, under the forward double berth, is the water tank, the batteries, the holding tank and the charge controllers. Tri sailing is just like mono sailing to make it go along, then you just need to remember that the telltales must fly all the time. Downwind too. And that, if you don’t watch yourself, you’ll thunder off onto a reach whilst trying to beat. The apparent wind changes a couple of degrees, you might not notice. The log changes more….

I had the idea that the armas were weight sensitive and 35Kg of inflatable would be too much and of course there is all the other stuff that needs to go somewhere. I was thinking in terms of it being more for extended cruising than just a couple of weeks where you can call into a marina. Which then brings up the question of is that fridge enough and I think not, I would want a freezer to compliment it. Then there is the question of anchoring I can't see them carrying 80M or more of chain which would be the minimum in a cruising boat. But it is a compelling boat.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Yeah, it’s not a long term cruiser. The size of the fridge and freezer, and the water tank, would be limiting. However, you’re going to get there a lot quicker….
It tells you in the handbook how much you can put in the amas, there is a limit, but it’s not that hard. If we are regularly using the tender on a trip, it stays inflated. Just bung it on a tramp, often complete with engine.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Yeah, it’s not a long term cruiser. The size of the fridge and freezer, and the water tank, would be limiting. However, you’re going to get there a lot quicker….
It tells you in the handbook how much you can put in the amas, there is a limit, but it’s not that hard. If we are regularly using the tender on a trip, it stays inflated. Just bung it on a tramp, often complete with engine.

I think the water isn't an issue, a small water maker and a Watt and Sea hydro generator would take care of it and keep the batteries topped up. It's certainly a different way of sailing and thinking.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I think the water isn't an issue, a small water maker and a Watt and Sea hydro generator would take care of it and keep the batteries topped up. It's certainly a different way of sailing and thinking.

Best to use solar, not hydrogeneration. That slows you down. You have acres of deck space with the amas as well. Think speed, always. Lithium batteries and as much solar as you can fit on. Plus the engine alternator when you have to use it. But we get by electrically with very little use of a 160 watt outboard alternator. You don’t motor much, 5kn in 5kn of wind, after all.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

DF28 at full throttle.

 

[John_Silver]

Spectacular!
Was moored with a good view of her (in a less dramatic pose) last week, on the Hamble:



What have I let myself in for? Accepting Al's offer to take his DF28 out for the day, after she's done her SIBS duty.....

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Spectacular!
Was moored with a good view of her (in a less dramatic pose) last week, on the Hamble:

View attachment 182554

What have I let myself in for? Accepting Al's offer to take his DF28 out for the day, after she's done her SIBS duty.....

Hmmm, we might come out to play too if it’s nice.

 

[Laser310]

I looked at the brokerage boats on the Dragonfly site...

Wow - nearly EUR 1 million for a used 40, and it looks like you don't even get a carbon mast

Gunboat 48 is only a little more.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I looked at the brokerage boats on the Dragonfly site...

Wow - nearly EUR 1 million for a used 40, and it looks like you don't even get a carbon mast

Gunboat 48 is only a little more.

Plenty of lower priced boats though. Angus has a lovely 35 he didn’t pay a million for. You can buy a top 920 for under 100k. If you can prise it out of the owners hands that is. Ours might be for sale in 10 years time. Sooner if we win the lottery.

 

[Birdseye]

Assuming those numbers are correct yes. It’s virtually 40ft inc bowsprit anyway. And you think someone who’s paid 750k for a boat is going to worry? They’ll be too busy pissing TP52 owners off.

well will they be pissed off? I like speed as much as the next man, perhaps more so, but the comparison isnt like for like any more than would be racing a greyhound against a horse. Or in petrolhead terms, a sports bike against a sports car.

And for me, thats the question about a Dragonfly Tri or any other similar machine - what do you do with it? As a cruising machine its limited both by accommodation and carrying capacity. As a racing machine its limited by availability of competition outside the south coast and maybe even there. So is it just speed for speeds sake? And if it is, are you going for a foiler next?

 

[Chiara’s slave]

well will they be pissed off? I like speed as much as the next man, perhaps more so, but the comparison isnt like for like any more than would be racing a greyhound against a horse. Or in petrolhead terms, a sports bike against a sports car.

And for me, thats the question about a Dragonfly Tri or any other similar machine - what do you do with it? As a cruising machine its limited both by accommodation and carrying capacity. As a racing machine its limited by availability of competition outside the south coast and maybe even there. So is it just speed for speeds sake? And if it is, are you going for a foiler next?

We’d buy a foiler if it was practical at all, yes. But clearly that is not happening. The tri is the fastest practical small cruiser. Cats work over 40ft, not so well at 30. Plus theres the mooring problem. I think most of us DF owners do buy for the speed. The speed is practical too, high passage speeds mean hitting your tidal gates, beating the weather, not having to sail at night often, a biggie for us as Mrs C has a vision impairment affecting her night vision. Competition wise, our club uses NHC, we race with the cruiser fleet occasionally. There is a Dragonfly fleet at Royal Vic, Wooton.

 

[Chris 249]

Sure, DF owners may buy them for the speed but that doesn't mean that TP52 owners will be pissed off since their boats have different positives, or that anyone should feel a particular joy in pissing their fellow sailors off.

My 700 quid foiler and our 18' cat are rated significantly quicker than your Dragonfly - does that mean we should enjoy making you annoyed?

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Sure, DF owners may buy them for the speed but that doesn't mean that TP52 owners will be pissed off since their boats have different positives, or that anyone should feel a particular joy in pissing their fellow sailors off.

My 700 quid foiler and our 18' cat are rated significantly quicker than your Dragonfly - does that mean we should enjoy making you annoyed?

Fair point, most TPs only sail twice a year, and I doubt they notice Dragonflys normally. We just enjoy and use the performance. We arrived at cruising multis via cats, Hurricane 5.9 in our case. That is of course just a dinghy, like your 18. We tend to be admired by small cat owners, rather than huffily told we can’t sail our boat to the Carribean, the accommodation s too small, the bowsprit costs too much in the marina, followed by a lecture on capsizing, from the more staid mono owners. Clearly, we just value different qualities in a sailing boat. We are at Newtown, having sailed here yesterday, against both tide and the 8kn breeze. Everyone else we could see going in our direction was motorsailing with just the main, or giving up on sails entirely.

 

[Neeves]

Fair point, most TPs only sail twice a year, and I doubt they notice Dragonflys normally. We just enjoy and use the performance. We arrived at cruising multis via cats, Hurricane 5.9 in our case. That is of course just a dinghy, like your 18. We tend to be admired by small cat owners, rather than huffily told we can’t sail our boat to the Carribean, the accommodation s too small, the bowsprit costs too much in the marina, followed by a lecture on capsizing, from the more staid mono owners. Clearly, we just value different qualities in a sailing boat. We are at Newtown, having sailed here yesterday, against both tide and the 8kn breeze. Everyone else we could see going in our direction was motorsailing with just the main, or giving up on sails entirely.

View attachment 183051View attachment 183052

Not everyone wants to sail to the Caribbean and some might be happy to sacrifice a bit of comfort for speed. The accomodation might be a bit tight, but for a cruising couple, its more than adequate (we are looking at Corsair).

If you enjoy speed, for speeds sake, there are restrictions - police and speed cameras - the sea allows you to satisfy those demands, for speed, legally.

Now if the focus of owning a yacht is to have parties (at your expense) then a Tri would not fit the bill. Our children and grandchildren are not in the least bit interested in sailing (but maybe that's my fault) - but little point in having invested in a 6 berth cat if the intended crew do not turn up

Hence Corsair.

Th idea of having the interior space of a J24 does not discourage us.

Jonathan

Edit, it does not take much to have a folding prodder.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Our prodder retracts of course. We have a DF over a corsair primarily because we have to fold on our mooring. Corsairs immerse the sides of their amas when folded, so need antifoul on the outside faces, ghastly. We had a Corsair, on a swinging mooring. They do sail slightly differently too, but clearly still a high performance tri. The folding mechanism on the corsair is very quick, smooth and easy, and if it’s just a marina for an overnight, that ama fouling issue is a non issue. Prospective buyers can just pick the type that suits their needs, I don’t see one as better than the other necessarily. DFs have higher volume floats typically, which gives the difference in characteristics.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

And for me, thats the question about a Dragonfly Tri or any other similar machine - what do you do with it? As a cruising machine its limited both by accommodation and carrying capacity. As a racing machine its limited by availability of competition outside the south coast and maybe even there.

I find mine provides ample opportunity to go on sailing forums & moan about its lack of accommodation & carrying capacity and limited racing competition in Loch Bhui nam Dromaig in February. That provides all the justification I need to own it. I don't feel the need to sail it anywhere, so I don't.

 

[John_Silver]

I find mine provides ample opportunity to go on sailing forums & moan about its lack of accommodation & carrying capacity and limited racing competition in Loch Bhui nam Dromaig in February. That provides all the justification I need to own it. I don't feel the need to sail it anywhere, so I don't.

.......and there was me imagining you as a pelagic sea nomad type. Based on, what sounded like heartfelt advice, born of personal experience, on the 'Not Full Time Cruising' thread:
" It's a different style of boat ownership and cruising for those who either no longer need to work or can work afloat, and don't have home commitments. As Gem43 reports - it doesn't have to be a permanent change. If it's not for you or your home situation changes you can revert to a permanent berth. However, for those who have had the opportunity I've never met anyone who regretted the change - even if just fleeting for a year or two."
Another illusion shattered! About you and the Dragonfly

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Another illusion shattered! About you and the Dragonfly

Bah! Rumbled.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Dunno why we do it sometimes, just convenience I guess, but just popped up to Cowes, against the tide, beating into a F5-6NE wind. Top gust, 28knots, average 21. The boat just tore up the Solent. Had a couple of nights at Shepard's, did the Southampton show and a meal out in Cowes. That is kind of what we do with our DF920. A lot of short ish trips and weekends, a number of days out, just anchor at the beach and swim/paddleboard, and we try and fit in 2 longer trips each year. The performance makes all sorts of places into short trips. And load carrying, we are usually just the 2 of us, but we’ll be carrying 2 paddleboards, a tender with outboard, and if it’s a longer trip, food for at least 3 days, though we would tend to pop in to a port for resupply, and a break from cooking. The water tank does about 3 days for us, as does the holding tank. Clearly that’s not enough for an ocean, but non stop to Morbihan is quite within range. Everyone else here except us are dyed in the wool long distance cruisers, who bake their own bread, carry 2 tons of water, and consider it cowardice to put in to a marina for rest and resupply. But oddly, the sailors we meet when at anchor are usually heading for civilisation in a day or so. I’m not really clear about what we do that makes us so different. Perhaps if your boat is so slow, laden down with months of supplies, it takes you longer to get places. Ocean cruising livaboards need a different type of boat for sure, but about 95% of people we meet sail similarly to us. I can kind of understand if the boat is too radical for you, too sporty. Some folks like it in the slow and gentle lane. But impractical, no. All DFs except the 25, and the old 800 are perfectly viable cruisers. And in fact we cruised our 800 for 2 weeks every summer with 2 children on board.