Folding Tri- the ultimate Med boat?

[Minerva]

For me the appeal would be for a part time med boat. Keep the boat in uk for 49 weeks a year for local weekend cruising in your given area, then for your 3 weeks a year summer cruise, trail down to SoF or wherever using the tri as a caravan en route over a couple of days, launch then have fun in the sun before coming home again…

 

[Sea Change]

Thanks again for all the input, it's certainly been an interesting discussion.
A word on watermakers, I would plan on fitting a small Spectra- 8A draw to produce 25l/hr. This is what Atlantic rowing boats use as it's much lighter than carrying enough water for the duration. And unlike them, if mine were to break I can easily go and buy some water from the nearest marina.

I presume the storage in the outriggers is pretty decent, and these would function as the cockpit lockers for fenders etc.

I think the cost looks like the biggest hurdle. I hadn't expected them to be quite so expensive. But they are pretty high tech.

 

[Tintin]

This is one of the biggest road transportable ones. You wouldn’t call it a trailer sailer, it takes about 3 hours to assemble on the teailer after towing, and needs three humans with hair on their chests to do it. But it’ll sit on the trailer or trolley, folded, assembled, ready to go. Just it’s too wide til you take it apart, to traill.
View attachment 193897
Advantages, as you say. Light, trailable, low draught. Very, very fast. Its a rare sail not to see double figures, not unknown to see 20kn, though you won’t need the log to tell you that. Every part of your anatomy will know. Accommodation, compact. Like a Contessa 32 with just a small area of standing headroom. But we have all other griwn up facilities, and a really good cockpit tent. We love ours. Do you want a sail?

I had one of my most enjoyable sails on a friend's Dragonfly in the channel islands. The speed, the acceleration, was so much fun. And the amas retracting made marina berthing so easy.

Took me back to when I first sailed a hobi-cat, or when I got a middle life crisis Mk1 Mx5

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I can get inside the outrigger locker and lie down. I’m not a dwarf.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I had one of my most enjoyable sails on a friend's Dragonfly in the channel islands. The speed, the acceleration, was so much fun. And the amas retracting made marina berthing so easy.

Took me back to when I first sailed a hobi-cat, or when I got a middle life crisis Mk1 Mx5

The MX5 is quite a good comparison in fact, though in terms of car performance it’s more turbo MR2. A car you never see in mediteranean France there Or any other Francophone area come to that.

 

[capnsensible]

There's no cure for poorly handled, apart from s Bruce Roberts design. But otherwise, I am familiar, have moored in my share of med harbours in all sorts. Though mostly 8metre classics, delicate for other reasons.

So you know why it's the wrong place....all of it.....for a fold up boat.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

So you know why it's the wrong place....all of it.....for a fold up boat.

I think you’re unduly concerned about fragility.

 

[Muddy32]

You do not need to spend mega bucks if you can adapt; to enjoy better weather and interesting, different places.
I had a cheap [£5k] Telstar, trailed it down from Scotland, and then with partially reduced width to 2 hulls, through some of the French canals, before day hopping down French West coast and Spain/Portugal to Gib. Lots of lovely small ports, including first yacht up the Douro. OK, fairly, basic but really enjoyable, and accepted by the local population.
18 months then, in and around the Med, again 2 up and rarely going into marinas, but often anchoring just outside, [with their permission and watering]. Cockpit tent for rain and excess sun.
Back in Uk I sold it, into a container for the original cost, when it disappeared of to Thailand.
It is possible, but not if you need a/c.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

For me the appeal would be for a part time med boat. Keep the boat in uk for 49 weeks a year for local weekend cruising in your given area, then for your 3 weeks a year summer cruise, trail down to SoF or wherever using the tri as a caravan en route over a couple of days, launch then have fun in the sun before coming home again…

You would probably choose a Farrier tri for that. Well built, fast, much like a Dragonfly, but a different folding mechanism. And most importantly, fold it, recover onto trailer, mast down and ready to drive, no disassembly needed. They need a swinging mooring for longer term berthing though, as their folding is like a gulls wing, and leaves the topside of the outrigger immersed when folded. Not so good if you leave it on a finger berth for 3 weeks. Ok overnight and sailed in between of course. Dragonfly later models like the 28 can be trailed without disassembly, but like most of us, the OP does not have 150k plus to spend. So he’ll be looking at the 800 and 920, and the F24 and F27 Farriers.
We had hoped to do a med trip with ours, but life, in the form of our grown up kids, has consistently got in the way. We are currently long term cat sitting while our daughter is off travelling.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

It is possible, but not if you need a/c.

Not so necessary in The Minch. It comes built in with the weather. Maybe the OP should think laterally & change his sailing area. He'd be welcomed back by the Kelpies.

 

[westernman]

Of course if its really is just a day/picnic boat that is needed, a DF800 or Farrier F24 would work perfectly well. £25k would sort that.

For that you want one of these:-



Single handed Hobie FX One.

Great fun. You get wetter than on a windsurfer.

On a windsurfer, if you don't fall in, you only get wet up to your knees.
On the FX One, in anything other than a flat calm, you get completely wet. Waves go over the top of you and rain down on you.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

For that you want one of these:-

View attachment 193920

That would be fun. I had a Hurricane 5.9 pre children. But it had no heads, galley or siesta room.

 

[Stemar]

On a windsurfer, if you don't fall in, you only get wet up to your knees.

Big if when the wind gets up

Is it just me, or is this starting to sound like an anchor thread?

 

[PabloPicasso]

You need a plank or passarelle, there’s nowhere to add it, and the folded floats will be very difficult for adjacent boats to fender to

Presumably one wouldd go into a shallow bit of the bay where all yhe charter boats Couldn't go

Same for anchoring.

 

[Muddy32]

Presumably one wouldd go into a shallow bit of the bay where all yhe charter boats Couldn't go

Same for anchoring.

No passerelle needed, if in the shallows- just step off barefoot and carry your shoes.

 

[PabloPicasso]

I think we can agree that it'd be a mission to permanently live aboard a folding triman in the Med.

However, as a day boat/weekender/week-stayer it could work very well.

Especially if avoiding the very hottest weeks in August.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I think we can agree that it'd be a mission to permanently live aboard a folding triman in the Med.

However, as a day boat/weekender/week-stayer it could work very well.

Especially if avoiding the very hottest weeks in August.

My experience of living with them in uk agrees very much with that. The OP seems to want that kind of boating experience, hence my enthusiastic recommendation.

BTW, the folded floats are not at all difficult to raft up to, particularly for motor boats. As can be seen in this thread, there is still a heavy bias against multis, we find more friendship and boat admiration from motor boats than many sailors, who tend to regard us as reckless lunatics frequently.

 

[PabloPicasso]

My experience of living with them in uk agrees very much with that. The OP seems to want that kind of boating experience, hence my enthusiastic recommendation.

BTW, the folded floats are not at all difficult to raft up to, particularly for motor boats. As can be seen in this thread, there is still a heavy bias against multis, we find more friendship and boat admiration from motor boats than many sailors, who tend to regard us as reckless lunatics frequently.

Hooligans

But I'd just love to have a go!!

 

[Sea Change]

I think we can agree that it'd be a mission to permanently live aboard a folding triman in the Med.

However, as a day boat/weekender/week-stayer it could work very well.

Especially if avoiding the very hottest weeks in August.

We used to spend a few weeks at a time on our Albin Vega, I wonder how the tris compare to that?

 

[AngusMcDoon]

We used to spend a few weeks at a time on our Albin Vega, I wonder how the tris compare to that?

Voluminous. Luxurious. Sumptuous. Equally Scandinaveous.