F-27 Corsair Trimaran
In Spring 2009 we
drove up to Boston with our F250 pickup and bought a 1991 F-27 Corsair folding trimaran on a trailer
and towed it back to Brunswick, GA. We spent several weeks making upgrades and
repairs and then towed the boat to Michigan in July for a month of cruising on
the Great Lakes.
This trimaran
is radically different than Atom, my Pearson Triton monohull that has carried me
twice around the world. Two different boats for two different purposes. The F-27
is light, fast, shallow draft with the daggerboard up, sails at less than 10
degrees of heel, doesn't roll much at sea or in the anchorage, is easily
trailered and has the versatility of 8-foot beam when folded and 19-foot wide
unfolded. It also is expensive to purchase, a handful to launch and sail
singlehanded, has a quick jerky motion in rough seas, doesn't like to be
overloaded with gear and provisions without hurting performance, has a smaller and
less comfortable interior than a similar length monohull, and has the risk of
turning upside down if too much sail is carried in high winds. Not ideal for an
extended shorthanded voyage because you cannot safely leave the helm unattended
or on autopilot in squally conditions and the boat is too fast for windvane
self-steering.
On our cruise
of the lakes this summer we spent many pleasant days learning to sail this boat.
Sailing at a conservative 12-13 knots under full sail on a close reach was
easier than I imagined - we were nearly level, the boat had a finger light
response from the tiller, not much spray was landing in the cockpit and though
we chose to reef when the winds increased, she had the feeling of being able to
run much faster. For a longtime monohull sailor it took a while to get used to
the strange effect of sailing with boat speed close to the actual wind speed. In
the light to moderate winds we experienced most days, the apparent wind was so
far forward of the actual wind we often ended up close-hauled with sheets tight
when the true wind was aft the beam. All in all, an excellent boat for its
purpose.
Update June
2011: This boat is now for sale. Details
here.
(click
photos to enlarge)
Sailing
on the Great Lakes 2009
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The
"screecher" here on the end of the bowsprit is furled on its own luff rope
and can be stored as is or dropped to the deck and stowed when not in
use.
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You
can see here and in the photo at right how narrow the main hull is,
making accommodations for
two somewhat cramped after a few days.
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The
poptop is up here for sailing in calm waters. As designed it is best
left in the lowered position. This is something I intend to modify so it
can be left in the partly up position semi-permanently.
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Here
the jib is furled and we sail under "screecher" which is
similar to a genoa on a bowsprit furler.
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The
mast has been raised while on the trailer at the launch ramp and once
launched it's a simple matter to extend the floats, or amas. |
 |
 |
We
carried a 6'5" fiberglass/plywood pram dinghy on the nets. |
The
companionway poptop is extended here to provide standing headroom. Our
bug screen is in place here. |
I
replaced the original 9.8 HP 2-stroke outboard with a Tohatsu 6HP
4-stroke SailPro with 25" shaft and high thrust prop. The remote
throttle/shifter linkages were removed and a tiller and gear shift
extension added. This motor pushes the boat at 6.5 knots in calm water.
|
Here
you see the motor in its well with the hatch cover removed. |
The
motor in its tilted up position with gear shift extension folded back
and throttle extension removed. |
The
outboard well.
|
I
installed a 43-watt solar panel on my Solar-Tracker mount and a ST2000
tillerpilot. |
I
replaced most of the electrical system with one switch panel here on the
forward bulkhead and one on the aft bulkhead as space allowed. 750 watt
inverter at bottom. I added a 2nd AGM battery opposite side to the
original battery. |
The
boat came with this Garmin 440 chartplotter which I installed on a teak
base with nonslip material glued underneath. The unit plugs into a
12-volt outlet.
|
Here
the Garmin GPS is stored on a locker shelf when not needed outside. Four
double 12v receptacles are installed around the boat to run appliances
such as portable fan, PC, GPS, cockpit anchor light, etc. |
The
boat came with this lavac vacuum-type toilet. |
Here
the holding tank and macerator are visible. |
My
wife soon figured out that she could have full 5'1" standing
headroom by removing the center floor board. We left the board and the
salon table at home this time. |
The
boat originally came with a flimsy sliding bunk that was unusable.
I strengthened it by adding aluminum angle to the plywood and flat bar
for track. |
Here
the bunk board is extended. |
An
insert cushion is added to the extended bunk for sleeping. |
Main
salon looking forward.
|
Looking
aft into the snug aft cabin. We mostly used it for storage for sails and
gear and slept in the main salon. |
Floats
extended and trailer removed for maintenance. |
Looking
aft to the galley. I replaced the sink hand pump with a foot pump. |
F-27
on her trailer and ready for the next cruise. |
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Links:
F-27
History
F-Boats
Forum
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