Friday, April 19, 2013

Corsair/Farrier vs Dragonfly

I've sailed and toured multiple Corsair/Farriers and own a Dragonfly 1000.  The following is opinion, not intended to offend advocates of either.

In car terms:
To me, the Farrier is like a Lotus:  Fast, nimble, light, spartan and tight, as in not much space.  The Dragonfly is more like a BMW:  Heavier, but still fast, maneuverable, roomy with creature comforts.

In camper terms:
To me, the Farrier is like a Coleman pop-up, minimalist with carpet on the bulkheads and overheads.  The DF is like an Airstream, solid, with teak, sometimes leather and accommodations.

I'm 6'2" and my wife is 5'11":
While I alone could fit into the V-berth and aft cabin of a F32AX.  Both of us together however, could not.  While I could sit in the V-berth of the same AX, I could not sit in the aft cabin.  I cannot stand but have to crouch down in the AX.  The 31, 28 and 27 are even smaller; narrower and shorter.  I could conceivably do a weekend, maybe stretch it out to a week aboard a Farrier, but then I'd be crazed.

My wife and I both fit in the Dragonfly 1000 V-berth, it is almost a queen size bed!  I still have to duck my head a bit in the 6' tall Dragonfly 1000, but it is usually only a minor annoyance.  I have gone weeks aboard.  But I still want the DF32 or 35 with the 6'4" headroom!

While a similar size Dragonfly is more roomy and more comfortable than the Farrier, a similar size mono-hull has still more interior room.  Obviously, the trimaran has more exterior room.  A buddy has a Bavaria 38 and everyone is always crowded into the cockpit.  His family came aboard my boat and immediately scattered to the nets...and stayed there!  I guess the nets are inviting.

I race aboard a buddy's Corsair 27 and cruise aboard my DF 1000.  The two designs sail similarly, the same concepts upwind, reaching and downwind.  The DF has more freeboard and is thereby drier.  I'm always wet in rough waves aboard the Corsair 27 and never aboard my DF.

I like the DF folding system (line, winch and clutches) better than the Farrier (wrench and 4 bolts).  I can winch in the amas while entering port, prior to the slip, while my wife motors us in.  I've only seen the Corsair folded at the slip.  Keep in mind, there is the potential for dropping the wrench or bolts overboard.

Yes, I like the Dragonfly, but there are a few things to make my head itch.  Sometimes the electrical system makes me I wonder what they were thinking.  And the head/waste system make me wonder WTF?  Still, it does have a head and a holding tank, not a port-a-potty.  And yes, the lights usually turn on.

The bottom line for me: The DF for cruising, though I would race it, the Corsair for pure adrenaline.

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