Telstar Payload

[jeff432]

Payload is a term Thomas Jones discusses in MultiHull Voyaging, but rarely mentioned by builders (at least PC) and not seen discussed here or on the previous site.

What's the best guess estimate of a Telstar 28 payload (in lbs.) fresh from the factory with 20 hp motor?

I am wondering about capacity and the maintenance of safe cruising performance in a lighly loaded craft vs. one loaded with a lot of toys (extra batteries, anchors, refrigerator, solar cells, grills, windvanes, radar, extra fuel, etc.)?

Doesn't every extra pound detract from sailing performance and at extremes, safety?

[Dan]

I guess it all depends on what you mean by payload. Are you asking what the safe carrying capacity of a 20 HP equipped Telstar 28 is in terms of crew, equipment, food, drink, gear and personal effects?

First, I’d suspect that it is probably a good deal better than some of the Telstar’s closest competitors, namely the Corsair 28, due to major differences in the boat designs. The main hull and amas on the Telstar are designed to be load bearing, which isn’t the case on the Corsairs—which are first and foremost racing designs. The bottom of the amas on the Corsair are just even with the waterline, so that the windward ama is almost always airborne—the amas on the Telstar are generally designed be in the water most of the time. You can see that difference in this side-by-side drawing of the two boats.



T28vsC28.gif (102.42 KiB) Viewed 122 times



My boat is probably one of the heaviest Telstar 28s out there, due to the house battery bank, refrigerator, stern rail-mounted BBQ grill, bridgedeck, dinghy motor, dinghy, upgraded ground tackle system, and all the tools and supplies I have aboard normally. I’ve had her out in fairly snotty conditions and she handles them quite well. I raised the waterline on the bottom paint job quite a bit when I repainted her two seasons ago. I’ve also gotten her up to 15 knots and normally sail her at between 9–12 knots in SCA conditions. One of the key things to remember is that keeping a multihull a tiny bit aft-heavy is a lot better than making her bow heavy. She’ll handle much better than if she’s bow heavy.

[jeff432]

yes, Tony, i assume designed the boat with a certain bouyancy and payload in mind. I was wondering if anyone knew that number?

For optimal sailing, the lighter the better...?

For safe coastal cruising, keep the payload under X lbs. ?

In having researched MacGregors and passing on them, there seemed to be considerable attention on payload, and passenger load probably due to monohull design, water ballast, and stability issues.

Maybe maximum payload is not an issue with tris, and not a simple answer...thanks.

[Ron]

Jeff -

I don't know the payload rating, but I think that it's a Coast Guard requirement for power boats (all or some?), and since the Telstar comes with a motor, it's got to be listed somewhere. Maybe on the boat, maybe in the literature. But, as Dan said, it's designed to carry a lot more weight than other trimarans. All 3 hulls are planted firmly in the water, nearly all of the time. I can step heavily on the outer ama coaming with my 210 pounds and the boat barely even moves. Do that on a Corsair and it starts to rock immediately. The boat is extremely stable out on the water as well. Easily the best multihull (or monohull) in this size range that I've ever seen. I walk all around the boat carrying my Raymarine remote control to steer in virtually all conditions within a 20 to 25 knot range. I've been on Corsairs which have heeled over maybe 15 degrees. Main hull and one ama wet, other flying maybe a foot or two above the water. This won't happen on this boat in normal winds. I don't think either of my amas have actually cleared the water any time. Gotten close, but never made it.

All of the above has the opposite effect on raw speed. More weight and all 3 hulls always in the water tend to slow you down a drop, especially in light air. I can stay with or sometimes beat the smaller Corsairs in medium or better wind speeds, but lighter air and more weight and wetted surface don't go together. Never acually measured this, but I think I lose close to a half a knot for every crew member on board. Only real way to test it it to start throwing people overboard while watching the knot meter. Note that if they will let me, I race the boat singlehanded. I will not carry 2 crew members anymore either. Cockpit is a little too small for 3 to work in during a race, and I don't need another 200 pounds of ballast.

[onremlop]

We took 12 people out on our Telstar this fall in about 15 knot winds and had no problems except when we had to bring in the amas and lost the extra deck room. The boat moved faster than a monohull even with all that additional weight.

[Ron]

Just remembered something that Tony or Will told me when I bought the boat. You can punch a big hole in the main hull and the ama's will keep you floating.

[Dan]

Actually, IIRC, a single ama has enough flotation for the entire boat. Of course, it won’t be floating very high if the main hull and other ama are filled with water, but it will still float. I believe that Tony said each ama is 150% or so of buoyancy compared to the boat.

With 12 people aboard, even if Oremlop didn’t have any extra gear or such, you’re probably looking at close to 1700–2000 lbs. of passengers alone.