Questions regarding prospective Telstar purchase

Talking about the boats in general, that don't fit in the other categories.
captainzman
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Re: Questions regarding prospective Telstar purchase

Post by captainzman »

Hull52: My (one week) experience with the Nature's Head was completely positive other than the fact that the new owner forgot to empty the urine tank TWICE. I will be talking to Capt. Sandy at C-Head about a custom install of one of his composting heads some time after I get Nice Tri, #23. The C-Head is cheaper and uses regular milk jugs as urine catchments, eliminating the odor retention problem with other units that use dedicated tanks. A friend of mine just purchased one for use aboard a PDQ 36 and likes it a lot so far. He and his wife have previosly owned both the Nature's Head and AirHead composting heads.

As far as I know, Gemini is not using composting heads and I doubt they will even though they should. I think that composting heads may be one of those rare items that actually are better than they seem from a distance or in a brochure.

The 15 HP Mercury does have power tilt. I have not heard any comparisons to the Honda but a Seawind 1000 owner I know likes them more than the Yam 9.9 High Thrusts. I would like more feedback myself before making the leap.

I should be getting the boat within the week and I'm sure that I will have more questions.

-Mark
---sailing often into the sunset.
Hull52
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Re: Questions regarding prospective Telstar purchase

Post by Hull52 »

Thanks for your reply Mark. Interesting news on the composter. Eager to see how it works out.

If you're the buyer of the boat on the Barnegat, you get an added bonus of my Craftsman flat blade screw driver that I left onboard. Enjoy and good luck with it. (the boat, not the screwdriver).

Lou
captainzman
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Re: Questions regarding prospective Telstar purchase

Post by captainzman »

Lou, my boat is not the NJ boat, she is a 50 HP boat in Sarasota. So, sorry, no screwdriver.
Mark, aka Capt. Z
---sailing often into the sunset.
jannpage
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Re: Questions regarding prospective Telstar purchase

Post by jannpage »

Greetings

Congratulations. The more you use the Telstar the more you will love it. It will come close to ruining you for most other sailboats. It is a great boat. Admittedly, we sometimes wish the build quality had been better, but the new price was awfully nice.


but there are a few downsides one of which i think is very important when you consider motors..
It goes like this- If the I ft. rudder/keel up draft is important to you, keep reverse power foremost in any consideration of motors.. This boat is light. It has a lot of windage. Outboards have poor backing power. shallow water work often requires low speed operation and backing up a bit and trymg a different course. Without forward speed this boat is under the control of the wind. My self, I am not 100% comfortable my 20HP Honda has the reverse power I want, but so far I have been OK. I think I would look hard at a HO Yamaha. Now I have not looked at new motors for a few years so perhaps there are some others out there with a really good modification of the standard push a light boat as fast as you can forward design of outboards. But I would pay close attention to that. Course I am a gunkhole freak.

lefty2
Ron
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Re: Questions regarding prospective Telstar purchase

Post by Ron »

Try putting a high thrust 4 blade prop on the motor. The prop that comes with the 20hp Honda is more suited to a light weight skiff that can do 20+ knots. The standard 9 1/4 diam x10 pitch blades are NOT made to move 4,500 pounds. Too much slippage. I went with a 10 diam x 7.5 pitch Solas. Much improvement, forward and reverse. The Honda Powerthrust prop is decent too, but the Solas has bigger blades and it seems to help.

I think this would also apply to the 50hp as well. Not sure what came with it or what it needs, but I'd guess that the standard prop is made for something light that can break 30 knots.

The main problem in backing up is that the rudder is not balanced. It definitely will try to move on you. Hold it tight.
Ron Marcuse
Telstar 28 #359 "Tri-Power"
captainzman
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Re: Questions regarding prospective Telstar purchase

Post by captainzman »

The Gemini 3200 that I mentioned earlier had a Honda 50 with a four-blade prop, Solas I think. It worked very well both ahead and astern. I'll find out from the owner what the pitch is later this month.
-Z
---sailing often into the sunset.
Ron
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Re: Questions regarding prospective Telstar purchase

Post by Ron »

Mark -

The Gemini is TOTALLY different from a Telstar, in terms of weight, wetted surface area, beam, waterline length, hull speed, etc. You pick a prop based on all of these factors as well as horsepower and gear ratio. What works best on the heavier boat would not work as well on something significantly lighter. And it would be even worse on a real lightweight. I think a 7.0 to 7.5 pitch would be best on the 4500 pound Honda 20hp Telstar. 50 hp would raise the top speed to perhaps 14 knots and something in the 8.0 to 9.0 pitch range would probably be OK. I have no idea what prop they were putting on the 50hp Telstars, and Honda does not sell this motor with a prop (which reinforces my theories above). The dealer would recommend something based on what boat the motor was going on.
Ron Marcuse
Telstar 28 #359 "Tri-Power"
captainzman
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Re: Questions regarding prospective Telstar purchase

Post by captainzman »

I just sea trialed the Telstar, accepted her and paid for her. I will be sailing her down from Sarasota on Thursday. Thank you everyone for your input, advice and ideas. The 50 HP would "only" do about 12 knots in choppy conditions, much less the PCI advertisement claimed. The bottom is clean and the amas were extended. I'm not disappointed, just curious as I'm not planning on keeping the motor long-term and don't want to put too much time into re-propping the Honda 50.

I really enjoyed the first sail aboard Nice Tri. Can't wait to get her underway to her dock.

-Z
---sailing often into the sunset.
Ron
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Re: Questions regarding prospective Telstar purchase

Post by Ron »

Congratulations on the new boat. You will like it. I'm not surprised at the 12 knot max speed in choppy water with the ama's extended. That will slow just about any lightweight boat down, and especially one where the chop is probably hitting the ama's support structures.

I'll post something when we leave NJ. We normally make the trip in 3 days/2 nights when pulling a trailer (not a boat trailer this time). And as I mentioned before, you'd be welcome to take a look at how the mast goes up, which should happen maybe 2 days after we get to Punta Gorda.
Ron Marcuse
Telstar 28 #359 "Tri-Power"
captainzman
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Re: Questions regarding prospective Telstar purchase

Post by captainzman »

I feel a little remiss in not reporting that I did, in fact, purchase Nice Tri, #323. I sailed her home Thursday and Friday and loved it. I definitely need some nylon though as we were too deep in the wind to really get her going, although we did hit 9 and 10 kts occasionally in NW wind @12-14 very broad on the starboard quarter. I'll rummage through the forum for advice in this area. The 50 HP Honda was a hoot at times and might not be the worst thing given my semi-landlocked location and need to get out to the Gulf for really good wind conditions sometimes. Plus, it will make a nice pontoon boat to use when the wind isn't blowing at all :lol: Ron: I look forward to meeting you when you get down here. You were right: I love the boat. It's just the thing for where I am right now.

-Mark Z
---sailing often into the sunset.
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