Questions regarding prospective Telstar purchase

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

Post by captainzman »

Hello, my name is Mark and I live in Pine Island, FL. I am about to purchase a 2005 Telstar with the 50 HP engine and I have a few questions for the forum. While I am an experienced multi-huller, I am not too familiar with the Telstar 28.
1.The boat does not have a trailer. Has anyone modified a standard 28' tandem trailer to use with their Telstar?
2.I am not crazy about the 50 HP engine. I am thinking of getting a 15 HP Mercury kicker with power tilt and remote and using the Honda on a skiff. Other than the (very expensive) Honda 20, what other engines have been found to work well with the Telstar 28?
3. The boat does not have the TriData and the Wind Instrument. Were these standard?
4. The boat does not have a marine head, just a porta potty which is fine for the use I intend. Was the marine head an option?

Thank you in advance for any help/advice that you may have to offer.
---sailing often into the sunset.
vancouver
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Re: Questions regarding prospective Telstar purchase

Post by vancouver »

Hi Mark,

I had a 50 on mine and the extra weight and higher fuel consumption was not really worth the very few times I wanted to go that fast. I replaced it with a Tohatsu 20 hp. Remote control with power lift. I am very happy with it, although the stock propeller is completely wrong. The loss of 100 lbs and the more than doubling of fuel economy at 6 knots was great. With the Tohatsu 4 blade, can't remember the pitch right now, it does 8 knots wide open.

Do you know the hull number on the boat? Mine is 329 and a 2006 and all that was standard. If I remember correctly Performance Cruising made 5 prototypes that were sold off as the company was being dismantled. I am not sure about about the characteristics of the prototypes, but would want to take a careful look if this is one of them. I have not heard of any of the boats being sold without the equipment you mentioned as standard.

Terry
Ron
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Re: Questions regarding prospective Telstar purchase

Post by Ron »

1. You can probably use any tandem axle trailer that will hold 6,000 pounds or more but you will need to make the 2 curved bunks to support the main hull. The 4 ama supports could probably be fastened to the main beams. The fore and aft deck supports are only needed if you plan to work on the boat with the ama's out.
2. In my opinion the 50hp motor is too heavy, but others will disagree.
3/4. The deluxe model came with the tridata and wind instruments, ditto for the marine head.

Does the boat you're looking at have the mast lifting system? Some of the real early ones may not have it. Also not sure if they included it with the standard model.

Our boat is in Punta Gorda, so we're not too far away from you.
Ron Marcuse
Telstar 28 #359 "Tri-Power"
captainzman
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Re: Questions regarding prospective Telstar purchase

Post by captainzman »

Thanks Terry and Ron. This boat is #323 and does have the mast raising system. The owner scanned the delivery sheet and the boat was sold without the TriData and Wind Instrument in 2005 so it is not a prototype. He specifically requested no marine head to eliminate through hulls and after owning and delivering Gemini's I have to agree. I just delivered a Gemini 3200 with a Natures Head composting toilet and it was great--odor free, easy to deal with, and it left a nice storage space where the sewage holding tank used to be.

I will live with the 50HP for awhile. It weighs more by the weight of a small passenger and will allow me to get over to Sanibel/Captiva in a hurry on a wind-less day. I have heard a lot of good things about the Mercury Pro-kicker 15HP and like the light weight. I will also look into the Tohatsu/Nissan motors if and when I decide to go that way.

Ron, I would like to hook up sometime and get the benefit of your experience with the Telstar. Am I correct that much of the mast raising gear can be un-bolted when there is no need for raising/lowering anticipated?

Thanks,
Mark
---sailing often into the sunset.
Ron
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Re: Questions regarding prospective Telstar purchase

Post by Ron »

The forward 2 sets of stainless tubes work as forward and aft lower shrouds, so they can't be removed. They also serve as the fulcrum when the mast is rotated up or down. The back 2 sets act as a fancy gin pole and they can be unbolted and stored if you don't plan on dropping the stick.

We're still in NJ, expect to make it back to Punta Gorda by the end of the month. The boat is now covered and stored on my lift. I will launch the boat and rig it within a few days of that. You'd be welcome to either watch or help if you want to. Raising/lowering the mast can be a little tricky. You've got to be very careful that no lines, wires or anything else impedes its progress up or down. That's when you start breaking, bending or damaging things.
Ron Marcuse
Telstar 28 #359 "Tri-Power"
captainzman
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Re: Questions regarding prospective Telstar purchase

Post by captainzman »

Thanks Ron, I would like very much to see the mast raising process in person. Do you have a trailer and if so, is it there in PG? I would like to take some pictures and measurements.
---sailing often into the sunset.
Ron
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Re: Questions regarding prospective Telstar purchase

Post by Ron »

The trailer is stored a couple of miles away, but the yard is closed on Sunday. So, any other day could be possible. I'll post a note on the forum when we leave for Florida in about 3 weeks.
Ron Marcuse
Telstar 28 #359 "Tri-Power"
Hull52
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Re: Questions regarding prospective Telstar purchase

Post by Hull52 »

captainzman wrote:He specifically requested no marine head to eliminate through hulls and after owning and delivering Gemini's I have to agree. I just delivered a Gemini 3200 with a Natures Head composting toilet and it was great--odor free, easy to deal with, and it left a nice storage space where the sewage holding tank used to be.

* * *

I have heard a lot of good things about the Mercury Pro-kicker 15HP and like the light weight. I will also look into the Tohatsu/Nissan motors if and when I decide to go that way.

Ron, I would like to hook up sometime and get the benefit of your experience with the Telstar. Am I correct that much of the mast raising gear can be un-bolted when there is no need for raising/lowering anticipated?

Thanks,
Mark
If you're looking for someone with Telstar experience, you're in the right place. It was incredibly informative spending a day with Ron.

I eliminated the thru hull for the marine head and the speedometer on my Mark 1. Am interested in the composting toilets. Is Gemini using them as standard equipment? Anyone actually have one that has been in service for awhile? If you used one on a delivery, how did it work?

I'm probably putting an outboard on the boat to start, until I can get the jet drive installed. Do people like the Mercury as much as a 9.9 Yamaha or Honda or is the Mercury a comparable option at a lower price. The Telstar I was on last week had the tilt function and I liked it quite a bit. Is there a small HP Mercury with comparable functions?
wooden
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Re: Questions regarding prospective Telstar purchase

Post by wooden »

Yes. I posted my installation and use experience on this site a couple of years ago. There are pictures as well. I have been very pleased with the Natures Head. It is easy to install, easy to maintain, and has been odor free.
Steve & Mittie Wooden
Bayou Vista TX (Galveston)
"Gnarly's Poop Deck" Hull #340
Hull52
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Re: Questions regarding prospective Telstar purchase

Post by Hull52 »

wooden wrote:Yes. I posted my installation and use experience on this site a couple of years ago. There are pictures as well. I have been very pleased with the Natures Head. It is easy to install, easy to maintain, and has been odor free.
Thanks. I'll look it up. I had a bioflow II many, many years ago installed in a cabin and it worked quite well.
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