I know this could open as much a can of worms as an oil thread on a motorcycle forum, or outboard vs inboard on small yachts, but......
I've been admiring a couple of Trimarans up in QLD, specifically a Grainger, a Crowther Twiggy and a Hedley Nichol Wanderer, all around the 35 foot mark.
My main reason for the interest is that whilst I love my wee Top Hat, my wife thinks it a little small to go for extended trips. She would like a little more deck/cockpit space, and a berth that didn't have a pottie under it.
The other reasons are speed, the ability to go aground if you want to and I always like to have something a bit different.
Not looking at Catamarans, because of budget. The only ones I can see are above the $100k mark, where the Tris of a similar era are half that.
Usage will be local inshore and coastal up to Cape York (maybe one day) I doubt there will be any blue water passages, unless I decide on Lord Howe one day, but that would be it.
So, I know some of you are multi fans, and some aren't but I'm interested in the good oil.....
Michael
Ok Michael, I'll bite.
Coming from boats that did 4/5/ or maybe 6 knots, the speed will get to you.
Even if you don't go for an all out Carbon Farrier beast, my 30year old tub of a tri would still go fast enough to get you smiling.
It's advertised here online,maybe a little small for what you were after, but has just been sold (1/2 hour ago!!)
good sides:conservative rig, and loads your wife can handle, responsive, seperate head with no porta pottie, no lead, wide solid side decks, sailing flat
down side: less storage, harder in a marina, 'training wheel' comments from lead sailers.
Crusty, I'm assuming its the Manta? If so, it looks a peach. How come you sold it?
Looking at the photos, the interior is about the same as the Top Hat, just a little less beam. But the cockpit and deck space looks pretty good.
Hope you're next boat is just as good, if your getting a next one that is.
@Loop, I have no idea why tris are cheaper than cats, I think it's that they have less appeal, or perhaps its the lack of interior space compared to cats, or even monos. Hence my post 
thanks Michael,
well its pretty much sold, buyer is negotiating transport back, but no firm contract yet.
We were selling just because we saw what we thougth was something too good to go past (I'll let you know if that end up being true) .
Nothing like spending everything you have on a boat.
Old baot:everything done, shiny,working
New boat:start all over again....
Cat's also can be dearer because alot of the time your actually paying for 2 of everything, think steering, electronics, outboards/diesels,plus you can be sucked into fridges, dishwasher,washing machine,watermaker,a/c4 heads,,and everything else people may think you need simply because you may have the payload to take them.
I have an older Farrier 720, it is my first tri, I think i will never go back to mono! Raced it at the club this weekend had very gusty wind (to 25 knt) was looking at the monos struggling in the gusts and rounding very often. I was doing a very nice 8 knt average and the tiller was very light all the way, I finished 2nd in real time after another way more performant tri! Go for it get a tri you will not regret it!
Hope this was really a 30 footer, 30 metres would take up some mooring space!
www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/wet-cold-elderly-pair-pulled-from-stricken-vessel-20120514-1ylke.html
@Ramona, I saw that on the TV last night and I really feel for them. It would be interesting to hear what actually happened, but the seas down that way over the week end were pretty treacherous apparently.
Doesn't scare me though 
As I doubt I'd be doing Bass Strait unless I was as certain as I could be about weather like that.
Michael
