[sailingdog]

Actually, I have a Telstar 28, and don't liveaboard it full time yet...but do spend quite a bit of the summer aboard her.

As for GCS's original post... Hmm...

Originally Posted by GulfCoastSkimmer

I asked something similar last week but have tweeked my question a bit in hopes of more responses and sugestions.

I am hoping to purchase something like a used Corsair F-24 MKI or MKIII in about 2 yrs., then something a bit larger after sailing the 24 (or similar) for a while.

I plan on sailing out of the beautifull beach front called Bolivar lol.(Galveston) and doing 3 things
1. Coastal sailing, sticking to the coast, just Texas/Louisiana at first but eventually going as far as rounding Florida and up to Jacksonville.(picked Jacksonville because it is known)
2. Instead of rounding Florida, Head south to the Virgin Islands.
3. Cross the Gulf, a strait line from Galveston to Cancun, then head down to Costa Rica.

I would not recommend trying this in a Corsair F24. The boat is just too small IMHO. You could probably do it in a Corsair 28, which Mike Horn used in his Latitude Zero adventure for the ocean crossings.

However, a Telstar 28 or Dragonfly 900 would probably be a better choice as folding sport trimarans go. The cabin on the Corsair 28 is very small. The boat is primarily designed for racing, and really is more of a camping on water type boat than a cruising boat. The C28 doesn't come with a full marine head or a full galley normally—both of which are stock on the D900 and the T28. The C28 has less than five feet of headroom... which can be a real pain. I've actually written a piece comparing the C28 and the T28, which you can read here.

So I have a few questions,
1. How far offsore can a sailboat like the Corsair 24 safetly go, In otherwords if you drew a strait line from Galveston to Fort Myers (Cape Coral, Florida) could the 24 make that crossing safely? (If not could a corsair 28, or Telstar28?)

The Corsair 28/31, the Telstar 26, and the Dragonfly 900 have all made trans-Atlantic crossings. I believe the Telstar 28 is capable of doing so, but as the boat is a relatively new design—having been introduced only four years ago—no one has done so in one yet.

2. Could it then safely get to the Virgin Islands?
3. What size multihull is needed to cut strait accross the Gulf of Mexico from Galveston to Cancun? (Corsair 27/28/31, Telstar 28, Gemini 105mc?)

No, I don't think a C24 would cut it for either of these routes. A C28 would be able to do it... but a T28, D900, C31 or Gemini 105 would allow you to do it in far more comfort.

What other Multihulls would you suggest looking at instead of the C-24?(ready to go for under 30k), or would you suggest suggest just getting a monohull? (I would rather be sailing than sitting on the beach watching.)

You're not going to find a decent multihull that is capable of crossing oceans for under $30,000 as a general rule. Multihulls are expensive boats relatively speaking, since they need to be made both light and have multiple hulls to build. The better ones tend to hold their value quite well. A few multihulls that you might be able to find in your price range, and are capable of making the passages you're interested in, are the Heavenly Twins 26' catamaran, the Catalac 8M catamaran, or an older Gemini.

Are their any beachable Monohulls that could safely do above mentioned desires? (florida,VI's)

There are a few small monohulls that are capable of making the passages you're interested in. The West Wight Potter 19, the Westerly Nomad, and a few others could do it. The Westerly is avaiable with twin keels, and while not beachable per se, it has a very shallow draft and can be allowed to dry out, unlike most monohulls.