Dragonfly 32 or 28 input appreciated.

[LeeV]

Originally Posted by Drinky Crow

US$ 239,000* Oh my eyeballs!

Try this then (and I have no pony in the race, although I owned a C36):
2008 Corsair 37’ Carbon Fiber Trimaran$190,000
Hollywood, FL

Sail as fast as THREE TIMES the wind speed! Watch the videos. Call for details and a full brochure.








+4

[robwrongshoes]

A properly equipped DF32 is indeed very nice, but it doesn’t have as good a SA/D, can’t be trailered, and , just a minor detail here... costs a staggering $150-200k more, once properly optioned, than a 970 Sport. If you keep the boat for four years, that’s only $116 extra per day you’ll have to pay for all that luxury and extra weight. Hopefully you use it a lot!

[SV-Viento]

Originally Posted by robwrongshoes

A properly equipped DF32 is indeed very nice, but it doesn’t have as good a SA/D, can’t be trailered, and , just a minor detail here... costs a staggering $150-200k more, once properly optioned, than a 970 Sport. If you keep the boat for four years, that’s only $116 extra per day you’ll have to pay for all that luxury and extra weight. Hopefully you use it a lot!

Oh we see the world similarly -kinda of- particularly related to use. We have always quickly moved to sell previous boats when we determined we weren’t using and enjoying enough to justify owning them. That noted we are setting this boat up to be our last/early/pre retirement boat. BC we anticipate this being a long term boat high quality is non negotiable and the DFs meet our criteria for high quality - Unfortunately that cost $.

The other trade off you mentioned is S/D particularly with the DF 32 I’m guessing that has alot to do with the diesel sail drive vs an OB. For our use the diesel is more desirable but a weight penalty for sure.

[Be Free Sailor]

Hi
Reviving a 2y old thread her, I know, but since my thoughts currently goes in the same direction, I am interested to know what you chose in the end?
I am going through the proces, deciding "32 vs 28 Dragonfly", and input would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

[Lew Hill]

For comparisons try Multihull Dynamics, Inc. - Home

[tfliveright]

Originally Posted by ejlindahl

Viento. I have been on a new DF 35. Beautiful boat but I was surprised that its head was no bigger than the one on my Corsair F31. As you probably know the F31 is trailerable so you can get to the San Juan and Gulf islands in a day. Tahoe, SFO, SoCal, Baja, Bahamas a little longer. Not possible with a DF.

The F31 is slightly more boat camping than the DF 35 I saw. (The DF 32 likely will feel the same size as an F31.) However people, (myself included) spend a month or 2 on F31's all the time. I've a good friend who trailered to and spent 2 months in the Bahamas on his with watermaker and fridge all solar powered. A few around here have done the same to Baha as well. Several local F31ers have Webesto furnaces with outside kept a 2 gallon diesel tanks for the PNW. I'm 67 and raise and lower my F31 mast, solo, every year.

I'll link our NW Multihull Association if you want more info from a wide range of local multihullers or to come to our Seattle meetings, (we did get one Portlander up here this year). I might be able to get you a look at the DF 35 if you are interested. I know of another Puget Sounder with a larger older DF you might be able to get on. He posts here quite a bit, though I forget his forum name just now.

Good luck and let us know what you get.

Hello from the East coast. You sound like a perfect person to ask a simple question: I have been pondering purchasing a Corsair 880 but wonder if it is up to off-shore work, e.g. Marion-Bermuda race? Any thoughts? Many thanks if you have a moment.

[SV-Viento]

Originally Posted by Be Free Sailor

Hi
Reviving a 2y old thread her, I know, but since my thoughts currently goes in the same direction, I am interested to know what you chose in the end?
I am going through the proces, deciding "32 vs 28 Dragonfly", and input would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

I had forgotten about this thread and indeed can add some insight to my thoughts on the Dragonfly(s). Just as the EU opened up last year my wife and I went to Denmark and met with the DF team. It was an amazing visit. We toured the yard and sailed the DF32 on a stunning fall day.

To Start the boat is one of the finest boats I have seen up close. Particularly the construction of the hull, amas, and rigging. Possibly the finest Glass layup I have seen. For us the the only build quality weak point on the 32, which was the boat we were most interested in, was the detailing and execution of the interior finishes. Keep in mind we were comparing these details to other custom and semi custom EU builders.

The appeal of the DF for us is that it crosses the line of a cruiser and performance multihull. We like this and have no interest in sailing stripped out race boats with minimal creature comforts. Done it for years and don't need to do it any longer. The DF32 would be the absolute smallest Tri I would personally own. It has the minimal volume and creature comforts I would camp on and that ultimately was the rub for us. We want to cruise with some performance and plenty of comfort. the head is a bit small as are the berths and galley. Again great for camp cruising but not enough comfort for us to spend several weeks at a time on.

Sailing performance - for a boat that we would never race this boat has incredible performance. It had been a long time since we had smiled so much sailing. Super easy to drive/ssail and amazingly forgiving. We sailed in flat water, lumpy water, 5kts, 25 kts up and down and on a reach. The boat is crazy fun, fast and easy to sail. Other Multi people can add far more to this than myself. I have sailed high teens in very large monos and they were expensive train wrecks waiting to happen. My wife and I plus one of the DF guys who stayed out of the way blasted around for a couple hours with ease.

OK you get it I love(d) this boat and the company and would have absolutely written the check except it is not the boat for what and how we want to sail at this time. I was a bit sad coming this decision. If you are at all still interested I would put a check in your pocket get on a plane and go visit the DF team in Denmark. These are superbly made boats that for the right use are near perfect boats.

Still on my life wish list after our new boat coming in 2024

[tfliveright]

Great summary of your DF experience. My pockets, unfortunately, are too small for that size check. Too bad since the 28 would be a perfect fit in my NJ coastal life. If you have the energy, wonder what your thoughts are about such a boat handling blue water.

[SV-Viento]

Originally Posted by tfliveright

Great summary of your DF experience. My pockets, unfortunately, are too small for that size check. Too bad since the 28 would be a perfect fit in my NJ coastal life. If you have the energy, wonder what your thoughts are about such a boat handling blue water.

The 28 is a great boat and I love that it is trailerable. As a blue water boat I really don't know. Our multihull experience is very limited so will have to leave this question to others.

To be clear and support your pocket book concerns, this boat are spendy. But pre pandemic there were several on the market 28's and 32's that were roughly 50% cost of new. We looked at a used 32 in 2019 for well under 300K and I think it sold for 230ish.

Just my gut feeling but over time I think the used boat market will return to something that looked like it did pre-pandemic and you'll be able to find a used 28 for a fair price.

Last thought - during our DF tour it was mentioned that the 28 model was due for a refresh - redesign. Fun rumor to think about.

[SV-Viento]

Just open an email and found this interesting from DF News letter we get:

"Building slots for a new Dragonfly 25 and Dragonfly 32 are both sold out until Spring 2024. If you wish to order a new Dragonfly 28 we only have two available building slots with delivery in the Fall 2023 left or if you wish to order a new Dragonfly 40 we only have one available building slot left with delivery in the Fall 2023."

Guess that means more used boats in the future.

[tfliveright]

Originally Posted by SV-Viento

The 28 is a great boat and I love that it is trailerable. As a blue water boat I really don't know. Our multihull experience is very limited so will have to leave this question to others.

To be clear and support your pocket book concerns, this boat are spendy. But pre pandemic there were several on the market 28's and 32's that were roughly 50% cost of new. We looked at a used 32 in 2019 for well under 300K and I think it sold for 230ish.

Just my gut feeling but over time I think the used boat market will return to something that looked like it did pre-pandemic and you'll be able to find a used 28 for a fair price.

Last thought - during our DF tour it was mentioned that the 28 model was due for a refresh - redesign. Fun rumor to think about.

Thanks again. I hope to visit the dragonfly exhibit in annapolis in a couple of weeks. I'm wondering if they will have thoughts about used 28's possibly in europe although shipping could be a pocket digger.

[DragonflyBob]

My wife and I took delivery of a 2016 Dragonfly 32 Supreme four weeks ago. We are on Lake Pontchartrain and the boat was in St. Petersburg, FL. We held off delivering the boat across the Gulf due to storm season and planned the delivery for this week but it actually happened two weeks ago due to Hurricane Ian.

We had been initially in the market for a trailerable trimaran and in our search we had narrowed it down to the Corsair Cruz 970 and the Dragonfly 28. We sailed on a new Cruz 970 and liked it a lot. The only downside to the Corsair was that if we kept it in the water, we had to either find an airlift or find a pier where we could keep the boat in the water unfolded. The Dragonfly swing wing system really appealed to us for that reason so we flew to Annapolis to see a Dragonfly 28 Performance. The interior of that boat was very close size wise in volume to the Cruz 970. But during the same visit we noted that while there is a lot about Corsair boats to like (I owned a Sprint 750 for 15 years), the quality and attention to detail on the Dragonfly boats was extremely impressive. The owner of that boat had been sailing for 50 years and he told us the Dragonfly was the first and most well thought out boat he had ever owned.

So we returned believing we were ready to put a down payment on an order for new Dragonfly 28 when we saw a listing the 32 we ended up with on Yacht World. Ended up the broker was our Corsair dealer (Don Wigston at Windcraft) so we flew to St. Pete to see the boat. The difference in interior volume over the Cruz 970 and the DF 28 was impressive and that is what sold us to buy it. We are giving up the trailer ability but that will still work for us (plus I don’t have to buy a tow vehicle now). Price wise it was about the same as a new 28 would have cost us. We need to replace 6 year old lines and do some bottom paint and topsides touchups followed by full detailing of the topsides and deck but other than that, the boat was in excellent condition (the interior was nearly mint).

We spent on this boat about the same on what we would have spent for a new Cruz 970 delivered to us also but we would have waited at least two years for that boat (used 970’s are not to be found). My other experience on high end multihulls has been racing on both a Gunboat 48 and a Gunboat 66. The detailing and level of finish on a Dragonfly is for a production boat similar to the level on the Gunboats. You get what you pay for and I think those who believe Dragonfly’s are overpriced have really not looked into the guts of the boats (including the finishing of compartments, the quality and detail in the wiring and plumbing, etc.). The detailing on the rigging and sailing systems is superb. We discovered that during the 490 mile delivery from St. Pete to New Orleans.

Regarding the 28 versus the 32, it’s a matter of budget versus the how much interior you want. Regarding comments that the 32 is like a camping boat, I strongly disagree if you are sailing with a couple and/or a couple with 1-2 kids. The main cabin is amazing and the head is perfectly adequate. One of my mates on the delivery is 6’4” tall and he found the head still worked for him and the aft cabin berth still was comfortable for him.

Hope this helps.

[tfliveright]

Thanks for the account of your recent choice of vessel. I'm envious although not quite as cash flush to go that route. I hope you will provide a log of your adventures and experience with the boat itself.

[Protondecay123]

Originally Posted by DragonflyBob

My wife and I took delivery of a 2016 Dragonfly 32 Supreme four weeks ago. We are on Lake Pontchartrain and the boat was in St. Petersburg, FL. We held off delivering the boat across the Gulf due to storm season and planned the delivery for this week but it actually happened two weeks ago due to Hurricane Ian.

We had been initially in the market for a trailerable trimaran and in our search we had narrowed it down to the Corsair Cruz 970 and the Dragonfly 28. We sailed on a new Cruz 970 and liked it a lot. The only downside to the Corsair was that if we kept it in the water, we had to either find an airlift or find a pier where we could keep the boat in the water unfolded. The Dragonfly swing wing system really appealed to us for that reason so we flew to Annapolis to see a Dragonfly 28 Performance. The interior of that boat was very close size wise in volume to the Cruz 970. But during the same visit we noted that while there is a lot about Corsair boats to like (I owned a Sprint 750 for 15 years), the quality and attention to detail on the Dragonfly boats was extremely impressive. The owner of that boat had been sailing for 50 years and he told us the Dragonfly was the first and most well thought out boat he had ever owned.

So we returned believing we were ready to put a down payment on an order for new Dragonfly 28 when we saw a listing the 32 we ended up with on Yacht World. Ended up the broker was our Corsair dealer (Don Wigston at Windcraft) so we flew to St. Pete to see the boat. The difference in interior volume over the Cruz 970 and the DF 28 was impressive and that is what sold us to buy it. We are giving up the trailer ability but that will still work for us (plus I don’t have to buy a tow vehicle now). Price wise it was about the same as a new 28 would have cost us. We need to replace 6 year old lines and do some bottom paint and topsides touchups followed by full detailing of the topsides and deck but other than that, the boat was in excellent condition (the interior was nearly mint).

We spent on this boat about the same on what we would have spent for a new Cruz 970 delivered to us also but we would have waited at least two years for that boat (used 970’s are not to be found). My other experience on high end multihulls has been racing on both a Gunboat 48 and a Gunboat 66. The detailing and level of finish on a Dragonfly is for a production boat similar to the level on the Gunboats. You get what you pay for and I think those who believe Dragonfly’s are overpriced have really not looked into the guts of the boats (including the finishing of compartments, the quality and detail in the wiring and plumbing, etc.). The detailing on the rigging and sailing systems is superb. We discovered that during the 490 mile delivery from St. Pete to New Orleans.

Regarding the 28 versus the 32, it’s a matter of budget versus the how much interior you want. Regarding comments that the 32 is like a camping boat, I strongly disagree if you are sailing with a couple and/or a couple with 1-2 kids. The main cabin is amazing and the head is perfectly adequate. One of my mates on the delivery is 6’4” tall and he found the head still worked for him and the aft cabin berth still was comfortable for him.

Hope this helps.

Reviving an old thread, while doing research similar to the OP. Just wondering how everyone feels now with their choices?

[DragonflyBob]

Originally Posted by Protondecay123

Reviving an old thread, while doing research similar to the OP. Just wondering how everyone feels now with their choices?

We are still super happy with our DF 32 Supreme. After my first post in this thread from late 2022, we have done a lot to the boat including total refinish of the bottom, replaced all the running rigging, added a roller furling gennaker, and full polish and compounding of the deck. We upgraded some electronics that included a new VHF and added AIS transmit capability. I think we will be adding an Iridium Go Exec system for offshore sailing and might possibly add radar in a couple of years.

We did our first long cruise with the boat last November (we were gone for 2-1/2 weeks) and I posted a thread about that trip on this site’s Multihull forum. We have another 2-3 week trip coming up in a month and we’ll probably do another fall trip. In between we’ll be doing a lot of weekend short cruises on Lake Pontchartrain and over into Mississippi Sound and the barrier islands dependent on our tolerance to the coming summer heat.