Sailor Thomas Pell shares his self-designed, self-built 23 foot trimaran with us in this post. It’s pretty neat too. Nice and roomy (it even has a cabin) and yet built with intention for light weight.

Tom has years of experience on the water. This boat sports a combination of features that he has desired in a boat, including performance, comfort and folding crossbeams for easy trailerability.

(Thanks for sharing this one with us Tom!)

………………………

23-Foot Trimaran Design
by Thomas Pell

Having spent twenty-some years sailing my home built 7 ton 33 foot gaff-rigged cutter on Lake Saint Clair and the other great lakes, I developed a need for speed, you might say.

I always wanted to build a trimaran, but on Lake Saint Clair, it’s hard to find a boat slip 20-feet wide, so I decided to build a folding tri that I could put on a trailer, or fold at the dock while in the water. The swing-wing configuration seemed the most practical.

No other designer seemed to have what I wanted, so I lofted lines for the dory type central hull, and used 3 inches of pink foam to create a round bottom on the 3mm plywood bottom, then put 6 layers of 6 once cloth and a layer of carbon fiber.

The amas were not lofted, but put together with sides and bulkheads, stitch and glue fashion, ala Frank Smoot.

The arms are hollow laminated pine glued to bulkheads and are cantilever but are in compression.

The cabin provides a potty and two bunks for overnight trips.

The boat has sailed in 22 knots of wind very smoothly, barely lifting the windward ama out of the water.

The amas, I think, have too much volume, and the Dyneema rope I used for standing rigging is way too stretchy, so I’m changing to stainless shrouds.

Also the main hull needs a little more buoyancy aft for 3 people and motor in the cockpit, but it’s perfect for one person.

The boat is faster than a mono the same size but suffers from the weight of motor, wife and myself. It has a kick up rudder and centerboard with 4.5 foot draft.

My design uses ideas from many talented designers, while maintaining simplicity of construction, and has given me ideas for a larger model. Dimensions are 23 ft oal, 15 ft beam open, 8.5 ft closed.

The best day out sailing so far …broad reaching across Lake Saint Clair in a 22-knot breeze ,all sail up just screaming along on a field of white caps, under a bright sunny sky … and my wife is just sitting there reading a book…no healing, no spray, no drama; it seemed to me that the leeward hull was actually planing.

Multihull designer Bernd Kohler shared the following with me this past weekend. It’s a short promotional video featuring a Ngalawa Outrigger sailing. It looked too fun … I feel like it should be posted.

Bernd also wrote: “The outrigger boats from Dar-es-Salaam the so called Ngalawa’s, are ancient boats used for generations in this part of the world. How far back nobody knows. The outriggers are angled planks. The generate the lift to compensate for the sail side force.”

This, to some degree, says Bernd, is a precursor of “hydrofoil assisted or ‘self-flying’ sailing crafts” that most people assume are only a product of modern times.

(Thanks for sharing this vid with us Bernd!)

Our friend Stefano sent me one of these YouTube videos recently, which features the following little trimaran. It’s pretty neat too.

This boat looks so simple … so straightforward. No frills. And the rig is even more so. Stefano notes the following: “The rig is very unusual ( aft mast and boomed jib only); it is fast and has a lot of lift…”

I wish there was some more info about this boat that I could post. (If anyone knows where I can add some still photos of this boat then please let me know because I’d love to add them in with these video clips).

Apparently, this boat has been around for awhile. The first short YouTube clip was posted 7 years ago. I’d love to get the background story and share about this boat some more.

Here are the YouTube vids...

Update – 09/29/15: Stefano just sent me the following picture of the boat he found on BoatDesign.net…

The link to the above picture is here: http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/attachments/projects-proposals/31106d1240414832-trailer-cruiser-revisited-trimaran-tri1.jpg

And our friend Michael Evans sent us the link for the above photo, plus the one below: http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/projects-proposals/trailer-cruiser-revisited-trimaran-27032.html

And Michael also sent this thread, which contains a whole section on the design of the folding mechanism:
http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/boat-design/boxy-fisher-catamaran-idea-20022-18.html

How often can you combine the following adjectives to one craft: Double outrigger, rowboat, sailboat … plus cuddy cabin for sleeping?

Exactly. Not too often. One tends to think, “Too many descriptive words to apply to a single boat.”

Friend Stefano shared this link with me last week. As he put it, “A must see.” I agree. It’s pretty neat.

This model comes from adventurers Julie and Colin Angus at Angus Rowboats. It’s available to customers in both plan and kit formats. (Again, pretty neat :-)

Sailor and self-boatbuilder Barney G. has just completed his second Seaclipper 16 trimaran. (You can see the first one he built here).

The main difference between this boat and the previous one is that this craft features the open cockpit version of this design. John Marples, the designer, added the open cockpit version to the original cockpit seating arrangement, that was initially offered in the building plans. Another major difference is the “swing wing crossbeams” that John also developed. This offers the sailor a major benefit because instead of having to fold the amas (which aren’t light) for trailering all that needs to be done here is simply swing them back alongside the main hull.

Barney sure builds pretty boats. But I know he has a great sailing machine here too. The Seaclipper 16, is a wonderful daysailer. It can either be fitted with a stayed Hobie 14 rig or an unstayed mast adorned with a custom sail design. (Both are featured in the building plans available from John Marples).

Barney shares the following with us below, including pics of the new boat. (Thanks for sharing this boat with us too Barney).

…………………..

Seaclipper 16 Trimaran – Open Cockpit Version
by Barney G.

Here is the rollout of the shop for Sail52 of the Seaclipper 16. Built to plan with open cockpit design, daggerboard and swing wing amas. Will be rigged with a Hobie 14 rig (still to be purchased.)

This is new SC16, not a rebuild. The original red/white boat is up in Oregon with a new owner — sold in 2013. I rebuilt a ComPac16 for the 2014 Texas 200 Race but the boat is owned by a friend. I rebuilt it in exchange for its use that year.

In the shop, wings spread

Built another SC16 due to the ruggedness of the design and intention to sail the Texas 200 . I missed the 2015 T200 due to a schedule conflict, but am lining up hopefully for 2016.

Built a little heavy using 6oz glass cloth overall with 3 coats epoxy to fill weave. 3 coats System3 waterborne 2 pt polyurethane over 2 coats system 3 2pt primer. Electrical with voltmeter, two 12v plugs and 2w/5w USB chargers, solar charge controller pre-wired, 4 waterproof compartments for storage and self draining anchor locker. Swing wings laminated with carbon fibre.

Open cockpit with pedal steering and daggerboard trunk

Planning for heavy duty mainsail and hank-on 135 jib that can be poled out for wing on wing downwind sailing. And /or a screecher if I can find one reasonable. Steering pedals can be locked for short periods of relief from steering duties … right now going to use beach chair or kayak chair for comfort to the old bones.

For roll out, wings folded

Boat may be heavy but will be sailing in bigger winds and with bay rollers than most small boats usually see. Will be showing the boat without rigging at the Port Aransas Plywood Boat Show on Oct 17th. Targeting year end for fully rigged.

Here are more pics showing the folding system…

First sail

The Strike is just one of the small trimaran designs offered by Richard Woods. From what I hear, it features both good looks and performance in the water.

This trimaran began life, however, as a small catamaran. The amas came from a Pixie catamaran model (also from Richard Woods) and to those were added the main hull of the Strike 16.

Dave shares the details, including great pictures, with us below. (Many thanks Dave!)

BUILDING A STRIKE 16 TRIMARAN
by Dave Shatwell

Not long after I moved to Lima ten years ago, I said to my wife Giuliana, ‘why don’t we build a catamaran?’ Giuliana thought that was a good idea, and I started to look on the web for plans. At that stage our building space limited us to a 14 foot boat, and the most suitable design of that size was a Pixie, by Richard Woods. The Pixie is a simple stitch-and-glue plywood boat, using a deck jig to induce compound curves. I had built a few dory-type catamarans in the past, and I wanted to try this technique. The other advantage of the Pixie is that the cross-beams slot into boxes in the hulls, and it is held together by the trampoline and the tension of the rig. This was important because here, a trailer or its load can’t be wider than the car that is towing it, so the boat had to be easily dismantled.

This is the start of building the Pixie catamaran that became the Strike 16 outriggers

Materials and fittings for the boat were a challenge. Fiberglass, epoxy, filler and good quality oregon timber are available, but there is no 4 mm marine ply. The best plywood is called lupuna, so that is what I used along with 2 or 3 coats of epoxy and also fiberglass tape along the keel and sheers. I imported the mast and its fittings from the Dwyer Mast Co in Maine, with considerable customs hassle in Lima. At the time I was mostly working in Argentina, and in Buenos Aires I ordered a mainsail, jib, and trampoline from the local branch of Hood sails. Other hardware was brought from Miami or Sydney by friends and family members.

Here we are sailing the Pixie catamaran

We joined the Club de Regatas in Lima and sailed the Pixie for the next few years. More importantly, it was the entry into sailing for us as a family. Our son David, now 17, became involved with Sunfish dinghy sailing, and represented Peru in the World series in 2013 and 2014. Giuliana was also active in the Sunfish scene as coordinator and recreational sailor. So indirectly it has been a great catalyst for other activities.

Early construction of the Strike main hull

Meanwhile, Richard Woods had produced designs for two small trimarans, the Strike 16 and 18, using catamaran hulls as outriggers. We had moved, and we no longer had our building space, but we owned a lock-up space in a commercial center a few km from our apartment. I figured that it would be big enough (just) to build a 16 foot boat and get it out through the door.

Strike construction progress

Why a trimaran? We loved the catamaran, but both Giuliana and I have back problems and we wanted a boat which we could sit in rather than sit on, and maybe sail a bit further afield. But also, I had owned boats with one and two hulls, but never three, and I needed a new project. I had the idea that I could have a kind of convertible boat but in the end there were irreversible changes to the Pixie hulls, so its days as a catamaran were over.

Main hull complete

The recommended rig for the Strike 16 is that of another Woods catamaran design, the Quattro 14, which is basically a racier version of the Pixie. Quattro sail area is 13.1 square meters, whereas the Pixie has 11.5 square meters. I wanted to use the Pixie mast and rig, but I thought it would need a bit more sail area, and Richard suggested a new and larger genoa. I drew up a genoa which increased the total area to about 13 square meters. On a trip to Sydney, North Sails made this and also a pair of new trampoline halves to replace the original ones, which by now had been repaired once too often. Another modification was the addition of small skegs to the outriggers, which incidentally improved its performance while still in catamaran mode. The cross-arms are 3-inch aluminum tubes supplied by Online Metals which Giuliana carried in her luggage on a trip to Miami.

On trailer, launch day

The plans for the Strike 16 are quite detailed and easy to follow, but since a number of different 14 foot beach cats can be used as outriggers, some details are left up to the builder to determine. It´s important to ensure the beam boxes are in exactly the right position and square to the hull, since any errors of alignment will be increased at the outboard ends where they bolt onto the outriggers. I was worried that in spite of my best efforts it would not go together properly, but with just a small amount of encouragement, everything lined up.

The Pixie hulls hadn’t deteriorated over the years, in spite of being kept outside under a cover, so I was confident about using the same exterior ply for the trimaran. However, I decided to sheathe all exposed plywood in 6 ounce fiberglass, which added quite a bit of work and expense, and (more importantly) some weight penalty.

The Club Regatas has no launching ramp, and boats are either launched off the beach (and into a mild surf) or off the wharf by crane. Since our trailer isn’t galvanized, I opted for the crane, which is free. On our first sail, there was only a light wind, but the boat moved along well, was very light on the helm, and tacked without drama. Ten-year-old Fernanda, who is an Optimist sailor, took the helm without any difficulty.

Launch by crane, Easter 2015

Where we sail, there is no bay as such but there is an area of moderately sheltered ocean protected by a headland to the south, another one at La Punta about 10 miles north, and an offshore island. In this area, the wind is normally less than 10 knots from the SW, which is ideal for reaching up and down the coast. The Strike will easily carry two or three of us in reasonable comfort and performs well in all conditions that we have experienced, (winds up to about 12 knots with some ocean swell) and steering is very light and responsive. In stronger winds, some spray comes aboard and stays there, but I have never felt the need for a cockpit drain. We use a 2 h.p. outboard as an auxiliary and for maneuvering up to the dock.

An unusual feature of the Strike is that the mast sits on top of a small windscreen, with the load carried by a king-post. This arrangement elevates the rig so the boom is above head height. Combined with a bulkhead, the windscreen provides a small, dry storage space, but can be an obstacle in accessing the foredeck. A furling headsail would largely eliminate this problem. There is more dry storage under the foredeck, although a bit difficult to reach.

First sail

In Lima boats are bought, not made, and only a crazy gringo would build his own, so our Strike is the only trimaran (apart from a couple of Hobie kayak-trimaran hibrids) and the only home-made sailing boat of any kind at the Club de Regatas. Boat-building is a relaxing activity, at least for me, and a great satisfaction to see the boat take shape. At various times during the building process, I asked Richard Woods for advice and it was always forthcoming, either through his forum or by direct email. I have made mistakes in the construction process, but epoxy is forgiving and I have avoided major errors through Richard’s advice.

The Strike 16 is an excellent design, well within the capability of a person with normal woodworking skills to build. How long did it take? Too long, but it was always a work in progress along with work, sailing and family life.

Fernanda (10 yrs. old) at the helm

Tremolino trimaran sports a Jolly Roger sail

Still, I’d love to imagine what a real pirate (meaning one from the 17th century) would have said if he’d seen (and sailed) on a real Tremolino trimaran. (I know, it’s enough to make any multihuller smile, right?)

In this post, we get to hear from Kevin Bruce Brown — a real Tremolino owner/sailor living in the 21st century. And his enthusiasm for the boat is pure fun.

Speaking of fun, Kevin is a custom line art illustrator and T-Shirt printer. His PIRATE BRAND website is – naturally – www.piratebrand.net
And and the phone number is – naturally – 888-99-PIRATE (888-997-4728).

…………………….

My Tremolino Trimaran Named PUNANI
by Kevin Bruce Brown

The Sloop – John B – built by the Brown brothers

In 1960 my father Dr. John H Brown after being the US champion radio controlled model airplane designer and flyer suddenly decided to quit while he was ahead. He dreamed of building a solar electric powered catamaran houseboat for his retirement but considering the price of solar panels in those early days he then turned to sail

The sloop JOHN B going under KEMAH bridge

My dad essentially quit sailing and settled down to build his dream, a 50-foot ketch rigged catamaran named NIRVANA. My brother and I continued to sail small cats and surfed and were early windsurfers as well.

PUNANI and my wife Kathy on Redfish Island in Galveston Bay

My brother and I designed and built a 40 foot coastal cruising catamaran sloop, the JOHN B, in 1976 and he continues to sail it these days. I started a windsurfing business in Washington State and after selling that business, five years later, found myself back on Galveston Bay .. alas boatless.

An impression of our Harvest Moon race experience

I have always admired DICK NEWICK’s boats and will probably keep this one till I can’t sail any more. If I could fold up my boat, PUNANI and put it in my pocket that would be the cat’s meow. For now I either keep it at mooring or on trailer at a dry site with a wide boat ramp.

Punani at HYC-great little swimming beach near Houston Yacht Club on Galveston Bay

But even after soliciting none other than DICK NEWICK’s endorsement they did not budge. BUT! DICK told me, “Hey they don”t own the ocean, so sail unofficially. And that’s exactly what we did.

Overhead pic of PUNANI with wind in the sails and beautiful ballast to windward on the tramp (KATHY)

Like no other boat could do, we used the biggest jib I had and harnessed the breath of air we could find and sailed 90 degrees off course for the beach along the coast. It has always been my experience that right at the convergence of land water and air there is usually wind. We struck gold just outside the surf’s edge and found a beam wind better than 10 knots blowing straight offshore and harness it we did. We finished unofficially somewhere around 20-22nd place overall. Out of well over 100 boats … and we partied with the big dogs when we got to PORT ARANSAS as celebrities.

PUNANI- aft overhead view

TREMOLINOS ROCK!

The Futura trimaran is an owner-built sailboat in Italy. The sailor/builder, Pepe Maurizio, is extremely gifted when it comes to boat construction and is obviously familiar with sailing. He has created a beauty here.

Pepe shares info, pics and a video of the boat sailing here. A few of the English sentences below may not be perfect, but I can assure you Pepe’s English is FAR superior to my Italian :-)

According to Pepe, he lives in a lively town on the Adriatic sea … and now I want to visit!!! Many thanks to him for sharing this trimaran project with us.

………………..

Futura Trimaran Build & Sailing Video
by Pepe Maurizio

Futura is born by Michele and Maurizio, the Project is inspired to day cruise sail boat easy to lunch and not much expensive.

We have analyzed some boat , in final we decided for two main boat for compose one trimaran.
The central hull is realized to start by one skiff made by Nautivela , this boat is 16 ft long and we used only the hull, for realizing the lateral hull we ‘ve decided to use the catamaran made by Bimare HT 18 ft of that beach boat we would be utilized all component.

Skiff Nautivela Jet , for central hull

Catamaran Bimare 18HT – We used all the pieces of this boat to build Futura

At the first we have printed under vacuum plates carbon fiber reinforcement

After we have stuck the crosses of carbon fiber in the final position

And then we we have printed under vacuum plates carbon fiber reinforcement with crosses…

Stringers will be fixed to the central hull with 4 bolts M8…

First test on shore

16 AUGUST 2015

The boat has a neutral behavior, and very fast. navigation in solitary are managed to navigate on lateral hull.

About the video below: On board we were 3 people and we had a failure of the rudder.

Windrider trimaran sailor Rod McLaren shares another camp-cruising trip with us in this post. See one of his previous adventures here.

Many thanks to Rod for sharing this fun mini-documentary with us. Here is his note to me about this most recent Windrider travelog:

Here is a new video telling the story of five seventeen foot WindRider trimarans during a five day camping and sailing adventure on Lake Diefenbaker in Saskatchewan, Canada. This is the third year for such a camping/sailing trip on the lake. The story is told by the five participants and shares photos and videos taken by them during the week, describing the sailing, the storm, a runaway sailboat, and the friendships that formed.

There are plans to continue with another Elbow Run in 2016. Interested parties can contact me for more information as those plans develop.

Still pics from the trip: (click each one to enlarge and read the captions)

YouTube vid of the trip:

Sailor Travis Haggard has a unique building project going on right now. He is attaching Hobie 18 hulls to use as outriggers on a Macgregor Venture 21 sailboat.

It looks pretty neat too. (See pictures below.) It’s going to be a 21-foot, foldable (and likely very comfortable when completed) trailerable trimaran.

Travis shared the following via email…

I have followed your site for years. It’s a great site for small trimaran lovers so I figured I’d send you a few pics of my trimaran project. It’s a Macgregor Venture 21 with Hobie 18 hulls for the outriggers.

I raised the cabin area for comfortable seating in the cabin. I also decided to make bench seats instead of using trampolines for the sitting area. I’ll send you more pics and details when it’s completed.

Can’t wait to see the finished pics. I’m also interested in hearing about how well this boat performs. This one reminds me of another boat I posted about a few years ago. I hope Travis enjoys similar success with this one!

Where can a sailor get a nice new sail made for their small trimaran? I thought I’d pose this question to the small trimaran community.

If you’re reading this and have a favorite source / sailmaker for getting a good sail made at a reasonable price then we’d love hearing from you.

Please post your recommendation(s) in the “Comments area” below.

I recently got some very good quotes from the following:

Dabbler Sails

Gambell and Hunter

Mack Sails

Anyone out there have other recommendations?

……………..

First sail

The Strike is just one of the small trimaran designs offered by Richard Woods. From what I hear, it features both good looks and performance in the water.

This trimaran began life, however, as a small catamaran. The amas came from a Pixie catamaran model (also from Richard Woods) and to those were added the main hull of the Strike 16.

Dave shares the details, including great pictures, with us below. (Many thanks Dave!)

BUILDING A STRIKE 16 TRIMARAN
by Dave Shatwell

Not long after I moved to Lima ten years ago, I said to my wife Giuliana, ‘why don’t we build a catamaran?’ Giuliana thought that was a good idea, and I started to look on the web for plans. At that stage our building space limited us to a 14 foot boat, and the most suitable design of that size was a Pixie, by Richard Woods. The Pixie is a simple stitch-and-glue plywood boat, using a deck jig to induce compound curves. I had built a few dory-type catamarans in the past, and I wanted to try this technique. The other advantage of the Pixie is that the cross-beams slot into boxes in the hulls, and it is held together by the trampoline and the tension of the rig. This was important because here, a trailer or its load can’t be wider than the car that is towing it, so the boat had to be easily dismantled.

This is the start of building the Pixie catamaran that became the Strike 16 outriggers

Materials and fittings for the boat were a challenge. Fiberglass, epoxy, filler and good quality oregon timber are available, but there is no 4 mm marine ply. The best plywood is called lupuna, so that is what I used along with 2 or 3 coats of epoxy and also fiberglass tape along the keel and sheers. I imported the mast and its fittings from the Dwyer Mast Co in Maine, with considerable customs hassle in Lima. At the time I was mostly working in Argentina, and in Buenos Aires I ordered a mainsail, jib, and trampoline from the local branch of Hood sails. Other hardware was brought from Miami or Sydney by friends and family members.

Here we are sailing the Pixie catamaran

We joined the Club de Regatas in Lima and sailed the Pixie for the next few years. More importantly, it was the entry into sailing for us as a family. Our son David, now 17, became involved with Sunfish dinghy sailing, and represented Peru in the World series in 2013 and 2014. Giuliana was also active in the Sunfish scene as coordinator and recreational sailor. So indirectly it has been a great catalyst for other activities.

Early construction of the Strike main hull

Meanwhile, Richard Woods had produced designs for two small trimarans, the Strike 16 and 18, using catamaran hulls as outriggers. We had moved, and we no longer had our building space, but we owned a lock-up space in a commercial center a few km from our apartment. I figured that it would be big enough (just) to build a 16 foot boat and get it out through the door.

Strike construction progress

Why a trimaran? We loved the catamaran, but both Giuliana and I have back problems and we wanted a boat which we could sit in rather than sit on, and maybe sail a bit further afield. But also, I had owned boats with one and two hulls, but never three, and I needed a new project. I had the idea that I could have a kind of convertible boat but in the end there were irreversible changes to the Pixie hulls, so its days as a catamaran were over.

Main hull complete

The recommended rig for the Strike 16 is that of another Woods catamaran design, the Quattro 14, which is basically a racier version of the Pixie. Quattro sail area is 13.1 square meters, whereas the Pixie has 11.5 square meters. I wanted to use the Pixie mast and rig, but I thought it would need a bit more sail area, and Richard suggested a new and larger genoa. I drew up a genoa which increased the total area to about 13 square meters. On a trip to Sydney, North Sails made this and also a pair of new trampoline halves to replace the original ones, which by now had been repaired once too often. Another modification was the addition of small skegs to the outriggers, which incidentally improved its performance while still in catamaran mode. The cross-arms are 3-inch aluminum tubes supplied by Online Metals which Giuliana carried in her luggage on a trip to Miami.

On trailer, launch day

The plans for the Strike 16 are quite detailed and easy to follow, but since a number of different 14 foot beach cats can be used as outriggers, some details are left up to the builder to determine. It´s important to ensure the beam boxes are in exactly the right position and square to the hull, since any errors of alignment will be increased at the outboard ends where they bolt onto the outriggers. I was worried that in spite of my best efforts it would not go together properly, but with just a small amount of encouragement, everything lined up.

The Pixie hulls hadn’t deteriorated over the years, in spite of being kept outside under a cover, so I was confident about using the same exterior ply for the trimaran. However, I decided to sheathe all exposed plywood in 6 ounce fiberglass, which added quite a bit of work and expense, and (more importantly) some weight penalty.

The Club Regatas has no launching ramp, and boats are either launched off the beach (and into a mild surf) or off the wharf by crane. Since our trailer isn’t galvanized, I opted for the crane, which is free. On our first sail, there was only a light wind, but the boat moved along well, was very light on the helm, and tacked without drama. Ten-year-old Fernanda, who is an Optimist sailor, took the helm without any difficulty.

Launch by crane, Easter 2015

Where we sail, there is no bay as such but there is an area of moderately sheltered ocean protected by a headland to the south, another one at La Punta about 10 miles north, and an offshore island. In this area, the wind is normally less than 10 knots from the SW, which is ideal for reaching up and down the coast. The Strike will easily carry two or three of us in reasonable comfort and performs well in all conditions that we have experienced, (winds up to about 12 knots with some ocean swell) and steering is very light and responsive. In stronger winds, some spray comes aboard and stays there, but I have never felt the need for a cockpit drain. We use a 2 h.p. outboard as an auxiliary and for maneuvering up to the dock.

An unusual feature of the Strike is that the mast sits on top of a small windscreen, with the load carried by a king-post. This arrangement elevates the rig so the boom is above head height. Combined with a bulkhead, the windscreen provides a small, dry storage space, but can be an obstacle in accessing the foredeck. A furling headsail would largely eliminate this problem. There is more dry storage under the foredeck, although a bit difficult to reach.

First sail

In Lima boats are bought, not made, and only a crazy gringo would build his own, so our Strike is the only trimaran (apart from a couple of Hobie kayak-trimaran hibrids) and the only home-made sailing boat of any kind at the Club de Regatas. Boat-building is a relaxing activity, at least for me, and a great satisfaction to see the boat take shape. At various times during the building process, I asked Richard Woods for advice and it was always forthcoming, either through his forum or by direct email. I have made mistakes in the construction process, but epoxy is forgiving and I have avoided major errors through Richard’s advice.

The Strike 16 is an excellent design, well within the capability of a person with normal woodworking skills to build. How long did it take? Too long, but it was always a work in progress along with work, sailing and family life.

Fernanda (10 yrs. old) at the helm

Tremolino trimaran sports a Jolly Roger sail

Still, I’d love to imagine what a real pirate (meaning one from the 17th century) would have said if he’d seen (and sailed) on a real Tremolino trimaran. (I know, it’s enough to make any multihuller smile, right?)

In this post, we get to hear from Kevin Bruce Brown — a real Tremolino owner/sailor living in the 21st century. And his enthusiasm for the boat is pure fun.

Speaking of fun, Kevin is a custom line art illustrator and T-Shirt printer. His PIRATE BRAND website is – naturally – www.piratebrand.net
And and the phone number is – naturally – 888-99-PIRATE (888-997-4728).

…………………….

My Tremolino Trimaran Named PUNANI
by Kevin Bruce Brown

The Sloop – John B – built by the Brown brothers

In 1960 my father Dr. John H Brown after being the US champion radio controlled model airplane designer and flyer suddenly decided to quit while he was ahead. He dreamed of building a solar electric powered catamaran houseboat for his retirement but considering the price of solar panels in those early days he then turned to sail

The sloop JOHN B going under KEMAH bridge

My dad essentially quit sailing and settled down to build his dream, a 50-foot ketch rigged catamaran named NIRVANA. My brother and I continued to sail small cats and surfed and were early windsurfers as well.

PUNANI and my wife Kathy on Redfish Island in Galveston Bay

My brother and I designed and built a 40 foot coastal cruising catamaran sloop, the JOHN B, in 1976 and he continues to sail it these days. I started a windsurfing business in Washington State and after selling that business, five years later, found myself back on Galveston Bay .. alas boatless.

An impression of our Harvest Moon race experience

I have always admired DICK NEWICK’s boats and will probably keep this one till I can’t sail any more. If I could fold up my boat, PUNANI and put it in my pocket that would be the cat’s meow. For now I either keep it at mooring or on trailer at a dry site with a wide boat ramp.

Punani at HYC-great little swimming beach near Houston Yacht Club on Galveston Bay

But even after soliciting none other than DICK NEWICK’s endorsement they did not budge. BUT! DICK told me, “Hey they don”t own the ocean, so sail unofficially. And that’s exactly what we did.

Overhead pic of PUNANI with wind in the sails and beautiful ballast to windward on the tramp (KATHY)

Like no other boat could do, we used the biggest jib I had and harnessed the breath of air we could find and sailed 90 degrees off course for the beach along the coast. It has always been my experience that right at the convergence of land water and air there is usually wind. We struck gold just outside the surf’s edge and found a beam wind better than 10 knots blowing straight offshore and harness it we did. We finished unofficially somewhere around 20-22nd place overall. Out of well over 100 boats … and we partied with the big dogs when we got to PORT ARANSAS as celebrities.

PUNANI- aft overhead view

TREMOLINOS ROCK!

In this post, sailor Algie Bennett shares even more about the double outrigger sailing kayak he built from Chesapeake Light Craft. Specifically, he shares some info about the additional mods he has made in order to improve sailing performance even more.

Pretty neat. His kayak really flies.

We hope to add a video or two from Algie as soon as they become available. In the meantime, click on any of the images below to enlarge. (Thanks for sharing again Algie!)

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CLC Sport Tandem with Sailrig MK3 Project
by Algie Bennett

Just a quick update ion my CLC Double Outrigger Kayak with Mark III SailRig.

Been sailing it a lot and have now added 2 trampolines which we tested last weekend in light winds. Photo attached of it on the drive and partly disassembled at the beach. Unfortunately we do not have any video yet but getting a GoPro shortly and will post as soon as available.

The difference is obviously fantastic, in light winds we were hitting 9 knots very easily with the ama’s just skimming the surface. Hopefully some mildly better and consistent winds and we’ll get towards my target of 12 knots. Larger outriggers now not needed as the ability for the crew to move around while controlling the jib makes everything easy

I’ve had to change all of the deck rigging layout but it is now better and simpler. Taking the mainsheet well behind me is better than having the original twin mainsheet which came down to the deck just in front of me. I’ve also connected the stays to the outriggers by connecting to a further stay joining the fore and aft crossbeams either side so it spreads the load on both crossbeams which is helpful.

As the weather is deteriorating here I’ll be able to get on with the next mods which are:

1) improving the leeboard design as it is not easy to raise and lower while going along…

— going to add larger faces on the brackets to spread the load

— add a “handle” bar to the top to get better purchase and remove integrated handle as that simply weakens the whole structure

— look at possibly shortening it as I’m not convinced it needs to be so long – it tracks very well as it is nearly 22ft long and very skinny and it adds a lot of drag

2) Moving the mast back nearly 2 feet as too far forward – major issues here…

— The leeboard is attached to the front aka so I can’t easily move that – I will need to look at how to mount it directly to the hull of the kayak in a way that can be removed for when we are paddling it

— I think this will help with the tacking which is much better with the jib but still not great

3) Improving the rudder…

— The foil shape is not great

— Cheek plates in ply add quite a lot of drag and are slightly in the water – however issues with keeping good strength and not overstressing the stern of the kayak so need to keep the brackets reasonably spaced

4) As the boat is light enough for me to simply take it on and off the car roof myself I will convert it for single handed sailing so I will need to…

— Mainly change the tiller extension set up as currently configured to be operated from the rear cockpit

— I’m also thinking I will make a smaller simpler hull for the current project that will be a dedicated trimaran in the same vein as the Ninja Spyder – essentially higher freeboard, self draining cockpit and the ability to trapeze off it.

All in all really great fun for sailing and kayaking still and considering it is intrinsically compromised as sail boat, remarkably quick and easy to sail.

The official biography of Dick Newick has just been published. His innovative trimaran, catamaran and proa designs went on to inspire scores of multihull designers, especially in America and France.

Here is the title description of the book as it appears on Amazon …

Dick Newick was possibly the 20th century’s most influential multihull designer. Now aficionados of multihulls – including trimarans, catamarans and proas – can now enjoy reading his official biography. This book takes readers through his early years, including kayak building and sailing, and then traveling throughout Europe in the years following WW II. Then we get to follow Dick’s move to the Caribbean to operate a successful charter business. It was here he began building and sailing multihulls for his own use … and then clients who desired what were possibly, in their time, some of the most cutting-edge multi-hulled boats seen anywhere in the world. In these pages, Dick Newick provides a glimpse into his family life, shares many personal stories, and talks extensively about his own boat design philosophy and achievements in the world of multihulls.

Click on the Amazon ad below to order your copy. (The book is also available in hardcover and Kindle).

Click here

Click here

Click here

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Multihull designer Richard Woods is on a “small trimaran roll” these days. He is about to release plans for another model … a 14-footer this time. It’s called The ZETA.

This sailboat is meant to be built quickly and affordably and especially with singlehanded sailing in mind. The webpage for the Zeta Trimaran can be found on Richard’s website here:
http://sailingcatamarans.com/index.php/designs/27-trimarans-under-25/458-zeta-14ft-singlehanded-trimaran

And pdf study drawings can be found here – http://www.sailingcatamarans.com/images/zeta.pdf

I asked Richard some questions about this boat and he offered the following tidbits below. Be sure to check out the information page on his site for even more details. (Thanks for sharing this with us Richard!)

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Zeta 14ft Singlehanded Trimaran
By Richard Woods

The Zeta is designed to be really quick and simple to build and still have high performance.

It is based on the 14ft racing dinghy Zest but with simple deep V outriggers that just slot on. We built a Zest in 2 days, see here:

and here…

http://sailingcatamarans.com/index.php/designs/1-beach-cats-and-dinghies-/436-zest

The video was taken Sunday lunchtime. It was 5 sheets of plywood Friday morning.

You will recognize the mainsail from my Strike 15! I did consider a 420 rig, the mast will certainly work well but it really needs a shorter footed mainsail so I still need to find something suitable that is readily available if people don’t buy a new sail

A Hobie Wave sail would work, but I would add a boom – see http://www.intensitysails.com/howamasa.html for a look at the sails from one vendor.

In the UK a RS200 mainsail, a Blaze, an EPS would all work … lots of used rigs you could fit.

The Zeta main hull is similar to the Zest but a bit narrower. It does have a footwell, as indicated by the dotted line running along the top of the daggerboard case. The outriggers can be made from 2 sheets of ply, so you need 7 sheets 4mm and 1 sheet 6mm to build the whole boat. It could certainly be built in a week.

Plans will be available end of November (2015).

The Zeta is a bit like a 14ft version of the 10ft Duo/Tryst (lots of those building/sailing now BTW). Tryst details can be seen here: http://sailingcatamarans.com/index.php/designs/27-trimarans-under-25/428-tryst-trimaran

Sail Rig choices for this boat might include one taken from …

An International 420 … a Blaze Dinghy … or even a Hobie Wave sail would work too, although I’d add a boom.

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The Futura trimaran is an owner-built sailboat in Italy. The sailor/builder, Pepe Maurizio, is extremely gifted when it comes to boat construction and is obviously familiar with sailing. He has created a beauty here.

Pepe shares info, pics and a video of the boat sailing here. A few of the English sentences below may not be perfect, but I can assure you Pepe’s English is FAR superior to my Italian :-)

According to Pepe, he lives in a lively town on the Adriatic sea … and now I want to visit!!! Many thanks to him for sharing this trimaran project with us.

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Futura Trimaran Build & Sailing Video
by Pepe Maurizio

Futura is born by Michele and Maurizio, the Project is inspired to day cruise sail boat easy to lunch and not much expensive.

We have analyzed some boat , in final we decided for two main boat for compose one trimaran.
The central hull is realized to start by one skiff made by Nautivela , this boat is 16 ft long and we used only the hull, for realizing the lateral hull we ‘ve decided to use the catamaran made by Bimare HT 18 ft of that beach boat we would be utilized all component.

Skiff Nautivela Jet , for central hull

Catamaran Bimare 18HT – We used all the pieces of this boat to build Futura

At the first we have printed under vacuum plates carbon fiber reinforcement

After we have stuck the crosses of carbon fiber in the final position

And then we we have printed under vacuum plates carbon fiber reinforcement with crosses…

Stringers will be fixed to the central hull with 4 bolts M8…

First test on shore

16 AUGUST 2015

The boat has a neutral behavior, and very fast. navigation in solitary are managed to navigate on lateral hull.

About the video below: On board we were 3 people and we had a failure of the rudder.

Windrider just published a list of trimarans (production boat models). Most are of the smaller, trailerable variety. There are some nice pics and summaries and specs of each boat featured.

Today we hear again from sailor Travis Haggard. I asked Travis some questions about the Venture-Hobie trimaran he is building and he also shared about a self-designed, self-built sailing canoe he built as his first small trimaran.

His newest project, by the way, if you haven’t seen it yet, is shown here.

His story perfectly exemplifies someone in the “DIY small tri group.” See below for details … (and thanks for sharing this with us Travis :-)

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Trikanu & Venture-Hobie Trimaran
by Travis Haggard

I’ve been sailing since about 2005. I started out with a US1 racing dinghy sailboat which was too much boat for me to handle at the time since I was just learning to sail so I sold it. But I was already hooked on sailing at that point. I have owned a Trinka 12 dinghy, and a Catalina 25 since then. Then I decided built a small canoe style trimaran. That got me hooked on multihulls and boat building. You can see it in action if you search YouTube for “Trikanu”…

Following are a few photos of “Trikanu.” It was built using rope to hold the parts together similar to the way the Wharram catamarans are designed. The amas and akas fit in the center hull for easy storage and transportation.

Double outrigger ready for sailing

The tiny sailor says it’s a nice towing package

Pretty picture of the double outrigger sailing canoe on the beach

Multihulls are attractive because of their stability, shallow draft and speed they offer. Also, I live in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. Shallow draft is a must if you plan to do much coastal cruising in this area. I like small tris because they are an excellent choice if you want a trailerable multihull under 25ft in length. They are easier to set up and in most cases they offer more cabin and deck space for their size.

With regards to merging Venture 21 with Hobie 18 amas…

I originally planned to use the Hobie amas and build the center hull myself ( it would have been similar to Richard Woods small trimaran designs) but I found the Venture 21 on craigslist for $100. By using it I was able to save a lot of money and time compared to building my own center hull. I have seen other monohulls successfully converted to trimarans (you have a couple on your site) so I figured, “Why Not?” Speed was not my major goal in building a trimaran. I was mainly looking comfort, the ability to cruise in shallow waters and the ability to pull the boat up to the beach. As far a speed goes, other monohull to trimaran conversions have been known to cruise at 10 to 15 knots or more without an issue. That’s plenty fast for me. In fact, there is another Venture 21 trimaran conversion on the internet. You can find it by googling “Venture 21 trimaran” and then search the images tab to see the photos (it’s a yellow color boat). The owner of that boat reported very good speeds with the boat. The Venture 21 is a light boat so even as a monohull it has been known to plane at 10 knots in the right conditions.

With regards to positioning of the amas in relation to the main hull…

I love to be creative and work with my hands so for fun I have studied boat building for awhile now. I have read many forums and sites like yours and followed written advice that has been posted from some of the multihull greats like Richard Woods, Jim Brown, James Wharram and other professional and amateurs builders as well. I successfully built my Trikanu trimaran that I designed myself. It sailed very well. Through trial and error with it I know how to position amas, centerboards, mast and other items so they work correctly.

I’m building the current boat because I wanted something a little larger to be able to take other people out sailing with me and also to be able to do some extended cruising trips. As you know, if you put more than two people in a sailing canoe it usually loses most, if not all of its performance. I want to play around with building another boat the size of yours after I finish the current project. I like the smaller boats from a building point of view because it’s easy to play around with different sail configurations and make modes. If you do that on a larger boat it can get really expensive really quick. I’m really attracted to the proas as well. I love the whole concept of them so I’ve been itching to build one. I may build a new main hull and use the trikanu amas and akas on a proa setup at some point.

Here are some pics of a recently built Seaclipper 10 trimaran (see below). We’ve seen the skill of the builder (sailor Bob Trygg) before. I love the name of this sailboat too :-)

Check out the page here and another one here to see what I’m talking about.

The Seaclipper 10 is a fun design by John Marples. We’ve seen it previously in this post.

From what I’ve heard from others, this boat offers stability, ease of handling … and lots of grins for the person sailing it.

Many thanks to Bob for sharing these photos with us. You can also see the vendor where Bob purchased the sail for the boat within the “Comments” area on this page.