Jim Brown’s Coming Seaclipper 20 trimaran (the “Janganda”)

[Trawlercap]

Jim Brown is still at it. A 20' robust sail camping machine. There is a very interesting audio link here:

http://smalltrimarans.com/blog/?p=2259#more-2259


Listen to Jim as he describes both his idea's and the construction method's, materials, and needs he meet's with this boat. Everything seems to tie into itself. In other words. Everything done, is done for a good reason, and with a lot of thought. Jim has always been true to the boat, and fought the high cost and exotic. A real "peoples boat" guy.

[paladin]

I think I detect a very strong John Marples influence in this.....

[Hwyl]

The mp 3 is 29 minutes long

[Trawlercap]

Maybe I should have stated: I have no connection with the Designer Web site owner, or any other realtionship, knowledge of, monetary gain, ah....did I miss anything?

[mizzenman]

Thanks for bringing it up.

Found this just before x-mas. I now have serous lust for a multihuller.

I'm most conserned about the 'Swing Wing' mecanincs. How easy will they be to build for an amateur?

[ShagRock]

Thanks for posting that. There's a sublink at the top of the page to a very nice article, with photos, written by forum member Dan St. Gean on adapting Dierking's Ulua and Tamana designs as trimarans.

[paladin]

Jims open wing supports work.....

[Trawlercap]

Thanks for posting that. There's a sublink at the top of the page to a very nice article, with photos, written by forum member Dan St. Gean on adapting Dierking's Ulua and Tamana designs as trimarans.

I have really enjoyed Gary Dierking's work also. There is something about a good multihull design that is so nice to see. So many factors. To blend them together and make it all work and still be simple is a high achievement. Years ago Gary cruised the Pacific in own self built 37' Searunner Trimaran.

[slidercat]

I really think there's a huge marketing opportunity for small multihulls that aren't beach cats. In fact, Jim Brown was an inspiration for Slider, though in sort of a backhanded way. He wrote an essay for Cruising World that was mostly about his line of rotomolded small tris (Windriders.) In it he opined that small cats were not appropriate for beach cruising, because "... squatting on a trampoline does not provide the sailor any protection from the elements while under way."

Well, who could disagree? But I had to wonder why small cats must inevitably have seating on tramps. Turns out, they don't.



I really have to applaud anyoe who tries to move the art of open boat multihull beach cruising forward, and who better than Jim Brown? I'll look forward to hearing more about his new tri.

[paladin]

Both my 31 tris were basically Jim Brown's work...I had the hulls to the first Piver AA-31 built when Jim built Manta.....and I adapted his bulkhead/ama supports to fit, added the centerboard etc.....but the Searunner 31 was the real winner.....then my eyes got too big and started the 40/41, I had started another 31 intending to make it with the folding arms, but was called back to 'nam...shipped the 31, like a giant model airplane kit, to Jim in California, and he gave me a set of 41 plans in return....I had it almost finished, then sold it and supervised getting it finished for the buyer. The 31 was a fine sailing machine. When I almost had it finished, a reporter for the Oklahoma times stopped by to see the idiot building a boat in his yard...it ended up as a half page article......and you have arrived when ya get "more than just 2 lines in the Oklahoma Times..."

[Trawlercap]

Ray, the Slider looks like a fine little cruiser, and the blog looks like fun, I have book marked it.

Paladin, I know you said in another thread all your boats were ply and epoxy. I had no idea you were referring to Tri's as well. I had the pleasure of meeting Jim Brown this past fall at the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival. He was sitting by his son Russel's 18' runabout. What a treat it was to spend some time talking. The guy can't see squat, but he has all the energy and spark that I am sure brought him this far.
I guess this new 20' is all Jim's deal. According to John Marple the last report was Jim was in S. America on a cruise and will be back in a few weeks.

[paladin]

Jim has had problems with his sight for some time....It's been a few months since I talked with Jim...need to give him another whistle....he's invited me down several times, but it's a drive for me these days...we are all getting on a bit.

[wtarzia]

...In it he opined that small cats were not appropriate for beach cruising, because "... squatting on a trampoline does not provide the sailor any protection from the elements while under way."...

--- This is why I have favored the proa and tacking outrigger configurations, within which a true cockpit exists. Like your Slider, my Short Dragon as an aft-thwart and a footwell for comfortable sitting. I am a little lazy perhaps, and I enjoy using my mizzen mast as a seat-back (with my PFD as the back cushion) when the wind is good enough that I need not obsess about airflow around the mizzen leading-edge. This sitting position is comfortable and useful on the ama-to-leeward tack and reach, and broad reach. In a wind over 10 knots the ama is a bit too small perhaps, because just when things are exciting with the boat screaming long (for me, anyway) at 10-12 knots, the ama is threatening to bury -- then I wish for a triman or a windward-platform to get out on. A bigger or flotatation-volume-forward ama, like those modern shapes, might cure this need, and the tacking single-outrigger mode would continue to be a good one (= least set-up time, a critical factor us trailer sailors with an hour's drive to salt water).

On the ama-to-windward courses, I have to abandon the cockpit to get on a side-seat, although not too far out -- I can still use the cockpit to put my feet in. But that tack will always be dicey for a single-outrigger, which is, I suppose, where the trimaran comes in as a safe-cruising concept -- which would be wonderful if I had a mooring at the launch site. Telescoping ama tubes for at least one side of a small trimaran would sure be nice: that would allow an 8 foot trailering beam and around a 14 foot sailing beam, and, what does that translate to in modern trimaran design terms? A boat length of around 18 feet? --Wade

[xsboats]

Thanks for bringing it up.

Found this just before x-mas. I now have serous lust for a multihuller.

I'm most conserned about the 'Swing Wing' mecanincs. How easy will they be to build for an amateur?

Mizzenman,E-mail me if you would like to see a drawing showing how the swingwing works. The construction of Jim's boat is designed with amateur builders in mind.

[Bill AU]

G'day mates,

I'm new her so please be gentle with me

After hearing about JB's Seaclipper 20, I can't wait to buy the plans and build one. Anyone here know when the plans will be completed and offered for sale

I'm not the best woodworker around but, I do enjoy working/building with timber and, when JB says his Seaclipper 20 will be a tough, useful and forgiving Tri' for any novice sailors and...It can be fully built by any novice woodworker! Well that sold me on Jim's Seaclipper 20

Now I can't wait to buy a set of plans and get started on my Seaclipper 20...So anyone know when they'll be available?

Cheers mates,

Bill
Australia

[xsboats]

The first Seaclipper 20 is being built now in my shop and will be at the Cedar Key Meet next month.

[donald branscom]

The mp 3 is 29 minutes long

Thanks for the warning I really appreciate it.
I hate memory hog videos. Or memory hog Flash files, or memory hog news station links, ( the worst of all).

[xsboats]

The plans are now available at John Marples' website , searunner.com .

[LSaupe]

XSBOATS:

Any progress to report on the construction?

[Dan St Gean]

XSBOATS:

Any progress to report on the construction?

Or even better...pictures?

Dan

[xsboats]

We are finishing the boat and will be sailing next week. Pic's will be on my website soon, as well as a video on youtube of the seatrial.. Jim was here for 2 days checking to make sure my tape measure works properly and will be back for seatrials. We video taped him demonstrating the operation of the swingwing and will put it on the site as well. Someone please e-mail, call, or pm me and educate me on how to upload pic's to the forum. I'm much better at building boats than I am with this @#%$! computer stuff. We took the boat to Cedar Key minus the rig, so maybe someone who was there could post a pic or two quicker than me.

[Dan St Gean]

We are finishing the boat and will be sailing next week. Pic's will be on my website soon, as well as a video on youtube of the seatrial.. Jim was here for 2 days checking to make sure my tape measure works properly and will be back for seatrials. We video taped him demonstrating the operation of the swingwing and will put it on the site as well.

Can't wait to see your construction pics!

Dan

[mizzenman]

Great news!

[kenjamin]

Will you be sailing her on the Bay?

[xsboats]

Kenjamin, we will sail seatrials down by the shore drive ramp south of 312.Jim will be back to show us how it's done. Come join us with your ketch. After trials, she's headed south to her new owner. Hull #2 will sail with a junior lifeguard program in N. Florida. It won't be until we finish #3 [the shop boat] that you will see us around St. Aug. regularly.

[kenjamin]

Xena will be back in Tallahassee getting prettied up for the Mystic Seaport WoodenBoat Show in June. She's getting a new birdwing mizzen. Look forward to seeing ya'll out there in your #3 boat. I was born and raised in St.Augustine and will probably move there when I retire in a couple of years. Hope to build Oughtred's Haiku at that time. Take care.

Can't wait to see the boat!

[xsboats]

[xsboats]

Oh yeah, I forgot text. That's Jim and I looking over a nearly complete prototype of the new Seaclipper 20 design.

[sailboy3]

!!!

[john l]

did she get wet? how'd it go?

[xsboats]

Only from a little rain. We are finishing the glassing of the hull and rigging the mast and rudder hardware right now. Sea trials are slated for the weekend . I've been on crutches all month , so we weren't able to have her sailing by the Cedar Key Meet. I'll post a video on YouTube of the first sail. Jim is hoping to come back to take part in it. I'll try to put a link to the video on the forum .

[Dan St Gean]

Oh yeah, I forgot text. That's Jim and I looking over a nearly complete prototype of the new Seaclipper 20 design.

Looking forward to the sea trials!

Dan

[john l]

so...how did it go? fotos?

[xsboats]

http://www.seaworthysolutions.net/albums/album_image/7399456/6256592.htm More later, Scott

[Dan St Gean]

More later, Scott

May I? Looks too good to get red X's.











I love it!

Dan

[xsboats]

Thanks Dan, I was waiting for my apprentices to come ashore to help me with my computer skill deficiencies in getting the photos posted, Scott

[kenjamin]

Looks great , Scott – congratulations! So the beams are 2x10 yellow pine? Aren't they kind of heavy? Will there ever be a outer bow stem? Seems like she's pushing a lot of water up there with that flat nose. Is that for buoyancy when coming down a swell? Just curious. Thanks for the pictures – looks like a lot of fun!!!

[xsboats]

The akas are of douglass fir. The forward are 2x12 and the aft are 2x8. We will probably scale back on the forward beams on the next one. The stems of the prototype were built as drawn but could easily have fairing pieces added. We did have a lot of fun , both in building her and in the sea-trials. My wife and kids fell in love with sailing all over again. It was a motorcycle and side car compared to our winnebago 50 ketch. P.M. me when you will be back in town so we can meet and discuss how you can get the deformities out of your mainmast! [just kidding, it's cool!]

[slidercat]

Could you tell us a little about the performance-- speed, tacking angles, and so forth?

[xsboats]

I could, but I'll leave that for Jim. He spent the last week with us, preparing for the first launch, video taping, and as usual, telling stories. Look for his audio evaluation to appear on www.smalltrimarans.com. I will say that we did 7.5 knots upwind in less than 10 knots of breeze[2 adults &2 kids], losing nothing in each tack , easily out pointed a local schooner [ I don't have the Freedom to name which one], and out pointed and out ran several 35+ foot sloops. She took the chop and breakers well when sailing out St.Augustine Inlet on an ebb with 10 knots out of the NE. [opposing wind and current] Most important to her sea-trial was her winning the approval of my wife Karen, who was never concerned about the welfare and safety of our kids while on board. The experience was likened to spending the day on a motorcycle and sidecar as opposed to our Winnebago 50 ketch. We even did 5.5 knots upwind with 6 adult and 2 kids aboard.

[wtarzia]

The akas remind me of the flat, flexy akas on the Berque brothers ~20 foot long single outrigger with which they crossed the Atlantic. --Wade

[peterAustralia]

I like this boat

I am impressed with the no nonsense sliding mechanism for the crossbeams.

Previous systems I have seen use aluminium tubes, now Al tubes are no doubt lighter for a given strength, but add complexity. You need addtional skills above woodworking skills (working with aluminium, attaching struts to aluminium, possibly having to learn welding skills)

Using wood, and accepting the weight penalty, becomes a simpler system.

The alternate pivot mechanism can have higher stresses. Also with the outriggers hinged up high, you have to physically lift them up and over which can be an issue with larger outriggers. With outriggers ontop of the main hull for trailering, the center of gravity is raised a bit, possibly an issue.

The boat looks similar to teh Norman Cross 18 trimaran, but that had highed outriggers, supported with stays.

I know that in proas, Skip Johnson changed from a hinging mechanism to a sliding mechansim to reduce overall width to approx 8ft in his P52 proa. Now it may well be that he had inadequate strength in his sponson where the loads were delivered.

If we assume that there is no wire stay, a pivoting mechanism butted against a 12 inch high sponson will have point loads 4 times higher that a sliding mechanism with 4 feet of bury. Thus it will have to be built stronger to accept the loads.

Of course if a stay is used loads are reduced. It is also true that a pivoting mechanism can we a triangular truss and thus be built much lighter than a cantilever sliding crossbeam setup.

It is nice to see a sliding mechansim in wood. I had not thought of that.

By the way, are the images copyrighted? or are free to be used on other websites?(thought it was polite to ask)

[keyhavenpotterer]

The guys at Solway Dory, who specialize in sailing canoes have also been producing small canoe triamarans for a number of years.

They have just built two new prototypes which have just been tested on expedition in the Sound of Jura on Scotlands wonderful west coast. the boats are 18' , two person design.

Short video here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQxbS...layer_embedded

The sailing canoe, also shown, is a Shearwater fitted with outrigger floats. The UK canoe sailing group use these when on Expedition.

The hull cartops with the floats sitting underneath the unturned hull.

Looks a good boat for your Everglades type events?

One of the sailors blogged the trip here

http://www.solwaydory.co.uk/articles/steves-blog/


Brian

[slidercat]

Brian, thanks much for that video. I really like the new tris. One thing I found interesting is that they have open cockpits, despite being sailed in a pretty rough part of the world for open boats. When I was building Slider, I got a lot of feedback to the effect that open cockpits are inherently unsafe in small multis. It looks like maybe Janganda has a sealed cockpit, which I'm sure adds ultimately to safety, but makes it more difficult to have comfortable seating in a very small boat.

Is that a Hobie 16 rig? I really like the way the 8 foot platform duplicates the staying base of the rig-- really clever stuff!

[keyhavenpotterer]

Hi Ray,

Solway make their own rigs. Alloy tubes and a local sailmaker. Simple laced sails, reefed by rolling up the sail on the mast. These boats are so light they do not need full cut sails.

Although they have open cockpits they do have quite large decked buoyancy area fore and aft.



More details of their 16' Osprey tri,

http://www.solwaydory.co.uk/products...sailing-canoe/

Brian

[Dan St Gean]

Hi Ray,

Solway make their own rigs. Alloy tubes and a local sailmaker. Simple laced sails, reefed by rolling up the sail on the mast. These boats are so light they do not need full cut sails.

Although they have open cockpits they do have quite large decked buoyancy area fore and aft.



More details of their 16' Osprey tri,

http://www.solwaydory.co.uk/products...sailing-canoe/

Brian

Aside from both being tris, those look very much canoe based. The seaclipper 20 looks like a scaled up windrider 17 or a scaled down Seaclipper--very much the powerful sailing tri. If I were to sail, I think I'd rather be in the 20. If I were to paddle I'm going for the canoe based version.

My current affair is somewhere in between the two. Gary Dierking's Tamanu also can be set up as a cat--which is the short term plan for this summer.



Dan

[slidercat]

Brian, I was actually talking about Janganda's rig.

That's the tack I took with Slider, buoyancy chambers fore and aft, and the cockpit open. I think it's pretty safe, at least for sheltered waters.

Dan, I believe the original ply Osprey prototypes were modeled after a trimaran design by Thomas Firth Jones, rather than canoes. It looks to me as if they'd fall over if sailed without their floats, but I could easily be wrong.,

[xsboats]

Brian, thanks much for that video. I really like the new tris. One thing I found interesting is that they have open cockpits, despite being sailed in a pretty rough part of the world for open boats. When I was building Slider, I got a lot of feedback to the effect that open cockpits are inherently unsafe in small multis. It looks like maybe Janganda has a sealed cockpit, which I'm sure adds ultimately to safety, but makes it more difficult to have comfortable seating in a very small boat.

Is that a Hobie 16 rig? I really like the way the 8 foot platform duplicates the staying base of the rig-- really clever stuff!

Ray, The Seaclipper 20 cockpit is is an open cockpit, and the seating is quite comfortable. It is impossible to flood the cockpit, since water drains out through the daggerboard trunk. There is also a drain through the transom for any small amounts of water that migrates to the aft end of the cockpit. We deliberately ran straight through a 4 foot powerboat wake and all water that came over the bow was gone in seconds.

[wtarzia]

Do/can the side seats flip aside so that the boat can be paddled if extended doldrums occur, or is the recommendation a small motor for such conditions? A fine achievable boat! (since I forgot to add that in my first post) -- Wade

[Dan St Gean]

Do/can the side seats flip aside so that the boat can be paddled if extended doldrums occur, or is the recommendation a small motor for such conditions? A fine achievable boat! (since I forgot to add that in my first post) -- Wade

I don't think so--although they could. The plan sheets on xs' page detail mch of the construction and they look fixed. However, they could be built to flip like Gary Dierking's hiking seats--only longer. I'm sure a small outboard would be preferable, but for events like the EC I'm sure it could be paddled for flat calms. However, in any wind at all you'd scoot with the recommended H16 rig--and there's a provision for a H18 or other beachcat rig built into the plan.

About the only thing I'm not crazy about is the dagger board. I liked Jim's initial centerboard idea better as I like sailing in SW Florida and S Texas for my beachcruising. I'm sure a resourceful builder could do it either way.

I like how the mast can remain stepped folded or unfolded. I like how the boat could be an 8x8 platform for camping afloat in areas where camping on the beach is prohibited.

The more designs like this the better if you ask me. I'm sold on the cat form for my summer Tamanu, but this design makes me think of a Tamanu meets Seaclipper 20 for the future. I gotta believe the tri would be a bit more stable with all that beam than a trailerable cat like I'm planning.

I see the kids in those shots and think of my little family.

Dan