Opinions on SeaClipper 10

[peb]

Well, the article in WB last month on the SeaClipper 10 trimaran was interesting. I was wondering about other folks opinion of the boat. I have 2 sons who want one. Seems like one could almost build 2 of them at the same time for not much more effort than building one. Coming up with a small trailer that could carry both of them shouldn't be too hard.
It appears to be a PWC for sailors, that makes a lot of sense. Any thoughts?

[Thad Van Gilder]

It looks like fun!

[Lewisboater]

I like it but what I really like is the way the rudder kicks up. Seems like a no muss no fuss way of having a kick up rudder without doing the cheeks/pivot bolt routine.

[TDSoren]

I happen to own one, and it's a great little boat for one man. I even built a tarp junk sail for it that works great.

Im on the iPad and don't know how to paste a link, but if you go to YouTube and search for "tdsoren1" you'll find a bunch of video I put up using the junk.

Tom

[peb]

I happen to own one, and it's a great little boat for one man. I even built a tarp junk sail for it that works great.

Im on the iPad and don't know how to paste a link, but if you go to YouTube and search for "tdsoren1" you'll find a bunch of video I put up using the junk.

Tom

Cool videos. I don't know if I would do the junk rig, but I do like it. Do you have the spinaker rigged? This seems like a very practical boat for both the kids (and my wife) learning to sail, and at the same time to always be useful for other purposes.

[TDSoren]

Cool videos. I don't know if I would do the junk rig, but I do like it. Do you have the spinaker rigged? This seems like a very practical boat for both the kids (and my wife) learning to sail, and at the same time to always be useful for other purposes.

I have The spinnaker. but I've never rigged it because it wasn't until I saw the wooden boat article and the photos I had any idea how it was intended. I did sail it 2 seasons with the original mainsail, which works great.

There's a few reasons I built the Junk. I sail on a river that usually has a 1.5-3 knot current going west while the wind comes up the valley headed east. I wanted to have a GREAT downwind sail with lots of area for heading east, then be able to reef easily for heading back to the west. The Junk accomplishes this beautifully. The stock sail is no easy thing to reef or furl from within the cockpit. The reason all of the video is of the junk is because I filmed it for the uh....."Junkies".

I'm in Portland Oregon if anyone would like to come by and check out the boat or take it for a sail.

Tom

[peb]

I have The spinnaker. but I've never rigged it because it wasn't until I saw the wooden boat article and the photos I had any idea how it was intended. I did sail it 2 seasons with the original mainsail, which works great.

There's a few reasons I built the Junk. I sail on a river that usually has a 1.5-3 knot current going west while the wind comes up the valley headed east. I wanted to have a GREAT downwind sail with lots of area for heading east, then be able to reef easily for heading back to the west. The Junk accomplishes this beautifully. The stock sail is no easy thing to reef or furl from within the cockpit. The reason all of the video is of the junk is because I filmed it for the uh....."Junkies".

I'm in Portland Oregon if anyone would like to come by and check out the boat or take it for a sail.

Tom

I can tell from the WBF that the spinnaker rigging is rather unique (well maybe not for trimarans, but to me). I studied the pictures of it quite closely and it made a lot of sense. It seemed to me, that while the spinaker rigging was not typical, it would would function quite well an accompsh much the same thing as we are accustomed to with a symmetrical spinakker on a pole. Hence one could learn a lot from using it. That was my impression. But I suspect, that like you, without seeing the article, it would have been rather hard to figure out.

Let me see if I understand your junk mainsail intentions. So your junk main sail is bigger than the standard main to aid in sailing off-wind? could the spinakker have solved this problem? Or was the standard main too big in your conditions (hence the need to reef)? What type of wind conditions will the boat handle with the standard rig? And what about going through any chop? 15 know winds with quite a bit of chop is quite common around here. How would the short 10 foot boat deal with this?

Back to other aspects of the boat. How dows the steering work? Is it easy to get used to? How much of a spaghetti pile of lines do you end up with on your lap while sailing? I suppose not too bad without the spinnaker, but maybe problematic with it.

Finally, maybe most importantly, what was the build time? I am thinking it could maybe be done in 80 to 120 hours. Am I crazy? If I could build it in a couple of months, while spending 10-20 hours a week, it would be worth it. Much more, I would have problems.

[TDSoren]

I can tell from the WBF that the spinnaker rigging is rather unique (well maybe not for trimarans, but to me).........

Back to other aspects of the boat. How dows the steering work? Is it easy to get used to? How much of a spaghetti pile of lines do you end up with on your lap while sailing? I suppose not too bad without the spinnaker, but maybe problematic with it.

Finally, maybe most importantly, what was the build time? I am thinking it could maybe be done in 80 to 120 hours. Am I crazy? If I could build it in a couple of months, while spending 10-20 hours a week, it would be worth it. Much more, I would have problems.

The junk gives me 78ft2 compared to 65ft2 on a lower center of effort with 3 reefs easily accomplished, all in one sail. I also get the twist control downwind from the sheeting and don't need a vang. the stock sail has no halyard, and so must be beached to use its single reef point. I have very variable winds where I sail, so the easy multiple reefs from the cockpit matter to me.

psi don't have a wind meter, so I can't give an exact speed where a reef is needed. I'm sure mr Marples could tell you.

foot steering works GREAT!

I didn't build the boat. I had written Maples when the design first came out, so when I saw it on Craig's list for a ridiculous low price I knew what it was and jumped on it.

It handles chop as well as a 10ft boat can be expected, and feels VERY SECURE WITH THE. 2 sealed amas for flotation. I can't think of a better boat to learn how to sail. it actually paddles extremely well using the foot rudders if the wind dies or the whole sailing thing confuses somebody.

just last night I went out and passed a gig harbor with much more waterline both up and downwind. using a tarp sail. did I mention I love this little boat?

Tom

[JimD]

I happen to own one, and it's a great little boat for one man. I even built a tarp junk sail for it that works great.

Im on the iPad and don't know how to paste a link, but if you go to YouTube and search for "tdsoren1" you'll find a bunch of video I put up using the junk.

Tom

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaYtk...feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmbvPS3lKSQ

[john l]

cool boat...but think you are making a mistake building two. you need to build three!

[peb]

Thanks for the input. Yea. I was thinking the Laser-rig like main that fit over the mast was simple, but assumed reefing just wasn't ever necessary. The twist control on the junk main, seems to make sense to me; but I am not an expert about junk rigs.

Thanks again, if you ever post more videos on youtube, let me know. I think I am not going to over-think this thing. If it seems to work out, I will do it; if not, it was fun dreaming.

[James McMullen]

I like it okay, but I think I'd build one of those CLC kayak trimaran plans instead to get a very similar flavor of boat that is much more versatile all around. With the kayak trimaran, you're going to do the same amount of work building, but you'll have something to paddle when the wind isn't favorable too.

[JimD]

I like it okay, but I think I'd build one of those CLC kayak trimaran plans instead to get a very similar flavor of boat that is much more versatile all around. With the kayak trimaran, you're going to do the same amount of work building, but you'll have something to paddle when the wind isn't favorable too.

I agree with some of this, but not all, James. I would imagine that much of the appeal of the SC 10 is that its 10, and not 16 or 17 like a kayak. Also, the roominess of the cockpit of the SC 10 compared to being stuffed into a kayak cockpit is well, not much comparison. True, the kayak would be more versatile and in certain respects a more able boat. But I couldn't agree that the flavours would be very similar.



vs

[James McMullen]

Jim, that sail rig can be mounted on a whole bunch of different kayaks, including ones as short as the WoodDuck 12 and ones with big open cockpits like the Mill Creek.

[JimD]

Jim, that sail rig can be mounted on a whole bunch of different kayaks, including ones as short as the WoodDuck 12 and ones with big open cockpits like the Mill Creek.

Yeah, but the SC 10 still qualifies for the Around In Ten competition. And instead of human auxiliary power you could strap a big honkin' outboard on 'er.

[Woxbox]

Yeah, but the SC 10 still qualifies for the Around In Ten competition.

I hope you're not serious. The skipper alone uses up all the displacement these 10-foot tris have to offer. And that's just the first problem.

The biggest issue I see with a lot of these little tris is that in any chop at all, they throw up a lot of water. Some address this to a point, but most do not.

[JimD]

I hope you're not serious. The skipper alone uses up all the displacement these 10-foot tris have to offer. And that's just the first problem.

The biggest issue I see with a lot of these little tris is that in any chop at all, they throw up a lot of water. Some address this to a point, but most do not.

You can't be seriously asking me if you think I'm serious! Frankly, I can't see much use for a ten foot tri, but you know, there's always someone who only has an 11 foot garage to build and store it in. I think it might make a fun family beach boat for the kids to play in and mom and dad to take a turn.

[Woxbox]

Right. It's to tris what a Bettlecat is to catboats. I think there's a very high fun-to-cost ratio in both.