Lee wants a new trimaran design...

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

Re: Lee wants a new trimaran design...

Eight hundred pounds of crew+gear plus, lets guess at, 400lbs of boat+rig is 1,200 pounds.

Efficient enough hull design to paddle at 2.5 to 3 knots comfortably

I've tried paddling fourteen hundred pounds of boat+crew - and, frankly unless there's six hundred of those pounds actively engaged in paddling - comfortable is not happening - neither is three knots.

[Woxbox]

Re: Lee wants a new trimaran design...

Ok Dave. I think you are going to win. But I gotta build it out of cedar. Not because I have to, but because I want to. I'm just kind of stuck on the natural wood look. Everywhere I go with my Misty Sunrise, people are amazed just because it is made of cedar strips. I had one guy tell me he would swear I spent a million dollars on it. I said, "Nope, less than $1500 actually." He called me a liar. He was drunk, so I didn't take any offense. I just laughed as I sailed away.

I am thinking of using the same construction method I used for my amas. Lay the strips down side by side flat, glue the edges together kind of like hardwood flooring, fiberglass one side, then stitch and glue together with the fiberglassed side inside. I am thinking of making the strips 1 inch wide, and 1/4 inch thick. Glue the panels together long enough and wide enough to cut out the panels needed for the boat.

Can anybody talk me out of using this construction method?

That should work nicely. If you want to step up your skills and speed up the process, look into peelply and even vacuum bagging.

[Lee.007]

Re: Lee wants a new trimaran design...

That should work nicely. If you want to step up your skills and speed up the process, look into peelply and even vacuum bagging.

Well, I did look that up. Seems kind of complicated. And more trouble than I want to mess with. Looks like more sanding too. I am sure it makes a nice finish though.

How does it speed up the process? Seems like an extra step to me?

[Lee.007]

Re: Lee wants a new trimaran design...

Actually, the more I think about it, if I am going to make flat panels out of cedar strips, I could use that peel ply on a flat panel and it might be a pretty easy thing to do. then all of the insides of the panels would be nice and smooth. That would be better than the mess I had on the inside of the amas when I was building my Misty Sunrise. Of course I would need some kind of non-slip on the floor of the cockpit. Thoughts?

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

Re: Lee wants a new trimaran design...

Non Slip?

Lots of advice here

http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?283151-Varnish-on-Epoxy-How-fine-should-I-sand

[Lee.007]

Re: Lee wants a new trimaran design...

Here is a question I have been rolling around in my head. Understanding that the Sea Clipper 20 may have been designed with the Hobie 16 rig in mind, would I benefit from having sailrite or somebody design a sail specifically for the Sea Clipper, and build my own Birdsmouth mast and boom?

[Lee.007]

Re: Lee wants a new trimaran design...

so select your scantlings with care.

Oh, dang it, now that I think about it, the freaking mast is 27 feet long. I would have to be really picky about spf boards at the lumber yard. I am assuming you mean straight grained and clear? And since the mast is 27 feet, has anyone made a two-section mast before? How did you connect it in the middle? or was the connection further up the mast where the loads are less? Or is it even worth it to make two sections for easier transportability?

[upchurchmr]

Re: Lee wants a new trimaran design...

Stayed masts seem complex, but are really easier.
You will get use to a single piece mast quickly.
27' is about the same height as the Hobie 16 mast.
Just think about 200+ sq ft for Hobie verses your reduced size sail (60 sq ft ???)
With the vastly increase size and weight of the Sea Clipper 20 the Hobie sail/ rig will be easily handled under sail.
Plus the sail will set correctly with no "tweaking" by yourself.

[FishoutaFlorida]

Re: Lee wants a new trimaran design...

Here is a question I have been rolling around in my head. Understanding that the Sea Clipper 20 may have been designed with the Hobie 16 rig in mind, would I benefit from having sailrite or somebody design a sail specifically for the Sea Clipper, and build my own Birdsmouth mast and boom?

Probably, but get the mast and boom done first. Or be super confident in your dimensions. I had salvaged a mast from an unknown boat, bought a boom for a hobie 14' and then used a portion of a crunched hobie 16' boom to get the running gear for my Hartley 14 TS. Then I contacted Jeff at sailrite, developed design criteria, did the design and then modified the design based on his recommendations. Awesome experience for an guy without a clue as well as the well informed/experienced guy.

Yesterday I purchased kits for the main and jib. Very exciting.

Now where is that sewing machine???

[Lee.007]

Re: Lee wants a new trimaran design...

Ok multi-hull fans, here is my latest hair-brained idea. I want to build the Sea Clipper 20, but it is going to be a minute before I have the space in the garage. So, I was thinking about a smaller boat, to hold 2 people. I saw the free Drifter 16 plans on CLC website, so I downloaded them, but it is kinda small for what I want. But... I am a fairly skilled CAD operator. Soooo... I am thinking about reproducing the Drifter 16 in autocad, scaling it up by say 10 to 15 percent, or enough to make it 18 feet long or so and wide enough for 2 people to sit side by side instead of one behind the other, and build it out of cedar strips that are 3/16" thick x 1" or 3/4" wide. So then I can have a boat for me and the wife, or just me, and one for one of my kids to race against us.

What are your all's thoughts on this idea?

[Clarkey]

Re: Lee wants a new trimaran design...

Sorry, I haven't been through the whole thread but has this one come up?

https://bandbyachtdesigns.com/sailboats/minitrimaran/

[Lee.007]

Re: Lee wants a new trimaran design...

No, actually Clarkey I don't think it has. Still kind of small, but it might fit the bill. I kind of like the bowsprit, gives you the opportunity of a large jib. But the telescoping tubes for aka's look expensive. Looks like an expensive mast and boom too. I don't have good access to cheap aluminum here in eastern central Georgia. I didn't see a place to buy the plans on the website, but there was a wicked cool video of the boat. I think maybe they are still working some bugs out of the design and haven't released the plans yet?

[Lee.007]

Re: Lee wants a new trimaran design...

Ok y'all, check this out. This is the Drifter 16 scaled up to allow 2 people to sit side by side, stretched out to a few inches over 19 feet long. I put the akas on it, but I have not drawn the ama's yet. What do y'all think?


Scaled up.jpg

[Gary Dierking]

Re: Lee wants a new trimaran design...

I think as you sail more and in different boats, you will come to prefer sitting sideways rather than fixed in a forward position. Sitting out on a hiking seat gives you better visibility all around and adds that very important righting moment. That would mean having a tiller and extension rather than foot steering.

[Todd Bradshaw]

Re: Lee wants a new trimaran design...

Agreed. That fattened Drifter looks really uncomfortable. Never underestimate the increase in living space that you can generate on a tri with wing nets and if possible, bow wingnets. Naturally, you do need rather large, buoyant amas for them to pay off, but it is worth it if the design allows it.

Lay the strips down side by side flat, glue the edges together kind of like hardwood flooring, fiberglass one side, then stitch and glue together with the fiberglassed side inside.

That's how I built the panels for the drift boat I built back in the '70s. Then I nailed and glued-in little spruce "riblets" on the insides to stiffen the sides, stitched all the panels together, seamed the inside and glassed the outside of the hull. Achieving the natural wood look is possible, but it adds an awful lot of work and head scratching on something bigger than a canoe or kayak. When you combine that with the potential maintenance and covered storage it becomes pretty questionable in terms of whether or not the look is worth it.

The weave inside was not filled, just carefully squeegeed to a really uniform cloth texture. It provided great non-skid and kept the resin to cloth ratio down for maximum strength with minimum weight. The "squeegee" was a small slab cut from a block of ethafoam about 1/2" thick. One of my favorite glassing tools.

drift-boat.jpg