18' Trimaran built for camping. Cutter rigged.

[markstrimaran]

Room for 4 adults.

Beach able.

8" draft with boards up.

Trailerable.

30 minutes to launch, in the dark. With minimal needed for assembly .

Unsinkable, foam laminated cored hull.

Completely dry cabin, waterproof in a rainstorm with
36" of head room.

Easy to sail, upwind ability.

Dual purpose, amas, can be removed, and it becomes a 15" fast River boat.

Built for less than $2000.00
This was on here before. I can't post to my old link, so I started a new thread. The boat has 3 years on it, since I started. It has undergone a lot of tweaking. It still has a few things that could be improved upon.

It needs primer ed areas to be painted, the dagger board/Lee board, setting a self tacking jib sail. The problem trailer fender that likes to vibrate loose.

 

[markstrimaran]

pre season check off

Stepped the mast. Routed the halyards. Mounted the boom pivot. The spirit boom inserted in to bow.
Trampoline bolt rope is pulling out of track.
Still need a main sail cover that is trailerable.

Years past I had an hour to set up at the ramp. This year I want to keep as much of it set up and trailerable.

I need to get a self tacking lead sail arrangement. As any early season sailing is 20 to 30 knot gusts.

 

[markstrimaran]

pre season check off

Lawn sailing, repaired tramp pulling out of track.
Built some cable bridles to quickly adapt between 150 geona, and the storm jib.

I am going to try a swing keel mount on the steel ama cross arm.

 

[markstrimaran]

swing keel dagger boards

The sol cat ama, donor, has dagger board slots. The perfect spot to put a balanced keel, is 16" forward. The easiest place to put one is 30" forward, of the slot.
If I used both the rear dagger board, and a too far forward swing keel/ modified Lee board. Would this combo balance out the CE.
Or would the disturbed wake from the leading board, cause the following one problems.
It's a slow boat, maybe 10 mph max .

 

[markstrimaran]

swing keel dagger boards

Some pictures

 

[markstrimaran]

The brown pipe was the pivot point for the keel. It used the cross tube bolt holes, easy to mount. In stronger winds Lee helm was problem. I am going to try one on the cross arm, if it will hold.
Last resort will be fiberglass in a Lee board pivot point on the ama .

 

[markstrimaran]

20 mph sails

It's going to be a few weeks, of rain, and busy weekends, finished up the short list to be ready to sail.

 

[markstrimaran]

first sail

The new keel balances the helm pretty good. Locked strait up and down, has slight weather helm. Pivoted back it start drifting to lee. The jib sail is pull all the way out, on the spirit boom.

 

[markstrimaran]

Had some nice winds for sailing. I had it going as fast as my 8 hp outboard will push it. With the sails. 5.5 knots. "Sail boat prop"
I had it flying one ama, at about 4 knots. It feels steady enouph. I had concerns. That it might become squirrely.
In light winds the 150% geona doubles the speed vs the 75% storm jib. With the inner stay sail. Remaining the same.

The 150 geona will not pull out of weather helm if near the irons. I had to motor leeward
Every time I tacked. I did not try and rake the keel, back as it was a little hectic.

I normally use the 150. When the top wind gusts are 5mph, in late summer.

 

[markstrimaran]

This is from 2 years ago.

 

[markstrimaran]

Still going, have mostly been fishing,at a slow troll, fully reefed. So not much on high proformance.

The boat really needs a carbon fiber mast, to hold a tighted sail.

 

[markstrimaran]

main sail furler, reefable at any sail height.
I need a stiffer mast for a jib furler.
It has 4 side stays, and 2 back stays.

 

[markstrimaran]

Simple enouph to set up and break down in the dark. Singlehanded, in 30 minutes. Two people could do it it 15 minutes.

 

[markstrimaran]

First long range sailing trip. Had a problem with the trailer fenders, breaking bolts due to vibration.

30 year old wheel bearing held up better than I thought.

So other than having a stay tensioner ground in half, from getting dragged for 2 hours.

The Sol cat hulls to a hit on a bolt sticking out on a dock. Their foam core double glasses construction. Is very durable.

 

[markstrimaran]

Rouph in proto of fishing pole holders on aft mast.

Only used the sail for trolling once, as the 30 mph winds prevailed.