williwaw trifoiler

[diverdown_03]

Looking for anyone with information on the boat Williwaw that David Keiper had built out of wood. I would like to build her again and take her around the world solo(via the southern ocean). Or if anyone knows of any other good plans out there for a hydofoiling trimaran I am all ears.

[Doug Lord]

Look up Tom Speer-he has done a design inspired by Williwaw-he could help you a lot. He's a member here-look under "Foiler Design" under Sailboats and PM him.

[sailsocal]

I would like to build her again ...

Williwaw broke new ground but that was several decades ago. I think you'd be better off taking advantage of newer design ideas and construction techniques.

[catsketcher]

A good starting point would be the book Hydrofoil Voyager that Dave self published. It was an okay read if you liked foilers. Dave died quite a while ago now and you may have trouble getting a copy - I can't find mine around here. His is without doubt a very interesting story. As I remember it Williwaw didn't go fast across oceans - she foiled little offshore. I have seen film footage of her foiling in San Fransisco and her rig was very old fashioned so a modern version would do much better. dave also had many problems with welds on his alloy foils. I would think composites would be the way to go nowadays.

cheers

Phil Thompson

[Gary Baigent]

Hydrofoil Voyager is listed on Abe books and Amazon at the moment - but because it was self published by Dave Keiper, and not many of them produced, you'll pay through the nose to obtain one. Very good, historically important book though and worth buying all the same.

[fng]

if you want to build a williwaw then the purchase of the book is a small price in yuor project and a must have. I did have a copy myself but lost it due to a water issue, I also had a copy of the video - both very interesting and when you concider how long ago David did it "wow". In the back of the book were line drawings for a couple of newer designs that David had done. There was also a article in an early edition of the australian multihulls mag with some lines reproduced. I will try and dig it up

[fng]

I found it 1997 multihull world mag vol 9, No 2

[fng]

And the book review

[catsketcher]

Wow FNG

I wasn't sure anyone would still have that old article. I was very interested in putting foils on a friends Newick and liked to write about things back then. I wrote the article almost as a way of getting to talk to a legend. Doing articles for that mag got me on Sodebo, and chatting to Nigel Irens and Ian Farrier. Very illuminating people.

cheers

Phil Thompson

[fng]

Thanks Phil, It was a good article, made me get a copy of the book and video. when I last tried to get another copy they were out of print.