salvaged v hull fishing boat as main trimaran hull

Stay sail boom furler

Still under construction

 

Lee board

Added a Lee board. Just one on the starboard side. Mounted were the old cross beam used to go. The board is fiberglass with a steel pipe bolted on it as a extension.

 

sail rigging points. With cabin in the way.

The old bolt rope track for the sol cat trampoline. And a wisker pole reused from a Hobe cat tramp frame. These are proto types until I take it to the lake again for some trials.
The wisker pole will be attached to the mid ship steel rib. It will be to swing 270 degrees and lift up over the cabin. Kind of a snatch block rigging solution.

 

lawn sailing

Sail configurations are endless. The spirit pole on the bow is about 3 feet long. As I go it gets complicated. As the jib stay length is adjustable. Once the back stay is set at the hounds the jib stay tension is set with the worm gear winch that raises the mast.
The middle stay sail has a bolt rope foot that is attached to the boom. It will auto tack. And be infinitely reefable. Tacking with a sail on the bow stay. Will be slow as the foot is 14' and 10 '. I Will be able to full furl the middle stay sail on the boom. Take the stay off. And use the boom as the jib Sail clew anchor. Then also be in auto tack mode. With a 10' footed jib sail.
The Genoa is 26 'X 14' and the cabin is in the way. It will only be used in flat water.

 

Lake trials 2

Went out memorial day. 18 mph wind with 30 mph gusts. Flew the small main sail only. The single Lee board worked very well at keeping a slight weather helm. Still need some rigging anchors for it. Top speed was 6 mph. Up wind was slow as the beating waves can really slow it down. Hiking out on the down wind Ama , back ward I know. Is enough to almost fly a hull. The bow am as are too high for pitch poling.
I am almost certain that a head sail would have brought her up to planing speed. I did not want to risk my 30 year old Hobie cat mast this early in the summer. I'll let it bend 4 inches. Above the hounds.
The sail boom worked well although the reefing mechanism needs a spacer as is binds up in high winds.
It took less than an hour to set up and launch. By my self

 

sail info

This is a bolt roped luff main sail. I have hanks attached to the rope on the leading edge. The foot is rope through the boom slot. With the one wrap around the boom. It was free with my genoa. It's my storm jib.

 

reworking boom pivot mount.

The first one had the base break off. (Bolt snaped) from not being seated. It wobbled when the sail was eased. When reeling in a fish.

The rebuild has a bolt that serves as a cotter key.

 

Lake trials 3 wind 5mph. 2 mph

The boat weight is 1500 pounds fully loaded.
I used my medium Genoa and the boom. The sail was giving me too much Lee helm until I pivoted the Lee board forward. Then pulled the whole sail back a couple of feet. Actually can tack forward like a boat is suppose to. Verse a leeward 270 degree U turn. Top speed was 2.3 mph. Fished about 8 miles and caught 18 fish.
The first picture is the Genoa pulled back to balance the helm. The second was a quick rolling of the sail around the boom when motoring to the boat ramp.

 

The British had a WW2 plan to make a massive stationary floating island mid Atlantic to act as a fueling station for aircraft. They used a special kind of ice called Pykrete a mixture of woodchips and water which when frozen was much stronger than reinforced concrete. The inventor was Geoffrey Pyke hence the name.

More efficient engines and drop-able extra fuel tanks made transatlantic flights possible so the idea was dropped but the prototype they built in Canada lasted 3 years before melting.

 

Wars always inspire innovative ideas. I liked the German built smoldering smoke powered engine. I guess you can get the plans from FEMA as a emergency generator fuel source.

 

Halyard cleats.

I cut some ebay salvage up and welded them onto a 1/2 bolt. Much easier than trying to fasten the original bases.
I had it out a few times this month. So far only the main sail with the bolt rope foot, in the boom channel has any upwind ability. I can beat up wind about 25 degrees. A little better with the cabin cover rolled up.
Still waiting for a calm day to try a head sail with the main. The last two times it was in the rain and the winds were gusty at times.

 

Hitting logs at 3 knots

How fast is too fast to sail in floating timber?

 

12 volt drill powered mast winch.

Finally got around to wiring a 12 volt drill to run off a car battery. The set up time to launch is now 20 minutes. The outriggers are down in 75 seconds and the mast is up in 90 seconds. The rest of the time is spent rigging the sails. Conecting the tiller. Bolting the outrigger hinges. Setting up the standing rigging and extending the spirit pole take the most time.
Raising the mast is simple. The mast foot is hinged with strong steel hinge. The side stays will gradually increase in tension as the mast is raised. The baby back stay and the inner main stay are the only cables that need to be attached. The mast raising cable winch is mounted on the stern. The cable fairlead is on top of the 45 degree aft canted mizzen spar. It's 8 foot long. The cable is anchored to the top of the mast. The winch serves as an adjustable back stay. It is helpful when balancing the tension on the stay sails when flying two sheets.
The baby back stay is not adjustable while sailing as it anchors too the top of the mizzen spar 8 feet above the water and 4 feet aft of the stern . It connects to the mast were the two side stays meet. About 5 feet from the top of the mast.
The drill motor will not raise the outriggers. I have been raising then up about half way. Then hanging 5 pound lead weights on the cables, to keep the spool from bird nesting. Then I push the outriggers the rest of the way up. After they are up and locked I then take up the slack with the winch.
The single spool on the winch has two cables wrapped in opposite directions if it bird nests the outriggers can not be lowered.

 

outrigger winch fairlead weights

Outrigger winch.

 

cost to build.

Main hull. $100.00
Outriggers $free after parting out, sol cat catamaran
Mast $50.00
Boom $free
Keel. $50.00
Rudders. $75.00
Sails. 4 at $150.00
Rigging hardware. $75.00
Halyards. 60.00
Trampoline. $130.00
Stainless steel bolts $20.00
Mild steel. 105 pounds @.15 cents
Epoxy paint. $75.00 2 gallon
Vinyl resin. 20 gallon. Free from old project 9.00 $180.00
30 yards of 2310 biax free from old project. $2. 60.00
9 gallons of pour foam. $226.00
Trailer frame. $100.00
Drop axle parts. $35.00 bolts
New tires. $65.00
8hp johnson. $100.00
Carburetor kit $ 15.00
Fuel pump $35.00
Low pitch prop $35.00
Cabin soft top. Free
Sewing machine $15.00
Thread and needles. $20.00
mast winch $35.00
Outrigger winch. $5.00
Anchors. $10.00
Rope $20.00
Electrical $60.00.
Total about $1600.00 over 2 years not counting tools and consumables.