williwaw trifoiler

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

Read the book

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

 

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.

 

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

 

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

 

And the book review

 

Good for the ego

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

 

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.

 

I sailed from NZ to Rarotonga with Dave kepier in 1976 on Williwaw. Interesting trip which took two weeks. Contact me if you are still interested.

 

Chris would be great to hear more about your trip!

 

Dave sent me the Multisurf CAD files for the boat he was designing as a successor to Williwaw, but they are far from being plans from which you could build a boat.

I suggest you consider modifying an existing boat into a hydrofoil cruiser. Modern multihulls have sail area/weight ratios that are more powerful than Williwaw's and with the proper structure could be good candidates that would save you lots of time and money. If you look at the development of Williwaw over time, especially the increase in ama buoyancy, it became more and more like a conventional boat.

His hydrofoils were not built of wood. He was able to obtain suitable aluminum extrusions which he welded into his ladder foil units. Today, composite materials would be the way to go. You might consider using condemned helicopter rotor blades as ready-made hydrofoil stock.

 

From my experience at sea with Williwaw I wouldnt want to go to the southern ocean with it. Going down the face of the waves on the foils you build so much speed that you dig in at the bottom. Off the foils you are a trimaran that can get sideways to the waves. Foils are very exciting but Iam not sure that it is the best offshore vessel. Happy to share more details if you wish