Small trimarans under 20'

Looks cool as hell! Is it fun ti sail? Is it difficult? Tell us more

 

Largely very easy to sail, a long thin dinghy with training wheels on, what more could you want but mmmm a few teething issues at the moment, went out in about 20 knots and had a major gust sequence of about 30 come through which flattened the fleet, unfortunately I was swept up under a pier on the reservoir and in the ensuing chaos the safety boat wrapped its tow line around the carbon bow sprit and promptly snapped it when trying to tow me out into more open water to right the boat. I'm having to rethink how to right it once capsized as the normal righting line as per a cat doesn't seem to work as it simply seems to pull the boat down into the water rather than rotating it, I need to look up how the Weta rights from a capsize perhaps.

The other issue is that the mast CoE is not located correctly on the hull, I had designed it for a small blade jib and main. But its clear that the the main will be powerful enough on its own. By consequence the back end wants to squat as you go through the tack, which makes it a ***** to tack in heavy winds, its not far out but I need to move the base forward.

Another issue is the deck hugger main, the dagger board sits directly below the sail, when docking you need to lift the board and guess what, you cant tack the sail across. You sort of have to remember that you get only one way into the dock and that you can't tack it at the last minute. You just have to be a bit more precise.

Like all experimental craft there's a bit of development to do but in the initial 3 times on the water I have had, I'm quite excited as everything is very light to handle, right from on the ground getting the boat to the water, to the way I have set up the main sheet using a cascade system along the hull, to out on the water, the boat seems unbelievably easy to sail, as I'm getting older there's a lot of plus points in there.

 

That looks great ,Wayne! Are the amas/boards fixed? I just noticed the other day that the amas on Scissors appeared to be hinged forward*. Have you given up on the other boat or just postponed it awhile?
Best of luck!

* Corley's post 942

 

Sound really cool!! I recognise many of your trouble in my two home built trimarans. My bowsprit was also towed off difficult to tack with centerboard up. I also tack very slow. But your boat seems very cool. Want to see more! I have problems tack in to the harbor. Either its stop or the boat doing 12 knot. Scary then

Chris

 

Just postponed, probably finish her this winter if work and home matters will allow, unfortnately I have just needed to be close to home and not building big boats to go off and sail and that's what would have happened if the TC601 was to be finished.

This little Tri will pivot on its daggerboard as the Ama's are just designed as stabilisers, plan is to go the TF101 route as I think the concept looks brilliant, I would have one tomorrow if I had a spare 20K.

 

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Wayne, any idea what the all-up weight is w/o crew and the total upwind sail area?

 

About 85kgs ( remember its virtually a complete F16 just the difference between the weight of the missing hull and the two new amas ( a windsurf board split down the middle )), minus 1 rudder and 1 dagger board ,12.0 sqm main, 14sqm spinny.

 

Thanks-that's terrific! Put on a rudder t-foil and a mainfoil on the daggerboard she'll fly(w/o the spin!-with a 180lb crew).

 

That's the long term plan, I do have two A Class C boards to play with, mmmm outward facing like a certain mono perhaps.

 

Thats a neat idea-would be more stable than a bi-foiler set up.....

 

Ah but the bi foiler has a huge advantage in small craft, a thing called Veel Heel.

 

You're 100% right about that-significant increase in RM-and more. But the Quant type doesn't need heel to have huge RM!
One thing also-the Quant type isolates vertical lift from lateral resistance so in light air the lifting foils can be 100% retracted.
Anyway, its clear you've got a real fun boat that you can try some cool stuff with!

 

The setup on this little Tri really lends itself to a Quant style foil arrangement as the front beam end and down through the Ama are almost in the perfect place for the C board. The limited width I have ( more practicality for trailering and dinghy parking than optimum design ) also points toward a Quant style arrangement A method of fine tuning the AoA and horizontal angle would be relatively easy to design. The boards are there and I have no other use, perhaps it maybe a recycling method for old C boards .

 

Here' s a pix you may not have seen. This is the latest(2yrs ago) Quant board-lots more curve than the original:

original board:


latest:

 

He'll never straighten that centreboard Doug, it's knackered mate.