My new perspective on multi safety, opinions?

Well if you prefer to sail monohulls nobody here is criticising your decision it's important that you feel comfortable with whatever choice you make. In general multis actually do give you plenty of warning of impending capsize you simply have to be aware as to what they are. I've raced on many tri's that have done quite impressive nose dives while overpowered and recovered. Nose diving a trimaran and to a lesser extent a catamaran is generally a recoverable situation and does not normally lead to a pitchpole style capsize. I'd say this is one area where trimarans have a real advantage in smaller sizes the greater buoyancy forward is a real help, when you stick the nose in you normally come back out without too many dramas except stories to share at the bar about how you just submarined half your boat (the amount the boat immersed increases with the number of beers/rums).

 

i can chime in on this one a bit. i have had my cross 27 for about four years, before i have done a considerable amount of short handed ocean racing alot on moore 24s including a pac cup. they say that most multi hull capsizes hapen in the hands of recently converted mono sailors.i can see this. We did most of our sailing with the throttle wide open in some windy conditions. when i got my tri i was amazed by its ability to hold down the puffs and accelerate. in my learning i dismasted my boat, so i built a stronger mast and a bigger rudder. then i perl dove trying to bear away in a big puff and almost flipped it. now i know about where the line is and i stay away from it. the rules i have learned are when it is windy dont cleat the jib never cleat the kite always hand hold these. when the leward bow burries a little it is past time to depower moving the lead all the way back is a good depower gear. if you need to bear away on a powered up reach blow the jib, make your course adjustment and re trim. these are things that work for me on a cross 27 with some powerful jibs and i pin top main. i am always looking for info on how tris capsize. there is a good slide show on youtube of a dragonfly rounding up and goin over backwards. search for trimaran capsize., that has some lessons in it. I'll say depower early sail a bit more conservitavely than you might on a mono.

 

Quote. "they say that most multi hull capsizes happen in the hands of recently converted mono sailors." Quote.

I can relate to that.
I used to sail with Logan Apperley on board "Manu Moana" a Kraken 40 Trimaran. The Kraken 40 had low buoyancy floats.
One day when I was not with him, Logan took a monohull sailor out who had never sailed a multi before. They were in Manly (NSW) harbour under full sail on the way out, when Logan went below to attend to something, leaving his guest on the helm.
A bullet gust came down from Eastern head and sharply heeled the boat. The monohull sailor did what any monohull sailor would do and hauled on the tiller to hold the boat on course and heel to spill the wind from the sail. The lee hull buried it's bow 3m (10ft) into the sea and the bow panels imploded, sending the tri into a diagonal capsize. The water police launch was right there and had the Tri back on it's feet within 20 mins by towing it backwards, bows over stern.
Now the monohull sailor was not at fault, he only did what he knew from his own experience. Perhaps Logan shouldn't have left him in charge of the boat. But that is just an instance where the unexpected happens.
Murphys Law ??

 

An F1 car requires a more competent driver than a winnebago.