Aluminium 55' fast cruising trimaran

[Two Bob Peter]

Hi All
New poster, experienced sailor, looking to build a fast cruising trimaran in aluminium. Similar design basis as Chris White Hammerhead 54 or Rapido 60. Plan is to commence construction approx 3 years time. Fabricate hulls at my factory (aluminium fabrication business) in Australia and then do fitout in SE Asia.
Havent got a huge budget, but from experience I believe I have a good grasp of how much a venture of this size is going to cost. Looking to discuss plans, design etc with architect / engineers that may have done something like this before.
Cheers,

Peter

 

[JSL]

Hi All
New poster, experienced sailor, looking to build a fast cruising trimaran in aluminium. Similar design basis as Chris White Hammerhead 54 or Rapido 60. Plan is to commence construction approx 3 years time. Fabricate hulls at my factory (aluminium fabrication business) in Australia and then do fitout in SE Asia.
Havent got a huge budget, but from experience I believe I have a good grasp of how much a venture of this size is going to cost. Looking to discuss plans, design etc with architect / engineers that may have done something like this before.
Cheers,

Peter

Why not contact Chris white?

 

[Alik]

Quite new to trimarans, but have done plenty of cats, also a lot of boats in alu - all with cutting files, to ISO/CE standards.
Launched Boats and Catamarans Designed by AM Design, Thailand http://amdesign.co.th/Launched.html

 

[Ad Hoc]

New poster, experienced sailor, looking to build a fast cruising trimaran in aluminium. ..

What is your SOR that lead you to dictate the hull form as a Trimaran from the outset?

 

[Two Bob Peter]

Why not contact Chris white?

I have been in touch with Chris, still working through his reply. As the Hammerhead is a composite design it will require a completely new approach to build from ally.

 

[Two Bob Peter]

What is your SOR that lead you to dictate the hull form as a Trimaran from the outset?

I have owned a cruised a 49' alloy cat with my family on board a few years ago. I enjoyed the fast cruising and reduced transit times between ports. For this next project I don't need as much accommodation, would like to go faster. Also thinking (might be incorrect on this) that a trimaran build might be a bit faster due to the fitout requirements, basically a 55' mono fit out as against a 55' cat fitout. Obviously the amas and supporting structure will take time, but just aluminium hotworks with no fitout requirement. It also suits my build location.
Cheers,

Peter

 

[Nico Crispi]

Hello Peter.

If nothing else you MUST read this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Case-Cruisin...877421005/ref=mt_hardcover?_encoding=UTF8&me=

 

[petebrown]

Hi,

I'm in Oz also and interested in these types of trimarans - just wondering if you are still pursuing this ?

cheers
pete

 

[Two Bob Peter]

Hi Pete
Been away on other projects. Still interested in this build. Did get some communication from Chris White re the Hammerhead design. Don’t recall the exact text but recollection is that to recreate that particular design in ally is the same as starting with a blank sheet. I recall he was also worried about the weight.
My previous vessel was a 49’ cat, cruising design with good performance and cruising weight of 7500kg. I still feel with the right design and construction principals ally is a viable option for this size tri, but I am speaking from a non-naval architect / engineer perspective and open to be proven wrong, or right!
Ive still got research time before I need to start the build, so will keep researching ideas and concepts.
Cheers,

Peter

 

[Ilan Voyager]

All depends of your program.
Nice amenities or spartan (that can go from the american luxury condo to the monastic cell)? Very fast, fast or simply rather fast? How many people? How many able sailors (solitary to five guys)? long range or short range? for tropics or any latitude? wild mooring or marina? Young children? Pets? There are a lot of factors.

Yes an aluminium tri is viable, some alu trimarans designs have been built in the 80's in France. The French NA Sylvestre Langevins (retired since many years) designed a few.

However there are some difficulties which have killed the alu trimarans 30 years ago;
Absolute necessity of a NA knowing well trimarans and aluminium ship building. Langevin was a very good NA (just one of his activities) but he was also an outstanding engineer of metallic structures. So good that he taught a generation of structural engineers at the Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers of Paris.
A lot of NA who tried in the 80's to imitate Langevin failed. Too heavy or structural problems. there is a lot surface, it's the main problem of the tris.
Weight so the engineering must be top, the building must be first class preferably by an experimented aluminium shipyard as very light scantlings will have to be used on a sophisticated structure with miles of welding on thin sheets. It's pretty expensive, but mistakes are more expensive.
A medium heavy cruising aluminium catamaran is far easier to design and build. more in the abilities of aluminium factory.

Two examples of totally different alu tris by Langevin, see the pics;
Djebel Amour, a super luxury floating condo able to sail correctly. The building was very, very, very expensive. 16m x 9.2m. The boat, 30 some years old is now a charter at Madagascar.

Découvert, racing tri foiler 15.15mx9m. Always racing 36 years later. I've sailed 30 years ago on its sistership Ker Cadelac, a pleasure. Pretty fast, very seaworthy.

 

[n5pgo]

Hi All
New poster, experienced sailor, looking to build a fast cruising trimaran in aluminium. Similar design basis as Chris White Hammerhead 54 or Rapido 60. Plan is to commence construction approx 3 years time. Fabricate hulls at my factory (aluminium fabrication business) in Australia and then do fitout in SE Asia.
Havent got a huge budget, but from experience I believe I have a good grasp of how much a venture of this size is going to cost. Looking to discuss plans, design etc with architect / engineers that may have done something like this before.
Cheers,

Peter

I have been working on this same design in ACAD for years. I also worked in aluminum shipyards in states and Argentina. I have many, many, photos. As for the plans, you can have them. I am now too old and disabled to do this myself. My designs started with the basic Searunner, and scaled it up. The largest was a 70ft. Smallest a 44. My large design was posted on this site ages ago. My 60 used a stand-up engine room with pass thru walkway, semi-vented wings, and ketch rigged sail plan taken from the Creole (with the upside down main and mizzen staysail). Let me know if you want it and I send you the lot.

 

[CloudBayFlyer]

I know this is an old thread, but I am researching the exact same build.

n5pgo or Peter, if you guys are still out there, I’d love to talk!

 

[MiMc]

Not sure who from the original thread post is still around… I stumbled upon the forum recently and found it interesting and think it’s worth resurrecting. In addition to the boats designed by the French NA Sylvestre Langevins built in the 80’s I have found another French builder CNA Yachting who built 7 of the Tribellule cruising trimarans. These were designed and built by Claude Philippe, his son Yann Philippe has now taken over the family business and the company is now Laita Sailing in Quimperle, France. I have found a few examples of the Tribellule online hull #1 which is a 39’ and hull #7 “Quetzalcoatl”. Attached are a few photos of #7. I’d appreciate thoughts on the design anyone have experience with these rare tris?

 

[Pascal]

Not sure who from the original thread post is still around… I stumbled upon the forum recently and found it interesting and think it’s worth resurrecting. In addition to the boats designed by the French NA Sylvestre Langevins built in the 80’s I have found another French builder CNA Yachting who built 7 of the Tribellule cruising trimarans. These were designed and built by Claude Philippe, his son Yann Philippe has now taken over the family business and the company is now Laita Sailing in Quimperle, France. I have found a few examples of the Tribellule online hull #1 which is a 39’ and hull #7 “Quetzalcoatl”. Attached are a few photos of #7. I’d appreciate thoughts on the design anyone have experience with these rare tris?

Hi, I'm the first owner and did this specific unit with the architect. What do you want to know about her?