Sure. My contention is not that tiny cats are better than tiny tris in all ways. It's that (I believe) they're better for a specific narrow purpose-- beachcruising. It's sometimes difficult to argue the point, however, when there are so few cats like Slider for comparison purposes. Most folks have never seen one. It was, I can tell you, even harder to argue the point before Slider existed, because it was sometimes impossible to get people to even imagine a cat like Slider. A lot of folks told me that if a boat like that was such a great idea, someone else would have already built one.
Your tri sounds fine to me, and has many advantages over Slider. Sorry if I'm overenthusiastic in my advocacy. I think there's a natural tendency to love a boat you've built, even more likely when it's a boat you designed-- and almost irresistable when you've been told a thousand times that the idea behind the boat was stupid.
When the boat in question turns out great, there's a strong motivation to spread the word. Much of the impetus for the design came from my observation that there were plenty of little tris that were more or less suitable for beachcruising (have you seen the videos Jim Brown made on camping in Baja with Windriders?) This seemed strange to me, because in larger sizes, there seemed to be a widely-held belief that cats are more comfortable than tris for cruising-- though I know not everyone feels this way. It struck me that this should be even more defensible a viewpoint in the smallest sizes, at least on the basis of comfort-- but no one appeared to think this way but me. Or at least, if anyone felt the same way, they haven't translated those feelings into a boat.
Ray
http://slidercat.com
heh, i don't know if thirty feet is 'tiny'.
and i'll agree that it's hard to not shout the praises of something that's yours, from idea to sailing, all the way. i've felt that way more than once, i totally understand being excited about the slider(and i have to say, it's actually rather put together. not exactly what i myself need, but it'll fulfill a suprisingly wide selection of people's needs).
and it's true, when you get down to the 'pack it in the back of the truck/on top of the car', zip about the shore, have fun with it for a day or two, a little ten or fifteen foot, trampoline top tri is going to be more stable, that's inherent. cats match tris for stability once you get up above probably about 20-30 feet, when you're building for performance. the slider's not really about that, but i'm sure it gets up a good turn under the right conditions.
but then, when you're at that point, a cat has the advantage of simplicity. one less hull, and a bit less weight(which is also a disadvantage), and that can come with an easier takedown/setup.
but the trimaran's greater weight comes with advantages.
more stability-i've seen(and been on) beachcats that would capsize on the beam in high winds when i was a teenager in hawaii. it happens fast in a cat, thanks to that trampoline in the middle. netting eliminates this, really, but then it's not too comfortable to sail on. trimarans have the advantage because of the weight of the center hull, and the slots created by the trampoline meeting that hull. it gives you the time to get to the windward side, as well as dumping the lifting air.
more displacement- yes, the slider's got a fair bit of capacity, all told. 600 pounds of design payload is pretty good. but in a little cat, there's only so much displacement before you're swamped. trimarans in the same size class(remember, 15-foot trampoline top) will generally have more displacement, with a corresponding increase in capacity.
but cats have their own advantages in the same size class.
weight- this can, in the small cats, often make for great performance under sail. not always matching the trimarans, because of the greater drag imposed by greater wetted surface(that damnable displacement again), but it also makes for something easier to get up and down the beach, even by yourself(as a note, my own tri is going to be a bit of a bear. i can drag that sort of weight around, but it's not easy).
greater crew space- in a trampoline top, the cat has its connecting struts generally further spread apart than a trimaran. this tends to add extra space for the crew to move on, and work from. some tris make up for this with fore and aft nets, but it's generally not the same thing. as a note, in my own trimaran, i'm not planning on either, i know i'm giving up some space, but i can live with that.
but once you get above a certain minimum size(i haven't quite got that nailed down, but it's at least 20-25 feet), catamaran and trimaran advantages and disadvantages tend to more or less cancel out, and things become much more of a preference thing entirely.
but as it's always said, it's based entirely on what you need/want to get out of your design. in mine, i want speed and stability, single-handed crewing, and generous capacity and unsinkabiltity.
but you've got some comfort advantages that i won't have, in the slider. and that's a plus. if it gets snotty out, or if i'm open ocean sailing, i'm probably going to need a drysuit. that, and what looks like rather reasonable(some would call it tame) handling, and a very simple catboat sailplan are some very strong points to the slider. as far as taking the family and small kids out, it's well thought out.
but i myself wouldn't take it on open ocean trips(at least, anything more than a few hours), or on endurance races. that's more where my own will come in very handy. between a hull that's primarily given over to displacement(almost totally sealed, save for storage sections), outriggers that are intended for low drag when submerged, and a very fine L/B ratio(about 13-1 for the main hull when loaded, closer to 20-1 for the outriggers), and a shallow draft, kick up rudder and centerboards, and reasonably light in weight. yeah, i'm building an endurance racer and adventure boat. you've built(and quite well) a family daytripper.
much different parameters really.
but the above, discussing small beachboats is my own perspective on the debate.
