Small trimarans under 20'

more on the onyx

http://smalltrimarans.com/blog/?p=11525

 

Onyx 16

Thanks ,Warwick!

 

Sea Rail 19 trimaran

They now have a distribution center in the midwest and are offering the boat complete with trailer for about 28 grand.
The boat is being built in Vietnam by the same builder doing a 60' trimaran(Triac) but the boats are being assembled in the US using US suppliers
Randy Smyth has developed a sail package for the boat including a 500+sq.ft spinnaker.
http://www.searail19.com/

 

Mind 15

From "Small Trimarans" the Mind 15 French "Minimaran".UPDATE 3/5/15: I just found out that the boat is offered with joystick control from the forward seat or you can steer with the tillers from the tramp:
http://www.minimaran.fr/

Hull length: 4.57m(15')
Width: 3.00m(9.8')
Mast height: 6.40m(21')
Draft: 0.17m / 1.00m(3.28')
------
WEIGHT and VOLUME

Light displacement: 120 Kg(264lb)
Recommended load: 160 Kg(352lb)
Float Volume: 390 liters (858lb*/ 139% of total sailing weight)
*fresh water(881lb saltwater / 143% of total sailing weight)

-----
SURFACES

Grand Voile: 10.1m² (108.58sq.ft)
Jib: 3.7m² (39.8 sq.ft)
Total to nearly 13.8 m² (148.38sq.ft)

Genacker: 14 m² (150.5sq.ft)
Total downwind: 27.8 m²(299sq.ft)
===========================
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apO6ARqUYRM&t=63

 

Sea Clipper 10 and 13

From Small trimarans-John Marples has designed a new small tri , the Sea Clipper 13-see sketches below. He previously had done the Sea Clipper 10, picture below:
http://www.searunner.com/index.php/seaclipper-trimarans

Marples comments on the 13:

This boat will be fun for family outings or a solo trainer/racer for harbors, bays and inland waters. It is designed for amateur construction in a garage, for those with little or no experience in building boats.

It features simply plywood and epoxy construction techniques from materials available from the local lumber yard. Full size patterns are provided for bulkheads, hull sides and bottoms, and other parts. A booklet on using epoxy is included. Detailed working drawings of each stage of construction are easy to understand.

seaclipper-13-4-meter-trimaran-pedal-steering-4The entire rig: mast, boom and sails are available from internet sources or from a salvaged Laser Dinghy (170,000 built). Trailer transport is possible using an inexpensive kit trailer from internet sources. Other parts are available from marine hardware stores or internet sources. The Seaclipper philosophy is to build high-quality, functional boats the least expensive way.

The Seaclipper 4 Meter features a large open cockpit and a unique folding system to reduce the overall beam for transport or storage. Sailing in light-weight condition with a single adult or couple teens, 10 knots is easy to achieve. The retractable daggerboard along with the kick-up rudder allow operation from the beach and sailing in shallow water. An optional spinnaker can be fitted for advanced sailing training or just plain fun.

 

Minimaran length

Minimaran Hull length is 15', 4.50 m, not 2.30 m, see the drawings.
Best wishes.

 

==================
Thanks for that-amazing I didn't notice it-and even more amazing that it's still on their website! Corrected.......

 

Mind 15

See the new Mind 15 video, post 469.

 

Why do manufactures make their vids in 5knots of wind ?

Hardly inspiring

 

Well, I wouldn't expect it unless it was the first sail, but if it was the first time I'd think they make a point of saying so. I've designed and built a lot of boats and never sailed the first time in over 5knots.

 

The minimaran would be nicer if the boom was not at 4 inches from the head of the skipper. That smells the knock down and stitches. Most of the presentation videos on You Tube are pathetic and non appealing in a 0 to 5 knots wind. It's like presenting a Bugatti Veyron making 30 mph circles in a parking lot.

Very personal opinion under 25 feet I do prefer catas with comfortable wings, because they are simpler to build, lighter, cheaper and faster. On small boats you have to use the crew's weight, and sailing just sitting down in a hole of the main hull, close to the spray, with the boom ready to knock your face is not the definition of fun for me. Visibility is also very poor unless the sails are transparent.

Some of the tris have weights around 250-320 kg...putting them in the water on a beach will require to have Arnold in his prime years as crew. Taking them out the beach in the sand will require lots of help. At 300 kg a 20 feet tri has not a shadow of probability to bite the *** of a good 18 feet cat.

A cat with well designed wings is very comfortable and doesn't need any trapezing 95% of the time. In fact you do not need any trapezing. You're high with good visibility, far from the water, far from the boom, feet well placed in relaxed position. You can even have chairs backs...

After this vile assertions in a trimaran thread, I just ask the question; Is it really necessary to go into the cost and complications on such small beach boats? Apart the desire of a miniature tri, are there true rational arguments?

 

The small trimaran platform at square or oversquare can offer better performance than a beach cat if it is designed properly which means using foils to allow the main hull to fly in light air and to increase pitch stability. It could outperform a cat with the crew sitting comfortably clear of the water and spray on the side of a cockpit and not having to run across the boat every tack or gybe.
I think if small amas are used the cost won't be too much greater with two amas equaling one cat hull. And the advantages in comfort,speed and ease of handling would surely be worth it.

Something like this full size would do the trick-one 19.5', one 12':

 

Ilan Voyager; I would agree with most of what you say except for this, if any accommodation is required the trimaran wins.

 

Ilan Voyager - stability - for me anyway - is a big thing over a cat when sailing with family in a sea bay. At the average person's budget a cat will be faster at present (though I don't deny Doug's assertions about future development), but for the older and less agile, and those with children, a small cat poses practical problems. My wife and kids won't go on a cat, but a trimaran that has a lot more appeal and is a nice compromise between a mono stability and a cat's speed.

 

Most 20ft Tri's are a different animal to a 20ft racing cat. Perhaps you should consider 20ft racing tris v 20ft racing cats. Weights would be not unsimilar, speeds approximate over the total wind range, costs becoming similar, advantages in both directions.

Most 20ft cats are actually not that much lighter than a tri, take a Nacra N20, it is 190 - 200kgs, mainly due to the heavy beams to take the loads and over weight production methods used to get good durability. Sure you can build a 20ft cat lighter but then you can build a comparible light weight Tri.

One thing for sure though for taking friends and family for day trips, that small cuddy on the Pulse is going to be a winner when the first lady decides she needs a pee.