Trimaran berths

Hi everyone,

Could the experienced trimaran sailors please help me with some questions;

Where on a trimaran are the best passage berths ? (assumption is for solo or short handing)

And where is the best harbour (or on a mooring) berth for singles and a double?

Assuming a trimaran no bigger than 30'

I am not at all sure about the first question, the second question I suspect an aft cabin would be preferable for a double but rare in <30'
Many boats have a nice forward double but i suspect their comfort, am I wrong ?

 

We're over 30 feet but I like wing bunks for the view and less noise. One converts to a double. Easier to look out, check conditions and fall back asleep. Our forward bunks convert to a double but they are well back from the bows, just forward of the mast and very comfortable even underway, with lots of elbow, head and legroom. Pointy v berths are terrible things for anything ....including sleep. Bow and stern cabins stay warmer because of the smaller space. Stern bunks are better in some boats than others as some sterns have lots of motion and must be kept light underway. Ours extend under the cockpit so deck noise is louder but the motion is fine.

 

The bunk set up on my tri in the main cabin is two 2'X6' wing berths and the lounge seats unpack to make a 4'X6' bed. I also have what is supposed to be an aft cabin but it isn't usable.

If find when ever I sleep on my tri, the mid cabin bunk (4x6) is the most comfortable spot. (it doesn't help that I'm a roller and the wing berths have no guard rails to keep me from the 3 foot drop to the floor and my aft cabin is usually flooded...)

 

I would reckon the lounge double most suitable in most Tri's for "recreational activities "

 

My amas are enormous as well, I've floor boards set up in them for two 6'x2.5' "coffin" berths a side. As for sleeping while under way I think, at least for my boat, with guard rails the wing berths would work very well.

Most of the time I am on the boat alone so I enjoy the sprall/roll space lol.

 

Best bunks for passage sailing are always in the middle of the boat for motion comfort and access to controls/navigation. this is usually a saloon berth that can extend under the cockpit seat so that the occupier can't roll out.

Some boats like the F27 have really good aft cabins for comfort but access can be trickt if you need the head in the middle of the night

 

On Nicols the aft cabin is where the head is. The stern bunks are in the "quarter cabin". Less weight in the stern but less headroom at the foot. Keeping the bunks out of the ends means they can all be used under way but the wing bunks are quietest and quicker to get out of when needed.

 

The F27 is a good example of a trimaran less than 30' with an aft cabin. One's legs extend under the cockpit. It has a well-thought-out interior. There is a V berth forward, but it is mainly suitable for kids or sail storage.

I have a 34' trimaran that has an aft cabin with a large double berth, a single berth under the foredeck, and a 6' long settee that can be made up into a double berth if needed. When single-handing, I prefer to use the single berth under the foredeck. In part because my head is right next to the main bulkhead, where I can hear if anything is slapping in the rigging or bumping into the boat. The foredeck hatch also makes it convenient to poke my head out for a look around, or to go on deck without taking out the washboards in the main companionway. And, it's closest to the head.

On some trimarans, the aft cabin is not conveniently accessible when sailing, due to the tiller coming over the entrance hatch to the aft cabin. In addition, the entrance to the aft cabin faces forward, so it's likely to let in water when coming and going if the weather is bad. If you want to use the head, you have to leave the cabin and cross the cockpit to get to the main cabin.

More often than not, when sailing, an off-watch crew will want to simply bed down on the settee in the saloon. The motion is easy there, and one can choose the lee side seat for comfort. Trimarans in this size range have small crews, so there are typically only one or two below decks at any given time when sailing, and there isn't a lot of traffic in the saloon.

At anchor, my choice of cabin depends a great deal on whether or not someone will be joining me in the berth! The aft cabin can't be beat for privacy on a small boat.