Trimaran - Especially Searunner - Owners

[Mark Johnson]

It will all be worth it in the end Roy. For the first year after building the combination, we only put in the entire "bimini to dodger FULL cockpit enclosure", for heating or AC purposes at dockside. It made it into a single, but three sectioned interior, with the cockpit being an intermediate cabin. It made us in effect, a poptop camper. Not great aesthetically, but highly functional.

We later experimented successfully with it's use at sea. In my previously attached photo, (Left), on previous page... We are beating VERY hard to windward @ 9 knots, up the DEEP Tongue Of The Ocean (on the Eastern side of Andros Bahamas), in winds gusting to 40 and 13 or 14' waves!

We were battered and bruised for sure, but with the windward 3/4ths of the bimini / dodger connecting piece, as well as the the windward side curtain in, it was rather civilized, all things considered. See the smiles in the Strataglass connecting piece? I can either unzip it momentarily, for a good look around in a white out rain, OR open it, stand on the seat with my torso through the smile, and handle all winches, including reefing the main from here. It's all very cool.

In the case of truly bitchin winds, like here, the connecting piece's leeward 1/4th panel must be out, for the staysail sheet to enter the cockpit from forward. Being the open but leeward side, absolutely "0" spray comes in on this side. It is just not an issue.

The one caveat was that when being gradually pushed onto the reef immediately to leeward, we had to pop a quick tack. It this case, the WINDWARD 1/4th connecting piece panel, must be removed first!!! It takes only about 30 seconds to remove the windward panel, when sphincters are tight! All of these details need to be considered, if one uses this sort of thing at sea...

The 95% of the time under headsail, (without the staysail), our headsail sheets go through side track blocks, then turning blocks, than approach the cockpit from aft. In this configuration, ALL 4 connecting piece panels, and both side panels, can be in. I have never felt the need to put in the aft, and aft corner "opening mouse door" panels, when under way. No need!

In practice, while island hopping / cruising, we just use a smaller, one piece canvass bimini to dodger connecting piece, at the end of a daysail.
Anchored out, facing the wind, this is plenty for that overnight thunderstorm, and only takes a few minutes to put in.

This year our enclosure turns 16 years old, and the bimini canvass, as well as all of the curtains, are due for replacement. Luckily, the engineering, tubing frame, and starboard lower edge skirt remain the same... It will, nevertheless, be an expensive year for us.

[Siskiyous]

Originally Posted by nrdesieyes

hey all
just found this link to what looks to be a partially-completed searunner 31 in a barn out in the sf bay delta and thought i'd post a link here just in case anybody is interested in some hulls.... looks like it could be bought for a song, if not less.
Searunner Trimaran Boat Project - Make Offer
cheers,
nick

I purchased this boat and brought it to Crescent City CA. I retired and have been working on it. It was built by a shipyard worker, and it was never finished and has not been in the water.

My goal is to have it in the water by late summer 2013. I have been reading all of your posts, and when I saw this one I figured it was time to introduce myself.

As for the purchased for a song part. I got it with completed rudder and centerboard for $500: it took about $1000 to move it. The amas are already repaired, reinforced, and painted.

I am in the process of overhauling an Albin AD-21 to install in it, even though Jim Brown told me it isn't possible. I plan to use hydraulics to transfer power to the Propeller. I am wearing out my copy of Dave Gerr's Propeller book. Since I crawled up the hause pipe from fishing boat decks to the wheelhouse, where I worked for a short time as an Unlimited Third Officer, I just can't envision a boat of mine that doesn't have a diesel engine. I may just put the prop and hydraulic motor outboard on a fixture like Jim made for his outboard on Scrimshaw.

I want to thank all of you for the wealth of information you have put into this forum.

[Boatguy30]

Does anyone know if plans are available for the new style rudder as seen in the Scrimshaw utube videos?

Cheers,
Jeff

[Mark Johnson]

Regarding the SR 31, Haven't seen the You Tube, but...

Jim's kick up transom extension, and shoal capable rudder, is quite innovative, as is the swinging nacelle OB motor bracket. Jim told me once that the transom mod's purpose, however, was less to extend the WL of the hull, than to accommodate the kick up rudder. (His creek was silting in).

IF there are plans out there, try John Marples... marplesmarine@comcast.net
or Jim Brown @ OutRig.com. I feel sure that he drew it first, but weather or not it is commercially available is the question...

M.

[Boatguy30]

Mark-

I believe the rudder is video 4 and 5 of Living on Scrimshaw. Takes a while to grind thru them as around 30 minutes is devoted to the bimini and dodger arrangement.

Anyhow, I've officially started building my Woods Vardo Cat. I've laid out a few bulkheads and make the first cuts tomorrow. I'm going to cut all the bulkheads and transoms in one run so maybe at it till after the holidays. Hope to start hull planking by mid Jan. I'll probably continue on the forum here a bit as it really is a lot like a Searunner of cats.

The stern arrangement is basically like the swim platform hull extension on Scrimshaw as drawn by Richard less the cutout for rudder. The rudder is a balanced spade with the stern tube glassed to the aft side of the transom forward of swim platform(original transom placement on Scrimshaw). If I were to do a rudder like Jim's I could basically make the rudder and balance identical to Wood's plans, but use the glass pintle Jim B system as opposed to getting rudder posts fabricated. Downside would be loss of swim platform area, but whole setup would be easier to maintain and repair at sea if needed. Boat has fixed keels so rudder draft not an issue, but would also allow me to fit the rudders without jacking the boat up super high to pass rudders into tubes. I plan to launch from a trailer at nearby launch ramp and bolt the fixed keels on the hull bottoms just prior to launch.

May do something like the Brown outboard mount as well, though Richard uses a similar design, but fixed to center wing. Supposed to have around 20" 500mm of clearance at full 10,600lb/ 4,850 kg displacement which is quite good for a 34' cat. Hope to have the boat weigh around 7K. So something that would swing down a bit would be good. Was a guy on a 37' home built/ designed cat in town a few weeks pack that used a trailer tongue jack to raise and lower his motor sled!

May fit some type of electric hybrid setup at some point in the future when the tech is a bit better and cheaper.

Cheers,
Jeff
sailingcatamarans.blogspot.com

[Mark Johnson]

Jeff,

IF you wanted a transom hung skeg rudder, this design, that was on my previous SC 28, is the best I've seen. It was intended for a kick up skeg in a open transom trunk, but would work in a fixed skeg situation as well, if it is transom hung. It has the advantage of having only one metal part in the water, (the 316 ss rod). The bonded in polypropylene/epoxy bearings were molded around the rod itself, for litterally "0" clearance. It has no rattles, is easy to bottom paint or scrape clean the uw portion of the unit, (except the rod), and it will last the life of the boat!

If you really want an under the hull spade rudder, of coarse this doesn't apply, but thought I'd throw this out there just in case.

Best of luck in your project...

M.

[blewett_john]

Originally Posted by Maren

I know there are some folks that experience with trimarans in general and, in particular, Searunner line. I know Steve Rust does and (if I recall correctly) Kai Nui does too. I am sure there are others. So if you have a good deal of experience here, please jump in.

What I would know is this:

From what I understand, a trimaran has in the main hull a bit less room that a comparably sized monohull. But how much? For example would a 40 mono hull be about the same interior volume as a 38, 36 or even lower mono. I understand you would pick up a bit more storage in some other area but I am just looking for a decent rule of thumb if there is one.

How have you found the design of your trimaran? If you would, please specify the length and model. What would you change?

For those that have a Searunner, what do you think of the centerboard and does the centerboard/center cockpit necessitate a walk-over cockpit or is there a pass through option? I’m not keen on the getting dressed just to go from fore to aft.

Now, my specific reasoning for asking this line of questioning is three-fold:

I have little experience in trimarans but am generally interested as with all things sail powered.

There is a project Marples trimaran that has been mentioned here (several times) over the years that is once again for sale (photos) .

Sometimes I think the best thing I can do in life is to help others out. So if you at this and think “Man, I should get this right now”, please do. I’d have no hard feelings and would only wish you well. As much as I’d like to take on a project, my wife has correctly pointed out we have several things floating now (no pun intended) and just the preparations to get it here and start work would be a fairly massive project. But I am still pushing to take on just one more.

I've collected a bunch of Searunner pics. Go to buildingmytrimaran.shutterfly.com Looking at the pics may answer some of your questions.

John B.

[Jmolan]

Hey guys,

OK it is now officially, official. I have listed the 34' Searunner on Ebay. I look fwd. to finding the right kind of buyer. One who can really enjoy the boat!
I will leave it for a month on EBAY until I depart for Alaska in mid January. I have a good friend who is also a broker here in San Carlos who will take it over then.
Hope you all find in informative! Is a great chance for the right person. Like the last guy who had it, he treated it like a getaway in Mexico. Splash it in Oct. and haul in May. Done deal!

34' Searunner Trimaran Cruising Mutihull 34' Searunner Trimaran Cruising Mutihull | eBay

[farotherside]

hey guys,

we're out actively cruising these days, just anchored in San Diego for a month or so enroute to Mexico and Central America.

we noticed on the way down that we're... well, underprepared for light wind sailing. we'd like to maybe try to get a drifter or something, like a lightweight oversized hank-on genoa... what do you use? what are the measurements?

we're in a searunner 37 without any roller furling, and we almost always sail as a cutter with a yankee and a staysail. days of low winds and <2kn sailing are infuriating!

[Mark Johnson]

Originally Posted by drew23

hey guys,

we're out actively cruising these days, just anchored in San Diego for a month or so enroute to Mexico and Central America.

we noticed on the way down that we're... well, underprepared for light wind sailing. we'd like to maybe try to get a drifter or something, like a lightweight oversized hank-on genoa... what do you use? what are the measurements?

we're in a searunner 37 without any roller furling, and we almost always sail as a cutter with a yankee and a staysail. days of low winds and <2kn sailing are infuriating!

Hi Drew,
Hope you're enjoying your cruise, anyway...

As you all know, Delphys is a cutter rig, sailed as a sloop. She has a roller furling "lapper" headsail which is a huge yankee shaped sail, that is built like a tank and as large as a genoa. (We went 4' taller on the mast to do this), and we basically have a genny and yankee in one sail this way.

However... With the standard Searunner cutter rig, sailing often as a cutter, and hanked on headsails, (which is much like what I had on my previous SC 28), here is what you need...

You need a light weight genoa to compliment your yankee. On my SC 28, I used my genoa, sailing as a sloop, more often than the yankee / staysail combination. (< 15 knots of wind being a bit more common than > 15 knots of wind). The genny needs to be light, soft fabric, that is made for a max of perhaps 15 knots of wind. I did get up to almost 20 knots, twice, by flying the genny in really high winds, but blew it up this way too! I got my ambition confused with my ability!

When the wind approaches the high teens. You just switch down from the genny, previously sailing as a sloop, to the yankee, then raise the staysail as well. (Now sailing as a cutter)... Then when it approaches 30 knts of app wind, strike the Yankee and sail as a sloop, with just the staysail and double reefed main.

With hank on sails, you can still do the headsail swap really quickly and efficiently. Here's how...

Along the long bow rail, or in my case the lifeline wire from it, you have a series of doubled over 1/4" tie ropes every 18" or so. I used double legs that were tightly affixed at the top, and about 3' long. When not in use, I had them tied in a nifty slip knot up next to the rail. The knot is hard to describe, but was a 5" pigtail hanging down under the rail or wire, and I'd grab it and pull, like milking a cow, and then the 3' long legs popped out from the center of the knot. This took a fraction of a second to "deploy" each tie rope.

I would go forward when the wind got up, deploy the leeward tie ropes, pull down the genny, roll/wad it into a tight cylinder, and then securely tie the sail cylinder with each tie rope.

If I had been out really cruising, and swapping back & forth, my yankee was already tied at the bow like a wadded up cylinder, on the opposite bow rail. While using one hand to swap the halyard from one sail cylinder to the other, I would untie the next sail's ties with the other hand. Then Mariam would raise it, or when I was single handed, I would...

The whole transfer was about a minute, and I was back under way. Then I'd REtie the line of "rope cow's tits" on the side of the bowrail that just got vacated, so they were out of the way, but ready for next time.

For even more civility on the bow, at the cost of more complication, you can have an 1/8" parachute chord that runs from the cockpit to a small little block at the forward headstay chainplate, then up to the bottom end of the headsail halyard. This line goes up with the snap shackle & sail, possibly even inside each piston hank if they are large. This way, you can lower the headsail in a gale, and have it's luff pinned down, BEFORE you even leave the cockpit! With the SC 28 I didn't opt for the complication, but did go for it successfully on my previous Wharram 23.

NOW... as I said, your next sail would be a light genoa, because you need a light air sail that will still go hard to windward. If you need to go down wind with it, you can either use a whisker pole, or fly it in front of the boat like a spinnaker, by tacking it to the ama bows. (Perhaps striking the main to keep it full)? It will not help much in < 3 or 4 knots of wind, then you need a spinnaker, nevertheless, it still comes before a spinnaker in a suite of sails for your boat. IMO...

Only then, when the bank account recovers, do you decide between a drifter, spinnaker, etc. that you deploy from an ATN sock in < 8 knots of wind. We currently use an asymmetrical spinnaker, deployed from a sock, and we can go quite a bit to windward with it. It was a good choice for us...

Good luck with it,
M.

P.S. On your headsail sheets... If they are loops, permanently "spliced" into the clew ring of the headsail, rather than a knot (of ANY kind), they will not hang up on the staysail stay when tacking, the headsail.

[Jmolan]

Drew,

Great to see you got out there and are cruising!

I have a light weight nylon drifter that we have used a lot. Before we got the continuous line furler, we pretty much just set it and hauled it like a head sail.








With the continuous line furler (from colligomarine.com) I can roll up all my head sails and bag them rolled up now. It is very different from a roller furler. With our set up, the sail comes down after using it (or you can leave it up (rolled up) at the end of a voyage.
With the Drifter, I found I could mount the tack anywhere. You can see in these shots it is on the starbord bow. The wind is far aft on the stbd. side, and the mainsail was blocking any clean air to get to the drifter. It is way-cool. It changed my way of sailing and dealing with sail changes and all that.
If you are in San Diego, there is a good selection of used sail lofts. Finding a drifter or a big spinnaker will really liven up the quiet times.
I have saied where I do not see any wind on the water, and we ghost along at 3 to 4 kts! Is so much fun!
Enjoy the cruise, and keep in touch.

[Jmolan]

Forgot a shot of the boat sailing (those can be hard to get) And one more of my wife, enjoying one of those "can't feel any wind but we are moving right along" mornings

[Mark Johnson]

I have always liked your light air system Jack, is it easier than using an ATN sock ya think? Would you use it just for flatish drifters, or will a fuller asymmetrical also work, without making a huge wad in the middle?

M.

[Jmolan]

Originally Posted by Mark Johnson

I have always liked your light air system Jack, is it easier than using an ATN sock ya think? Would you use it just for flatish drifters, or will a fuller asymmetrical also work, without making a huge wad in the middle?

M.

I know they use them for all kinds of sails. I think they were originally designed for the Code 0 type of sail.

Find a photo of the round the world single-hand boats. They have 3 or 4 of these in a row. It is the standing rigging!

Furlers | Colligo Marine

[Jmolan]

Here is a great example of the furlers in place. It looks like the head stay could be a roller furler, the rest are continuous line furlers. How much fun would this be!