Trintella 3A ketch - Experiences and reviews

[Kystgeita]

Om looking at potentially getting a trintella 3a ketch. A classic that needs some work. But finding limited stuff on the boat online. Anyone have information or experiences on the boat, or old reviews or magazine articles?
Reminds me a lot of the Hallberg Rassy 35 Rasmus, but the trintella is more than 2000kg heavier! Hr is known for solid, strong and heavy boats. Where does the extra 2000 kg in the trintella come from?extra thick hull?

[jpvb]

You can find more information on https://trintella.org/

(I own a Trintella IIIA since 1990 and know this boat since the 70')

JP

[Kystgeita]

Originally Posted by jpvb

You can find more information on https://trintella.org/

(I own a Trintella IIIA since 1990 and know this boat since the 70')

JP

Thanks for the answer.
Obviously you must be happy with it as you’ve owned now for 30 years. But please, any info you can tell? Any specifics to look out for? What are you specially happy with, and what is negative.
Heading to look at it tomorrow.
What have your use been? Coastal or offshore?

[jpvb]

This long keel boat learned me , not the captain but the elements are in control.

Belgium means coastal sailing. No little Islands, no shelter. Strong currents. France can almost be seen from the Netherlands. In between you’ll find the coast of Belgium.

Not all Trintella lookalikes are Trintella’s. I have seen the production site in Tonebridge England. Naked casco’s have been sold to DIY, finished by DIY. They cannot be considered Trintella’s

The Trintella IIIA concept has a well protected self draining center cockpit, standing behind the wheel almost at waterline level.

Hull is massif polyester. Inside polyester stringers (all the length) are wet laminated to the hull. Gelcoat beneath the waterline is clear (no pigment for quality reasons). Ballast is incorporated in the hull. Water tanks are incorporated in the long keel. Both fuel tanks are in polysester laminated to each side and are disconnected one from another under sail. (an electric valve is powerless closed to prevent fuel transfer)

All bulkheads are fixed to wet laminated ground.
Standard thru-bulkhead wiring and tubing are not watertight. Even the anchor locker is not watertight. (standard not ocean ready in my opinion)

Polyester deck has sandwich stiffeners where needed. (standing rigging attach ...)
Teak deck is massif teak (½ inch) glued ans screwed. (screws are positioned as if there were deckbeams but there are no deckbeams)
Standard vents on deck are good (mostly yellowed plexi by now) but not watertight when submurged. (New plexi still available).

Mizzen mast is not supported by a compression post. Main mast is supported by compression post standing on the keel.

Deck-hull joint can be a critical point in any sailboat (torsion tensions). Some modern boats have an aluminium toerail + a lot of screws ready to leak. This Trintella IIIA has a very, very strong and watertight hull-deck joint. Both shells (hull and deck) are joined upwarts laminated against each other, then covered with a massif teak toerail. (Originally varnished).

Attachements of all standing rigging are to be verified when purchasing.
Pay attention to eventual original turnbuckles. Originally they were stainless on stainless thread. (not self lubricating - a lot of friction results in possible danger wear)
(stainless on bronze thread is better and more selflubricating)

Interior is bruynzeel high quality marine grade multiplex A-side-teak / B-side-mahogany.
(Less important ; Shelfs in lockers are hold little nylon stuts that contain ferro nails. Those can darken the wood in case of water penetration. Always better to replace these little nails with little stainless screws.)


Original engine Perkins 4.108 (same block used by westerbeke at that time)
Starts always. Also cold in winter, but intake air must be warm air. (in winter, a hairdryer works simply much more efficient than the original intake heating fuel burner)

Bleeding the engine after putting a new fuel filter demands e carerful procedure.
Enige noise can be improved due to the in my opinion too light metal valve cover and the lack of having no air lifter.
Hydraulic paragon gear needs oil pressure. Hoses must be in good shape . Renew them is simple and cheap.

All thes rudders take water inside. No big deal. waterpressure gets equal. Eventual blisters can be looked for within half an hour after hauling.

Ship is difficult to maneuvre in small harbours, especially in reverse. (can go the other way without been told so) but can be sailed alone. Even a lock can be taken alone (after some exercise and knowing tricks).
This boat has a very steady and comfortable course in open water (also under sail or auto pilot). The keel permits shallow waters.


Don’t buy this kind of boat if you want to arrive first or has to be somewhere. Buy this kind of boat if you like beeing on the water, in comfort, not in a hurry, and if you like the charm of wood to be varnished and metals to be polished.

Most of these Trintella IIIA are ketch. Main mast has manageble sails. The main mast section can be considerend a bit oversised in section and can be considered equipped with oversised standing rigging. Under sail, even rough weather, it is save and ‘dry’ sailing.

How long does a fiber boat last? What is the life expectancy of such a well made polyester boat? I don’t know. Maybe I’m not going to live long enough to answer that question.

Not all different production methods result in equal life expextancy but I think at the beginning of polyester boats the precautions could have been like the walls of castles.
To make them thick and strong enough.

Depending on the family, it is in my opinion a good family boat. Still...


JP

[Kystgeita]

Thanks for the comprehensive answer. @jpvb
We are living in Norway, but next year we are actually planing to live in Holland for a year, and would in that case be cruising in that area for the year, before sailing back to northern Norway.

I went to look at it.
A beautiful boat with lots of potential.
But some work. Bought by the current owner as a project boat, but never had the time. Teak deck, especially on the aft deck bad. Leaking from the hatch in the saloon ( under the boom). Part of the electrical system needs redoing. And need new roof plates in salon.

Would not replace the teak. Would consider kork, but more likely just new nice top coat..
trying to sell my current Allegro 27, for this project, but long term dream boat. So time will tell.







It’s some work,

[jpvb]

How do I upload a picture that explains the fixture of the railing?

[TCWSailing]

I was interested to read this thread. I also have a Trintella 3A. I bought her thre years ago on the Netherlands and sailed her back to Scotland where I live. She is a very strong boat, but needed a new engine and to have the wire rigging replaced. These things have now been done. The main problem I encountered was with the afterdeck below the mizzen mast where water ingress had damaged the core. I had to remove the mast, open up the inner skin from below and replace an area of core approximately 600 x 300mm before re-laminating with epoxy. I also added a compression post below the mast step to provide additional support.

The other issue I have is with the fuel tank supply lines to the engine. The starboard tank is gravity feed only. The port tank is also gravity feed, but passes through a mechanical device that I originally thought was an electric pump, but now think might be an isolation valve. However, it has stopped working so there is now no flow to the engine from the port tank. I'm not sure how important the pump/valve is and whether I should replace it?
As with all older boats there are many cosmetic jobs that need doing, but I am pleased that she is such a strong vessel. I now sail her on the west coast of Scotland, but hope to sail over to Norway (possibly Lofoten) once the pandemic has passed.

[Kystgeita]

Hello,
I have a question about the aft stays on the mizzenmast. On my boat they are way loose, and not possible to tighten enough, by far. They also are in the way of the sail unless I tighten in the sail as much as possible. And, the wires have a special solution to remove, see picture.

Is the aft stays for some reason supposed to be removed when sailing w mizzenmast, and only used when hoisting the mizzen spinnaker?

Added some other photos of the boat too, without much reason. Anyways. I’ve gone over the boats electronics, installed new water pump and auto pilot. It’s been leaking water through the air vents in the aft cabin, sealed it off now - but nervous about the damage done to the core. In one direction of the air vent hole I saw it was good condition, but damage in another. Otherwise the teak deck is in horrible condition and I plan to remove it next winter, and replace w some anti skid solution, while possible also painting the hull, as it’s been treated horrible in its past life.

[TCWSailing]

I don't have any aft stays on my mizzen mast, and I suspect that yours may be additions.


The core material in the aft deck is likely to be 18mm marine ply. You should be able to repair it around the air vent edges by digging out any corroded material and then re-filling with thickened epoxy.

[jpvb]

– Reply TCWSailing

The device in the fuel line is a 12V solenoid driven valve to prevent gravity transfer of fuel from one tank to the other under sail. It should be open with engine contact on. It should be closed engine contact off. (tensionfree closed)
Better is implementing manual switch. Then you can keep it closed (switch off) when ‘motorsailing’ and prevent weight increasing the wrong side.

A compression post under the mizzen is an excellent improvement. They all deform without it.


– Reply Kystgeita
Your backstays on the mizzenmast are overkill. I should remove them.
These removable ‘Sta-Lok Self-Fit Terminals’ indicate a possible try out of some kind of an upside down yankee, often seen on Perini Yachts.

Normally the spreaders are pointing backwarts well enough to easy hold a mizzen staysail. Standing gear that holds the mizzen should not be in line with the mast (as it is with the main) . Seen on deck, mast / standing gear should form a triangle.



jpvb

[jpvb]

Looking again at the supposed backstay, it possibly had some other mysterious purpose

jpvb

[JoseNL]

Hi Kystgeita,

I wonder whad did you do with the deck of that boat/ I am about to buy a Trintella IIIa that seems to have leakage problems on the deck.

Regards!