Trimaran - Especially Searunner - Owners

[Roy M]

UNCIVILIZED, didn't you used to have a long range truck with the Searunner manta insignia on the cab fairing? And, yes, I'm sure we bumped into one another at that time, as I knew Ralph and Ginny quite well. Bob Dixon and I drink a lot of beer together, and have collaborated on a number of cool projects over the years. He still does a lot of hull modifications for Seawinds that want transom extensions, but he doesn't sail at all anymore. I'm going to correct that when I get the boat rolling again in a few months. There are very few active trimarans in San Diego, these days. It's sad. The last big one was Oracle, built up in Anacortes and shipped down here on a barge for final assembly and testing. We saw that almost every day, cruising out to open waters beyond Point Loma to blast at a reputed 50 knots. There are still a couple of Norm Cross's boats at San Diego Yacht Club, but they don't seem to go out much any more. And of course, several Corsairs. And, my favorite, the X-2, which the Navy now owns and is using as a test-bed for autonomous unmanned vessels to go sailing around dangerous waters. And no one seems to want to build a boat any more. What a shame.

[Boatguy30]

Some of us still build boat AND put some miles under the keels. Planning this winters cruise at the moment whilst building a 11 1/2' catamaran dinghy.

[UNCIVILIZED]

Nope, can't say that I've ever had a truck like that. During that era, I had my favorite 2-door, low slung, go faster (sports car).

[Roy M]

I've got you confused with another guy who had his SR31 down near the fuel dock at Harbor Island West. And there was a guy named George who had a really beautiful SR31 during the late eighties. I brought my boat down from LA in early 1978, having just launched it in Marina del Rey. Those were heady days. Lots of boats were being built (and launched): Crosses, Browns, Kantolas, and a very few Horstmans. We would see the occasional Crowther or other "exotic" from Australia, and I even recall a steel tri that used to hang out in Catalina, named IRON BUTTERFLY. I shared my boatyard with a ferrocement boat (that still sits in its owner's front yard in Venice with geraniums growing in it), a 28 foot Cross high performance fin keel, and down the alley was a guy building a massive 52' Cross fin keel. Norm Cross would drop by every month to check up on us, needle me for building a Brown, and share his latest design ideas while we all were taking breaks from the interminable grinding and sanding. It was a gas to finally end up in a home port where there were so many multihulls. There are more today, though, but they cost considerably more than they did back then. It's pretty interesting that the value of the older boats, built with West System rather than polyester over ply, has held up (actually increased) over the years. I've had some folks even inquire about having a custom boat built for them, and Bob Dixon and I even consider it from time to time. We both think along the lines of a modified Kantola, though.

[Jimske]

Originally Posted by Jimske

I'll try to post a pic when i can figure out how on my phone. Sorry

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app[/QUOTE]

Here is an update of my work in progress cockpit enclosure. Looks like it's going to be a few months before I get to finish. I plan to put some isinglass in the front and add zippers to the sides to allow better egress as well as attach the front with the sides. It mostly snaps in to the frame and is pretty convertible allowing me to deploy the awning in a variety of ways!

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Jimske

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

Here is an update of my work in progress cockpit enclosure. Looks like it's going to be a few months before I get to finish. I plan to put some isinglass in the front and add zippers to the sides to allow better egress as well as attach the front with the sides. It mostly snaps in to the frame and is pretty convertible allowing me to deploy the awning in a variety of ways![/QUOTE]

I'm afraid the isinglass you will find is a waste looking forward if sailing. Visibility sucks, at the dock OK.

[Jimske]

Originally Posted by Cadence

I'm afraid the isinglass you will find is a waste looking forward if sailing. Visibility sucks, at the dock OK.

Yeah but it's all relative. seeing something is better than nothing and I can always peek if need be.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Jimske

Yeah but it's all relative. seeing something is better than nothing and I can always peek if need be.

It is nice at anchor. I'll bet you drop it on roll it up under way. There is nothing wrong with that. Been there done that.


Also done it with glass.

[Jimske]

Originally Posted by Cadence

It is nice at anchor. I'll bet you drop it on roll it up under way. There is nothing wrong with that. Been there done that.

I agree. The whole idea is for a cockpit enclosure at anchor and if necessary to keep the weather out in rainy weather. I'll have a peek through.

[Otter]

Hi All,
Hope this is the right place for my post.
How do you guys do for insuring your trimarans?
I am having a hard time finding a descent insurance for my 1984 40ft Norman Cross.
The boat is used from December to May in Florida and the Bahamas and hauled out in Northern Florida the rest of the time,

Thanks
Fred

[Roy M]

Otter, I have used Allstate for the past thirty or so years. I'm required to have liability insurance which covers my yacht club (most marinas have the same requirement in California). In addition, it covers about $50,000 in replacement cost. Not much, but in the previous years it has saved me almost that much money in payments. I spend the rest of the money, saved, on boat safety gear. I pay under $300 a year. It has a limited cruising range into Mexico, and full coverage for the West Coast. Now that I am about to take off across the Pacific, I will have to revisit my insurance needs. If the French and the Canadians are okay with what I have, that will work for me. I won't be cruising in Florida, with its hurricanes and lightning, but you never should say never, I guess. I do have a fantasy of cruising the Baltic some day.

[Roy M]

WILDERNESS update: We've been having a stretch of VERY hot weather here in San Diego, waiting longingly for the promised el Nino rains this winter. Despite the heat, I've been laboring away at paint prep and cosmetics. The cockpit is almost completely sanded and patched, I've stripped and coated the companionway entry webs with West System with 207 hardener, which will then be coated with clear linear polyurethane. All the other teak (handrails and hatch coamings) will be painted with opaque LPU. I did this so I could simply sand off the topcoat and coat with clear LPU if I ever wanted to show off the shine (that's a wicked stab at the folks who are offended by those of us who go for that sort of thing). I have begun to disassemble the Edson steering pedestal so I can have full access to the cockpit for final repainting, and I decided to also paint the powder coating on the pedestal, which after a dozen years, has begun to chalk from UV light. Edson is sending me some new bushings and other small parts to replace the sun-damaged stuff. I have removed the old teak hatchboard guides and fabricated replacements out of white Starboard. I'm repainting the hatchboards because they have held up so well and because they are so lightweight. And lastly, I'm finally building the aft hatch turtle to keep the horizontally driven rain from creeping along the track into the cabin. I'm going to be adding the same dorade feature that worked so well over the years on the forward hatch turtle. Then, it will be time to do the dodger. Which means that the painting stage will be pretty much over, just in time for the winter rains. The mast gets pulled in November, and the remaining deck gear gets installed while the mast is being painted. People are beginning to notice the changes, and asking when they can have my end tie.

[natew]

Hey everyone. Just thought I would post a link over here (hopefully that's oK?) We're going to be selling our cruising ready Horstman, there's a thread over in the for sale section here. Doubt you'll find another Horstman in this condition anywhere, certainly not at this price. Contact me if interested.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...le-154664.html

[Jimske]

Originally Posted by Otter

Hi All,
Hope this is the right place for my post.
How do you guys do for insuring your trimarans?
I am having a hard time finding a descent insurance for my 1984 40ft Norman Cross.
The boat is used from December to May in Florida and the Bahamas and hauled out in Northern Florida the rest of the time,

Thanks
Fred

Maybe you already tried but Progressive seems pretty lenient when insuring home builts. My 31 is insured by progressive.

[Jimske]

Originally Posted by Roy M

WILDERNESS update: We've been having a stretch of VERY hot weather here in San Diego, waiting longingly for the promised el Nino rains this winter. Despite the heat, I've been laboring away at paint prep and cosmetics. The cockpit is almost completely sanded and patched, I've stripped and coated the companionway entry webs with West System with 207 hardener, which will then be coated with clear linear polyurethane. All the other teak (handrails and hatch coamings) will be painted with opaque LPU. I did this so I could simply sand off the topcoat and coat with clear LPU if I ever wanted to show off the shine (that's a wicked stab at the folks who are offended by those of us who go for that sort of thing). I have begun to disassemble the Edson steering pedestal so I can have full access to the cockpit for final repainting, and I decided to also paint the powder coating on the pedestal, which after a dozen years, has begun to chalk from UV light. Edson is sending me some new bushings and other small parts to replace the sun-damaged stuff. I have removed the old teak hatchboard guides and fabricated replacements out of white Starboard. I'm repainting the hatchboards because they have held up so well and because they are so lightweight. And lastly, I'm finally building the aft hatch turtle to keep the horizontally driven rain from creeping along the track into the cabin. I'm going to be adding the same dorade feature that worked so well over the years on the forward hatch turtle. Then, it will be time to do the dodger. Which means that the painting stage will be pretty much over, just in time for the winter rains. The mast gets pulled in November, and the remaining deck gear gets installed while the mast is being painted. People are beginning to notice the changes, and asking when they can have my end tie.

I'm impressed. It's possible I may mosey out to west coast this winter. If so I'll drop by and check out your boat. 'll bring my work clothes. I just finished stripping and sanding my bottom. Took me about 24 hours. I'm 66 but . . . didn't bother me much . . . I'm still game. . . for now :-)