Trimaran for a Single Hander... Why Not?

[HapaPops]

Axes on the underside - I'm guessing, is how you'd get back into the hull in case of a capsize (although a proper escape hatch is a better idea). Works for both cats and tris.

[Jon Hacking]

Exactly. We had an axe on the underside of our tri. One of those things you have but hope you never have to use.

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by tomfl

While I do not doubt any part of your comment I snipped out I have to point out the economy has changed a great deal over the past 11 years. As many folks have pointed out the boat market is closely aligned with the housing market which is in very bad shape. Just as many houses are selling for less than that did a few years ago, or are "underwater" if not for sale, the same is true for boats.

Another thing to keep in mind is you use to be able to buy a Coke for a nickle, now it costs a dollar; not because the utility of the Coke changed but because of inflation.

One other factor often ignored is the ignorance of some in the boat market. I just spoke to someone last night about a tri for sale. The owner died about three months ago and the family (nine children and three ex wives) has a default "friend of the dead owner" contact the broker put me in contact with. The guy could not tell me how many sails the boat had, who the sail loft was, what they were made of, or what they were made of. He thought the boat had been in a slip in salt water for about a year with no one on board for the last three months, but what worried me most was his comment "how bad could it be for a boat to be in salt water for a year since its last bottom job". He also indicated the owner had only sailed it four times, he normally used the motor when taking it out.

I think the original owner over paid for the boat, it has not been maintained at all since his death a few months ago, and the family is completely ignorant about the boats value, and does realize how much value it has lost and is losing by not at least pulling it out of the salt water and putting it on the hard.

I have posted in other threads that in Florida, where I live, I estimate 50% of the boats I see in yards and marinas are not being used by the owners. Lots of folks who seem to know more than I do claim my 50% is way too low, it is more like 90%. It is no wonder the price of boats is a crap shoot.

It's not a crap shoot, except that the price of a used boat is ultimately determined by what a buyer is willing to pay at that place and time for that boat. That's a very individualized set of conditions, so while it's easy to generalize it's not so easy to be right . Boats that are properly maintained and in outstanding condition will sell faster and for higher prices than those that have been allowed to turn to crap. Boats that are unique, rare and in demand will hold value better than boats with big production runs and many similar sister boats on the market at any given time, and if the new-boat alternative continues to rise steeply (as many have) a used boat may even rise in value if well maintained.

[JJ77]

Another tri which at first I did not wanted to post here because it was above the budget of the OP,but they have dropped their price;
Crtoss 38 Ventoux

And here is Juniper,a Chris White design,for sale;

White Whale Yachtbrokers, uw jachtmakelaar - Specifications

tested by Henk de Velde

Cheers,

JJ

[Lagoon4us]

Tris can be as accomodating as Catamaran's...... Check this fatty out, a "Bargermaran"

[ArtM]

Originally Posted by Lagoon4us

Tris can be as accomodating as Catamaran's...... Check this fatty out, a "Bargermaran"

Does this thing still carry any of the Tri-Maran benefits over a Cat?

I can hardly imagine that center hull giving any better sailing performance than a conventional cruising cat.

[Lagoon4us]

I dont think sailing performance was high on his agenda, There is a tendancy now to charge mooring/docking fees on a square basis ie length by breadth, it's getting expensive!
A trimaran will be dearer than a cat....Along with the difficulty of being accomodated in Marinas that are getting tighter....

[ArtM]

Originally Posted by Lagoon4us

There is a tendancy now to charge mooring/docking fees on a square basis ie length by breadth, it's getting expensive!
A trimaran will be dearer than a cat....Along with the difficulty of being accomodated in Marinas that are getting tighter....

Charging by length always seems a little socialist to me. If the slip is a fixed width and can hold a boat of a fixed length, it should have a fixed price. Why should one renter pay more than another for the same accommodation?

WRT this trimaran, I'm just wondering what features it has that would cause the owner to favor it over a conventional catamaran, if not performance.

[Lagoon4us]

Why do some want GM while others want FORD we all make decisions based on taste, this guy and his design has stepped (rightly or wrongly) out of the box.
This guy may simply dislike catamarans, who knows?

Obviously he has a very roomy single hull that is stable with a large deck area, it would be a boat that you would be VERY cautious about over-pressing when sailing.

People like this are good for evolution, it may be a crazy boat but i'd bet 'London to a brick' this guy has some great idea's incorporated....

People build Marina's to make money, no other reason, essentially driven by their debt they will charge whatever the market will pay, we tend to anchor out and only use Marina's when we must.

[Mike Banks]

The thread title is Trimaran for a single hander--why not? and I think it has been pretty well covered in that there is no reason why single-handed sailing of a large tri has any more problems over-all than does sailing a monohull of equivalent length except when berthing in a cross-wind, or for insurance or the cost of marina berthage. The tri or cat draws less water than a mono--which means getting closer to a sandy beach in the lee of an island, for a more comfortable kip at anchor.

A cat with twin motors has the greater advantage over a tri in that it can turn in its own length. A tri has only one rudder and usually but not always one motor--with three hulls to move through the water in a turn against a tide or wind.

Both cats and tris cost more to berth in a marina than does a mono--and both are generally more comfortable than a mono of equivalent length in the average sea conditions.

The single-handed sailing of any of them depends to some extent on the amount of automation one has aboard and the layout of the sailing tackle. In my case I reef at night and when the wind rises to twenty knots--if not sooner. Alone one needs to be very cautious and very careful. Harness and second-chance trailing rope is a good rule to follow.

The cat versus tri discussion really ought to be in another thread--because it is an interesting one. So--if anyone wants to kick one off--

Mike

[ty.gregory]

I like it, Mike! I'm going to start the thread.

[scotiasailor]

You can single hand almost any boat on the water. It all depends on how well the boat is setup to do so. This will determine how enjoyable solo-sailing will be for you.. and its not just that lazy sat. afternoon sail. It is the 40 + hour off shore run, or that busy river/canal with tides, cross currents, traffic, and of course our good old friend foul weather.

I've been through a fair amount of these situations several times, and I swear at one point all at the same time! Never was my tri one of the factors that made it worse. A searunner's center cockpit with all lines running to center makes it a safe and enjoyable sail. Even a quick dash to the ice box, or the head is never an issue either.

Blue water, coastal, inter-coastal, shallow waters, you'll never go wrong with a Searunner. Tis a shame I must sell mine!


Searunner For Sale | Honeywind

[capthowes]

I have a old Piver Tri and found it easy to get liability insurance through Progressive and not to expensive. For the cost of the boat I can afford to replace it if lost. Love my Piver and will take it any place there is enough water to float it and no ice. I like my Jack on the rocks not my boat.

[thomwessels]

Read a lot of stuff here that doesn't make much sense.
I've sailed for 45 years, had 4 trimarans, last 3 have been Horstmans. Did a lot of early research, realized that Ed Horstman got it absolutely right. I'd be nervous taking a monohull or even a cat across an ocean,... sailed my 41' Horstman TriStar solo across the north Pacific and had a great, comfortable time.

Horstman TriStars have the attributes that most people want in a cruising, liveaboard tri. Why re-invent the wheel?

I wrote an article published in Sail Mag Jan 2011 that covers some of the differences between cats, monohulls and trimarans. Not a bad read.

Thom Wessels
CROSSROADS
39' TriStar

[JJ77]

Originally Posted by ty.gregory

The Price range will be around 100K usd. I will be sailing El Caribe (and surrounding areas). I will be living aboard full time.

Hello Ty,

Don't know whether you're still looking for a tri but this Contour 34 is for sale not too far away from you;

Yachtfinders/Windseakers (San Diego, CA)&

This one has got an aftberth which I had not seen before.Well just to let you know.

Should the link not work it is for sale at Yachtfinders/Windseekers in San Diego,asking $119K



Cheers,
JJ