Affordable Offshore and Coastal Cruising Trimarans

[capthowes]

Good buys do exist in the Trimaran market. I have purchased a 1968 Piver Lodestar Trimaran for less then $20,000 and was able to sail it away with out doing any work to it. There will always be some thing that needs to be done but that is part of boating. I am able to enjoy this vessel and use it now while working on it. The fact that this boat has survived 44 years and is in good shape is a true testimony to the quality construction and care that it has received. I have looked at a lot of boats that are much newer and would not want to take them out in a mill pond on a calm day. Its a buyer beware type of market.
Fair winds,
Andy

[omalet]

Originally Posted by capthowes

Good buys do exist in the Trimaran market. I have purchased a 1968 Piver Lodestar Trimaran for less then $20,000 and was able to sail it away with out doing any work to it. There will always be some thing that needs to be done but that is part of boating. I am able to enjoy this vessel and use it now while working on it. The fact that this boat has survived 44 years and is in good shape is a true testimony to the quality construction and care that it has received. I have looked at a lot of boats that are much newer and would not want to take them out in a mill pond on a calm day. Its a buyer beware type of market.
Fair winds,
Andy

Hi Andy,
Im thinking about purchase a Lodestar I found for quiet good price. So far I ve been sailing only small catamarans (got a hobbycat tiger set up for regate )
Well, I was wondering how difficult is the boat to handle by self-sailing?
Thanks, have a good day

[omalet]

By the way, I would very much appreciate if some people had any trimaran models to recomand me.. up to lets say 30k...
Thank you very much guys

[Kettlewell]

I too would recommend looking for a Brown Searunner or a Cross in decent condition, if you need something in the $20 K range. You can occasionally find some one-off or oddball multi down there in price, but mostly in the low-30-foot range or shorter. I purchased a French built Catsysteme design, built in epoxy and ply by the previous owner. She was 32-feet overall, but really only a 30 footer on deck with outboard rudders. She sailed pretty well, but not lightning fast; however, she was very ruggedly constructed. We had her in the worst offshore gale I've been in: force 9+, 30-foot seas, green water going completely across the boat as high as the first reef in the main, etc. She came through fine, though we did lose the forestay and just barely saved the rig. In another storm at a dock the wave action was so wild that the floating docks were going up and down several feet and our boat took some very large chunks out of the dock but didn't have any damage. Another time a 45-foot glass cat dragged into us in the Bahamas during a thundersquall and our boat knocked a big hole through his--we just had scratches. Depends on the design and builder. The hard part is that most of the sub-$20K multis tend to be junk with poor builds/designs/modifications/maintenance. It will take some searching.

[w32honu]

Any opinions out there regarding John Marples work……………

The CC37………….??

Or any sailing experience on CC tri's……..

Curious about there performance. Tx.

[blewett_john]

Originally Posted by w32honu

Any opinions out there regarding John Marples work……………

The CC37………….??

Or any sailing experience on CC tri's……..

Curious about there performance. Tx.

The constant camber (CC) boats are very similar, nearly identical, to the Searunners except for the construction. Constant camber construction is a form of cold molding which results in a much lighter boat. Because of the lighter weight they are advertised to sail better than the Searunners.

I have never sailed a constant camber boat but I have a Searunner 37 which I have no complaints about the way it sails. So, a constant camber boat must sail very nicely.

[Cavalier MK2]

I don't think the CC boats are lighter as they use a heavier skin to make up for the reduced frames and no stringers. I haven't sailed one but have been out sailing around both CCs and Searunners and I think the Searunners may be faster. The CC boats are smoother in the waves though because of the rounded V hull shapes. You couldn't go wrong with a good example of either...it might be easier to find a CC without problems as their build was based on epoxy laminating and coating the hulls.

Can't go wrong with a good Cross either. The cruising ones are a bit slower but smoother than the Searunners and carry more than both them and the Marples boats. The Cross performance/racers are faster.

A well found Horstman Tristar is also a good boat if you can get past the looks. In Commonwealth countries well built Nicols are good boats comparable to the above.

For all trimarans the best deals seem to be found in the US and Canada as well as Mexico. Mexico has the benefit of being a low rot area with many boats parked by owners who have moved on to other interests.

[w32honu]

Interesting……….. We might have hashed out some of this in another thread.

I have a set of plans for the CC37. Interestingly it calls for a series of stringers in the build….(total of five). I agree that it is probably not as much for strength but will definitely add to the stiffness of the hull. And I was surprised to see them because of CC build method…..etc. The stringers appear more to be a reference and to aid in the construction of the interior providing elevations and the like.

I have to run this by John, but the best I can figure each bulkhead is notched for each stringer with reference to the load water line (stringer #4). The bulkheads are positioned in the full length hull panels which is basically stitch and glued. With the transom left open, each stringer is then run in full length. Thats the only way that I can think of to work the stringers in full length. But like I said I have to ask JM about that.

Curious what the displacement of your Searunner 37 is ??

Also curious if you could comment about the performance of the SR 37. Average speeds and comfort when in full cruising mode. What do you use as an average daily run for passage making and planning??

Thanks……….