How to Socialize on Board of a Trimaran ?

[Skip JayR]

One question runs steadily through my mind, reading comments from side of cruising catamaran sailors... watching videos etc. ... How to sozialize on board of a Trimaran ?


This will become a thread which gives attention to very personal perspectives and views... probably there is no right or wrong about the life style on board of tiny or bigger boats. Therefore I think, its OK to start it newly as it takes into view my personal perspective, targets, motivation behind... having not checked, if this topic already was discussed intensively.

Shortly about my personal background...

I love sailing (since the 70th)... collected my experiences on many different boats, which naturally belonged to the category "monohull". I never owned a boat, but I skippered for private owners, charter agencies, sailing schools. I did deliveries/transfers, sail training, leisure and cruising sailing, incentives... and I worked as helmsman on tallships (35-40 meters) with bigger sailing crews. Not to forget, maintaining boats for owners while they stayed winterized waiting for the next season to go back into the water.

Actually I got infected by multihulls when skippering a 15 meter cruising Catamaran for a private owner (hotel owner) and seeing the speed >20 knots.
So I have decided to start a living (again) on a Trimaran, more I can combine living + working on board (mainly brain work using computers + file server + Internet) of a 3-hull boat, with small crew (single or two handed).

Different reasons behind why I have decided for a Tri:

1. I love speed, sportive sailing and steadily trimming a boat to its maximum... and by profession (working) I need to come quickly from A to B.
2. Tris attract me by their design and elegance heavily which is a very relevant point. I never could stay on a boat I would see as "ugly". Here everybody has his/her own esthetics.
3. Multihulls are a very intelligent way of sailing (low depth/displacement) and very safe. Trimarans have a lower risk of capsizing (nose diving) than catamarans (related to the weight of displacement).
4. it has lots of space on deck to move around safely
5. With uplifted daggerboards and rudder a tri even can easily do beaching which makes life on board more comfortable
6. I like challenges and I am already used to live a very minimalized life on land for more than 15 years (no big consuming) so it wont affect me to keep it very simple on the boat (as I belong to the sailor generation we had nothing on board, just some charts, logging without GPS/Chart plotting, Apps).
7. I dont need lots of space under deck personally (no washing mashine needed)... luckily the brain food (e.g. Books, music) I need to feel well can be stored miniaturized as files on shock mounted flash disks on a file server with access by wifi devices.
8. Narrow spaced boats can be equipped more easily nowadays to agitate independently from external infrastructure, e.g. installing water maker (to avoid big tanks), solar and wind energy to feed all the little helpers (e.g. electronic devices), Biolet composting toilets (to avoid big black water tanks and heavy ballast)... which makes it more safe and comfortable not missing a minimum standard of leasure feeling in the modernity of 21st century.

I never would buy a new boat as it is "throwing money out of the window" loosing on first day of ownership at least 40% of the sales prize. A used one has some risks, but I calculate them as low and easy to be handled... as the boat market is down. Selling again a used boat after some few years (e.g. to expand to a bigger one or even to reduce to smaller size) isnt that of a big financial loss.

We sailors like to realize our dreams we look for the adequate vehicle... no way around that. A boat has to be tailor made similar we wear clothes so we feel well on board, going hand in hand with the daily (sailing) work a boat demands.

The land based living doesnt recharge my own batteries... I have tried it, but it doesnt work.

So I am looking around since months and actually got the option to buy a 40 Foot sportive Cruising Trimaran (with regularly 4 berth + 2 in reserves in the saloon) with stand hight (headroom: 1.95 m), fully galley (2 flame stoven), Toilette/Deck shower, autopilot, solar... at a cruising speed of 14 knots (and max. speed 23-24 knots). If you want see the boat in action, here a short vid.


Such kind of boats like uniquely Trimarans get their attention by people.... we all have experienced it, so far we have sailed on extra ordinary boats of beautyness that people come along in the harbour/port of stay, take a look at it and ask to come on board for taking a look under deck.

And we boaters need each other to learn from each other, to find solutions (technically, logistically, legally, financially) which let us experience a good time on a boat it is very natural to have small talk from boat to boat.... and hang around in the community of multihull sailors.


Boats can be like a magnet... one easily gets in contact with new people at new destinations. I always experienced it like that, and I liked it as I can be a communicative/talktive person (but same can stay for days alone)...


... and knowing that I can be independently whenever I want leave the crowds and noisy land life to take course onto high seas and spot to more lonley places.



A boat has its own effect onto people, the crew, its skipper and (day) guests. It demands by its structure and design to adapt to the given environment on deck (layout) and under deck (floor plan)... same as we feel it to drive a car. Some are good for transporting heavy goods, but slow... others are cosy and comfortable, others are of sportivenessy and need lots of attention having some hundreds of hourse powers under the hood.
Smilarly with boats.... some are purists one focusses on sailing day and night long distances non stop, other invite for long night talks under star sky in the cockpit on anchor/mooring or hanging in the saloon with a delicious meal having cooked, singing shanties and good wine. Or even making noisy boat partying...



So the upper addressed question is relevant for me in the status of own planning and proofing I am now, beside many other aspects...

Can a fast 40 foot Cruising Trimaran, with small cockpit (at the size of a 30 Foot monohull and compared to those areas of big Cruising catamarans) and a narrow main hull (max. 3 meter width), with 130 m2 on deck (inclusive trampolines) invite visitors to feel well as guests, either on deck or under deck ?

Having guests on board is important... in my understanding. We humans (most of us) are social beings. Some only need a cat or a dog on board,



... but most of us need other humans around for talking, sharing etc... . Can a sportive Trimaran fulfill the needs of land based living guests as some keep it going radically on cruising catamarans ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znB9xHTpQ_E

(Rec.: This kind of luxury life style would not be my thing to feel good with... too young for it. Maybe in 10-15 years ;-) )

I appreciate your feedback, opinions, experiences and thank you for taking notice in advance.

Happy & Safe Sailing ! - Skip JR

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZinHy_ZrwJk

(lyrics)

[Training Wheels]

My opinion? You've got too much free time.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Sandibar]

I wouldn't feel comfortable having guests on the trampoline. We have a 35ft mono with a beam of around 11,5 ft. Inside is too small to entertain more than 5 people total. Cockpit pretty much the same. I don't really see the appeal of tris. Seems like they are combination of the worst in monos and cats, at least when it comes to living space and arrangements.

[zeehag]

friend of mine has a 55 ft cross, home made by his father in wilmington, cali, and the socializing is like being in a house on water..it is huge.
other friends have had smaller and we socialized just fine n dandy--just like on a monohull. cockpit, dinette, cockpit, home.
the one with a trampoline between amas, a brown 31, was antisocial, so there was no problem.

they make great party platforms.

[Skip JayR]

Originally Posted by Training Wheels

My opinion? You've got too much free time.

Nice joke, bad try... :-) I suppose you never have dealt with boats, hm ???
Boat people never have enough time... always lots of work.

And as I still have to earn money, the time on board will look like this over the month: 2 weeks earning by the "job", two weeks caring for the boat. E.g. repairing, maintenance...

As I did this skipper job professionally, it can be(come) very time intensive to find "spare parts", workshops in foreign countries... same with routing plans which needs a carefully planning for logistics, too.

Maybe you address your ironic comment to my "lots of text". As I am cultural journalist I type 400 keys / minute. So quickly lots of text written down. ;-)

Dont mind ! - Not all need to read my thoughts... and not all do not need to agree what I am thinking about. So I am... :-)

[Skip JayR]

Originally Posted by zeehag

friend of mine has a 55 ft cross, home made by his father in wilmington, cali, and the socializing is like being in a house on water..it is huge.

Yeah... Norman Cross Tris are a "miracle of room". Looking at a 46-footer out of the water, it becomes clear. The hulls had been designe with lots of volume... like this Norman Cross MK II Trimaran of the 80th.



These boats still had the concept of "Bridge Trimarans". Similarly the feeling on deck as we know it nowadays from cruising cats...


I have thought about to buy such one... but I still feel too young. So I decided for a more sportive "version"...

I can sell the boat (as shown in the video) after 2-3 years at least for same prize (so long I care with steadily maintenance), if I should see that the ideas behind I have do not work and... swap to a bigger one.

For me such kind of leasure feeling under deck is "too much living room" for now. Maybe it changes by time... who knows. :-) So looks the upper Norman Cross MK II Trimaran under deck:

[Skip JayR]

Originally Posted by Sandibar

I wouldn't feel comfortable having guests on the trampoline.

It depends who the skipper is... if one is the cuddling "teddy bear" type people think: Oh... this captain will service us on board (like on a cruising ship), and then seeing, that its a narrow space under deck the day guests might get frustrated and disappointed not being fulfilled their expectations.

It is all about to keep everything in balance... remember how guests are hosted on boats discovering the Amazonas... it looks like this:



... and it works. Not for everybody, but some folks like it.

Others expand their boats into something I'd call a "triple floor boat": :-)



So long the boat owner lives what he represents, he will attract the right people, isnt ?

Same in biking: Some love to cruise in a pulk of Harley Davidson bikers, others love Italian bikes (e.g. MotoGuzzi) which are very uncomfortable and noisy, next prefer heavy weighted BMW Bikes with Boxer engines.

Some people like it to hang around on trampolines, others not... its a compromize with the benefit to enjoy speed... :-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSS7Az0jcOU

It works on smaller Trimarans with 19 knots, e.g. the beautiful SPIRIT ( a formula 40 ) too... :-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbc77TIHLVI

[Skip JayR]

Self test: How will you know when you truly become a live aboard?

For all newbees (either monohull or multihull sailors).... every point is the truth as I can confirm by own experience. :-) ... and enjoy the brillant writing of the Cygnus III Blog, too (see link bottom).

Related to this thread "sozializing on a trimaran" I have marked some points (nearby 50 percent) in blue which relate to this topic (directly or indirectly by consequences) - in my understanding.

---------------------
How will you know when you truly become a live aboard?

If your living on a boat these descriptions may ring your ships bell?

1. When staying in a house you always come down stairs backwards
2. You find yourself bleeding from random places at random times.
3. You and your wife define “taking a break” as moving about six feet apart and looking in opposite directions.
4. You avoid telling people you live on a boat just so you don’t have to explain to them you actually sleep on it as well… again.
5. You think butter only comes in soft or liquid form.
6. You only have 3 cooking pots.
7. When invited to dinner at someone’s house you spend all night turning unnecessary lights off.
8. When invited to dinner at someone’s house you ask if you can do your laundry.
9. The doctor assumes your body covered in random bruises is a sign of physical abuse.
10. You are the only one who doesn’t want to win the big screen TV at the charity raffle.
11. You think “Game of thrones” is something you do when two people need the toilet at once.
12. Kids think you’re the coolest person on earth. Adults think you have lost your marbles.
13. When you don’t like the neighbourhood you just move.
14. You are content knowing that sailing is code for boat repair in exotic places.
15. You can assemble a gourmet dinner using only one pot and mouldy cheese.
16. Doing laundry involves a net bag, a moving boat, and 50 feet of line.
17. When asked for a piece of paper, you ask if they want course or fine.
18. You don’t want anything for Christmas that isn’t on a Kindle.
19. Cardboard boxes, wrappers, and packing are thrown away before getting onto the boat.
20. You define a good anchorage as one where you can get Wi-Fi.
21. Your wallet contains more boat cards than business cards
22. You know what a boat card is.
23. When visiting ashore, you wake everybody at daylight screaming “We’re aground“ when you open your eyes and don’t see water.
24. You define an easy chore as one where you don’t have to pull everything out of the locker first.
25. You covet new solar panels more than a new car.
26. You can identify boats by the sound of their halyard slapping against their mast.
27. Removing things from the refrigerator is like playing Jenga.
28. In shoe shops you go straight to the flip-flops.
29. You accidentally put your life jacket on when you get in a car.
30. You walk in the rain all the way back to your boat, carrying a backpack, a load of laundry, groceries destined to fall out of their bag at any second… all while thinking how lucky you are.
31. Filling the water tanks is a full day’s work.
32. The only thing you do religiously on Sundays is wonder what day it is.
33. The first thing you do after setting the anchor is to see what other boats you know.
34. You talk to your boat and give parts of it stupid names.
35. You understand and pay attention to the entire weather forecast.
36. You spend weekends sitting in your cockpit with a boat hook beside you, waiting to fend off the next holiday charter boat.
37. Every time you consider buying something you have to decide what you’ll get rid of to make room for it.
38. When visiting ashore you look for instructions on how to use a push button toilet.
39. A three minute hot shower is pure indulgence.
40. You covet your neighbour’s engine more than his wife.
41. Ice cubes are the ultimate luxury.
42. You have to strap a bag full of water to your boom & wait a few hours before you can take a hot shower.
43. You’ve googled to see if there are any companies that make triangular bed sheets.
44. You know that duct tape was invented by God.
45. You only bring out real cups for fancy occasions.
46. Trying to find a partner to sail away with you isn’t being romantic, it’s kidnapping.
47. Your computer homepage is the Weather Service
48. You’ve spent mornings standing naked on the deck of someone else’s boat, adjusting halyards, lashing lines & freezing your ass off.
49. You have given up trying to defend your lifestyle and are content with smugly thinking…..they don’t know just what they are missing.
50. Having sex always rocks your boat.

Source of test: The Cygnus IIII Blog




The motley crew of Cygnus III

None of them would describe themselves as a sailor or even competent crew, just travellers on the sea wanting to see the world.

In 2010 they sold their home and added Cygnus III to their family on the understanding that they would look after her if she looked after them.

Source: The Crew - The Cygnus III Sailing Website.