Is There A Real Cruising Trimaran ? Question From A Mono Hull Sailor

[senormechanico]

Our DF 1000 is very nice for month long vacations, but it would be pretty tight for full time liveaboard unless it was in the tropics.

[zUrchin]

Originally Posted by Nemo55

Has anybody used say a Cal 35 or so,,and added the Bulk Heads and Ama's to make a Tri??? seems to me that this would be the best of both worlds,,,nice wide Main Hull, and lots of wing space for storage,,and lots of stability.

First of all I really appreciate your open, out-of-the-box thinking. There should be after all several ways to skin a tri

If you take that approach, won't a long keeled shallow draft for your main hull make more sense? And, even if it makes sense from an engineering perspective to use a Cal 35 (I'm not qualified), you loose the advantage of cats and tris use in skinny waters. So perhaps the question from your perspective is: Assuming the concept has merit, what would be some specific old mono hulls work best (boat models/yr)?

Worth noting too, from what I could infer from the various responses to this thread, are some concerns from others of the re-use of a stripped down 45 ft. catamaran hull as your main hull for a one-off tri is flawed from an engineering perspective. But so far, no facts have been presented for that argument.

I'd really like to see some experts on boat designs comment on the engineering and design aspect and provide some considerations as well as comments if the original idea is one even worth pursuing. What do ye experts say?

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by zUrchin

I'd really like to see some experts on boat designs comment on the engineering and design aspect and provide some considerations as well as comments if the original idea is one even worth pursuing. What do ye experts say?

I am no expert and don't think they are going to bother.

[Cavalier MK2]

I won't pose as an expert but I will share that I've observed a Prout 45 cat, even an ancient one, has more worth and a better chance of showing a return on your time and money than 2 mongrel tris which would use more materials to construct and yet together sell for less than a restored Prout. Plus the engineering is already completed.....

[Nemo55]

Using an older Cal Mono Hull would be a choice thing to do in my view,and that's just from what i know of their build, they are built like Bullet Proof vehicles ( Overbuilt )they are so strong.
Adding Ama Mounting Bulkheads and the Ama's themselves has got to be easier than building and designing a "Weaker Combination" from scratch.

"Just Sayin"

[Sand crab]

You could just buy this one for $80K.
http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi...g_id=74703&url=

Cats are engineered for the mast to be on the bridgedeck which then transmits the load to each hull. If you sawed off one hull then you would need to re-engineer it for the compressive load and actually re-engineer everything. Just buy a Searunner for 40 to 80K and be done with it and go sailing tomorrow.
Something similar was discussed, ridiculed, and harpooned in Boatdesign about a year ago.
Disclaimer: I am not a NA nor do I pretend to be one on the internet.
Actually, I guess that would just be a "claimer".

[zUrchin]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

You could just buy this one for $80K.
http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi...g_id=74703&url=

Cats are engineered for the mast to be on the bridgedeck which then transmits the load to each hull. If you sawed off one hull then you would need to re-engineer it for the compressive load and actually re-engineer everything. Just buy a Searunner for 40 to 80K and be done with it and go sailing tomorrow.
Something similar was discussed, ridiculed, and harpooned in Boatdesign about a year ago.
Disclaimer: I am not a NA nor do I pretend to be one on the internet.
Actually, I guess that would just be a "claimer".

Sand crab, you bring up excellent points. No sense making a silk purse out of a sows ear. Even if it can be done, it may have not much merit from a financial/cost perspective which will need to be done before I pull the trigger.

Many thanks to all who have provided their comments and input.

Z

[muskoka]

Most cat hulls are not symmetrical in shape. All of them are not symmetrical structurally.

I'd guess that trying to turn a cat hull into a tri would be a wasted exercise.

[yves75]

Also thinking about a crusing/live aboard tri, 34' 36' 40 max, a few nice ones :

Smart Yachting - SmartTri40 the Comfortable Fast Sailing Trimaran

Dinabar | Facebook


And the farriers of course
But a cat might make more sense, especially if the tri isn't foldable ...

[wongai64]

If you are still looking for a tri check out
boatpoint.com.au There are 2 cheap Piver's listed and some other decent deals on more expensive 37-40ft.
I agree with the analogy of the silk purse / sows ear. My opinion would be to take advantage of a depressed market and buy as much boat as you can afford. Preferably one that has had all the critical and expensive updates completed.. There are quite a few out there right now.. Good luck 😏

[Roy M]

Thank you Muskoka, You are the only one so far that has nailed the key part in this futile exercise. On tris and cats, the outer hulls are deliberately asymmetrical, to achieve lift to weather when reaching. The cat hulls are vertically higher from the waterline than trimaran hulls, to provide space inside for habitat (Horstman being the exception). This is the kind of discussion that ought to be reserved for a sailor's bar, after everyone has had enough to drink that nothing serious will ever ensue.

Ditto for a monohull as the core for a real trimaran. It would end up sailing like the steel hulled trimaran I used to see at Catalina Island in the 80's, named IRON BUTTERFLY. On the other hand, going out and spending money with no idea of consequence, and creating a product that will end up in a landfill or a scrapyard, after spending years in a boatyard or marina, improves the value of existing quality boats, transfers a financial catastrophe into the hands of another willing victim who will continue the cycle of spending, all of these really do help the economy. It could be viewed as a patriotic duty. That's probably the only upside to considering this path.

This just in! A steel tri, 53 feet, was just sold for a bunch of money! The economy is truly coming back: http://yachtboatforsale.com/boats/dutch-steel-trimaran/

[Sand crab]

That steel tri was for sale for years. I think it weighed about 46,000 lbs.