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Old 03-01-2013, 07:34   #1576
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Re: Trimaran - Especially Searunner - Owners

Jack,
Man... that was a close call! Excellent seamanship!

For you guys that weren't doing this 35 years ago, things were VERY different then! I suppose it was better in that the anchorages were mostly empty when you got there, and among us multihull rebels, (and I mean ridiculed by the mainstream)... the trimariners were often boatbuilders as well. It was a hard core group, with very few "Mikey milk toasts" among them. It was a worse time too... We seldom REALLY knew where we were, just close.

In the 70s, I just had a standard am/fm radio, a CB radio, and a flasher depth sounder that would either be out of its range, or lie outright. Jack, you know what I mean! NO electronic nav assist were out yet, and later, when Loran-C came out. I didn't know anyone who had it. (expensive & limited) Coastal passages were all piloting & dead reckoning. I had a sextant, but found my deck too bouncy, didn't like to go below, and seldom used it. My favorite technique was coming in close enough to read the town's name on water towers, and triangulating my position on the chart, between two towers. Later, I added an RDF, but it was equally inaccurate, and limited.

This photo with the RDF, is approaching Miami, (OR Ft Lauderdale???), in a 100% white out gale, surrounded by waterspouts, while sailing in the Gulf Stream.

There was no BOAT-US or Sea Tow, but the Coasties would sometimes help a boater out, like they did you. You were smart to NOT accept a tow, as long as you had control. Having used a little OB kicker on my first two boats, I wanted an inboard diesel on the third, for motorsailing to a port in a gale, and running inlets like this, if nothing else. Otherwise, we sail.

These are shots of my Wharram 23, that I sailed out of Key West, (in the 70s), before and after it was run down by a high powered speed boat. Taking a total loss, I returned to SC, built my really cool "hippie van", and returned to Key West, living in my van, and working in boatyards. Saving up for the next boat...

These SR shots are of the very FIRST SR 37, La Una, and this boat was my biggest job there. I did a total paint & refurbish, and also replaced the underwing that they had pounded out. Much of the work was done anchored out, and afterward, I cruised the Bahamas on her too.

How fortunate you were to have buddy boated with the likes of Kern Hendricks & Tom Freeman. What a wealth of Searunner information you had at your disposal! I spoke to Kern on occasion, as I was using his products, and considered using his new LP paints. (He had just experimented by painting his airplane with it). He was also the first (I believe) to have used what I call, the " Kern Hendricks central engine installation". I drew this installation, and sent it off to him for approval.

A lot of folks value only the "I thought of it myself" approach, but not me. The thing about "trial & error", is it involves so much error. When I meet someone who really knows his ****, I pick their brains as much as I can, then combine that information with my own life experience. It has served me well.

I knew that there were two different SR 37s drawn, with the latter one having better wing clearance. I didn't, however, know that Jim had drawn a vent wing version of the 37. Was this boat unique?

I had always considered the EAST coast the more dangerous one, but now I see your point. While we have the sometimes treacherous Gulf Stream to contend with, we also have far more inlets that we can tuck into when bad weather approaches. About a third of them are "local knowledge only", but the others are really well marked. We also have the ICW, so with a good engine, we can stay underway on the "inside", when weather is foul. Unlike the monohull (or keeled multihull) crowd, our shallow draft makes it where we can almost always anchor at the end of the day, rather than seek a marina.

Get those slides digitized, man, before it's too late... They fade you know!

M.
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Old 03-01-2013, 08:54   #1577
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Re: Trimaran - Especially Searunner - Owners

Rossad,

I'm no surfer, but I can tell you, definitely YES, these are perfect boats for accommodating both surfboards and kayaks. Jim Brown did it on his 31, Scrimshaw. The surfboards can go up against the lifelines, vertically, and kayaks on the wing decks. You would perhaps, want to remove their fins first, for safety. There is then only the problem of hatch access with aux boats/boards that are out flat on deck.

We take along a little short/fat inflatable kayak. What it looses in performance is made up by its being so forgiving up against the hull, and being FAT, it's easier to board. A proper kayak, is VERY tippy to board from the mothership.

I stopped counting hurricanes endured with my boats, (usually while on them), at a dozen, but we do have huge advantages. Now, I'm talking USUALLY hunkered down with some form of protection here, not at sea... Only my friends Jeff & Jose have pulled that one off!!!

Our shallow draft lets us get into the very best, most protected part of the mangroves, bayou, or what ever. If anchored out, We have far less dragging force than a similar sized monohull, due to the 35' long bridle. It prevents side to side, "chomping at their bit", like monohulls do. My worst storm was H Ivan, with steady cat 3 and gusts well into cat 4 winds. The SR 34 anchored out was my friend Chuck's, which I put out using my 3 HUGE anchor mooring system, and our Delphys, (in the same Bayou), had 27 lines spiderwebbed between the dock, (which went 11' under), and the pilings I had them put WAY out from our boat. Only my swimming out there, and loosening the lines on numerous occasions, pulled her through. These made it, but 99% on the bad side of the Bayou were lost. Our SRs numerous cleat options, light weight, shallow draft, lowish windage, central mast, natural ballast down low, and long bridle, makes these among the best hurricane survival boats out there.

The scariest hurricane, however, was on the little Wharram 23, with the space inside of a coffin! (Pictured above & below) In the height if the storm, (at night of coarse) someone had drug down on me. The winds were high Cat 1, and the chop about 6'. I thought the boat was coming apart, and got out as quickly as the now jammed hatch would allow. I went forward, leaning @ 45 degrees, not having had time for my contacts or clothes! (ouch)!!! I let out more rode, and made a few feet of clearance between us. I don't remember how long it blew & rained, but long enough for me to read Shogun, from cover to cover.

The Great Barrier reef must be really wonderful. Like our Bahamas, or the reef of Belize, only BIGGER. If you see these friends that we met in the Chesapeake, Chris & Karen, on a little modified cat, (30' stretched to 34' and with a 5' tall cabin), Do stop by and say hello. They took this very small boat around the world, on a 10 year cruise. The stories they can tell! They have now retired to sailing the GBR.

A thought about your third reef as ultimate storm setup... I do have a third reef, but never have used it. Full battens are great. With minimal roach, just Batt Slide cars will suffice, and round battens are best. Here's the thing about triple reefing the main.

Sailing with a bit of staysail and bit of main is a monohull thing. Our mast is in the middle of the boat, so she balances fine with just a staysail, or just a small storm staysail. Searunners don't sail well with just a main, even a scrap of one. If it were me... I wouldn't beef up the top panel that much, and if you add the third reef, plan on it being for slowing down off the wind, for logistical reasons, but not as your ultimate storm tactic. We use our staysail, by itself, up to 40 knots of wind. The boat balances perfectly that way. It hasn't been necessary yet to sail in the 50s, but I would then fall off, and use JUST the little storm staysail for that. The triple reefed scrap of main behind a now proportionately huge mast, would offer little drive anyway. If you have a roller furling staysail, you could have IT beefed up to do both jobs, or hank on the smaller one ahead of time, like we do. Once the storm hits, you don't want to be on deck if you can help it... Just a thought.
M.
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Old 03-01-2013, 15:53   #1578
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Re: Trimaran - Especially Searunner - Owners

Excellent suggestions Mark
Its howling again today here must be gusting 40 knots outside the harbour.
I run a kayak business so my clients have return safely thank goodness.
My Searunner sits comfortably on her mooring in the bay.

Just to note that I was talking about Great Barrier Island.
This is in the Hauraki Gulf ... the outside Barrier island.
The whole area is a sailing mecca.
Auckland is called the City of sails, maybe 1 person in 5 have a boat.
I am enjoying reading these threads here.
ross
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Old 03-01-2013, 16:50   #1579
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Re: Trimaran - Especially Searunner - Owners

Quote:
Originally Posted by rossad View Post
Excellent suggestions Mark
Its howling again today here must be gusting 40 knots outside the harbour.
I run a kayak business so my clients have return safely thank goodness.
My Searunner sits comfortably on her mooring in the bay.

Just to note that I was talking about Great Barrier Island.
This is in the Hauraki Gulf ... the outside Barrier island.
The whole area is a sailing mecca.
Auckland is called the City of sails, maybe 1 person in 5 have a boat.
I am enjoying reading these threads here.
ross
OOPS... sorry about that Rossad. I'm guilty of sloppy reading here. I got it that you were not IN Australia, but thought you were going there... Your cruising ground sounds great, nonetheless.

The Kayak business sounds great too. I tried it for a bit, but didn't work out for me. It is the most basic of boats, and most bang for your buck. My GOOD kayak is this kit Pygmy Osprey Standard. It would've been prettier clear varnished, but I needed to store it out in the elements, so I used semi-gloss AwlGrip, with a BarRust epoxy bottom and interior.

Unless I make a proper launcher, or bridle up to the boom, it is just too hard to board from the decks of Delphys, though.
M.
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Old 03-01-2013, 16:55   #1580
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Re: Trimaran - Especially Searunner - Owners

To clarify, I believe that "the other 37" is only different below the waterline. the rocker was deepened and perhaps the mini-keel shortened. the idea being to increase the displacement, thereby raising the wings via payload. John basically told me the revised 37 was drawn at the same time as the 34 and has basically the improved shape of the 34 less the sleeker amas.

surveyed "Honeywind" today. The boat in some of Jim's books with the head heater. All kinds of other weird things as well, but still in pretty good shape.

Jeff
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Old 03-01-2013, 17:21   #1581
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Re: Trimaran - Especially Searunner - Owners

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Originally Posted by Boatguy30 View Post
To clarify, I believe that "the other 37" is only different below the waterline. the rocker was deepened and perhaps the mini-keel shortened. the idea being to increase the displacement, thereby raising the wings via payload. John basically told me the revised 37 was drawn at the same time as the 34 and has basically the improved shape of the 34 less the sleeker amas.

surveyed "Honeywind" today. The boat in some of Jim's books with the head heater. All kinds of other weird things as well, but still in pretty good shape.

Jeff
Sounds pretty much like my understanding too, Jeff. Was there a "vent wing" option drawn, or was the boat Jack owned and refers to builder modified? Previously, I never heard of a vent wing 37... I like mine, (the vent), though, because it lessens pounding just a bit. I prefer the net at the top of the vent, however, rather than the bottom, as drawn. With net in the bottom, I think I would be constantly falling into the hole. It is still a great place to dry dive gear...
M.
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Old 03-01-2013, 17:33   #1582
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Re: Trimaran - Especially Searunner - Owners

The vent wing was "new technology" when this work was all done, so I would guess design help would have been readily available to fit it to the 37.

John also indicated the deeper 37 would not be as fast in Transpac type conditions as the original 37 for anyone that would be concerned about that. Other problem is no way to know which is which unless you can be sure when the plans were purchased.
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Old 03-01-2013, 18:31   #1583
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Re: Trimaran - Especially Searunner - Owners

What is the payload for the 37 foot Searunner in kg anyone now.
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Old 03-01-2013, 18:41   #1584
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Re: Trimaran - Especially Searunner - Owners

The arma is still clearing the water on the sterns and that is what i work with but a better find out what the payload is in kg and work out what i have weight wise in the boat
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Old 04-01-2013, 08:36   #1585
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Re: Trimaran - Especially Searunner - Owners

John Marple's Transpac winning version of the 37 was to a degree, built for speed. Bacchanal had a spade rudder, (later changed to a skeg rudder, for John's 10 years of cruising), and it had NO minikeel at all. That's right, the CB stuck out below the hull, even when raised. YIKES! My SC 28 was like that, and I didn't like the vulnerability... They have since changed that.

Their competition was some VERY fast multihulls, and logically John & crew were out classed. The trick was that they had a world class crew of wild men, pushing harder than prudence would dictate, and unlike several others, they didn't break the boat!

In John's CD about multihull's, on OutRig, he tells the story along with a slide show. If for no other reason, it is worth it just to know about this famous passage. It is the best "fast passage in a cruising boat" story that I have ever heard!

It is hard to imagine surfing those mountainous waves @ 20 knots, and sending a guy up the mast, without backing off first!

Truthfully, Searunners were not at all designed for maximum speed. They were designed for "the absence of going slow", but with seaworthiness, safety, comfort, and overall livability as priorities. This makes winning the transpac with a Searunner, all the more remarkable.

Rossad,
I see that you have a roller furling staysail. Assuming that the roller furling unit is up to it, that solves your heavy air tactic issue. You can have a special sail made that is of normal weight on the front half, and built like a tank on the back half. Just be sure that when that gale hits, you have gone two rolls onto the heavy half of the sail. You will need either a high clew on the sail, (shaped like a Yankee), OR have the lead blocks on a "T" track with rope controls. This is to assure proper sheet leads, even as the sail changes when being rolled up part way. Our large Lapper headsail has such a high clew, that adjustments to the lead block cars are used only on occasion, like to do a "fisherman's reef". This is when you de-power the sail by spilling just a bit of wind at the top, without actually flogging it.

About your weight concerns...
The issue is more the "overall weight" of the boat, not the payload. We are ALL vastly overweight according to the plans. I suspect it is to encourage us all to cruise lightly. There is no magic number, and on Delphys, we too are cruising over weight. If there is a best indicator, it is the transom of the main hull, where the bottom plank makes the turn. FOR SURE, the ama "elbows" should always be out of the water!

As drawn, with the boat trimmed LEVEL, and with a very lightly loaded but livable boat, the real WL should be AT this main hull bottom to transom junction. Having said that, I have never seen a properly built and loaded for cruising Searunner, that floats here. From what I have observed from perhaps 100 different Searunners... If this junction goes under just 2", GREAT! If it goes under 4 or 5", you're heavy, but still OK, and the ama elbows will be about 2" out of the water. If you're 7 or 8" under at this transom/hull point, then the ama elbows go under, and you are WAY TOO overloaded! WAY! The exception is if you have a very limited and controllable local cruising situation, or are just using the boat as an anchored out liveaboard. Only then can you get away with such a load. Remember, I have replaced the underwings on a 37, with owners that thought pounding was just noise!

John Marples could tell you much better than me what they feel is "right", regarding overall weight, I'm just talking about what I see folks doing, and getting away with it. For sure, John will give you an ideal of LESS inches of immersion than the ones I describe. The 34 is perhaps more forgiving than the others, as I assume is the SR 37 MK II, due to a bit more wing clearance. On Delphys, I have never found directional control, or good average speed, to be issues, only more pounding, proportionate to overall weight.

When we first started out with Delphys, I beat the boat almost to death on a couple of occasions, like days of going hard to windward on large, pointy, "square" waves, at 9+ knots, in 40 knot winds. I hit some waves SO hard that it half filled the cockpit, and almost stopped the boat. Then the mast pumped forward about 6", and snapped back with a VIOLENT jolt. It later dawned on me that when Kern Hendricks had described the 34 as being "bomb proof", it was just an expression! I can tear up ANYTHING, and had a long history of doing just that. Now that I am too tired to fix the damage, as well as have tons of stuff, (including a windlass on the bow, with chain rode & such), I fall off, slow down, or reverse coarse... What ever it takes to NOT break the boat! As a younger man, the thought never occurred to me. REALLY! All of my self created ass whippings were in the first year with the boat, 17 years ago. Searunners can do remarkable things, but now, only in emergency situations do I call on the boat to do so. The heavier we all cruise, the more important this "sail prudently" issue becomes.

M.
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Old 04-01-2013, 14:54   #1586
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Re: Trimaran - Especially Searunner - Owners

I am listening to all that Mark ... Thanks and i think your bang on. Yes that underwing you could say is a bit vanualble. Going to windward hard in even 20 knots with the short chop will pound too much. I learnt the hard way too. John M said that he put two skins of ply in the end to make it bomb proof. I have acutally put a thin sheet of stainless would you believe under the front area across to the sides. It seems to have worked well but i kinda dont like the look maybe. More of a battle ship... we some strange things us multi-men. For me its like 3 kayaks all joined up with great stability. Living on mine these days probably are the best days .. weeks ... months of my life... i just love it .. the decks with all that room and the very good stern castle relaxing area.... beat that!
Take a swim when i wake and life gets a real buzz from the get go....
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Old 07-01-2013, 17:29   #1587
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Re: Trimaran - Especially Searunner - Owners

There's a Searunner 40 for sale in Canada, now named HABITAT. Construction was apparently started in 1992, built by one man. She was launched in 2001 in Portland Or. under the name Sergeant Lewis. Looks to be in great shape from the photos and comes very well equipped. Asking price is $79,000. Anyone have any knowledge of this boat?
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Old 07-01-2013, 18:00   #1588
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Re: Trimaran - Especially Searunner - Owners

There used to be a pretty detailed website on the building of the boat. Apparently after launching they sailed it up to the NW for a cruise before putting it on the market. It did look like a quality build from the pictures but I haven't seen it up here yet. That price doesn't seem much different from what it was originally offered for.
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Old 07-01-2013, 18:28   #1589
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Re: Trimaran - Especially Searunner - Owners

Quote:
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There's a Searunner 40 for sale in Canada, now named HABITAT. Construction was apparently started in 1992, built by one man. She was launched in 2001 in Portland Or. under the name Sergeant Lewis. Looks to be in great shape from the photos and comes very well equipped. Asking price is $79,000. Anyone have any knowledge of this boat?
I spent an afternoon crawling all over it, but its has been a while. I am sure I can find the photos I took, they are digital, if you really are interested I will make an effort to find them....... Soon after it was launched I think. It looked pretty nice, some nice extras as I recall, like a good round bottom dink, and really nice SS rail mount over the stern castle. Big heavy web strapping for bow nets. It looked plenty capable, I got the impression (7 years ago) it was well built and the lockers were vented with small fans, that sort of thing. I used to have a link to Sergent Lewis web site. I saw nothing wrong with the boat. It was (for me, at the time) too big, too expensive, and too far north.....:-)
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Old 08-01-2013, 14:52   #1590
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Re: Trimaran - Especially Searunner - Owners

I have the link to Sergeant Lewis. I followed it for some time, for no other reason than to give me some inspiration for finishing my project. The pics of the boat being craned over the house are mind boggling. Check out his blog, it's a pretty great read.
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