Trimaran - Especially Searunner - Owners

[Mark Johnson]

Thanks for the link Jack.

Very interesting stuff. I do wonder... If they used "tarred service" where the Dux went through the spreader notches, what will keep the service twine from spreading & mushing out of position under the compression load?

I think you used vinyl tubing for this? Is it split so you can change it out every couple of years? You know what happens to that stuff in the sun...
It is all of these little details that intrigue me.

Another thing... Do you splice in one eye and then go just past where you want the next eye, then fix The Dux to a tree or something... then put the line under a good load with a come-along for a couple of days? I remember that John does some sort of "pre stretching" process.

Getting the length really accurate, (for use with turnbuckles), must be a challenge.

The Dux runners that John made for me were +or- 1/4" !!! Obviously... it can be done!

Mark

[Boatguy30]

Would like to know about the supposed searunner sinking off Costa Rica. Don't get online much these days. Would appreciate any info.

Jeff

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

Would like to know about the supposed searunner sinking off Costa Rica. Don't get online much these days. Would appreciate any info.
Jeff

See the CF discussions:

➥ http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ing-51578.html

➥ http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ica-51743.html

[jannpage]

Hello Having owned a coldmolded 37' Crowther Tempest built in the 70"s for over 10 years now and used it some 5,000 miles and lived on it most of 3 months a year most of that time I still love it. My wife is not so certain. Of course, most of the time I don't mind a sun shower about dark and can live with not quiet Ice cold beer. About space, seems that most of the time I don't seem to miss all the space a big old cat I also own has. There is something about all the little cubby holes I have on the Tempest that help me keep things organized and store an awfull lot. It also limits us too, so if we don't need it much, we don't have it. And of course, I love the light air speed of the tri but you neede to keep them light. Even a little 10 hp moves it vey nicely at little more than a fast idle in all but the very nasty circustances. But of course I don't live on it 24/7 year around year After year.
Cheers PJSSAILOR

[Mark Johnson]

This subject is already in "Anchoring in Mud" which has morphed into my specific hurricane survival tips... Most of you guys know all of this, but for those who do not, I thought I'd post it here as well. Our Searunners' wide bridle, and moderate windage, gives us such an advantage in hurricanes! Hope I'm not repeating my stories here...

Downunder,

I'll see if I can help... Decades ago I rode out some hurricanes on the hook, but out in open areas. (Luckily the storms were Catagory 1s, and my Danforths (opposing each other), held. I did however get dragged down on by the boat in front of me, in the middle of the night!

Since then I have sought out ever increasing levels of protection, as long as the boats around me looked like they had responsible and highly skilled skippers.
Sometimes I spiderweb in a canal. There are a number of these 'VACANT", deep in "ghosts towns", where a development was planned, but never materialized. Unfortunately, the "dufi" might move in after I am already set up!

One of my favorites is to go deep into a maagrove forest, like our Shark River, in the FL, Everglades. There, the river winds for miles in mangroves 40' tall! I would wrap and shackle a 10' chain around the base of about 10 mangrove clusters, at the base. (at or below the water.) I'm talking about around a 6' across cluster of roots. In the shackeling process, I put in the thimbled eye of numerous 150' or more 5/8" min lines. These are to tie in spider web fashion. In this much protection, the wind at my mast head might be 140, but at deck level it might only be 45! This only works if you are NOT surrounded by idiots doing something similar with 4 or 5, 3/8" ski ropes. (It's happened to me, some boats with washing machines and stacks of plywood on deck!)

If the mooring distance is close, like 25' from a fixed point, use three strand nylon for stretch. If the distance is like 75 - 100', you would be better off with lower stretch line like nylon double braid, or three strand polyester. ( I have been in the middle of a canal, and my nylon lines stretched SO much, that I was hitting the opposite wall!)

(Under an almost breaking load, 50' of three strand nylon can stretch to 75'!)

Doubled up polyester "Textile" chafe gear is less likely to melt the lines at contact points, than any of the hose or split tubing varieties. In my one "huge" storm, (on the border between a 3 & 4) many lines turned to a solid plastic! In my last post, #62, that monohull, during the storm, which was up wind of me... had such a strain, that it popped, (not chafed), a 1" double braid line with a 30,000 pound BL!

Other times I have spiderwebbed between docks, where my lines are long and can stretch with the rising surge. (Like in IVAN)

I have also made a three anchor, (LARGE Danforth types), mooring... I have used it either up a very narrow, protected winding creek, or most recently, I set up my friends sister ship Searunner.

During "Ivan", the killer storm, we had gusts over 150 MPH, and a surge around 13' - 15'. We were in a relatively protected bayou, 1/4 mile across, but in the direction that the wind was going to come from, the fetch was about a mile. Up again at posts #62, you see the dotted line on the yellow outbuilding... THAT'S how high the water got! Although sea level and geography made the results not as critical for us, causing far less damage, the wind and approaching surge were worse than Katrina!

On my boat, I spiderwebbed between the dock and huricane pilings, that I specifically had the dock owner put about 30' out from the boat. I used 21 lines, with some being stretchy three strand, that were doubled up with others that were not as stretchy, but 1' longer. This way I had shock absorbtion and a limit to how far it would get to the pilings or the dock. I also had anchors bow and stern.

I went from the house at the top of the hill where I was going to stay, out to the boats to adjust lines, about 9 times, as the wind howled and the water rose. MY lines were almost perfect, but needed one or two loosenings.

As for the evacuated property owner's, monohull, on the UPwind side of the dock... I had "spiderwebbed" it in a similar manner. IT was about to tear up and destroy both of us, however, as his pilings were not as far out as mine. I went out MANY times to loosen the leeward side of his boat. The last couple of times, required that I do the side stroke, (after midnight of course), with a flashlight in one hand but out of the water. (Luckily, the chop was only about 2') That huge oak tree in the above photos, had already fallen, but I didn't know, and the gusts were to 150 MPH!

Going out and adjusting lines kept these boats and the dock there, unlike most on our "hard hit" side of the bayou.

Earlier, a 28' or so monohull had anchored out 200' away and upwind of our dock, With only one small hook. (I knew he was a future missile) Just before the storm, after the irresponsible owner left, I went out with a large Fortress and rode, (mine), but his 6" cleats would never hold. So I took a long section of 1" double braid, folded it in half, and tied a hitch in itself to make a 1' eye. I positioned the eye in front of the bow, with a small line to hold it up, then wrapped the large line's two legs around the sides of the hull and then up to the base of the mast, and tied them securely. I included chafe gear where needed. This eye gave a strong enough attachment point for my large Fortress's rode.

My friend Chuck, with a Searunner sistership to mine, asked what I thought he should do. The options such as mine, were now all taken. So we set up a three anchor mooring in the far, shallow (3'), end of the bayou. (This was my "invention" from 10 years earlier.)

I will cut and paste this account, from the book that I am working on... "My 40 Year Love Affair With Multihulls".

For Chuck’s Searunner 34, I had suggested my homemade hurricane mooring for multihulls. We picked a spot in the very shallow end of the bayou, between two spoil islands, knowing that we couldn’t get his Searunner in or out without a really high tide. It was very protected but tight in there, and we had a sunken barge to avoid as well.
I came up with this system ten years earlier for tidal places with reversing currents, or for when you just want to anchor and leave the boat prior to expected landfall of the storm. In this case you don’t want all these lines wrapped around each other when they’re needed most. The first step is to set up the mooring…
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………….
The mooring starts with a large galvanized oval/fork swivel… (¾”)
Put another 7 or 8” long oval into the fork, so there is a pear shaped oval on each end. This is now about 1’ long. (The larger oval is the bottom one).
This is kept vertical by attaching a 1’ diameter float to the upper “smaller” oval, with a thin 3’ pennant.
The bottom oval has three, 5/8” X 4’ long tails of three strand nylon, with thimbles tightly spliced in. These are connected onto the oval with similar size shackles. Wire them well.
One sets the largest anchor first, by dinghy (opposite the worst threat). Set it really well! Then using a bowline through a bight, tie the rode to the first of several of these 4’ tails. For safety, two half hitches after the bowline is a good idea. I got Chuck to double check every step with me.
Then set the next anchor and tie it to the next tail accordingly. I suggest Fortress 37s minimum… or even 55s! This is way cheaper than insurance, and more reliable.
Now set and attach the third anchor accordingly, in a triangular pattern.
Set it up as tight as possible by hand. It will still drag and stretch to the point that the swivel moves around a bit and lies in the crotch of a “V” when load is applied.
The excess anchor lines that are on the bottom can now be pulled toward their respective anchors about 20’, and put into mesh bags. These bags you then tie to the now tight anchor lines, using the bag’s draw string. This makes the tangle free mooring.
You then pull up to the mooring with your trimaran and pick up the float. Now connect up your 40’ long X 5/8” double braid bridle legs to the upper oval. These bridle legs have thimbles tightly spliced in, and are connected to the oval with large safety wired shackles.
After these bridle legs are run through the ama bow chocks and cleated, as a safety… run an extra leg (or two), from the middle of the upper oval to the bow of the main hull, then through chocks, & cleat them. Use doubled up textile chafe gear at the chocks.
The outer bridle should be the tighter of the bow lines, for directional control.
There you have it… It takes about two hours to set up. (It could be much longer to retrieve). IF you have good holding, good protection, strong gear and do it right, it should hold a Searunner 34, even in a category four!

(THE MOORING SWIVEL IS PICTURED ABOVE ON POST #62)

So, this is how to do the mooring... Meanwhile up at the house I was staying in, I had my largest Fortress 55 ready to swim out to any boat dragging down on me. (IF I could see it... BIG IF!) I have done this before, and yes it can be done. A huge storm is much easier to move around in mostly under water, than walking around, IF the chop is small. To swim out an emergency hook... You have the mostly rope rode carefully figure eighted in a canvas rope bag. (it will be weightless under water) This is attached to a LARGE boat fender with a 2' long X 1/4" line, using a neat BOW knot. You do the same with the Fortress but with a different 1/4" line. Then with good fins, mask & snorkle, and wearing a wetsuit, (not foul weather gear), you side stroke this out to the offending boat, and the fender holds it up. Then you have to decide weather to deploy the anchor first, or attach the rope first, by untying the bow knots. If you can't reach the deck or some attachment point, with the end of the anchor's rode, do a rolling hitch on the lines already on the boat's bow, swim the anchor out, and pull the OTHER bow knot. YES... It has scared the sh.t out of me on occasion, but my wife and I have put in about 50,000 hours of labor building, outfitting, and re-fitting our boat. It is incentive to do CRAZY things!

In the middle of the worst part of the storm, I finally gave up on going out to the boats... The water got so high in the property owner's house, that I thought the hypothermia or drowning inside would do me in, so I set out for the only modern stilt house in the neighborhood. (the few non evacuees were here) The two blocks were traversed in water up to my arm pits. Cars, boats etc were floating down the street, and all of the varmints, bugs, etc in that top 1' of floating mulch, were looking for high ground, MY head!

All of the boats that I prepared and nursed through the storm, were among the undamaged 2%.

In the end, we lost our land stuff, my van, and a $30,000 tool trailer that I make a living with. (all uninsured!) BUT, we still had our boat! After this, we finished the refit we were in the final stages of, and set out for the Chesapeake, Bahamas, and then Eastern Caribbean.

Well that's about it... Maximize shelter and minimize the projectiles around you. Make a mooring if you need to, and ALWAYS use Danforth / Fortress types opposing each other if you can. (In our case, after the eye passed, the wind reversed at well over 100 MPH!)

The old saying about: "There is nothing that you can do in a hurricane", is not necessarily true. It depends on your skills at this, and willingness to risk your life. In my case, I figured I was less likely to die in the storm, than to die in the attempt to built another boat. (This one had taken ten years!)

Good luck!!!

Mark

[Mark Johnson]

MORE CARNAGE!

[Maren]

Hey guys,

I was reading through the 19 plus pages of recent threads and noticed this:

Hello, everyone. Does anyone mind if I brag a little? After ten years of building, our Constant Camber 44 trimaran is just months away from being finished and launched. A lot (well, a couple) of people asked if I had a web page. Well, I didn't, but now I do. It's just a photo blog, and my first attempt so don't be too critical. I'm a better boat builder than web page builder (I think). I will be adding more up to date pictures as time allows. Hope you enjoy them. I'll be awfully glad when the building is done and the launch is next.

Blog

Needless to say, I'm happy. I suggested he crosspost here but just in case ...

Also, if the name (right, not listed -- PhantomBoatwork) or build sounds familiar, it is from way back on page 2 of this thread.

[Mark Johnson]

Maren,

Wonderful boat, great design, beautifully built. Wish it was mine...
Mark

[PhantomBoatwork]

Hello, again. Thanks,Maren. I didn't occur to me to post under the Searunner forum (well.....duh!). Sorry for that.
Anyway, this is my first Blog effort and it has build pictures of my ten year plus effort to finish and launch a Constant Camber 44 center cockpit trimaran. It's not pristine, but it is a work in progress. We're hoping for a launch this summer. I'll keep posting more up to date pics as time allows.
http://phantomboatworks.shutterfly.com/
Hope you enjoy the pictures.

[Maren]

Originally Posted by PhantomBoatwork

We're hoping for a launch this summer. I'll keep posting more up to date pics as time allows.

That's pretty quick for the launch from completion of the hull. Most folks I've hear speak on this is that the hull is only a small percentage of the whole project. I love to see you prove them wrong.

[Maren]

Way back in mid 2009, I said I had three Searunner goals. Finish up overhauling my 34', and to do the Case for the Cruising Trimaran and the Searunner Construction Manual.

It turns out the former was already being done Joe Farinaccio of the Small Trimarans site. So when I finally called and then met with Jim Brown in early 2010 I only had two projects to do. We had spoken about adding in all new photos and making some really significant changes. Based off that conversation, I contacted some of the gurus here. Roy, Jack, Mark as well as Clark Wagaman of the Rikki-Tiki-Tavi all graciously agreed to provide pictures. But upon approaching the topic again with Jim, I think he was a bit busy with other projects such as the trials the Seaclipper 20, the design of the Seaclipper 24 and so on. So the decision was made by Jim to reissue the book as a historical document. Very light editing and original pictures. I even suggested doing two versions -- the re-issue and a new updated version -- but again, he was busy. His book; his decision. So I got to work getting waylaid with a few other projects along the way.

It's done. Jim and John want to make a forward or some changes, but essentially, it's downhill from here.

Odd thing is, some of those changes may end up getting included anyway. Anyway, I wanted to thank you all for the willingness to send photos, we may need yet.

[Mark Johnson]

Originally Posted by Maren

Way back in mid 2009, I said I had three Searunner goals. Finish up overhauling my 34', and to do the Case for the Cruising Trimaran and the Searunner Construction Manual.

It turns out the former was already being done Joe Farinaccio of the Small Trimarans site. So when I finally called and then met with Jim Brown in early 2010 I only had two projects to do. We had spoken about adding in all new photos and making some really significant changes. Based off that conversation, I contacted some of the gurus here. Roy, Jack, Mark as well as Clark Wagaman of the Rikki-Tiki-Tavi all graciously agreed to provide pictures. But upon approaching the topic again with Jim, I think he was a bit busy with other projects such as the trials the Seaclipper 20, the design of the Seaclipper 24 and so on. So the decision was made by Jim to reissue the book as a historical document. Very light editing and original pictures. I even suggested doing two versions -- the re-issue and a new updated version -- but again, he was busy. His book; his decision. So I got to work getting waylaid with a few other projects along the way.

It's done. Jim and John want to make a forward or some changes, but essentially, it's downhill from here.

Odd thing is, some of those changes may end up getting included anyway. Anyway, I wanted to thank you all for the willingness to send photos, we may need yet.

That's great news Maren! Let me know if there is anything that I can do in the effort.

Searunners are among the most remarkable boats in the world, and should surely hold a special place in the annals of navel architecture!

Mark

[Rann]

Maren,

Wow! You have done a marvelous job. It is good that there are a number of folks keeping the Searuuner, Constant Camber, and Seaclipper information available to us all. Thanks for a great job to you, Jim and John, and all the owners, past owners, and those interested in these wonderful designs. Keep up the good work!

Rann

[xsboats]

Maren, The efforts you have made to educate newcomers about these incredible boats, and to unite/reunite those of us that are already involved with them is a testament to your devotion to their design and your willingness to give of yourself . A heartfelt thanks for your efforts, Scott

[Greg W]

Greetings to all. I am the new guy on the block both to sailing(converted powerboater turned sailor past three seasons) and to Searunners.I have a strong lead on a 31 Searunnuer that was 75% complete before the builder suddenly passed away. His widow wants the boat gone. I have been researching tri's and I am familar with Corsairs, Farrier's, Kurt Hughes and a few others. Had not even heard of the Searunners by J. Brown until this boat became available. From what I have read so far it has a very loyal following and if built to design specs is an excellent boat. What is the best source, internet or otherwise, for specs ie Hull and ama weights, load capacity sail plans, interior layouts,trailer design, and expected performance ,pics and all general info. I currently own a 28' "cruising" catamaran that will max out at about 10 kts on a broad reach with 20kts of wind. Will this boat exceed those speeds, is it more of a cruiser or racer. All of my sailing is day-sailing on the East coast of Lake Michigan and much of it will be single handed. Is it feasible to single hand a 31 Searunner? Lots of questions and just alittle time before my chance is gone. Any imput would be GREATLY appreciated.