Trimaran - Especially Searunner - Owners

[Mark Johnson]

Roy, In case you missed Jeff Allen's story about this, among many... Otherwise, by all means, correct any mistakes. My apologies if I'm butting in...

My memory of it was that Jeff was living "on shore" for some time in Gibraltar, with his SR 40 anchored out, on it's on, near a military base. A sudden HURRICANE FORCE storm brewed up, and Jeff hauled ass to get to his boat and secure her for the storm, but needed to cross the military base to get to the boat. Due to some kind of security concerns at the moment, they wouldn't let him pass at the gate, so his beautiful boat remained unsecured for the storm. When the storm hit, the boat drug onto the unforgiving rocky shore, and was pounded to pieces. Later, he was allowed to his boat to strip her. THE BOAT NEVER CAPSIZED, BTW.

ROSSAD, Yes there was a SR 37 that capsized in the Pacific, in Cyclone Meli (sp?) about 35 years ago. The gusts had been officially measured @ 200 MPH!!! She had been anchored in the lee of an island, with the chain wrapped securely, 180 degrees around a coral cluster, so it held. When the winds reversed, they were on the windward side, and the waves HUGE! She rose on a wave, wind got under the wing, and the boat became AIRBORNE and flipped. He and his girlfriend, and his father, were in the intact, but upside down boat. They, (all 3), tried to swim in to shore, but his girlfriend and father never were seen again.

I don't off hand know of any capsizes "at sea", from wind or wave. (Perhaps the smaller ones have?) A few have fallen apart at sea, from being SO neglected and rotten, that they were a ghost of their former selves. Events like this are "making **** happen", in my book! There were others that were disabled by hitting whales or the bottom, or flotsam, but in most cases, they were rescued, or one even sailed back home, with ALL THREE hulls being holed by a whale.

I know my South African friend, Nevil, ended up with him and his Searunner 31, in the top of a tree, in St Martin, during Hugo, but it mostly floated up there. He winched her down, rebuilt her, and sailed on for years.

If one looks at the number of boats built, number of ocean crossings, number of circumnavigations, total sea miles covered, years spent living aboard anchored out, over the most years... and compares this to the number of lives lost "at sea on a SR", over those 40+ years, (two lives lost, as far as I know?), then it tells the story.

The "safest track record boats ever designed"? That's highly debatable, but Searunners are surely in the top five!

BTW... I have gotten Multihulls Magazine since #1, (35+ years), and still have the collection. Very few "incidents" went unreported, back in those days. We were all riding a revolution, and communicated a lot!

M.

Photo is Nevil and his 31, up the Rio Dulce, years later...

[Roy M]

Rossad, DINK'S SONG didn't flip. Jeff's Searunner was moored in Gibraltar and Jeff was ashore working as a veterinarian, I think in nearby Spain. A tremendous storm system developed and swept in with powerful winds and seas. Simultaneously, the Spanish locals were having one of their hissy fits about the British occupying the "Rock", leading to major blockages at the border. A friend called Jeff to warn him that the boat might be in danger. Jeff was unable to penetrate the border issue in sufficient time to get to the boat. It washed ashore and was destroyed on the rocks. Very sad end to a great old boat. This was many years ago. Jeff, with his usual resilience, moved to Portugal, started another practice, then designed and built a trio of big cats, selling two and taking the third to the Caribbean, selling it in the US, then coming to California to buy his current boat, a large Cross, currently located (along with his beautiful wife Jose) in the Marquesas. Lucky dog.

[Mark Johnson]

Thanks Roy, I suspected you had more of the facts about the boat's loss than I did.

Doesn't Stravaig now have a hard top, and mostly enclosed cockpit?

You flown out to see them yet???

Mark

[Cavalier MK2]

One Searunner 37 capsize is covered in the "Case for the Cruising Trimaran" where a tire drogue got tangled on deployment.

[andres]

If I remember well, it was a SR 40 that is reported flipped in Jim Brown's book. There was one life lost, after the capsize, when both sailors where in a life-raft. I think that both could be survived if they where in the capsized tri.

[rossad]

I find this so interesting. Must have this searunner thing in my veins. Heres a pick of my last trip two weeks ago.

[Mark Johnson]

Rossad, Great photo!

Looks pretty tricked out... Send some detail shots.

M.

[Cavalier MK2]

Someone should ask Jeff how the Searunner and Cross compare.

[Pat Ross]

You may have seen this link Searunner v Cross

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...oss-80255.html

The just of the thread was the Cross was roomier for cruising and the Searunner pointed higher, there is a contributor who has owned both in the thread. Some Cross tris added swingboards to the main hull, others added daggers to the amas.

My design is basically a Piver Victress in Fiberglass with round hulls. I hope to launch by the Fall at the latest. Because she has asymmetric ama's I am going to wait till I do some cruising before I decide to add a board, if at all to the main hull. If I add one I would put it under the salon bench seat, as I could hide a swingboard box there and it would not interfere with the interior space.

Pat

[Mark Johnson]

Originally Posted by Cavalier MK2

Someone should ask Jeff how the Searunner and Cross compare.

Jeff doesn't do the email or the forum thing, to busy having a life!

When we talked about it, this is what I remember... He loved his Searunner 40, years ago, & its performance, but shallow draft and pointing ability now took a back seat, to other priorities.

Jeff is getting close to 70 I think, and a closed up cockpit was looking nice. Then there was Jose's affinity for the nicer things, like real plates, and more "stuff" than a Searunner can easily carry.

Searunners take a backpackers mentality, and obsession with weight. This is FAR less true of a big Cross. The Cross has a Vaka that is about twice the width, with proportionately higher payload.

Also, they needed to find a deal on a fixer upper. They basically built this new boat, also Stravaig, from a hull & deck. The engine, rudder, mast, hardware, rig, sails, gear, ports, paint, hardtop, and most of the interior, are new.

They have had serious problems with the boat, and some leaks. They hit/got hit by a whale early on in their cruise, (with wing & hull damage), then got hit by an out of season, out of possition hurricane AT SEA, on the way from Ca to Panama. (MORE damage). All was repaired in Colon, and later a bit more was taken care of elsewhere. It is a hell of a story! In 50' waves, all bets are off...

You can't fault the boat, or the design for that, under the circumstances. If I didn't have a Searunner, my 2nd choice of the "older" pre Marples designs, would be a Cross, or Kantola. They're good boats!

I wouldn't like the keel's increased draft, or being less forgiving of a grounding, but I would like their being less of a hassle to live with. The extra payload would be really nice!

They're all a trade off, and what works best for you may change with age, cruising destination, and circumstances. J&J made a good choice in my book.

Someday I'll ask them how they feel now... Their blog is @:

Stravaig's Travels

M.

[Cavalier MK2]

Thanks Pat and Mark, I'll look at the link and blog. They are all good boats. The Nicol is a little like a leaner, meaner Cross, but with a more rounded main hull. I'd put a dagger in a Cross and reduce the keel. I'll dig out my old study plans but the Cross cruising keel doesn't really draw much more than the Searunner with the mini keel.

[Cavalier MK2]

Oops, I saw that thread.....interested to hear about the guy who has had both. We also tend towards the backpack cruising end of things. "you can't get away from it all if you bring it all with you."

[Cavalier MK2]

Good read on the blog, I had to laugh as we have done or are doing many similar things on the Nicol but for different reasons. No rot or termites. The Vagabond was stripped of all except the sailing gear with only a worn out main and a old jib left- no motor or electronics just a compass that was off 10 degrees. Our mast did have bad areas so that was the first thing rebuilt starting a long list. The interior was only tacked in but the boat was made with very good materials making it worthwhile to go the bare hull route.....easy enough to budget and plan in logical steps. I've managed to avoid the pi equation on the jobs.....instead of 3.14 times longer than estimated I'm just taking twice as long

[Maren]

All, the Searunner Construction Manual is now again available -- gratis -- and with an updated forward .

For those who have read the whole of this thread know why I'm so happy.

Maren

[PhantomBoatwork]

That is totally awesome news! I downloaded the file as soon as I found out about it. My venerable and much used original is literally falling to pieces and the children have been threatened with dismemberment and banishment if they so much as touch it. I had even toyed with having my old manual rebound- just for sentimental reasons. You don't get that level of use and dog eared-ness unless it has been read and read over and over. It's still great information for just about any multihullers.