Trimaran - Especially Searunner - Owners

[rossad]

captcham
I have also a SR37 and was thinking of either keeping the morse cable or doing another system. Its still working after 30 years but i do wonder for how long. Do they get stiffer until they wont turn or is it a sudden thing all of a sudden you loose your steering.
And finally how difficult was it to change... it certainly looks like a mission to change.

[captcham]

Yeh I am not sure what happens before the cable fails but mine was 27yrs old and I didnt want to find out mid ocean so I went ahead and replaced the system. It was a prettey involved job since I was building the whole system from scratch. I had the drawings for the steering quadrant from Marples and made the parts from them, ordered some surplus aircraft sheeves in various sizes from Ebay and built my blocks from aluminum stock from the local matel supply house. I was able to find an used Edson pedastal and tore it down and had it blasted and powerd coated and modified the cockpit floor to fit it to port of the center board. I ran the cables both down the port side of the boat and used Dyneema for the cables. So far it seems really nice so I am happy and also now I dont have a nagging worry if that old Morse cable is going to fail. It is time consuming in the planning and fabrication stages but I think well worth it. Not sure how to post pictures here? Let me know if you need any other info, cheers.

[rossad]

Captchan
thanks for your well described reply.
You probably thought about replacing the morse but decided to go for cables. I like the idea of taking the pedestal off centre to port also. Was it something like these ones on Ebay Edson Pedestal: Boat Parts | eBay
If you have the time photos would be nice to see.
Another subject
I thought of putting an electric steering push pull fitted just inside the transom connecting to a little bar tiller
Has anybody seen it fitted back there. I know Jim Brown fitted his under the cockpit seat directly onto his tiller.

[rossad]

Mark your kindle book is just superb.
I dont believe there is another book that covers anchoring like the one you have written
I downloaded on my PC and can easily see all the diagrams etc.
This information is invaluable and with so many tips.
I cannot recommend it enough for Searunner owners because it most certainly has that slant.
Brilliant and well written.
Have you thought of doing something else specialising in eg trimarans.?

[Jimske]

Searunner 31 "Pineapple Express" had a windshield. I am interested in finding out if it was a stock windshield from some sports car. Seems like a good idea for me on my 31er.

Anybody have any info or advice on how to find one that might fit?

Thanks

[UNCIVILIZED]

Originally Posted by Jimske

Searunner 31 "Pineapple Express" had a windshield. I am interested in finding out if it was a stock windshield from some sports car. Seems like a good idea for me on my 31er.

Anybody have any info or advice on how to find one that might fit?

Thanks

You might look at the windshields on some of the powerboats out there. Ones at the large end of the trailerable range. As their cockpits are likely to be about the same width as the cockpit on that size Searunner. And few cars are anywhere near as wide as your cockpit. Plus, there are plenty of sources for powerboat windshields, even pre-loved ones.

[md7a]

Originally Posted by Jimske

Searunner 31 "Pineapple Express" had a windshield. I am interested in finding out if it was a stock windshield from some sports car. Seems like a good idea for me on my 31er.

Anybody have any info or advice on how to find one that might fit?

Thanks

Pineapple Express's windshield was (I think) a stock model from an early 1960's motorboat. It was made of bent 1/4" plexiglass with a thin metal surround on the vertical edge. It did not survive the move up to WA from CA and I had to throw it out. It was a very simple arrangement - the plexiglass was bolted to a bimini pivot point screwed into the cabintop, with a piece of ama hatch gasket at the bottom.

I have since tried several times to find a suitable replacement, but have never found a solution I liked, for the following reasons:

1. all the runabouts from that period were about 5' wide at the windshield, leaving 14" gaps on each side, between the windshield and the cockpit coaming where wind and weather can get in.
2. any windshield wide enough to reach the coaming would interfere with (or be torn apart by) the staysl sheets.
3. most of the spray and weather on an A-frame Searunner (25 or 31) in my experience comes from abeam, via the nets.
4. the boom on Pineapple Express is only about 18" above the cabintop - possibly to allow more hoist at the masthead for the haliard hardware. This leaves insufficient room for a dodger like the one on Scrimshaw, or for an automotive solution

Here are some options I considered, measured, modelled and rejected (I'd LOVE to hear more on this thread about cockpit protection for the 31):

• walk-through motorboat windshields from 1970's bowriders, with the middle section removed or replaced to allow for full cockpit width
• a Conestoga wagon cover for the cockpit - on two hoops, omitting the windshield
• swing-up side shields like the one on the cover of Chris White's book "The Cruising Multihull"

Here are a couple ideas that people have recommended but I haven't tried yet:

• buy and bend a new piece of plexi from a supplier like TAP plastics
• MGB windshield and glass

[Jimske]

Thanks for the ideas. I didn't realize you had Pineapple md7a. I got 26" above the cabin top to boom. Yeah, it's a difficult decision. I'm more and more thinking about a dodger like Scrimshaw but am thinking that a windshield that snaps to a bimini cover may be best for me. I cockpit enclosure for the 31 really increases the living space dramatically. I am almost complete with a cockpit enclosure which could attach to one. Pic below.

I built this last year for about $400 including Sunbrella with a stainless frame. The sides snap in and the top can easily be folded back. If I had a windshield I could use it with or without the enclosure. Snap it in during inclement weather or living on the hook.

Still thinking!

[md7a]

Nice looking boat Jimske. Your cover is what I was imagining for the "Conestoga idea. Do you use the staysail?

Sent from my HTC6600LVW using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Jimske]

Originally Posted by md7a

Nice looking boat Jimske. Your cover is what I was imagining for the "Conestoga idea. Do you use the staysail?

Sent from my HTC6600LVW using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

The Conestoga idea is a good one. I'm going to make the sides in sections and put a window in. That way I can either remove or flip the front sides out of the way and just have a half cover if I want. Still have the issue of a front for a complete enclosure.

The dodger may be the best Idea. I've made a template but haven't found anyone to bend tube for me. I found an awning guy who can do the canvas if I mount the frame and bring it to his shop. He does it at a great price.

I put a roller furling on last year for the first time and didn't use the staysail much but still can since the inner forestay is easily removable. It comes in handy when reefing the 120 on the furling at night or in rough conditions.

J

[md7a]

Originally Posted by Jimske

I put a roller furling on last year for the first time and didn't use the staysail much but still can since the inner forestay is easily removable. It comes in handy when reefing the 120 on the furling at night or in rough conditions.

J

If you don't need to use the staysail then your dodger build should be a lot simpler (and perhaps lighter) because you won't have to worry about sheets slamming the frame, and you can go all the way across the cabin without lots of seams and grommets for winch leads. It also makes the runabout windshield idea seem more feasible.

Used plexi windshields go for about $200 around here, with all hardware included. Pineapple did look pretty cool with the windshield on. Whereas IMHO the 31's look pretty weird with a full dodger.

[Roy M]

The latest idea floating past WILDERNESS is to consider going to a Solent rig, two roller furling units close to the bow, one in front of the other. And then, installing a Hoyt boom to handle the staysail, but keeping the conventional staysail stay exclusively for a storm jib. My rigger, Fritz Richardson, who regrets selling his SR 37, is promoting this as an ideal "geriatric rig", allowing effortless tacking in confined channels (for the Pacific Northwest portion of my upcoming cruises). I will also be using the assym for downwind work and the Code Zero for going to weather in light air. I am planning on pulling the rig in August, so I will be putting the issues to rest by then. It also deals with the dodger issues. I just picked up the newly powder coated Edson pedestal and single handle gearshift/throttle assembly. Got to be able to steer the boat to get it to the boatyard. And I've made my reservation for the boatyard to haul me out next April for paint, transducers and other underwater work (shaft inspection, rudder inspection, LED underwater lights, installation of the new centerboard, etc.).

[rossad]

Seems adventurous thinking Roy. I think your boat is going to be the one and only when it's finished.
Time and money sometimes don't work together well.
I wish I had more of both.
2 forward furlers is a good idea except when you get a wrap up.
have you seen that furley that has 2 sails on the one so either using it as downwind goose wing or upwind combined.

[Roy M]

When I first launched my boat, I had no money left for sails. A kindly sailmaker gave me a worn out main and a matched pair of jibs, which I resewed by hand, and paired the jib luffs to the same piston hank. I would sail the jibs as one, folded flat by the wind on the other, then run downwind and pop the the other jib opposite to make a true gull wing. It was a lot of fun to suddenly display all of that sail area. Today I would be more likely to simply deploy the asymmetrical and tack downwind, then douse it and come about to sail to weather with whatever sail would be most advantageous. I was never really into tacking duels with other boats, choosing to simply destroy the competition by long reaches. So, the option of deploying a heavy staysail or a lighter lapper, or even the code zero all have their costs and benefits. I have a large genoa and a mule, but I suspect I will be selling those off rather than carrying the big bags in the floats and never using them. We'll see, hopefully later this summer after the mast overhaul.

[Sea Otter Jim]

Here is a photo from our race 2 weeks ago.We had a drone film our race and he did a great video . This is Sea Otter sailing into Balandra #1 beach out of the top 10 for Mexico 2016
I finished 2nd behind f27