30' Sailing tri

[Little Otter]

So the admiral has asked me to modify my searching for a suitable boat and says that she wants to start smaller and do some Caribbean cruising to start with and see if she likes it and as this is going to be a two part question i'm going to post it here and in the construction section in it's entirety so everyone knows whats going on. in light of her request I am now obliged to see if anyone has plans for the Cross 30 (it's a long shot I know) or at least the construction sheets for the LAR keel used on the Norm Cross designs. one of my main questions here is that I'd also like to know if anyone has experience with the Piver Nimble or Herald designs that wouldn't mind sharing their knowledge. I am looking to build the boat myself as I love to make stuff, and I like the looks of the Piver designs better than the Brown multihulls, even though the Searunners are really good from what I hear the admiral wants it to look really good as well so that's what we're going with :P I know I can get the Nimble plans from the Mariners Museum and I think they also have the Herald plans digitized as well. Personally I would love to see all of his plans but the guy I talked to in the archives (who was awesome BTW) said that a lot of the original stuff is in deep storage and they only have the ones that were digitized available currently. Thanks in advance for any information.

[paxfish]

I know you wanna build something, but something like this would likely get you moving sooner and cheaper! Even has it's own gun safe!

http://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/63339

[Little Otter]

LOL I appreciate it Paxfish and the gun safe is a nice touch, but for me building it is something I feel that I have to do, Its just one of those things that something inside is driving me towards.

[paxfish]

I understand.

I've learned that owning a homebuilt boat allows me to start with something that works and rebuild it piece by piece as time goes by!

[Little Otter]

Is that a Reynolds?

[Don C L]

There was a Newick Trice for sale a while back in Fla. You might google those Newicks. Not much room inside but you'll get there so fast you'll have more time in the bar. The Ama 35 is one I have lusted after, but I think only one or two were built.

[paxfish]

Originally Posted by Little Otter

Is that a Reynolds?

Nope. Homebuilt Tennant Wildifre 8.5 meter

[Little Otter]

Thanks Don! Thanks for the suggestion I'll definitely check them out.
It looks great Paxfish! Do you do most of your sailing in the bay up there?

[Redreuben]

Have you looked at Ed Horstmans ?

http://www.edhorstmanmultihulldesigns.com

[mattyc]

Here is a Newick...
http://www.ecys.com/boat/1985/newick...trimaran/1503/

[Little Otter]

Redreuben, I checked out the Horstman website and I like the designs, the layout seems very open and airy which is good because the admiral doesn't like to feel cramped. However I do have a couple questions for you or anyone else who may have experience with these boats. 1. They seem like they have fairly tall sides that would create a lot of windage and 2. How do they handle in general, are they pleasant to sail and how well do they handle heavy weather? Do the dagger boards work well in this design or would a keel on the main hull have done better? I've looked around but i can't seem to find a whole lot on YouTube or anything although I understand that some have been very successful in making Bluewater passages and even won a few races, at least according to the website. But again anyone with experience with these I'd love to hear your thoughts on them.

[Redreuben]

LO;
Search the forums for Horstman, there has been some discussion, over here in WA I haven't even seen one of any size. There is a photo somewhere that shows comparable length Horstman and Sea Runner side by side, same overall height but Horstman is much more streamlined.
However many share your concerns at the bulk. If you have a cruising plan how important is bashing to windward ? Real info from owners is very hard to find. Plenty of knockers though.

[Redreuben]

The photo I mentioned is in the Horstman gallery photos in trimaran.

[valhalla360]

Before starting this project, get on some 30' monos, cats and tris. 30' tris have very limits space inside. Make sure the wife can see the difference and understands.

While there is no official definition a Caribbean circuit isn't starting smaller in my mind. There are multi-day passages, lots of boarder crossings/officialdom, no access to US facilities and services, etc...

Smaller in my mind would be local coastal cruising for a week. A step up might be a run down the ICW. Caribbean loop would be a step beyond that just short of ocean crossings.

I'm not trying to scare you away but if she isn't ready for a drastic change in a very small boat, you may be shooting yourself in the foot. If she hates it, it can quickly become a choice between her and cruising.

I would really suggest trying out the lifestyle in a used boat (get one rough around the edges so you can still get your hands dirty). Plenty of cheap older tris around. Then when you know better what you want, build the boat of your dreams. Far too likely you will build a boat and then get caught between the love of your handiwork and what you really need to cruise.

[ejlindahl]

Regarding Horstmans

I know a long time owner of a ~40'er. I think he built it too. I don't think its for sale but PM me if you want to talk to him.