Trimaran Advice

[Mark Johnson]

The difference between a Horstman Tristar and Searunner is that foot for foot the Horstman has a LOT more payload and creature comforts, while the Searunners are vastly more seaworthy in survival conditions, go to windward MUCH better, and their centerboards are more forgiving. My friends with Horstman's frequently motorsail to windward.

Having survived over a dozen hurricanes on my Searunner, (none at sea thank God), I believe that a Horstman, in the same 150 MPH winds, would not have stayed put! They have about twice the windage.

Good luck... Mark J

[rberrey]

There was a tristar 31 that road out hugo, and I think there is a book out on tris and parachutes by a tristar owner. My point is all three ,Searunners , Horstmans , and Cross,s are well proven designs. Each function very well at what they were designed for. For me the tristar layout was more family friendly,while the searunners split cabins in the size range I looked at were good for privacy. The foam option was another reason I went with the tristar, this gives me the chance to lighten the boat by at least 200 lbs with modern materials.The same thing could be done with a searunner or cross , but I dont think those designers provide scantlings, or have Eds experince in the use of foam in their designs. Ed himself was another factor in going with a tristar. I hope when my boat is finished I will be as big a fan of her as searunner owners are of their boats. When looking for a heavy cruiser none of the newer designs won out except when it comes to speed, and if you load them up they come up short there as well. The newer designs and the old designs are two differant type boats, and it all depends what type boat you want or need. rick

[SailFastTri]

Przemek considering the effort to build a boat and money you will need to expend, if you have a growing family I think you should not go smaller than 38 feet.

I started with a Dragonfly 920 when we only wanted to day-sail, but then the family was interested in weekends and then two-week vacations. The 920 was too small and we went to a 1000, which was OK for a couple but still too small for a family with two teen-age boys. We now have the 1200, and it is the right size. I could have saved a lot of money if I had bought the right boat to begin.

When cruising you need to think about stowage space for supplies and clothing and gear, and sleeping -- you don't want to have to crawl over your sleepy kids to get out of the cabin in the morning (or the middle of the night when you need to have a look around or adjust the anchor rode).

Anyway, don't forget that each 3-feet in LOA is 3 feet in the MIDDLE of the boat where it makes the most difference in interior volume and load-capacity. All boats taper to bows and sterns, so every foot you give up is a major change in liveability.

[sailormanJay]

Let me put in another vote for the Farrier Tri's. Ian Farrier has a huge dedicated fan base, with very good reason. His boats are designed to be faster and easier to build than the more "traditional" trimaran, if such a thing exists. They will out perform most other tri's as well, and will beat the pants off most any monohull under 70 feet or so. My first choice would be an F-boat, without question. F-36 of F-39. Second would be the Marples Constant Camber, the CC40. Third the Searunner 40 or 37. Any of these would be a great boat. Good luck in your endeavors.

[multihullsailor6]

Przemek,
do also have a look here for buiding / design infos on trimarans:
Boat Design Forums

[przemor]

Thank you all for good advices. We are closer and closer to choose Searunner 37. I have a little strange feeling that effectively maybe 37 ft is slightly not enought but I prefer to invest in good equipment. Thanks once again! You're great!

[Mark Johnson]

Przemek,
If building is what you have in mind and you have a family as well, consider that the old tris like my beloved Searunner, all have stringers, and hundreds of "parts". You can probably build a Marples CC 42 for about the same or LESS time and money than a Searunner 37, or Cross 37, etc. It has a very similar layout... and while it would be no larger inside, your accommodations would be on a longer waterline. There is a version with main hull extensions (bunk blisters), that really open up the interior.

Along with a hard dodger and canvass cockpit enclosure, this would be quite a home! The CC system and epoxy joinery really changed boatbuilding. If you found a CC mold already built, or went halves with another builder on the mold and the construction building, it could cut cost drastically! I've built my three boats and am DONE, but if I were to build another, that is what I'd build. The interior is SO much easier to build and maintain without stringers. This is also true about interior painting, wiping out mildew, and basically living on the boat.

I feel that our Searunner 34 was proportionately the best version of the best design in the older tris, and many agree. (discounting that the 40 is TWICE as big!) That would be nice... Nevertheless, Jim and John's partnership continued on. John's CC series, while similar, are sleeker, faster, and less complicated across the board. This applies to the structure, the interior, and the rig. This is why you could have a longer cc Marples, for perhaps less.

Good luck,
Study, workout, save your money, get obsessed... it's a hell of a ride!
Mark