Trimaran - Especially Searunner - Owners

[Rann]

Jack,

Whoops! I did not read your post as carefully as I should have. I see you were quoting from Brian Toss and HE was doing the testing. Not YOU, in Mexico! DUH! Anyway, it is very good information and we will all benefit from it no matter who is doing it.

My mistake for not reading carefully (it must be the gray gloom in Oregon affecting my brain),

Rann

[Jmolan]

There is an ongoing thread here. The same guy (Gashmore) who is doing the testing on the Brion Toss website is posting here. He is working with John, or communicating with Colligo independantly for his own interest ....pretty cool stuff I tell ya......it's 59 degrees this morning..b-r-r-r-r-r...still sunny though as always...:-)

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ing-18184.html

[Jmolan]

Just about got the deck holes all located and drilled out and epoxied and campherd on the top. As usual this shipyard I have learned a better (and more time costing) way of doing things. It's cool, I know it will pay in the long run...where that run takes us to....

Question: Should I seal the bottom of the fitting with sealant. all these crews coming through the deck....and all the holes....The previous guy on here sealed them all top and bottom. Every stinking SS flat washer and nut are covered in the old white sealant. Seems like you are asking to trap any water that leaks past your deck sealant. Is it done to stop any leaks inside. Then you are asking to trap water. Anyone?

I spliced up most mu rig today, really nice day. I posted alot over here.


http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post230955

[Roy M]

Jmolan, I, too, am in the middle of similar projects, at the moment. I have finished the prep work toward painting the cabinsides, put the third coat of LP on the portlight rings, and am about to do some last-minute improvements before painting the cabinsides. I am installing a new water pressure regulator (replacing the older, calcified unit) that I hook my shore-connected water hose to the boat's water system. When underway, the hose is removed and the recessed regulator is covered by a screw-in inspection plate on the portside wing wall (that curved portion aft of the cabinside where it joins the stercastle cabin wall). On the starboard side, I am cutting an access door at the corner of the wing wall, opening a space into an otherwise difficult access area of the galley, behind the stove area. It will be sealed off from the cabin interior and used to store the barbecue and associated hose, tools, etc. And lastly, I'm installing a step at the corner of the wing wall and sterncastle wall to make it easier for me to get up on the cabintop, as I get older and creakier. I'll send photos after it gets painted and hardware installed. Right now we have mild Santana conditions, warm, sunny and little breeze, perfect weather for this type of work. But the winter rains are going to hit soon, so enough BS and off to work!

[Cadence]

To be blunt. I had both a Piver 25 and a Sunrunner 33. The Piver sailed wonderfully. the sails could be trimmed and the tiller left, unattended. the Sunrunner had a lee helm. Sailing up wind was not possible in strong to moderate winds.

[Jmolan]

Originally Posted by Cadence

To be blunt. I had both a Piver 25 and a Sunrunner 33. The Piver sailed wonderfully. the sails could be trimmed and the tiller left, unattended. the Sunrunner had a lee helm. Sailing up wind was not possible in strong to moderate winds.

Sunrunner 33 ? I am unfamiliar with that design. Was it a cat or Trimaran?

[Rann]

A quick Google search for a Sunrunner 33 only turned up a monohull powerboat (made in Australia?)

Rann

[Cadence]

A Jim Brown design.

[Roy M]

Pivers didn't have fin keels or centerboards, and couldn't sail to weather without tons of leeway. I have installed a number of the cruising keels, designed by Norm Cross for that purpose, on Pivers. The Sunrunner 33 is a new one on me, not part of the Brown/Marples stable. And, Searunners don't have any problem, whatsoever, with going to weather, so I'm stumped as to what Cadence is referring to.

[Cadence]

The Piver had small fins on both amas. Don't recall a problem pointing up. It might skate a little.

The Brown had a retracting, by floating, board. Even with the board fully down I did not feel it sailed up wind well at all. I believe I may still have the plans I'll check the model name. For what it is worth, everyone has an opinion. I'd love another Piver, gave the Brown to charity.

[Roy M]

Too bad for you, possibly great for another. Searunner 31's, if that was your version, have considerably better street value than Pivers with float fins. There's a reason for it. You possibly were sailing the boat with the board straight down in all points of sail. Centerboards are a dynamic device, you adjust them with the point of sail to achieve the best handling. Had you a chance to read any of Brown's books, you might have learned how to handle the 31 (if that's what you had) more effectively and achieved greater satisfaction. Jim sailed his own, SCRIMSHAW, for many years and covered more sea miles cruising than most of us will ever match. I've sailed on a number of them, all sizes, and been very happy.

[Jmolan]

Originally Posted by Roy M

Jmolan, I, too, am in the middle of similar projects, at the moment. I have finished the prep work toward painting the cabinsides, put the third coat of LP on the portlight rings, and am about to do some last-minute improvements before painting the cabinsides. I am installing a new water pressure regulator (replacing the older, calcified unit) that I hook my shore-connected water hose to the boat's water system. When underway, the hose is removed and the recessed regulator is covered by a screw-in inspection plate on the portside wing wall (that curved portion aft of the cabinside where it joins the stercastle cabin wall). On the starboard side, I am cutting an access door at the corner of the wing wall, opening a space into an otherwise difficult access area of the galley, behind the stove area. It will be sealed off from the cabin interior and used to store the barbecue and associated hose, tools, etc. And lastly, I'm installing a step at the corner of the wing wall and sterncastle wall to make it easier for me to get up on the cabintop, as I get older and creakier. I'll send photos after it gets painted and hardware installed. Right now we have mild Santana conditions, warm, sunny and little breeze, perfect weather for this type of work. But the winter rains are going to hit soon, so enough BS and off to work!

Roy, that sounds like some cool changes. I just see them in my minds eye. Kinda funny how the Searunner Thread has become the Searunner maintenance thread. Well be what it is. If we can get some active sailing boats to stop by some time would be good too.
I am starting to think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel here ( I just hope it is not a train)

You probably know but there has been a couple of fairly active threads on Synthetic at:

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ing-10078.html


http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ing-18184.html

Also, I am going to be in L.A. Area May 22 for my Daughters College graduation. If the timing is right ,for you or Rann or both to get together and splice up some rigging. Even if it was just a practice session or a whole dang rigg....PM me and let me know...:-)

I posted on one of those tonight about how I finished up my whole rig. But I ran across something unique to Searunner today. So I thought I would show it here......

the 1st shot you see the typical lever used for the stay sail wire (soon to be rope) Like anything anytime you adapt a new system you run into glitches from the old system. I wil be replacing those two gnarly shackles with a loop of Dux (Delux) Maybe I will have it inside of a plastic hose, or maybe I will leave the hose off to try to abuse the Dux as I know it will take a whole lot more than we are used to seeing "line" take. Gotta start thinking this is cable instead of rope......:-)
Next shot is the size of the Colligo eyes in comparison the the lever. I considered taking a grinder to the backside of the lever and hollowing it out, but instead of weakening it too much I found a better way.

Shot 3 and 4 is the original Precourt fitting. You can see how much smaller it is. I should be able to adapt this fitting without too much pain........In reality you are not suppose to bend this Dux this tight. 5-1 is the recommendation. But in reality, the eye you see has been up on the mast for two years, and I took it apart and I see no broken fibers. Done deal.

Shot 5 is me holding my entire rig which weighs in a 15 lbs......11 hours splicing in over two differnt days.

[Cadence]

It appears you are right, it was 31 not 33ft. It's been awhile.

I still didn't like its windward preformance, might have been me?

It did come from England on it's our bottom and was extensively sailed in the Carribian, by a S. Afrian couple prior to me.

[Roy M]

Jmolan, meeting you guys in May sounds great. Clever work with the staysail version of the "highfield lever". I am currently using Amsteel 1/4" line instead of stainless cable on my Edson steering system. The splices were easy to make, I took most of the slack out by tensioning the line between a cleat and my genoa winch, and the last adjustments are done with standard turnbuckles at the quadrant. I'm sold on synthetics for much of my rigging, though probably not my headstay which gets hanks clipped on. Maybe some day.....

[Jmolan]

Got the spreaders done. Finally. Man I tell you, I have learned a lot. Takes a lot of steps to get it right, but it feels good to have got it done.
Have all the ropes attached to the mast. Now with all the new ropes and new spreaders I wish I would have painted the mast..:-)
Got the rudder installed with the trim tab also today. Done, done, done....:-)
Have a start on a mast base fabrication, and I need to get the deck hardware nailed down. Getting there, getting there.....:-)