Launching my newest trimaran takes well under 5 minutes -- more like 2 minutes! Just push it off the trailer, point it out to sea, hop in, deploy the amas, and raise the mast & sail (all from within the cockpit) and off you go!
Great work there! As much as I love sporty and wet cats with lots of sail controls and action, I have to say your "little cruiser" is a limo of sailing. Just sit and sip your beer while all the controls lie in front of you, and you never have to worry where you sit, passing the tiller extension behind the sheet, tacking, getting the kicker entangled in the cunnigham, etc. Very nice ideas and build!!!
I love it, very clever design. I especially love the captain's seat. :-) Wondering: What's the steering control - foot pedals? How well does it point? Is it cumbersome to tack? And if the wind and waves pick up, will it hold up?
Your boat is amazing! I would love to set up a system like yours. I am reading the duckkworks boat building article right now. I would love to see a video of your explanations of your design and how its working! Congratulations on designing such a great rig!
Great questions. Yes, foot pedals. It points amazingly - less that 40 degrees off the wind. And it tacks like a dream. Had it out (unintentionally) in 20 mhp of wind last Monday. Managed to bury the bow 3 times. Thought sure something would break - but nothing did!
Hi Chuck - There are still several bugs to be worked out, and I'm also trying several different hull designs. When I "get it all right" I'll seriously consider offering plans. Thank you for your interest - Frank
Great tri but I also appreciate the fact this is one of the few sailing videos without the road of wind noise breaking up the microphone... makes viewing all the more pleasurable!
Thanks for all your kind words. It's really been a labor of love, and I just replaced the deep V double-ender main hull in the video with a shallow V hull with a small transom. Now it doesn't draw nearly as much water, and steers much more easily as well. Oh, and I also added a leeboard. Hope to have a new video soon...
The Hobie TI is a great boat, and has a very nice remotely reefable sail. But it's slower and has a very wet ride. My earliest tris were converted kayaks. I enjoyed them but I did want something quicker and a lot drier!
makes me want to build another small boat , this time two passengers looking forward with room for one to lie down while sailing to Cuba . At about 20 years old I started building cats then mono-hulls cause they were easier to design with self right in mind . So now I'm thinking Proa with two crabs claws using your sail raising design it looks unique and well suited for that size sail or maybe bit bigger . I like your folding outrigger probably look at that this winter , I'm in Canada and I mean winter we have . My crab claw had a curved gaff and curved boom , when reefed it looked like your crab claw. Thanks for your video and happy sailing
I don't know if you built this boat by yourself and for yourself. I built a boat almost identical to this out of a canoe and in aluminum canoe because I wanted to sail. For anybody out there if you want to vote you can sail just do it
Excellent design, I'm building a folding tri right now from a 17.5'' Old Town canoe along with 2 wave piercing pontoons I bought from Expandacraft, I'm wondering if you have any info on your build?
looks simple enough to mess up the construction on my own- I already have enough bits of aluminum and sails around the garage- and my local Lowe's just started carrying a more appropriate 4'x8" sheet for stich and glue fun. The main hull would be very much like the two sheet canoe (free plan), and the Ama's look nice and simple as well.
Does a trimaran have any benefits over a catamaran? I would think only having two hulls in the water would be faster and more efficient. What about adding four T-shaped foils under the outriggers and lifting the whole craft out of the water at speed? Cool Craft!!!
Damn Dude.....Patent the whole thing and sell it to Hobie for one of those quick setting Trimarans! This is way cooler than anything they offer that has to be assembled
Great way of ama deployment. Maybe a reverse deployment would be better ( folding from front to back). That way the pressure would be on the boom and not the rope when hitting a big wave..
I am building a Trimaran. Trying to work out the geometry of the folding mechanism. Any tips please? Main hull is 4.3 metres and outer hulls 2.4 metres. I can send photos.
Hi - Thanks for your kind words. Nope, no twist that I can see -- which is kind of amazing because there no bulkheads anywhere in the boat. 100% S&G. Guess that 6 oz. glass on the outside really addds quite a bit of torque resistance.
HI I would love to build a boat like this. You are a very clever designer. Since you do not have plans could you offer some advice about converting the Trika 540 designed at Metzboats.de to your concept. I was wondering about sail area mast height and dagger board placement. I do not want to be a pest but I would like to ask some general questions. Your design has inspired many people to experiment with designs. Thank you Leo M.
You can always put curves in your akas as needed to get the ama height right. In my view, they should both be just touching the water when all the occupants are aboard.
I was taking another look at your video... You were ready to go in less than a minute... You ought to have your boat design patented and sell your design to a builder of these trimarans... I believe they would sell at the right price to many prospective buyers; Yes!
Thanks for your kind words. Actually, there's plenty of lift in the amas. Build your own tri and you'll see why. Your Force 5 is too wide to make a good vaka, and hobie hulls make bad amas. But go ahead and put it all together. Nothing like real-world experience for learning what works!
No, but he is in my Gang of Tims, But i've built boats for 52 years. Designed and built the 54ft Scow Cargo Schooner Atabeyra and many others. Really dig your tilt up rig, Keep up the good work!
I Like Your Sailboat!!! To sit in a chair with all the controls right there in front of you... Nice! (The lines just inside the cockpit on port & starboard are to operate the rudder; Yes?)
I'm thinking of offering plans, as I've gotten quite a few requests. Not sure what I'd put on a video explning the design / concept, but that's a great idea to ponder. Thanks for your kind words - Frank
I am building composite pontoons. Can you tell me how much your pontoons weigh? Mine are 11ft. long and 3 cubic ft. and weigh 25.lbs. I might have over built. Thanks. "omiateeful"
I want to build a similar boat but for 2 people / 4-5 beaufort and 5-10 feet waves. Length would be 16 feet, no more. Ideally it will be uni-rig (single sail, no jib). Do you think it can be done, or am I wasting my time ?
Hi Frank .... nice boat .. looks fun ... and the sail looks kool too .... what’s the chances of getting a plan so I can build one for our NZ waters. Steve.
Wow, great little tri and so easy the get going. Do you have any plans and or pictures of the construction. I would appreciate to know more about this little gem. Thanks, Philippe
Help what? Why would I want to add a vang? I've had this rig out in all kinds of wind and never needed one. The high angle of the lower spar effectively eliminates the need for a vang.
Well Frank, That's a nice boat. I am going to turn my force five into a tri if I can get the money and time up.I was seriously inspired by the video can your tri do this. I am looking for hobie pontoons to maybe save some time otherwise I will just build the armas. I noticed to that there wasn't enough lift in the shape of the armas as you alreadly must have found out.
i love your design, and your folding ama arms are ingenious, First rate design, i have a aluminum canoe that i am planing to build amas for so may be i can do something like yours, every since i was in the Navy in Hawaii, i ve been a huge sailing canoe fan,and tris
Saw you on "instructables". Fantastic! A bug prevents me from searching that site :-(. I would love to build this. Keep me off the streets! ;-). Even if you don't go commercial, for the sake of garage sailors everywhere, you've just gotta let this out!
re your main halyard, when you belay a line onto a traditional cleat and plan to finish it off with a hitch, you should ideally do a full figure 8 before the hitch - or at least half of the figure 8
I also think I might run into trouble adding armas to my force five as it sits real low in the water. It would almost lift the center hull out of the water if the armas are to tall.
Simple & nice! May be next time u could do 2 videos: one like this one on the sailing and another one giving explanations on your design and how it is working...:-) Thks
Damn! that sure is neat. I haven't sailed in years (still got an old Catfish) but your design is enticing. Any worry about the twist on the nose from the mast?
i want a boat like this so bad!!!! I love my phantom, but i need want something more stable for when im teaching. id love plans if you could give them to me!
Sick desing mate! i've read that you try to fix some bugs, well don't stop improving, because you've got a really great idea!! i'd buy that kind of boat for sure
Frank, we'll have to get together sometime soon... I'm going to refit Clarity with leeboards, and I'd like to inspect the ones you've put on your boats.
