I had the pleasure of reading about another Wavelength 780 trimaran launch recently. Multihull designer Robert Forster shared the story, which came as part of his “WAVELENGTH 780 Newsletter – Issue No. 11.”

With Robert’s permission, I am re-printing the account (and photos) of this boat’s launch, which was written by, Neil Holzapfel, who is the owner/sailor. (Thanks for letting us share this with our readers Robert & Neil!) Read the rest of this entry »

Here are a couple of DIY self-built sailboats referred to as — Tricote Trimarans — from France no less. The story behind these boats is a classic response to the question, “What happens when an ingeneous (and frugal) French monohuller gets bit by the small trimaran bug?”

He uses his ingenuity to build a low-cost one, of course! Read the rest of this entry »

Jim Brown interviewed small trimaran sailor and self-boatbuilder Frank Smoot on the topic of small trimarans last week. In this audio clip featured on YouTube (below), Frank shares how he got into building and sailing his own homemade trimarans. Frank even started his own website so he could post free information about them at www.DIY-tris.com.

In the full audio interview (in MP3) from which this clip is taken, Frank talks about some of the techniques that he uses to create boats that are both lightweight and strong … yet inexpensive (as compared to typical boatbuilding costs). Read the rest of this entry »

In this post, Frank Smoot shares another update on one of his DIY Trimaran models. And it’s very cool.

Wait until you read about how this new small trimaran handles :-) Some new photos of the hull are included below also. Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve been following the building of the Uffa 10 Trimaran in a previous post here … and in a follow up post here. And now we get to see the Uffa’s launch in these new photos. Read the rest of this entry »

Richard Woods sent me some info about the latest model he is working on — the Strike 15 trimaran.

“This summer, I plan to build my next small trimaran — my Strike 15. The long awaited “geriatric dinghy”. I attach a provisional study plan, please feel free to post it on your site. I have the rig already, I just need 6 sheets of plywood and I’m all set. Read the rest of this entry »

The following YouTube video features a kayak trimaran in Europe. The video shows the process of setting it up, along with some of the sailing that the 2 guys in the video got to enjoy. Read the rest of this entry »

Multihull designer John Marples, from Searunner.com, sent me the following photos of his newly built Seaclipper 10 trimaran a few days ago. As you can see, it’s appropriately named BANANAS.

I love this little design. (Wish I had one myself). Read the rest of this entry »

Recently, smalltrimarans.com reader Uli Kerner sent me the following link, which features a design called the Seagull Trimaran (thanks Uli). Oh, by the way, if you check out the designer/builder’s website, be sure to click on the British flag in the upper right-hand corner for an English translation. Read the rest of this entry »

Kudos to sailor (and self-boatbuilder) Tim Elay, who just launched a new boat he refers to as the E15 Trimaran.

Pretty neat Tim!

He shares some photos with us, along with a little bit of the story behind this new craft (which he personally designed and built himself) in this post. Read the rest of this entry »

In this sample audio clip, Jim interviews Lyles Forbes, who is the chief curator at the Mariners’ Museum, in Newport News, Virginia. During the entire interview, Lyles shared about an exhibition that is (at the time of this recording) about to be opened at the museum. It encompasses some incredible stories of survival … after sailors had to abandon their ships at sea. He also talked about Read the rest of this entry »

Sailor Eric Marechal sent me the following link to a trimaran named MOSQUITO, which competed at the Everglades Challenge this year. I’d love to find out more about this boat. (Perhaps I can do an interview with the builders/sailors :-) Read the rest of this entry »

As a follow up to last week’s post, Jim Brown narrates this short video featuring the launch of a SeaClipper 20 trimaran. This one was built in a class that Jim and John Marples led at the WoodenBoat School last summer. (Be sure to check out how this craft really “takes off” when hit by a gust during the last few seconds of this clip … Whoosh, and she’s gone :-) Read the rest of this entry »

In this short mp3, Jim Brown shares a bit about the performance of the Seaclipper 20 trimaran. This particular sailboat was built by the class he conducted last summer with John Marples at the WoodenBoat School last summer.

Most of the participants from this class joined both Jim and John on a recent trip to Florida (the Keys). Jim starts off by talking about their friend’s place in the area popularized by novelist Earnest Hemingway. Then he gets into a little bit on what they found out about the Seaclipper 20 in both light and heavier airs. Read the rest of this entry »

Richard Woods, the designer of the Strike 18 Trimaran, sent me links to these new videos. He said that in February, he trailered his Strike 18 to Lake Havasu (a 2800 mile round trip) in order to participate in the HPCC sailing event. Read the rest of this entry »

I found this interesting, 26-foot long, trailerable trimaran on YouTube. I’ll let the video speak for itself.

Posted information about this boat (at YouTube) says the following … Read the rest of this entry »

How easy (or hard) is it to make an inexpensive, homemade sail for a very small trimaran? That’s the question sailor Danilo Veleirok asks (and answers) in this post.

Danilo lives in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. As you will see, he encourages frugal thinking and DIY ingenuity in order to beat high costs and put a sail on his little trimaran kayak. Thus, he is sharing his concept of “recession-proof” sailing. Read the rest of this entry »

Today we hear from sailor Frank De Block-Burij, who shares the story of his beloved Ocqueteau Speed 770 trimaran. All I can say is that Frank really took time to write both write it down and supply the featured photos. Read the rest of this entry »

Here is a very small folding trimaran (collapsible amas), designed and built by a small tri lover in Italy. Perhaps I can get some more info about this small trimaran. But for the moment, I want to thank Peter Evans, who publishes http://tacking-outrigger.com/ for sharing the below link with me. Read the rest of this entry »

The new Adventure Trimaran named Osprey has been tearing up the water for months now. Mark Zollitsch, who is one of the guys that put a great deal of time and energy into this 23-foot multihull, emailed me when he announced its launch.

I wanted to feature it immediately, especially since we talked about this new boat in a previous post.

But I wanted to feature Mark in a short audio interview … along with showcasing the tri. And instead of pursuing that plan with some vigor, I dropped the ball. (Sorry Mark!) Read the rest of this entry »

Steve Roberts, inventor of the Microship Trimaran, sent the following info to me the other day. Basically, he is making his one-of-a-kind sailboat available (to the right individual) for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure this coming summer.

I’ll let Steve explain below. Read the rest of this entry »

I’d never heard of the Arrowhead Trimaran until a few days ago. It’s a vintage craft from the 60s. And its unique name is superseded by its unique look/design. Read the rest of this entry »

Jim Brown and I have been working on a new Multihull Audio Series featuring conversations between Jim and other multihullers. We’ve got a bunch of these pre-recorded … with more planned and (hopefully) scheduled to be recorded this year. Read the rest of this entry »

Frank Smoot send me the following DIY trimaran photos and video the other day. They feature the most recent modification on his small tri.

I think it’s awesome because … Read the rest of this entry »

The following press release, from the folks at TRIAK Trimarans, is truly a great, genuine story. I contacted Thayer Ridgway, the owner of TRIAKsports and asked him how it all came about. His explanation (below) precedes the Press Release. Read the rest of this entry »

Below are photos that feature a Discovery 20 trimaran being built in the Philippines. The images are linked to directly from the following post at PinoyBoats.org.

This boat is regarded as a high performance small tri, especially for its size. See comments from a former Discovery 20 trimaran owner in this post here. It’s pretty neat to see it being constructed within the tropical outdoor setting of this island nation. Read the rest of this entry »

Here is another update on the building progress of the first Nicky Cruz Explorer trimaran (it’s being constructed in Germany). There is still a ways to go before it gets on the water, but we now can have a good look at it from several angles. Read the rest of this entry »

In this post, you’re invited to listen to a short audio clip. It features a recent interview I conducted with longtime multihull sailor, boatbuilder and marine entrepreneur Mike Eaton, who shared a few memories about the Malibu Outrigger and the Triad trimaran. (He even throws in a few favorable comments about the Piver Nugget too). Read the rest of this entry »

Today we get to showcase an Expandacraft Trimaran. This really neat concept comes to us today from sailor/entrepreneur (and clearly ingenious thinker) Wesley Stevenson, who operates Expandacraft Corp.

For example … do you want to turn a canoe into a sailing trimaran? It’s been done before, or course. But never quite like! Read the rest of this entry »

The Scissor trimaran was designed and built by world-class sailor Randy Smyth. As you will hear in the audio bar below … and also see in the short YouTube video underneath … it’s quite a sailing machine.

And the fact it was designed and built by a world-class sailor will come as no surprise when you hear Randy talk about it. Read the rest of this entry »

What would multihull pioneer Jim Brown say during a phone chat with legendary multi-designer Dick Newick and innovative boatbuilder Meade Gougeon on the other end of the line?

Here is your chance to find out! Well, at least, part of the conversation anyway :-)

In the previous post about Jan Gougeon’s newest tri-hulled creation, we link to this post, which features Meade spending a few minutes talking about this unique craft. Read the rest of this entry »

Many people look at Jan Gougeon’s new 40-foot trailerable multihull and think “trimaran”! (It’s actually referred to as a “folding cat with a fuselage” in the Gougeon’s magazine story, which I link to below). And there are others who see it as sort of a “tri-cat, or “cat-tri-combo” type of watercraft.

However one refers to it, the words “unique” and “amazing” will certainly apply. Read the rest of this entry »

Italian sailor and small trimaran afficionado, Aurelio P., continues building his new Uffa 10 trimaran design. He sent me some updated photos (shown below).

These impages display a closer look at the curved metal crossbeams and construction of the amas, rudder and daggerboard. (Note the stitch & glue construction approach). Read the rest of this entry »

The Cross 18 Trimaran is still (in my opinion) one of the best-looking open cockpit daysailers out there. The lines and shape of the boat, for some reason, appeals to me in a way that others do not.

That being said, it’s important a boat perform well under sail … and this is where we have to listen to those who’ve sailed one. Read the rest of this entry »

Here is a beautiful Seaclipper 16 trimaran. This new boat is the creation of sailor/self-boatbuilder Bob Trygg and his workmanship is on full display. (As you’ll see in the post below, this isn’t the first boat Bob has built).

What is so impressive are the little details … which are especially obvious in the video (below). Seeing this boat will definitely inspire some guys to build their own. Read the rest of this entry »

Mark Gumprecht finished building his new Drifter 17 trimaran model this past summer. He named her Gypsy Wind.

According to Mark, this small tri “sails great in light winds, and tacks very well, even under main alone.” Read the rest of this entry »

The following is a 22-foot, self-designed, self-built trimaran under construction by the owner of VisionSails. Brian Sims is the designer of the really neat remote controlled boats featured on the site. And over the past year he has enjoyed seeing the various trimaran building projects featured at smalltrimarans.com.

Now Brian has jumped in the water too. Read the rest of this entry »

(Publisher’s Note: The following discussion by Frank Smoot, from www.diy-tris.com, is really a continuation from the previous post about the new Uffa 10 trimaran. As you can see, that thread generated quite a bit of discussion in the comments area. Read the rest of this entry »

The Uffa 10 Trimaran is a new design from boat designers Ottavio Di Blasi and Jacopo Faggioni, who reside in Italy. A sailor (and current Uffa 10 builder) named Aurelio shares the following with us about his trimaran building project.

According to Aurelio, Jacopo is willing to share the building specs (probably in PDF format over the Internet) with anybody who wants them … for free. (I’ll assume this is true for the time being — until I hear otherwise). Read the rest of this entry »

A newly constructed Lively 28 Trimaran (which is an older model one can still get building plans from via Hartley Boats) has just launched in South Africa.

Kevin G, who is the builder (and now sailor) of this boat has done a great job. We first heard about the building of his Lively 28 trimaran in this post. Read the rest of this entry »

There is a new forum dedicated to Seaclipper trimarans and their owners/builders. Multihull enthusiast Jeff Carpenter has started this forum at SeaclipperTrimarans.Org

Jeff is also planning to offer Seaclipper 20 building kits eventually at ModernMultihulls.com He shares a little about both site below. Read the rest of this entry »

There was a Widrider 17 Trimaran at the WoodenBoat School this past August. Mac MacDevitt trailered his Windrider there so he could show it to Jim Brown, who spent some time away from his boatbuilding class. Jim and John Marples were teaching a class on how to build their Seaclipper 20 trimaran. Read the rest of this entry »

How much fun can you have in a little 3-meter trimaran with a homemade “junk rig”? I encourage you to read the following and be the judge.

It looks pretty neat! Read the rest of this entry »

Windrider trimarans just sent out the following press release today. I thought a few small tri fans in Australia and Chile may be interested :-) Read the rest of this entry »

The DIY trimaran enthusiast — Frank S. — shares his new “sliding aka system” with us in this post. The photos below are just a sample of what you’ll find on his website at DIY-Tris.com (If you recall, the last modification on this trimaran was the addition of new amas.)

Frank generously offers the details behind the new sliding crossbeams, which makes both trailering and set-up to go sailing, a faster, more convenient process. Read the rest of this entry »

Great report here about the performance of a Cross 24 trimaran now sailing on Lake Erie. Bill J. recently acquired this vintage tri and sent us the following report about the boat’s performance. Read the rest of this entry »

The Strike 16 Trimaran being built in Miami continues to take shape. After another post looked at the first stages of building, this one reveals a boat that is very close to going into the water. Read the rest of this entry »

Zac Warren, from Warren Light Craft, spoke to me yesterday about the new Little Wing Tandem Sail Trimaran during a short phone interview. What Zac and his father Ted are doing is amazing. As you’ll hear in the interview, you really do have to pick up one of these things in order to understand how strong and light they are. Read the rest of this entry »

A couple days ago, Jim Brown forwarded these photos taken by a friend during the launching of the Seaclipper 20 trimaran built at the WoodenBoat school. Both Jim and John Marples taught one of the boatbuilding classes there this summer. The fact all participants were able to get this boat to the point where it was able to sit on the water (in just under 2 weeks) is remarkable.

I asked Jim if he’d participate in a short phone recording with me so he could share a few thoughts about the Seaclipper 20 trimaran boatbuilding class. He kindly agreed. Read the rest of this entry »

The following “segel kajak” a.k.a. ” sailing kayak ” in German, comes to us today from somebody who has developed a very unique trimaran kayak. As a matter of fact, it’s now being offered as a production model for sale in Europe.

The designer is a fellow named Krystof, who shares a good bit of info with us below. Read the rest of this entry »