The Alien trimaran is a unique sailing craft that perfectly fits into the DIY category of boats we’ve seen a lot here on smalltrimarans. I think you’re gonna like it too!
The following was sent to us months ago and I somehow forgot to post it :-(
My bad! (Very bad, actually … sincere apologies to sailor Mike Schreibman, who both constructed and sails this beauty).
As Mike shares below, this is a very successful sailboat in terms of both performance and budget (considering it’s a sleek-looking speedster on the water at times).
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Introducing the ALIEN Trimaran
by Mike Schreibman
Here is the ALIEN.
A-cat floats, aluminum akas custom center hull, prindle 19 mast and rudder, Intercat dagger board, sunrise tramps, Whirlwind main, GM self- tacking jib, doyle screetcher. Honda 2.3 OB. and 2-part epoxy paint finish.
A total blast
Original hulls were built by Chislett boats, before he was the builder for Maratime marine. Since these pictures were taken, I’ve added stainless (instead of aluminum) chain plates, Sunrise tramps, Harken jib furler on black JM sail, Whirlwind main, and running backstays.
I also raised the hull in the center cockpit to be self-bailing and bought a new daggerboard from Intercat and built a foam crash box behind it. (The bottom comes up fast sometimes on San Carlos at 25 knots!)
I painted the hull snow white with 2-part epoxy. I bought a Doyle, screecher, with Harken roller furler and cleating snatch blocks from an F18 cat. The bow pole is from a wind surfer.
I applied to SW Florida PHRF for a rating and was assigned minus-18 seconds. I have yet to sail to those numbers, but Alien is very fast.
Here are a few more early pictures. with hobie main. My investment in the entire project is under $10,000, but you couldn’t buy a better boat for 3 times that!
— Mike Schreibman
Beautiful boat Mike. Could you give us some specs figures? light displacement, loaded displ.. lenght oa.. Beam oa
I would also like to know more about the aka tubes specs and how you built the composite sleeves in which the ( two halfs?) seem to slide to fit.
Last question: I see lower struts to the amas. Do youalso install bow-aka struts or are the akas strong enough to hold on their own ?
Thanks in advance for any input
Stefano
I did not participate in the lay up of the hulls. The basic build and design was accomplished by Chislett boat builders of Rhode Island. I took it over as a raw project, and refined it to make it much more usable, safer, stronger, and more practical. I don’t know the actual displacement weight, but guesstimate between 600 and 800 lbs. The slide through tubes are a snug fit for the 2 and three quarter aluminum tubes. The tubes would flex under load and are stabilized not by struts, but wire waterstays, fore and after, they allow tension for the shrouds, and running back stays. In under 10 knots wind speed, the boat is comfortable and dry, but in windy choppy conditions, you might as well be in a washing machine. Great fun on hot Florida days.
Sorry I forgot to add numbers I do know. She is 16 feet wide, 22 feet long, and 28′ 9″ tall. The dagger board is about 5 feet long and draft board down is 3 feet. It takes about 2 hours to set up, and under an hour to break down. It is painted with vivid white bottom paint and kept in the water at a dock during the winter when we are at our Florida home.
Mike
Hello Mike,
My name is Erik from the Netherlands.
I think this small tri is one of the most attractive tri’s I’ve seen so far, next to the fantastic Osprey tri! Is the the main hull a one-off design? You named the Whirlwind, but up till now I didn’t find anything about this type. Do you know more about this Whirlwind? It seems to be a perfect main hull. In Holland old Nacra cats are reasonable priced donor cats.
Kind regards, Erik
Erik de Boer… reading more attentively, Mike states the fact that Alien has a “custom centre hull”. Whirlwind is referred to the main ( sail) I beleive.
http://www.thebeachcats.com/pictures?g2_itemId=74158
I might be wrong, but this is my interpretation: lot’s of parts are taken from donor boats, including sails, but the main hull was built on purpouse.
Sails were originally from other boats but I had a black pentex jib custom made and also the main is now custom from Whirlwind Sails, it is also a black pentex mylar square top work of art the center hull is foam and glass vacuum bagged and now has the deck raised a few inches, the stern and forward bulk head doors were sealed, and access below is now through deck hatches. The floats weigh about 68 lbs each. I have never buried them completely, they have good buoyancy. The screecher is not custom, but off an F-18.
Alien is always fun, but sometimes thrilling. We can remove the sail cover and snorkel cover 8n about a minute and sail her off the dock on short notice. We go out almost every day weather permitting and always get noticed by most boats on the Bay. Cheap, solid, safe, fast, good looking, top quality fit out and…..fast.
So….did you make the amas? Any pics of that?
Mr. Michael Schreibman,
For now my last question; I’ m not a boatdesigner but I’m clever enough to read a drawing and able to construct, are plans available of the mainhull? If so, perhaps at the Chislett Boat Builders?
Kindly regards,
Erik de Boer, NED
Thank you for the compliment Erik! We had a lot of fun designing and building Osprey!
Mark Zollitsch, SV Osprey
Alien is now for sale she has had a complete refit, and is the best shape she can be in. Everything I’d ready to go. Come and try her out, she is on Pine Island, St James city Florida $10,000
Come and get her
I got a few calls, but so far nobody has come out to see much less demo the alien, she is now in storage for the summer at fort Myers, but will be back on the water next winter. She now has all synthetic shrouds!
Alien has a new Honda 2.3 outboard, and all synthetic rigging and is actively for sale in st. James city Florida.
Call 239 896 7552
Come and get the best bang for the buck in multihull sailing
If someone wants Alien, call me
Mike Schreibman
239 896 7552
I am now 76 years old, had open heart surgery and alien is sitting unused u der a tarp in Cape coral Florida. She is too much fun to go unused
It looks like a amazing trimaran! If I have lived in Florida I would have bought her right away. Would love to see her sailing.
Chris from Sweden
HI Michael. A nice design and beautifully made. Pitty I am so far away. I teach in a New Zealand college with 16-18 year old students in the workshop and Technology. Am currently looking for plans to build two outriggers similar lines to your but a max of 16ft poss 14ft.
Would you be willing to sell just the outrigger plans/design? Please contact me
Hi Michael,
What a cool boat! That looks like a ton of fun to sail! If I had the money, I’d be in my truck headed your way!