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 …
What Frank is continuing to do with his trimaran is the result of an ongoing effort to achieve high performance WITH increased simplicity (i.e., ease-of-use) … and then testing the ideas out in real-time sailing application.
Oh, by the way, the boat you’re about to see below was built in just one week! How cool is that?
Thanks for sharing this stuff with us Frank.
Be sure to watch the YouTube video at the end. I saw the following fun title in it — “Can your trimaran do this?” :-)
You can check out Frank’s DIY trimaran site at www.diy-tris.com/
Update: 01-23-12: Frank has posted new webpages at his website, which include more information about this new trimaran model (click here to go directly to these new links).
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About the Newest Modification on the DIY Trimaran, Frank writes:
The new rig not actually a crab claw, though it has some similarities. The general shape was inspired by an old photo of a Vietnamese fishing boat. It’s got radial battens so it will close neatly like a fan for reefing, brailing, and lowering, but also so that it will hold the correct attitude toward the wind.
I’ve never seen anything like it, actually.
My goal was simply to create an easily collapsible sail, and it needed that much roach to get up to 90 sq ft. Its performance is excellent, and sails closer to the wind than any of our other sails. Plus, I just think it looks kinda cool…
Both the “E-Z Deploy” pivoting amas and the “E-Z-Up Sail & Mast Combo (not yet patented or trademarked :) came about because:
(a) I go sailing 3-4 times a week, and I get really tired of even the 10-15 minute set-up time my other boats take, and…
(b) I have in the back of my mind to try the Everglades Challenge one of these days, and a boat that narrows to 5’4″ and lowers to 5′ even — and does it all from the cockpit — would go through their big-boat exclusionary obstacles easily, and …
(c) I just enjoy inventing things!
New Modification on the DIY Trimaran
I think lots of tris have collapsible amas, but I haven’t seen any others like these. (Of course, I wanted to be able to open and close them from the cockpit, which I can in a few seconds). And a sail / mast combo that could be raised, lowered, and brailed from the cockpit was on my wish list for a long time.
In reality, this boat (pointed on both ends, but only one is a bow) is just a test bed for both the amas and the sail rig … which will be transplanted to another hull. I literally threw the boat together in a week out of cheapo 3mm doorskin ply I had laying around.
I normally fiberglass the entire exterior of my boats, but only the bottom is fiberglassed on this boat. It doesn’t even have a leeboard or daggerboard because it goes upwind so well with just a deep V hull. (7″ of rocker). As with most of my experimental boats, it will be heading off to the landfill as soon as its “replacement” hull is ready.
I hope to get some new info on to my web site soon, so please do start tuned.
— Frank Smoot — www.diy-tris.com/
Frank,
You are my new hero. I absolutely love it. I’ve been playing with my little 10′ searunner tri, and build a junk sail for shorter spars and ease of reefing and furling form the cockpit, but that rig absolutely rocks. beautiful ama folding system as well.
Tom
Frank,
Love the new rigging. I am always impressed with your ability to bring your ideas to use so quickly. I cannot wait to get the chance to see your trimaran up close.
Peter
Thanks for your kind words, Tom. I plan to have more videos soon showing in detail how both the E-Z-Up mast & sail rig and the folding akas work. I just need to get my videographer (wife Laura) to come to the beach one of these days…
Frank
That’s the slickest folding system I’ve seen, along with a very easy to raise rig. The rig looks very Balinese and looks right with a double outrigger. Should be just the thing for the Everglades Challenge if it reefs easily.
Frank, as I was watching the video I was thinking how the rig looked just like the jukungs I used to sail when i lived in Bali. Then I saw Gary thought so as well. Very nice folding aka system. I am keen to see more video.
Hey Peter – Thanks for the comments. I saw in Dave’s newsletter that you did something interesting with an outrigger canoe concept (and a Hobie sail?). When do I get to see it up close? Let’s get together and compare notes – Frank
Hi Gary – I have read your book three times. It’s the best one of the 30+ small boatbuilding I’ve bought in the past 3 years. Thanks for all your inspiration. I am a huge fan of the Balinese jukung (and Austronesian small sailing craft in general), and hope to build something like that one day. Meanwhile I plan to continue refining these “Western” modifications on my little boats, and maybe even actually get up the nerve to do the EC one of these years — or at least the first leg :)
Cheers – Frank
I’ll definitely be adding to my video library now that my wonderful wife, Laura, got me a nifty new GoPro Hero2 for Christmas. Lots of technical details and different angles I would like folks to be able to see if they wish. Now I just have to get Laura out there with the camera and me and the boats…
– Frank
Frank,
I love your passion for the small tris! It has my keen to get going with a smaller solo boat incorporating some of your excellent ideas. Your new rig reminds me a bit of Gary’s stub mast rig and the Ulua rig with a bow mount. Clever stuff.
Dan
I seriously considered as an alternative mast/sail raising solution the stub mast idea, per Dierking and the much earlier Malibu outrigger canoes. It is a simple and effective way to go, and I will probably try it at some point. I believe it could be done while sitting in the cockpit.
– Frank
*riggin neat,great idea’s and application. Looking fwd to further info/pics.
Frank:
Your pivoting system is great. Is cleating the lines for the two front beams enough to keep the rear beams in place or do you have lines of those, too? It’s consistently interesting to learn about your designs and their evolutions.
Coming very soon to my web site, 150 or so new pix. I’ll let Joe know when it’s done.
Cheers – Frank
Great question, David. Cleating the lines to just the front akas has proven quite sufficient for keeping the amas open, even in heavy weather. The rear akas are attached to the front akas via the ama, so where one goes, the other goes :)
Cheers – Frank
Hi Frank..
You’ve really done it this time !! Iìm very impresse by both systems. While the ama swinging thing leaves me a tad suspicious about the strength of it ( one hole in the aka, and a tendency inherent to fold back in front seas, I would add some kind of stopper beyond the pull out line)
The mast and raising system is just gorgeous. I would like if you could expand more on materials ( fiberglass poles form windsurf masts? ) sail cut and reefing system. This looks gorgeous for kayak-tri sailing. I’d love to see als ohow it performs down wind.
Great job, keep up the good work …Stefano
Hi Frank..
You’ve really done it this time !! Iìm very impressed by both systems. While the ama swinging thing leaves me a tad suspicious about the strength of it ( one hole in the aka, and a tendency inherent to fold back in front seas, I would add some kind of stopper beyond the pull out line)
The mast and raising system is just gorgeous. I would like if you could expand more on materials ( fiberglass poles form windsurf masts? ) sail cut and reefing system. This looks gorgeous for kayak-tri sailing. I’d love to see als ohow it performs down wind.
Great job, keep up the good work …Stefano
Well, the new site pages are (finally) up! More than 100 new photos and many new pages, including lots of shots of the “test-bed” boat where virtually everything about it is experimental — the hull, the folding aka/ama system, the E-Z-Up mast and even the homemade sail. Only the amazingly functional “patio chair” seat has proven its value enough to be recycled from an earlier boat :)
Stop by and say hi! – Frank
Hi Stefano – Thanks for your positive words. I had the boat out at a local meetup in high winds today, and pushed it as hard as I could. When the ama submerged, I had to back off the mainsheet. But everything held together perfectly.
It is all quite strong, I assure you. I have NO desire to end up stranded in the middle of the bay! The ama/aka has no tendancy to close under any load I can put on it. Todays’s sailing was a solid test of that. The ama was submerged at double-digit speeds several times, but no problems. For details on the sail rig, please visit my website and click on “What’s New For 2012!”
Take care – Frank
frank–great boat. do you have plans available ? would love to build one.
Mel
Hi Mel – Sorry, no plans available yet, I’m still working on getting the hull shape just right. Maybe I’m too much of a perfectionst, but I really want anyone who builds from my plans to be 100% delighted.
I’ll let Joe know whenever I’m able to offer some plans.
Take care – Frank