Entries | Trimarans

New Seaclipper 20

Multihulls make great camp cruisers… in theory. In practice, they are expensive and complex, cumbersome to launch and trailer, and just plain awkward in a monohull oriented environment. Until now. Jim Brown and his long time collaborator, Ron Marples, have at last created the VW microbus of multihulls - the new Seaclipper 20. The boat is simple to build, robust, a snap to rig and launch, safe, comfy and yes… even fast!

A standard used beach cat rig keeps the cost down and the performance up, and finally, a standard 7’ square dome tent converts the boat into a luxurious camp site! I am SO happy to see a new trimaran design that isn’t all carbon fiber and made in China.

Plans available at Searunner.com. Via SmallTrimarans.

End Game

After all the amazing legal bullshit thrown by both sides of this mighty conflict, I gotta say... the America’s Cup has still got it. I’ll be riveted to the SA coverage, and I’ll be rooting for the black trident.

Astus Trimarans

Chantier Astusboats in France is producing a range of small trimarans that appear to successfully navigate the conflicting and dangerous shoals inherent in small boat design, especially multihulls. The boats are compact, simple, speedy, trailerable, comfortable, cruiseable, and even competitively priced! Thanks to Laurie McGowan for the heads up.

The Astus 20.1 was introduced in 2004 at the Salon de la Rochelle as a suitable vehicle for camp cruising, treks and raids. Since then they've expanded the range with a 14, 16, and a new 22 footer, so they seem to be on to something.



Astusboats makes good use of the Goldilocks Principle, neither too big or too small, too slow or too fast. Their tris are not full-on, fly the main hull affairs, but sport relatively low buoyancy amas and narrow over all sailing beam, yet still remain quite fast. The main hull resembles a planing dinghy, with relatively flat and wide sections. Interestingly, the 16.1 features low aspect ratio mini-keels on the amas which keeps the central hull as open as possible and allows the boat to sit upright on the beach. The other models use the more traditional center hull daggerboard. Besides the standard high roach and full battened main and furling jib, sail options include a furling gennaker and asymmetric spinnaker. The boats use a simple sliding tube mechanism to retract the beam to legal width, and thanks to their light weight, are towable by even the smallest Renault.

I have only one complaint: Astusboats are not imported into the States. UK agent: Ex Aqua. More pictures and video after the jump.

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The Spark

Spark is from the drawing board of Richard Newick - which he describes as a "three-hulled Rozinante", and I couldn't agree more. It's as if the spark of Herreshoff's inspiration was passed along and reinterpreted through Newick, resulting in this outstandingly elegant trimaran. These images are of Jim Conlin's Damfino, launched last June in Westport Point, MA. She seems a perfect steed for sailing the coast, perhaps tilting at a few windmills along the way. The Man of La Mancha rides again!

More tri porn after the jump.

LOA: 27' 11"
LWL: 27' 4"
BOA: 22' 5"
Draft: 1' 3" (6' board down)
Sail Area: 350 sq. ft.
Displacement: 3000 lbs.
Bruce No.: 1.3

Images via the Woodenboat Forum

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QueeQueg 18

Indian summer is officially over around here, and thoughts turn to winter projects in the workshop. I've worked up a little trimaran design, inspired by Solway Dory's Osprey and Chris Ostlind's XCR.

It's an 18' stitch and glue plywood, 5 panel hull, with tortured ply amas and aluminum akas. Hull beam is 30". sail area: 118 sq. ft. a high aspect leeboard would be included (not shown). It would be fun to day sail, and might make a good little camp cruiser.

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