now for something completely different

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Apr 17, 2008
22
Macgregor 26S brisbane
Hi everyone, attached are some photos of my Polynesian style trimaran. It was designed by my brother and he had built the hulls from 19mm x 3mm double layer strip planking (Kwila) and sheathed it inside and out with fibreglass. he had almost finished teh hulls before he became too ill to finish it off and asked me if i wanted it. I designed the beams and rigging etc so that it represented a polynesian style of trimaran. It has a bamboo mast and yardarm and bamboo seating etc. It sails beautifully with only 1 sheet controlling the sail. as it only has the lateen rig, it is somewhat limited in its speed potential at present as i am getting about 8 knots in 15 knots of breeze, but a few times when i was in 20knots of breeze, it was hang on as it really took off and i was too busy concentrating to look at the speed log. I have taught myself to sail with this tri and have recently bought a Mac 26D which we absolutely love, but this boat will always remain my favourite as it is a reminder of my brother. He passed away before he was ever able to come out for a sail with me, but at least saw the finished boat and absolutely loved the finish i achieved.
 

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Nov 20, 2006
109
- - Chapel Hill, NC
Unique Boat!

That's a really cool boat! That's a sad story about your brother, congratulations on making him proud with your work. What a nice way to remember somebody.
 

Kidd

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Apr 16, 2008
13
Hunter 20 Lake Lanier
I really like your work.

I built my first sailboat also. She is nothing like yours though. I know your brother was proud of what you achieved.
 
Feb 17, 2006
5,274
Lancer 27PS MCB Camp Pendleton KF6BL
That is so sweet!

Bet it turns a lot of heads. Thanks for sharing.
 
Apr 17, 2008
22
Macgregor 26S brisbane
it certainly does turn heads

I have made so many friends since i started sailing the Tri. I was a powerboater for 30 years, but when i started learning to sail in the Tri, i had people continuously pulling alongside and asking heaps of questions about it. Even when launching or retrieving, people would coem up and ask all about it, i have made so many friends and nodding acquaintenances on teh water, it has been a real buzz. I would never return to powerboating, sailing has well and truly got hold of me, there just isn't any comparison, the sound of just the water gurgling past teh hull/s, and on teh Tri, the sound of teh creaking of timber and bamboo, there is just no better way to unwind and relax. I am so fortunate, i have 2 great boats to pick from to go sailing. The performance of the Tri in very light airs is fantastic, it just swishes along while everyone else is sitting around waiting for more breeze.
 

higgs

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Aug 24, 2005
3,736
Nassau 34 Olcott, NY
Very cool

Sorry about your brother - hopefully he is watching you have fun with this boat.
 
Oct 10, 2006
492
Oday 222 Mt. Pleasant, SC
Beautiful!

You and your brother did some beautiful work. One question, how do you tack? Just wondering how the sail made it from one side of the mast to the other. Do you have to gybe-tack?
 

Ctskip

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Sep 21, 2005
732
other 12 wet water
Super !!!

Your boat looks wonderful and I'll bet is a blast to sail. Now that you are hooked and found out about our little secret, welcome. Just don't tell the rest of the world, how great ours is. We don't mind sharing, but just not with everybody. Smiles for everybody. Keep it up, Ctskip
 
Apr 17, 2008
22
Macgregor 26S brisbane
changing sail is simplicity itself

Hi 48dodge, if you look at the pic's, i have made it so that when i raise the yardarm, it sits in a cradle directly on top of the mast. I have an endless sheet attached to the clew of the sail, which passes from the clew to the back of the boat where there is a timber roller, then down the other side of the boat and around the front of teh yardarm, and back to the clew. you can see the sheet in very clearly in one of the photos and can see the way it winds its way around the boat. to change sail all i do is pull on the sheet and pull the sail around the front of the yardarm and hey presto it is now on teh other side of the mast and i then cleat it off on that side. Yes, i do a gybe type of turn for coming about, that way the breeze assists in bringing the sail around the front of teh yardarm, very quick and simple to use. lots of people have asked this question, and once seeing how it works, think it is simplicity itself. It took me a while to figure it out, but once i had it thought out, the first sail in the Tri proved that it was a very efficient way of handling the sail and it only utilises the one sheet. what made it workable was having the yardarm at the exact top of the mast. This is the only way this system can work. It takes 10 minutes to set the Tri up ready for lauching so it definitely is a very user friendly set up.
 
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