trimaran build

The challenge of building a trimaran from beachcat hulls

Hi Mike!      Let me first say I appreciate the depth of information on your web site :)   

I've been ‘oogling’ it for years.      But now I have a question regarding the potential of building a trimaran out of some old 18' cat hulls.     How would you suggest I proceed and what might I expect from the result ?     

…..  Josh from Kalispell, MT.

ANSWER :   Tks Josh … always pleased to hear my work is proving of value to others.   

I first need to say that using cat hulls is  not a perfect fit for either the vaka (center hull) or even the amas (floats) but sometimes we can make something work as a fun project.    The vaka will be the biggest challenge.    I could briefly answer your question with just a list of do’s & don’ts , but I think a more detailed reply will give you some specifics and cover a broader range of related questions, so here we go.

First step is to make a weight estimate starting with what a ship designer would call the “Lightship weight” (boat ready to sail, but no supplies, crew or their personal equipment).     You then need to decide what weight you wish to tack-on to form the Design Displacement .  This we call the ‘Deadweight’.   The very minimum would be for solo day sailing .. say 200 lbs added to the Lightship weight, but for an 18footer, this will likely be more like 350lbs as an absolute minimum.    

So let’s assume the boat and its rig and gear weigh 550 lbs.  Now with 350lbs added, the required Design displacement will now be 900lbs.    The volume to support that will be 900/64 = 14 cu.ft.    (1 cuft displaces 64 lbs of seawater, or use 62.4 for fresh water)

The difficulty with a trimaran over a beachcat, is that there is initially only ONE hull to provide this buoyancy volume, compared to two for a catamaran, so right away, one can see why a single catamaran hull is WAY too small for a vaka.  Let’s say these are your 3 hulls.

Place the widest one with most volume in the center.

Obviously, if you kept the hull in this level position, your trimaran would be dragging 3 hulls through the water with far more drag than for a catamaran.

So you need to lower the central hull, so that it will support your 900 lbs .. requiring 14 cu.ft volume under the waterline.   It will clearly not have the volume needed so what can be done ?   There are 3 basic ways to go.  You can lengthen it, widen it, or sink it deeper.  Using all three would be best if designing a new vaka but I suggest that sinking it deeper will be the easiest, as you can then just raise the sides.  But you will probably need some frames to support the deeper hull section as the hull will now have to accept more hydrostatic pressure.

It will now look more like this:

You can either raise the sides (C) or a better solution would be to combine this with side extensions (D) to give yourself some form of central cockpit as well as more width to later attach your cross beams (akas).  Exactly how deep this central hull will need to go, will decide how practical this whole ‘conversion’ will be, and it’s quite possible you will need to do some major surgery to this central hull (or build a new one) to get the buoyancy volume you need.    If you are not already familiar with how to calculate this, I suggest you study this page from the design section. 

https://www.smalltridesign.com/Trimaran-Articles/design/simpsons-rule.html

A very rough idea of the sectional area (marked as ‘buoyancy’ in the above sketch) can be obtained by assuming a Block Coefficient* of 0.5.    For this, double your required volume and divide by your waterline length .

• Block Coefficient is the ratio of actual hull volume to an encompassing ‘block’, that has dimensions equal to:  your waterline length:  your waterline beam: and underwater water depth (design draft).. 

So in this case, this will be 2 x 14 / 17.5 or 1.60 sqft, which will roughly require a beam and draft of (1.60 0.5 ) or 1.265 ft for both waterline beam and for draft .

If your hull is much smaller, you either have to go deeper than 1.3ft draft OR find ways to widen that hull to get the cross-sectional area you need.   (Typically, a central trimaran hull has a waterline width of about double that of the ama beam).

Moving forward .. let’s assume you now have chosen your best workable solution for the vaka.

As far as the overall beam is concerned, the issues involved and a way to select a suitable beam is already explained in this Q&A from earlier this month.

We now need to connect the amas with the main hull using beams.   As I understand you are planning to use a similar folding system to my W17 and using my design of fiberglass hinge and latch , I will explain what you will need.

Beam and latch strength will be defined by the maximum righting moment that the ama can apply, plus a safety factor.

As a safety factor, it is common to apply the full buoyancy of the ama (when fully underwater) to the main beam ... and multiply by the Beam Lever (shown here), which might be ~4ft in this case.  IF the full ama volume is say 800 lbs, then the bending moment on the beam would be 3200 lbs.ft

Once you have fixed the hinge location, you can calculate the bending moment at the hinge, using the same 800 lbs (just assumed for this example) but with a smaller lever.   Let’s assume it is 2.5ft in this case, so the Bending Moment will now be 2.5 x 800 or 2000 ft lbs.     This would mean that IF your vertical distance between the upper hinge and the lower latch is 5” deep (0.42ft), that the latch will need to take 2000/0.42 or 4762 lbs in tension, for the hinge to be as strong as the beam.   This shows the important value of 'beam depth' with a hinge system.

There will also be a download on the upper hinge, due to whatever crew weight you place on the flying windward ama (plus the weight of the ama and outer beam itself).   With a large volume ama, this download is typically about 70-80% of the upload, so the hinge is a little less stressed in tension than the lower latch, but with a small ama, it could be the reverse, so you need to do the maths..

In Fig 3. note that I show the amas inclined out at 10-12 degrees.  If this is not done, they are more side-loaded when heeled and this adds an unnecessary load to their beam attachment as well as making the ama more resistant to push through the water, so personally, I consider some outward angle is essential.

In addition to their location in the above sectional view, the outer hulls that will work as amas, also need to be positioned in profile view , relative to the central hull.

In the sketch below, they are shown with slight lift of the bow that some designers in the past have incorporated with the assumption of less resistance and 'to ride over the waves'.   In the 1970’s many amas were then banana shape d and even back then, Hobie 16 hulls were sometimes used as trimaran floats.   Having sailed on one a few times, I found such boats (like Newick’s Tremolino for one) were very jittery in any seaway, were very wet, and also pitched excessively.    Even using the straighter and therefore more suitable H18 hulls, their stability role for a trimaran is still compromised if installed as shown here in Fig 6.

Just compare these two sketches in Fig 7 that both show an identical assumed heeled water line (in red) and you can see that IF the bow of the ama is raised that the ama will not give any bow lift UNTIL the whole bow drops, severely increasing the risk of pitch-poling, so unless the bow is very full with a wide vee, its more effective and safer to actually LOWER the buoyancy of the ama bow so that it quickly immerses, to provide more effective lift when heeled. 

So what can be done to make the beachcat hull more like this ama?  The bow is deep and narrow, not vee’d.   Think of the Hazelett mooring buoy that is a vertical tube.   While it still offers buoyancy, it moves very little in waves.   When a bow is like that, its not easily launchied in the air to only fall again, over and over again.   It just stays quiet and cuts horizontally through waves and it certainly increases the waterline length.   Early rockered amas, had short waterline lengths and were also vee’d … two things I advise against.  After all, we are ’sailing’ on this ama and need it to act like an efficient boat hull.   But as it would be complicated to deepen the forefoot of an existing beachcat hull, its easier to lower the bow as shown above and then raise the deck forward of the forward beam. 

As a picture is a 1000 words …, check out what I would do.   3 days of 4 hours could see both done if you plan your work.

You might find a collision bulkhead inside that will need cutting across, but it should not be hard to raise that with rigid foam, so that the raised deck can be bonded to it and keep it watertight.   The ¾” holes in the sides will stop the end of the cut from splitting and cracking, and will be filled and covered over by the fill piece.

This should give one enough to make the important decisions and calculations, but as can be seen, catamaran hulls are not ideally interchangeable with Trimaran hulls, so their use like this will always be a compromise.

You also have to decide which hull will hold a centerboard or daggerboard.    It’s much easier to reach one in the center hull, but this is your choice and dilemma.    Either can be made to work but do not use ama boards unless you are operating in deep water, or you may end up IN the water while trying to adjust them from an ama, especially in rough water.  

As far as the end result , it depends on so many things that it’s hard to predict.  But it could be made to perform quite well in relatively flat water and give you some fun at least … but it will not be a dry boat like the W17, nor as comfortable or have as low leeway, as the round hulls are just not as ideal for slicing waves with minimum disturbance as the W17 hulls are.   While rounded hulls are very effective in lowering surface friction, they seldom slice waves as well and certainly do not provide the leeway resistance of the W17 hulls.

It's also frequently forgotten (or just not understood) that often, the greatest resistance from a small boat is wave resistance or wave making … being the most critical in the 4 to12kt range.  Optimizing for this range with non-round hulls can more than make up for their added skin drag.    See this article for more on this, where there is a chart showing what proportion of residuary (wave) resistance applies at what speed.  

Hope this helps to get you going in the right direction, and good luck with your project.

Also note that there was an earlier question of using the reverse ... Trimaran hulls for a Catamaran and as my graph showing the proportion of residuary resistance versus the total is also there, it may be of some interest too.

Mike  ...  March  2022

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24 Foot Sailing Trimaran

Introduction: 24 Foot Sailing Trimaran

Indonesian style, built out of recycled stuff. Here we are busting out through the surf in 30mph winds at Stinson Beach California on the maiden voyage. The boat works great! There are no swimmers or surfers out because of the rough conditions. The kids are on the beach making forts out of their boogieboards instead of surfing. Specifications: Hull Length 24 ft at deck Hull 22" wide amidships at deck, 18" wide inside hull (there's a wide lip at deck) Hull 24" deep amidsnips. The hull round bottom is a semicircular arc of 8.25" radius. Hull rocker is about 4" measured from points 16' apart. Outrigger crossbeams are 14' 7" long 3.5"x2.5" fir beams tapering to 3x2.25" at ends The outrigger floats are 4.5" diameter, 19 feet long with foam plugs in ends. ~134lbs buoyant. The plugs in the front of the floats are shaped into a nose that protrudes 6.5" more. 1.5" diameter stainless steel tubing connects the crossbeams and floats. The Sail is an 8 sq. meter crabclaw / leg-o-mutton sail on 14ft. windsurfer masts. The mast is supported by three stainless steel cable stays. Total cost of materials was $200 or less. The outrigger floats are fiberglass chemical pipes full of empty plastic soda bottles. The main hull is made from a pair of old 16' catamaran hulls cutoff and glassed end-to-end. Junked catamaran hulls are easy to get. If you can't find a free hull, build a hull like the Kenya Canoe but bigger. Use scavenged plywood from crates if you want it free. The wood for the crossbeams came from a big pallet, with the nails and crossboards pulled off. Then I scarfed them together for extra length. The sail is blue tarp on windsurfer mast spars. Great action photos by kenny

Step 1: Beaching After the Maiden Voyage

Star , Damon and myself rode the boat in on the back of a big wave, just like the Malibu Outrigger manual recommends. Then we carry the boat up the beach. The sail helps us and we scamper up the beach and get clear of the break zone before the next wave hits. What a great boat. Unlike trials of previous boats in Mexico and Kenya which got badly damaged by surf landings, this boat is fine. It helps that there's a lot of wind and the boat is faster than the waves.

Step 2: Cartopping

Here it is on top of the ugly truckling. It assembles quickly without tools. The main hull is the heaviest part, about 90 lbs. It takes two people to lift it onto the roof rack because it's so big. The other parts are a lot lighter and one person can handle them. 4 or 5 people can ride in the cab of my truck. The boat could carry that many also, so it's a good match. We could only get three people to volunteer for the maiden voyage because the conditions were so rough, but there was room for more.

Step 3: Or on a Trailer

To launch it from a trailer, you drive to the boat ramp, assemble the boat while still on the trailer, then launch and land it in the usual way.

Step 4: Inspiration

I once tried to sail to Cuba in an outrigger canoe. There were some problems. When I was almost to Havana my rudder broke so I couldn't sail, the current carried me away, I was caught in a storm, etc. etc. I spent a lot of time trying to not to die and hallucinating from exhaustion. I also spent a lot of time thinking about the perfect hull shape for a sailing canoe. In the following year I traveled to Indonesia and Papua. I learned a lot by gaping at and measuring sailing canoes there. Here are some Makassarese (Sulawesi) canoes I saw in Jayapura Harbor, Papua. In severely technical terms, here's what I was looking for in a hull: 1) High prismatic coefficient (fat ends) 2) Round bottom 3) Straight sides in the middle 4) Just the right amount of rocker. Curved like a banana. 5) A beam to length ratio of around 12:1

Step 5: Cut and Paste Catamaran Hulls Together End-to-end

I found a pair of 16' catamaran hulls for sale on craigslist that were exactly what I was looking for. By no coincidence, they were designed and built by Karl Westbroek, an engineer from Malang, Java, Indonesia. They were a nice bright yellow that emphasized their banana-like shape. Hence Karl's original name for his catamaran, "Bananas". I wanted my hull to be pointy at both ends. These hulls had square transoms at the stern. So I had to cut off the sterns and butt up the pointy ends to make my hull. To figure out the right place to cut them I slid a piece of paper over the hulls to find a special transverse curve called the "Geodesic". That's the shortest path between two points on opposite sides of the hull. I cut the hulls, butted them up, and checked to make sure the keel and sides met at a reasonably fair curve.

Step 6: Thinning the Edge

Before we can start glassing, we need to grind down the existing fiberglass so it's a smooth transition. Michael Kearney helps me out by grinding the edge thin on the inside of the joint.

Step 7: Jigging It Up

Next we clamped and screwed a bunch of sticks to the outside of the hulls to hold them in alignment. Jrlee checks that the decks are parallel.

Step 8: Glassing

Jrlee mixes some epoxy. We cut and lay out strips of fiberglass cloth on a piece of plastic on the deck. We soak the cloth with epoxy. We layup the glass into the hull, squeegeeing and painting the epoxy so the cloth is fully saturated. The wider strips of cloth go over the narrow strips, so the rough edges of the cloth aren't exposed.

Step 9: Rough Fairing

I mix some glass microballoons with epoxy and slather that all over the outside of the hull. When it sets up I grind it flat with a sanding disk. While I'm doing that Danny comes and suggests a better way.

Step 10: Rapid Fairing

He's glued a board to a sanding pad and glued a full sheet of 80 grit sandpaper to that. He creates an artificial snowstorm while sanding the hull, and in a few seconds it's smooth and faired. Wow.

Step 11: Glazing and Finish Sanding

Next I squeegee some body putty over the nicks and imperfections. When that's dry I wet-sand it with a sanding block.

Step 12: High Build Sanding Primer

Next come a couple of coats of fast-dry high build sanding primer, then some wet-sanding with a sanding block, and finally a coat of yellow paint. The hull is all one hull now.

Step 13: Outrigger Floats

A friend gave me some fiberglass chemical pipes. They are 19 feet long and 4.5" in diameter. I would have been worried about the chemicals but the pipes were brand new. Actually they might be intended as covers for glass pipes. I tied strings to the necks of some 2 liter soda bottles and shoved them into the pipes. The string is to keep the bottles from floating away in case of a disaster. I carved some minicel closed cell foam to make plugs for the pipes. I shaped the front plugs into the noses seen here. The flat front feature is like the "manu" on the front of a Hawaiian canoe. As it plows into a wave, it sprays the water away forming a giant air bubble around the float. The bubble rises through the wave, pulling the float up with it. It works really well.

Step 14: Float Blocks

The outrigger floats are 4.5" diameter fiberglass chemical pipes. I made some wooden blocks to rest on them. They will be the "feet" of some short legs made of stainless steel tubing. Those in turn get connected to the crossbeams. Just like Ezekiel, the foot bone's connected to the leg bone, the leg bone's connected to the thigh bone. Here I am testing the first block I made to see if it fits the pipe right.

Step 15: Cutting Curved Grooves With a Tablesaw

I setup my ghetto tablesaw, which is a circlesaw screwed to a board. Yes, it's very dangerous. Don't do it. I set up the fence at an angle to the blade. I made a lot of cuts of increasing depth in a block of wood until I had a nice round trough cut in the bottom of the block.

Step 16: Wooden Shoes

Then I repeated the process on some narrower blocks, cut holes the right size all the way through with a hole saw.

Step 17: More Wooden Shoe Cobbling

I glued a wooden disk in the bottom of the hole so the tubing leg wouldn't touch the float directly. I heated up the block to cure the epoxy quicker. Don't breathe those buttery fumes! When the epoxy was set up I shaved the protruding plugs off with the tablesaw. I drilled some lashing holes in the sides of the blocks and cut the corners off the ends so they would enter the water better. Jumping ahead, let's go sailing and I'll show you how this stuff turned out.

Step 18: Hot Spring Break

Star organized a trip to a hotspring on the coast that's only exposed at the lowest tide of the month. We camped nearby on friday night, woke up at 5 am to hike down. It's pretty amazing. There's a main pool and also a cave full of hot water that goes back into the cliff face. We relaxed in the hot spring until the tide rose and waves of cold water started washing into the spring. Then we hiked back up to the truck and it was time to put the yellow canoe in the water. So we drove to Stinson Beach and parked as close to the beach as we could. We unloaded the canoe parts onto the grass in the park there.

Step 19: Lashing It All Together

We swarmed over the canoe, lashing all the arms and legs to it with bicycle innertubes. The front beam takes most of the load, so it has a double tube 'H' shaped stainless tubing leg that connects the beam to the float. The foot of the 'H' rests in sockets in a wooden block. The bottom of the wooden block is carved to fit the top of the float tube. The float is lashed to the block with spectra string and innertube. That part stays lashed permanently.

Step 20: Carry It to the Beach

We had plenty of help from relaxed sleep-deprived pals from the hotspring trip. When it was all tied together we picked it up and carried it to the water.

Step 21: Please Return!

In case something went wrong and we lost the paddles we wrote plaintive messages on them in hopes that someone would return them. These are instant paddles made in a few minutes from a hockeystick, a board and some string, but they're so nice it would be a shame to lose them.

Step 22: Farewell Hugs

The wind had increased to a gale. The sea was rough. Time for farewell hugs!

Step 23: Raising the Sail

We hoisted the sail and watched the waves. The surfers were all on shore so we couldn't use them to judge the size of the waves. But at least we didn't have to worry about hitting them.

Step 24: Launching!

Star , Damon, and I carried the boat to the water just as a big wave washed ashore. We jumped on, sheeted in the sail, and started paddling at the breakers.

Step 25: So Far So Good

The boat took off like a racehorse. It's easy to steer with a paddle. It goes to windward just fine. We sped toward the outer break. Wait a minute. That's a big wave coming!

Step 26: What's Going to Happen?

We hit the wave and there was whitewater everywhere. We kept going through it, and when we could see again we were still moving fast and there was hardly any water in the hull. The boat works in surf!

Step 27: Sailing and Landing

We sailed around until one of the lashing buttons broke, then decided to head back in. We surfed in on a wave, outran it, and executed a perfect landing on the back of a wave. Jubilation! The boat could have handled more passengers and rougher conditions.

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• R42 Trimaran

R42 CUSTOM HIGH PERFORMANCE TRIMARAN

See the photo Gallery for the R42 Venom on this Link

A project that explores the boundaries between a high performance cruiser and a lightweight racer, the R42 deploys a fine main hull with just enough concession to creature comforts below decks to ensure that planning a long term cruise is as equally realistic as mixing with the action at the front end of the fleet in a major race series.

The R42 is custom designed to a well thought through design brief from an experienced Australian trimaran owner. 

R42 Build Gallery

See the R42 Build Gallery here:

R42 Folding Table Concept

Design and Rendering by Claude Petit

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About Rapido

The idea behind building the world's best ocean-cruising trimarans came from the team that has built more than 1,500 production trimarans globally. The world-acclaimed Morrelli & Melvin was then tasked with developing the design and engineering for Rapido to start building! Separately, for those who think our advanced lightweight construction techniques have other applications, Rapido Catamarans adds an exciting new dimension to the fleet.

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2024 Boat of the Year Best Trimaran: Dragonfly 40 Ultimate

• By Dave Reed
• December 20, 2023

“Classy.” That was the first word that came to mind for Boat of the Year judge Mike Ingham when he stepped aboard the formidable 40-foot trimaran from Dragonfly, an unexpected and welcome late entry to the competition in Annapolis. “It almost feels as if the boat is intentionally understated but overdelivered because once you start looking closer at the details and craftsmanship, it just keeps getting more impressive.”

Builder and company owner Jens Quorning, whose family has been building trimarans in southern Denmark since 1967, says the Dragonfly 40 is the biggest boat they now build and a worthy holder of the flagship title. “Building a boat of this scale is complicated,” he says of the folding trimaran. “It takes three years to develop a new design, and this is for owners looking for a bigger boat, with better performance, capable of more long-distance sailing.”

The result is a powerful trimaran aimed at experienced owners who appreciate the sheer pleasure of racing and cruising on three hulls. This is not your average production multihull. It is a powerful and luxurious sailing machine capable of knocking off fast miles in comfort. Slip down below and you’re immediately immersed in a master class of woodwork and joinery. There are berths for four, including a giant master under the cockpit, plenty of standing headroom, and a comfortable salon and galley arrangement that’s monohull-cozy. “We do not offer a big house on the water,” Quorning tells the judges. “But if you really want a fine and elegant yacht with double-digit sailing, this is what we do.”

For our tests, Dragonfly presented its Ultimate edition, the midrange version. An upscaled Performance model is an all-carbon version with a taller mast. And in the lightest wind of the week, sub-10 knots, the trimaran teased the judges with its potential. Still, in the light stuff, the boat delivered a winning experience.

“It was a dream to sail upwind and downwind, almost effortlessly,” Ingham says. “With the gennaker up, at about 100 degrees true, we were going faster than the wind, and with winch pods on each side of the steering wheel, everything was as ergonomic as you could possibly imagine. The electric winches made it a cinch to furl and unfurl the headsails through the tacks and jibes, and the sails trimmed in perfectly every time.”

The feather-light feel of the helm, Ingham adds, was as smooth as a balanced dinghy. “With tiny movements on the wheel, the boat would immediately respond, but I could also walk away from the helm for a few minutes and the boat would stay right on track. Crazy—I think it steered itself better than I did.”

That’s the trait of a good trimaran, Greg Stewart says. The Dragonfly 40 has a lot of buoyancy in the bows, and while the center hull is substantial, the tall trussed rig and square top mainsail provide plenty of power. “The biggest thing that struck me is how easily accessible everything is,” Stewart says. “Clearly, every detail is painstakingly thought out, and I can’t believe how beautifully built the interior is. It’s top-notch, from the glasswork to the paintwork inside and out. Down below, we were all blown away by the finish.”

There’s no denying the boat is expensive at upward of $1 million, but the test boat had quality race sails, a full electric-winch package, and a long list of high-spec extras. At nearly 15,000 pounds light, it’s a substantial boat—not trailerable, but foldable with Dragonfly’s trademark technique that Corning describes as mimicking parallel rules. The floats are 2 feet longer than the center hull, with buoyancy pushed well forward into the reversed bows, and the center hull is narrow at the waterline before sweeping upward to a high and hard chine. This pronounced hull shape allows for the generous amount of headroom, and high bench seats that flank a long centerline table, which can, of course, drop down to create a double-size berth.

Allen noted that the center hull’s wide side decks provide a secure pathway to the bow, rather than across the trampolines. He was also impressed with the ease of sailing the boat and the comfort belowdecks. “When we were doing 9 knots, I went below and there was silence. It’s comfortable and beautiful. It would be a blast to do some long point-to-point racing on it, doublehanded or with like a crew of four, max.”

Stewart agreed, adding that beyond its noteworthy gunkholing attributes, the engine is well aft on the center hull, allowing it to be motored safely into shallow anchorages. The daggerboard is mechanically raised into the trunk, and the rudder kicks up. “I also think it would be great for a distance race or rally type of event,” Stewart says. “Its performance and versatility are what appeal to me, but the build quality is what really sets it apart.”

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16 Best Trimarans For Sailing Around The World (And a Few For Daysailing)

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Trimarans are growing in popularity worldwide, due to their light construction and high stability these multihulls are even faster than catamarans. Trimarans are still one of the lesser-known boat types so in this article ill be checking out some of the most popular models.

The best trimarans include: 

• The Neel 43 
• The Neel 47 
• Dragonfly 28 
• The Pulse 600 
• Corsair 37 

These tris are built with your safety in mind while also packing powerful speed and a wide array of comfort features to optimize your sailing experience , some are even foldable making them possible to load on a trailer and transport to the sailing destination of your choosing.

In this article, I have created a list of the 16 best trimarans in the market and their unique features. You’ll also learn the best options for different purposes such as circumnavigation, weekend sailing, racing, and more. 

Table of Contents

What Is a Trimaran?

A trimaran is a multi hulled sailboat with three individual hulls; the main hull ( vaka ) and a pair of outrigger hulls ( amas ). These smaller outrigger hulls are attached to the main hull using beams. 

While trimarans have a rich history dating back nearly four millennia, these types of sailboats have only gained popularity in the late 1900s and early 2000s. 

Trimarans are primarily used as personal boats for sailing enthusiasts or racing. These sailboats draw their versatility from their lightweight design, making them faster and easier to handle at sea when compared to single-hulled boats (monohulls). Additionally, the three hulls also contribute to better stability, making it very hard to capsize (although more likely than a cat according to this study)

Trimarans come in various sizes, and some can be as small as 19 feet (5.8 meters) in length, while others go up to 60 feet (18meters). They’re also used for different purposes. Most trimarans are used for racing and recreational purposes, although some units are still used as ferries.

As with all things, to find out which is the best we need to understand what it will be used for. There is a big difference in requirements between a boat used for day sailing compared to offshore around the world sailing.

The list below highlights the best trimarans for different purposes.

Best Trimarans For Cruising, Liveaboard and Sailing Around The World

The Neel 43 is a French trimaran best suited for cruising. Its key features include: 

• Easy maneuverability on the open sea by only a small number of crew members 

This unit is also built for comfort, ideal for more extended travels. This 43-feet (13-meter) trimaran is also made with recyclable and bio-sourced materials, highlighting the manufacturer’s commitment to environmental consciousness. 

This trimaran has a base price of  €329,000 excluding VAT. This translates to approximately $370,138. 

2.Neel 47 Possibly The Best

Named the best full-size multihull for 2020, the Neel 47 is a strong contender for one of the best trimarans in the market. This 47-foot (14.3-meter) long trimaran features optimized exterior and interior ergonomics for a unique design and look. 

Still on design, the Neel 47 is ideal for couples looking to take a weekend off or spend some time as liveaboard. It has a spacious owner’s cabin and two bedrooms. It also features a spacious living room and kitchen and is optimized to ensure comfort for a couple. 

The Neel 47 also has two basic guest cabins so your friends or children can tag along on your sailing adventure. Accordingly, this unit is ideal for those looking to explore the sea for the sheer joy of sailing. 

The Neel 47 comes at a 571,139 euro ( $643,600 ) price tag, excluding VAT. 

3. Rapido 60 The Fast and Comfortable Circumnavigator

The Rapido 60 offers a blend of performance, safety, and luxury, making it one of the best options for bluewater sailing. Measuring 59.3 feet (18 meters) in length, the Rapido 60 is an imposing unit. It’s made from lightweight sandwiches and carbon materials that provide speed and strength, allowing it to stand up to strong ocean currents. 

The Rapido 60 also has spacious living spaces and is built for comfort at all points of the sail. Its design also optimizes safety. While it’s an ideal option for circumnavigating, it’s also an excellent choice for racing due to its speed. 

This is also the same boat that The Youtube channel La Vagabond just purchased.

The Rapido 60 retails at $1,400,000 . 

4. Rapido 40

The Rapido 40 measures 39.4 feet (12 meters) in length and is ideal for cruising around the world. The Rapido 40 features twin “C” foils, which provide added lift, enhancing its speed and performance whether you are sailing downwind or upwind. 

Because it has C foils, this trimaran doesn’t have a central daggerboard, increasing interior space. Accordingly, it’s an excellent option for couples looking to cruise and enjoy great performances .

The Rapido 40 is made from high-tech all-carbon materials for a lightweight yet sturdy design. This material is also used for the countertops and furniture, and the cork flooring adds a touch of style.

This trimaran retails for $595,000 , making it a cheaper option than the Rapido 60. 

5. Dragonfly 40

The Dragonfly 40 measures 40 feet (12 meters) in length. It features high-comfort standards, making it one of the best trimarans in the market for taking your family for a cruise. Because of its larger size, it has a better capacity, being capable of accommodating six to eight people, so you can bring your family and friends along. 

It’s easy to navigate and extremely safe. With a maximum speed of 24 knots (44.5 km/h), this trimaran also provides fast speeds to make your cruise even more exhilarating. 

The Dragonfly 40 retails from €509,000 exclusive of VAT, which rounds up to $572,000 . 

6. Dragonfly 32

The Dragonfly 32 is a high-performance cruiser. Like the Dragonfly 28, this unit features a contemporary design for racing. This trimaran can accommodate five to seven crew members. 

Although slightly longer than the Dragonfly 28 with its 32-foot (9.8-meter) length, the Dragonfly 32 has a max speed of 23+ knots (42.6+ km/h), making it one of the fastest trimarans for racing. This unit also has comfortable accommodation, which makes it an ideal option for a weekend cruise with family and friends. 

The Dragonfly 32 has a base price of $350,000 . 

7. Corsair 37

Thanks to a variable draft with a retractable rudder, the Corsair 37 is an ideal choice for shallow water exploration. This 37-foot (11.3-meter) long trimaran features advanced foam-cored construction designed for safety, making it virtually unsinkable. 

The carbon hulls minimize weight, this makes for a lightweight ocean exploration sailboat with blistering speeds. One of its selling points is that this trimaran has previously been used for Arctic expeditions, possibly marking it as one of the better options for circumnavigation and offshore sailing in the northern waters. 

This trimaran has a base price of $189,000 but can go up to $204,125 .

Best Trimarans For Day/Weekend Sailing

8. dragonfly 28.

The Dragonfly 28 is a 28-feet (8.75-meter) long sailboat that can accommodate up to five people. It comes in two versions: 

• Touring version: This version is ideal for families.  
• Performance version: This is built to provide optimal performance for the sports enthusiast within you. 

It clocks a maximum speed of 22+ knots (22+ km/h) and is beam-folded. It’s an excellent option if you want a high-performance, comfortable yet smaller unit for your day or weekend cruise. 

The Dragonfly 28 starts at  €188,280 inclusive of VAT, which comes to around $211,600. 

9. Dragonfly 25

Like other trimarans under the Dragonfly brand, this 25-foot (7.62-meter) trimaran is great for both racing and short term cruising. However, this high-performance boat delivers easy handling, making it perfect for couples looking to take a ride out over the weekend and seasoned sailors looking for an exhilarating racing adventure. 

The Touring version features a lightweight build and offers comfort and accommodation to keep you, and the few guests you can fit, comfortable during the ride. This trimaran also has a Sport version, which is optimized for racing. 

The Dragonfly 25 retails from EUR 86,800 . 

10. Pulse 600

The Pulse 600 trimaran is a compact sailboat. It’s made from lightweight, carbon-reinforced construction and vacuum-formed materials for optimal speed. This trimaran is an ideal option if you are looking for speed. 

It also features ample deck space, greater stability, and volume than most trimarans of similar size and build. 

This trimaran measures 19.8 feet (6 meters) in length and can be sailed single-handedly by one person with minimal effort. The Pulse 600 has a base price of $38,800 , which places it in the lower price range. 

The F-22 is one of the smaller trimarans in the market. Developed in New Zealand, the F-22 is a folding trimaran built for speed. The hulls are made from narrow fiberglass tied together using fiberglass beams and aluminum, minimizing bulk while optimizing speed. 

The F-22 is roomy and is not as pricey as other models in the market. This trimaran has two main versions: 

12. 2019 Weta Trimaran

The 2019 Weta trimaran is a 14.5-foot (4.4-meter) trimaran featuring a carbon frame, centerboard, rudder foil, and rudder shock. The hull is made from fiberglass and foam. The Weta is built for strength and speed based on these lightweight materials. 

The 2019 Weta trimaran is easy to sail and is worth considering whether you want to take a quiet sail, race with your friends, or take kids to a sailing lesson. It has a simple design and is easy to set up independently. Thanks to its collapsible design, this trimaran is easily stored away with minimal space demands. 

13. WindRider 17

The 17.4-foot (5.3-meter) WindRider 17 is one of the more versatile trimarans in the market. It packs high performance for a low cost. This trimaran has a light rotating mast to boost performance, and a full-battened mainsail optimizes visibility. 

This sailboat is made from rotomolded polyethylene, which is more durable than fiberglass and demands less maintenance.

The WindRider 17 has a comfortable interior and can fit six adults. This is an ideal choice for social sailing for a couple or a family and friends. It’s easy to ride, and a shallow draft allows easy maneuverability. 

14. Astus 22.5

If you’re looking for something small but still comfortable, this 22.5-foot trimaran is for you. Built for speed and maneuverability, the Astus 22.5 has optional foils to optimize speed. The modern design, coupled with the spacious interior, can fit up to four beds. Accordingly, this trimaran is suited for family outings. 

This trimaran also has a foldable design, collapsing to only 16 feet (4.9 meters) for easy storage. 

15. Multi 23 Trimaran 

The Multi 23 trimaran has a contemporary design, featuring a vinyl ester and PVC foam core construction. The section below the waterline is made of solid glass for a sturdy base.

The beams are made of lightweight carbon, and the trimaran features a 33-foot (10-meter) aluminum rotating wing mast for optimal harnessing of the wind. While ideal for weekend excursions with family, once rigged with the asymmetrical spinnaker will get your heart pumping.

This trimaran packs high performance at a lower cost than most other options in the market. It’s a good choice if you are looking for a high-performing unit without spending an arm and a leg. 

16. Challenger Class Trimaran

The Challenger Trimaran 15 is the best choice for persons with disabilities. It’s designed to provide disabled sailors an opportunity to explore their passion for sailing without worrying about aspects like safety or operation. 

A man named Geoff Hold circumnavigated the British Isles in 2007, becoming the first disabled person to achieve this feat. He had quadriplegia. 

Living up to its name, the Challenger can withstand harsh weather conditions while blending performance with speed. 

Final Thoughts 

Admittedly, no trimaran is best for everyone. But whether you are looking to race with your friends, take your loved ones or friends for a cruise over the weekend, or circumnavigate the ocean, you can rest assured that these lightweight trimarans will deliver speed, safety, and comfort to make it worth your while. 

These brands are innovatively designed and feature intricate safety mechanisms that make them virtually unsinkable. Give them a shot and begin your ocean adventure. 

• Basco Boating: A Comprehensive Guide & Introduction to Trimaran Yachts
• TheBoatAPP: New Trumarans: Which are the Best Ones
• Corsair Marine: Corsair 37
• Dragonfly: Dragonfly 28
• Rapido Trimarans: Rapido 60
• Neel Trimarans: Neel 43
• Yachting World: World’s Collect Yachts: Maxi Trimaran MACIF
• Yachting Monthly: Dragonfly 28 Performance
• Rapido Trimarans: Rapido 40
• Dragonfly: Dragon 32
• Dragonfly: Dragonfly 40
• Yachting World: Dragonfly 40 yacht tour: This cruising trimaran can do 24 knots
• Dragonfly: Dragonfly 25
• NauticExpo: Dragonfly 25
• Yachtworld: Corsair 37 boats for sale
• Cruising World: Neel 47 Trimaran: Best Full-Size Multihull0
• Neel Trimaran: Neel 47
• Multihull Solutions: NEEL 47 Boat Review | Cruising World
• Yacht World: 2022 Neel 47 for sale
• Farrier International: F-22
• Weta Marine: The Boat
• WindRider: WindRider 17 Trimaran Sailboat 
• Astus Boats: Astus 22.5
• Boat-specs: Multi 23
• National Maritime Museum Cornwall: Challenger Trimaran #1 – BC26

Owner of CatamaranFreedom.com. A minimalist that has lived in a caravan in Sweden, 35ft Monohull in the Bahamas, and right now in his self-built Van. He just started the next adventure, to circumnavigate the world on a Catamaran!

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Farrier F32A - looking for Plans

Discussion in ' Multihulls ' started by Michael78 , Apr 26, 2023 .

Michael78 New Member

Hello, I am looking for complete building Plans for a Farrier F32A. It must be the narrow A Version, not the larger X. Please send massage to: [email protected] Best regards Michael  

waterbear Senior Member

Just out of curiosity: of all multihulls, why choose the Farrier F32A?  

John Perry Senior Member

waterbear said: ↑ Just out of curiosity: of all multihulls, why choose the Farrier F32A? Click to expand...

guzzis3 Senior Member

The avalon 9 is trailable at 8' and can be built in foam or ply. Ray Kendrick's plans are excellent! Stretching it would be trivial.  

John Perry said: ↑ Easy question - if you would like to build yourself a folding trimaran of that size that is road trailable and you dont want to draw your own plans I dont think you have a choice. The nearest alternative might be the Scarab32, which seems to be a near copy of the F32 but is not road trailable without a wide load permit. Click to expand...

The scarab 32 is too wide to trailer in Queensland and I think much of Australia. Some claim you can get a wide load permit but I asked the authority here and was told straight up you can only pull a wide load with a heavy vehicle. Oversize in Qld is 2.9m. There is however 1 tremendous advantage to it's folding beams. It will fit a single berth in a marina. This isn't just a lot cheaper but you have a better chance of finding a spot when cruising. It also have a decent payload, a problem with a lot of tris. The Avalon 9 folds to 8' and you could stretch it to 9.9 if you really wanted to... Yep a lot of folding trimarans end up on hardstands but different people have different needs.  

powerabout Senior Member

Michael78 said: ↑ Hello, I am looking for complete building Plans for a Farrier F32A. It must be the narrow A Version, not the larger X. Please send massage to: [email protected] Best regards Michael Click to expand...

guzzis3 said: ↑ The scarab 32 is too wide to trailer in Queensland and I think much of Australia. Some claim you can get a wide load permit but I asked the authority here and was told straight up you can only pull a wide load with a heavy vehicle. Oversize in Qld is 2.9m. Click to expand...

powerabout said: ↑ The bonus was Farrier made the beams for you so I dont think there was ever any plans for them? The whole Farrier setup was for home build. Unfortunately he tried going into production of complete boats. Click to expand...

waterbear said: ↑ OP lives in italy No corsair/farrier owners here fold their amas in the marinas, they just pay extra for a wider berth. Why? I don't know. Click to expand...

Hello, I had two Farrier´s, an F22R with which I did some amazing trips, but it was too small for my wife and me (..no toilet..). After that I had an F32R, my absolute dream boat, it was incredible fast but unfortunately poorly built. Now I found a shipyard that would build me a F32A-R, so I'm looking for plans.. It is true that such a large boat cannot be trailered all the time. But it allows for a change of territory, winter storage in a dry marina, finding a place in a busy marina during vacations and ultimately the resale value is higher. When it comes to boats, there are three ideals of which you can have a maximum of two: speed, comfort and a low price - I think Ian Farrier has found a very good compromise there! So, I am still loking for Plans! Only the F32A (2,5mt wide)  

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guzzis3 said: ↑ If you bought the plans you had the option of building your own beams. Extra plan sheets available in request. The F22 was a viable business. He had people lined up to buy them. IF was involved in starting Corsair who still build boats. He had made a living designing and building his trimarans for decades and was second only to Wharram in terms of numbers sold. Click to expand...

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