The ultimate number of hulls?

[Kaicarno]

Now I'll try to awaken the discussion of what is best when it comes to the number of hulls on a sailing boat. <br /><br />IS the classic monohull the past, present and future of sailing boats?<br /><br />WILL the catamaran take over the seas..?<br /><br />MAYBE the trimaran will in the future become the standard in sailing yatchts?<br /><br />These three designs, however much variation within a class, there will allways be mods and cons with them. The reason I'm posting this topic is that my experiance of sailing is exclusevly aboard a 40' trimaran and to me three hulls is the ultimate. What I find hard to believe is that there are so few trimarans outside the high-speed racing class of sailing, why is this so? I cannot find any argument that makes the tri. clearly inferior to cats. or monos. <br />ENLIGHTEN me!

 

[55Crestliner]

Re: The ultimate number of hulls?

2 reasons why tri's and cats aren't going to take over the monohulls..<br /><br />1, They take up more space in a moorage, unless they are easily folded while in the water.<br /><br />2, The multihull, when right side up, is in it's second most stable position.<br /><br />But they do have advantages, mostly speed of course, but you know that already.

 

[Kaicarno]

Re: The ultimate number of hulls?

I thought for a while about the benefits of a sailing boat with a single hull and came up with the following:<br /><br />Easier/less space to moor<br />Easier to trailer<br />Less paintwork<br />Less risk of capsising, at least with a deep, heavy keeled monohull.<br />Not quite the same risk of breaking a mast, it'll keel over instead.<br /><br /> But the benefits of a multihull, especially a trimaran are more and above all more important. Here follows:<br /><br />More living, storage space.<br />Do not sink (most models)<br />More comfort at sea, less keeling over etc.<br />Greatly increased deck-space which can be nice on a long trip.<br />Faster, virtually any multihull can beat a standard cruising monohull.<br />From my own experiance a multihull can sail closer to the wind.<br />Because of the low draught a multihull can reach more places, be beached very easily etc.<br /><br /> And the benefits of a trimaran over a catamaran are:<br /><br />More headspace because of the centeral hull AND the outriders.<br />The slapping of waves between the two hulls of a cat. I've heard is extremely annoying.<br /><br /> And even if a multi is in it's "second most stable position" when the right way up it has to go through a very hard position to get to it's most stable one if you get my point. What's more, if a capsize should occure it is perfectly possible to live in an up-side-down multihull for some time. I would'nt want to try it in a mono. that dropped is keel however.

 

[Kaicarno]

Re: The ultimate number of hulls?

I thought for a while about the benefits of a sailing boat with a single hull and came up with the following:<br /><br />Easier/less space to moor<br />Easier to trailer<br />Less paintwork<br />Less risk of capsising, at least with a deep, heavy keeled monohull.<br />Not quite the same risk of breaking a mast, it'll keel over instead.<br /><br /> But the benefits of a multihull, especially a trimaran are more and above all more important. Here follows:<br /><br />More living, storage space.<br />Do not sink (most models)<br />More comfort at sea, less keeling over etc.<br />Greatly increased deck-space which can be nice on a long trip.<br />Faster, virtually any multihull can beat a standard cruising monohull.<br />From my own experiance a multihull can sail closer to the wind.<br />Because of the low draught a multihull can reach more places, be beached very easily etc.<br /><br /> And the benefits of a trimaran over a catamaran are:<br /><br />More headspace because of the centeral hull AND the outriders.<br />The slapping of waves between the two hulls of a cat. I've heard is extremely annoying.<br /><br /> And even if a multi is in it's "second most stable position" when the right way up it has to go through a very hard position to get to it's most stable one if you get my point. What's more, if a capsize should occure it is perfectly possible to live in an up-side-down multihull for some time. I would'nt want to try it in a mono. that dropped is keel however. I cant believe that the only thing really in favour of a mono. is that they fit into a regular marina both...

 

[tommays]

Re: The ultimate number of hulls?

i sail an power boat when i sail geting somewere fast is the last thing on my mind.<br /><br /><br />i dont no about sweden but in the states the big beam a multihull needs is really a problem just try to find a yard that can pick one up if you can even get close enough to the yard to begin with<br /><br /> all the equiment is built to lift normal power and sail hulls<br /><br />when things get realy nasty big waves and wind the speed of a multi hull becomes its own worst nightmare<br /><br /><br />try and heave to in one and ride things out really easy in a mono hull big problem in a multi<br /><br />tommays

 

[Kaicarno]

Re: The ultimate number of hulls?

Yes I agree that when sailing speed is not really what one cares about but it is definatly good to have the option of going fast. Reach a port before storm, skirt around the edge of that big 'ol low pressure etc. <br /><br />As to what you said about the yards and geting a lift I'd say that it's easier to lift a multi than a mone since the multi weighs one quarter of the mono per unit length. But I think that special equpment is needed to lift a catamaran but a trimaran can be lifted with most yard cranes, so that aint no big problem.<br /><br />And the last thing about sitting it out in a storm you're right I reckon. A big wave that dumps itself on deck will damage the multi a lot more than the monohull.<br /><br />But I think that I'll close my mouth after this since I don't have the experiance of sailing monohulls and plainly here everyone is pro mono. Not a single forum topic about trimarans

 

[55Crestliner]

Re: The ultimate number of hulls?

I happen to like tris and cats, and they look like a lot of fun sometimes. I race against them every weekend in the Fall and Spring (well sort of, they have a different start than our mono-hull). We've had a lot of great times being side by side with a particular 40 foot cat that is an absolute pleasure to watch. There are many races that we don't stand a chance, (I'm on a 70 foot mono-hull, one of the fastest in Puget Sound) and others where the big cat is far behind, along with all the tris. Just depends on the course, and the waves. The multis just don't go through the waves as well. But when it's flat and the breeze picks up, they are awesome.<br /><br />The above statement about multis going to weather better is not quite true. They typically can't go up wind as well, I've never seen one that can point like a mono. Problem with a sailboat is that the faster you go, the more you have to turn down wind, so you keep an apparent wind angle.<br /><br />Another issue I have with multi hulls is that they don't usually turn as well, they slow down a lot when tacking. Not as much mass to keep them going, and you have basically 2 or 3 "boats" that are trying to go sidways through the water for every turn you make.<br />But I still like them, I respect them for what they are. I love watching the bursts of acceleration that an F27 Corsair has! They have moments of sheer speed, but they can't keep up with us. (maybe that's not saying much.)<br /><br />btw, I know a lot of people don't think about speed when in a sailboat, but that's all I think about, even when out for a cruise, I want it dialed in for speed ALL the time.