Why You Want a Trimaran: Pros and Cons of Trimarans

[@davidcummings74]

I Use to work on the Triton. From memory it was almost 2000 ton and 100 meters long It was a diesel electric propulsion with a max shaft power of 3.2 mw It was fuel efficient for its size using 8 ton of fuel a day at efficient cruising speed of 12knots fully loaded. With a light load of fuel stores and crew on a load test we managed to squeeze out 22 knots from her another feature is that she is made of thin plate high tensile steel. By the way it was not the most comfortable vessel to be aboard in weather she even bob side to side in glass conditions and corkscrewed badly when the swell was on the quarter. When the waves hit between the hulls its like a bomb going off. I feel the side hulls should have been extended further aft. Not a good comfortable sea keeping vessel. But had its advantages in fuel efficiency.

[@edward1005]

Just discovered your channel, Nick, and I am so impressed by the depth and attention to detail in your videos. I've been a sailor for over fifty years and an engineer for more than forty and it seems like you have a lot of first-hand practical experience on top of some spooky good engineering skills. Yes? I've spent a lot of time on all three hull forms, coastal and bluewater, and I think your take on trimarans is spot-on. Out of all of my boats over the years, I have to say that my tri was my favorite. I'm pretty sure I need to buy or build another one and get back out there. Really appreciate your channel, Nick. Thank you.

[@zbigkozak]

Great explication! I am convinced. I will use it for working vessel to help Amazon River communities in need.

[@jakewilliamson8906]

I'm currently building a cutter ketch rigged sailing trimaran! Thanks for your support!

[@memox909]

Dragonfly trimarans is another level with folding amas, they’re superb !

[@It-b-Blair]

Corsair had the first folding design, and the new Rapido also folds. Several custom trimarans also fold. The trailer-ability, and low slip fees are sooo good!

[@KartiacKID]

Thank you for your awesome video which have been teaching a lot about my sailing passion as a fellow engineer that loves getting nerdy in the design aspects even if I’m just an electrical controls engineer and not a mechanical design engineer

[@timothyhoward5785]

When I worked for Honolulu ship yard. We built a vessel named Slice for lockeed Martin, 105 long 55 foot beam, nic

[@mikedooly7288]

Thank you for this series. I have learned so much and love your lectures.

[@Cryptoversity]

I'm in love with the Neel 43 and 47 (or the older 45)

[@johnpotts7846]

I have owned 3 trimarans of cruising size. I have also owned 2 mono-hulls. A Cross trimaran is an excellent sea boat. I am currently looking for another one.

[@urushira]

Cross is the masterpiece of multi-hulls.. I am envious (I owned a Piver )

[@FlameHawke]

As an operator of this hull configuration, what are some of your observations, and elements that may be overlooked?

[@stevenhs8821]

Yes, trimarans are quite popular sailboats. Fast.

[@sleeperburuk5340]

Can u donate one for me? I really want to test myself to go out of my current civilization and to live this one life to the fullest..

[@iwilltubeyouall]

@@sleeperburuk5340 me too :)

[@bigbpdx]

I was hoping you would do a direct detailed comparison between trimerans and catamarans.

[@q.e.d.9112]

I envision a fairly lightweight, aluminium/composite vessel ~60m x 40m with an almost full width bridge deck, providing a two deck structure some 40m x 30m. As far as possible, the bridge would be built to provide aerodynamic lift helping to increase potential speed.The interior can be a boutique cruise ship, Scientific RV, Expedition ship, inter-island ferry or w.h.y. She (sorry, I’m an old salt and ships are always feminine) will have two sources of motive power: wind, using kites and electricity, using that 40 x 30 upper deck for solar, plus regenerative drive units whenever there is an oversupply of wind. Her load carrying ability should give her masses of battery storage. Depending on actual design and load requirements, I could see her powering upwind, Vmg in the mid teens, her fully automated kite initiating tacks at the push of a button and her prop putting kWs into her batteries. Then she turns on a broad reach and suddenly she’s up in the thirties. A couple of miles before her destination her kite is recovered and she glides effortlessly, silently and electrically to her berth where her bow thruster and 360° steerable, retractable, main motor manoeuvre her gently into place. The potential for very low carbon operations providing eco-educational cruises ought to be good, in my opinion. It would certainly be a selling point

[@quillmaurer6563]

For sailing especially, trimarans seem like the best design, combining the best of monohulls and catamarans. The stability of a catamaran and the center hull of a monohull - having a center hull has a lot of advantages. This is true on both the small- and large-scale, if I ever had a sailboat (I live in Colorado, very far from any large body of water, so owning such wouldn't make a ton of sense - but a surprising number of people have boats here for some reason), anywhere from a skiff to a yacht, a trihull would be my ideal approach. For a large sailing merchant ship - an idea that would be really interesting in the era of composite materials, computer-controlled automated sails, and climate concerns - a trimaran again seems like the best approach. The amas provide far better stability and performance than a monohull when sailing, allowing greater sail area per weight and not needing a heavy and/or deep keel, while also allowing for more slender hulls. All the fastest sailboats nowadays are multihulls, most trimarans. For cargo or passengers, a monohull's tendency to heel over on a beam reach would be disadvantageous, or at least unsettling. A trimaran has advantages over a cat of having a central hull - this allows for not requiring duplication of equipment, mainly rudders and engines, as needed with catamarans. (Though there still would be the option of putting engines in the amas to provide more maneuverability through differential steering as seen in catamarans, trimarans have the option of doing either.) The center hull provides space for cargo or passengers, always a problem for catamarans, especially for sailing where a high-profile superstructure is disadvantageous. Same is true for small yachts, catamarans' lack of a central hull makes cabin volume a challenge. The center hull also provides a better place to mount masts. The drawback of a trimaran for any of these applications - pleasure yacht or merchant vessel - is the far greater width, problematic for berthing or cargo loading/unloading. Always a drawback, but I still think it could have potential.

[@HasbaraBuster]

Search for a vessel called Avalanche, her home port is Pagosa Springs, Colorado (but I doubt she was ever there) She is a Hammerhead 54 a absolute beauty. There is a very good serie's of videos on KZbin kzbin.info/www/bejne/o2jHimuuZ7Bgqbs

[@matthewjacobs141]

Aircraft Carriers is the first class of ship that comes to mind that would benefit from a trimaran hull...IMO

[@Interdiction]

Submarine ...More hulls = more ports for torps :)

[@Smokeyr67]

If that was the case I’m sure that the U.S. would have made at least 1 by now.

[@zackworrell]

@@Smokeyr67 You obviously don't understand the scale of Bureaucracy that exits in the Pentagon

[@zackworrell]

Agreed. Outer Amas would also protect center hull from torpedos

[@Derek_Smallshorts]

Except you wouldn't have space for the hangers and workshops.

[@canoequest2]

Take a look at Corsair sailboats. They are foldable, trailerable trimarans that can cross oceans.

[@markimark82]

but they are tiny in regards of space and expensive... shame. i hope someone will do it better

[@gregripp]

I have really enjoy my Ian Farrier Eagle 20 trimaran. Very stable, lots of room for day sailing and it's mast location in the cockpit is so easy to use. Very small draft with the boards up. Folds to an 8 ft beam with the stability of almost 15 ft! No heavy keel but still points well with the centerboard. Bonus! Trampolines! Sure would love to own an F22.

[@Cryptoversity]

@@markimark82 Look at Dragonfly.

[@petersilva037]

@@markimark82 rapido 50 is a bigger corsair... rapido 60 drops the folding amas... so you lose the easy trailerability, but you get a lot of space. rapidotrimarans.com/

[@timevans8223]

You can cross an ocean in a bath tub but I still wouldnt choose one. There are far more suitable boats than tris

[@ddouglas1653]

I realize this was posted a while ago however i hope you can shed some light on trimaran, monohull and catamaran characteristics in a heavy sea. Perhaps getting into beam seas at least. I'm of a mind that a BALLASTED center hull on a tri would achieve the greatest stability over a catamaran in say 15'-20' seas. Maybe a revisit to the subject would be a great addition. Tnx!

[@jeffbybee5207]

See the book by Jim brown on trimaran

[@lindasanson3094]

Truly informative- changed my mind entirely about catamarans as a preferred design

[@KartiacKID]

Do Trimarans still have a disadvantage in heavy seas causing more yaw roll over starboard or leeward waves similar to catamarans sailboats bc they want to stay parallel to the water surface compared to monohull sailboat? Where the monohull sailboat tends to mitigate yaw roll caused by waves do to a heavy keel keeping them balanced like a gyroscope, allowing the monohull yaw axis to stay relatively stable in rough seas with exceptions to sail wind gusts causing some yaw roll. I know the monohull has a good safety factor when high gust of wind pick up... the boat will pivot along the yaw axis, acting like a blowoff valve in a sense allowing the sail wind to bleed off a heavy gust without causing damage to the mast were the catamaran hull prevents this pivotal affect and usually results in damage to the mast or retention cabling. Yes I know high wind gusts can still damage monohull rigging and sails but it seems to absorb much higher gusts of wind with minor damages compared to multihull catamaran. What is the advantage and disadvantages from that sailing point of view in heavier seas when crossing oceans?

[@viarnay]

That Fred Olsen trimaran is a must. i have travelled a lot in it and it is awesome :- D

[@MrClickbang357]

What comes to my mind is a design where one can still trailer sail yet have amas that fold up giving greater stability and can still fit on a trailer that doesn't need special permits (8.5' wide in the U.S.) to run on the highways.

[@q.e.d.9112]

Here ya go, mate. smalltrimarans.com/blog/seaclipper-20-plans-now-unleashed/ Jim Brown is a trimaran legend. And he rates it, so it’s good. Search Seaclipper 20 on utoob for video. Well, better late than never, eh?

[@MrRourk]

Talk about the benefits over a cat like POUNDING! No Daggerboards to break off. Usually better protected rudder and props. Considerably harder to flip over. Plus that sporty heel so you feel like your are sailing.

[@josebenitez3732]

Great explanation. The only thing not covered were stresses over the cross decks in heavy weather. Been seeing the amas torn from the main hull. Would like to know how trimarans would handle loads in +50 ft. seas.

[@DatawaveMarineSolutions]

Badly. But they can survive, if we put a lot of engineering effort into it. One of the downsides behind trimarans is the extra engineering required for the connection between the amas and the center hull. In monohulls, the shape of the hull simplifies things a lot. The hull can only bend vertically and horizontally. But with a trimaran, the structural engineer needs to consider several extra methods of loading: pinching, pulling, twisting, torquing. Plus, the math gets worse when we consider how the hulls fatigue over their lifetime. All I can say, don't skimp on the budget when it comes to the structural engineering for that connection. That will be an expensive piece of engineering. But you really can't afford to ever get it wrong. As you said, you usually find out about the bad design in 50 ft waves, which is the worst time possible.

[@urushira]

@@DatawaveMarineSolutions the bottom line still breaks down to carrying enough sail to run before the storm ( spinnaker too!) and having a really really miraculous relationship with your deity..

[@charonstyxferryman]

@@DatawaveMarineSolutions In the North Sea, waves can be 25 meters (82 ft).

[@TC-yx1qt]

You've seen amas broken off of tris?

[@josebenitez3732]

@@TC-yx1qt Yep

[@MrAluminox]

Sailing multihulls are totally different from motor multihulls. Sailing monos and multils have their source of power (the sails) far above the deck, not aligned with the hull(s) thus creating transversal and longitudinal stability problems. Modern racing trimarans since 30 years have been flying on a ama, and are now using foils. Nowadays maxi tris (more than 30 meters) have top speeds around 45-50 knots, sail about 900 nautical miles a day in good conditions, cross the North Atlantic in less tha 4 days, and make a circumnavigation in 41 days. No motor is able to do that. Very few naval architects is the world are able to design a high performance successful sailing multi and most are French with the exception of Nigel Irens, the most French of the British NA. You need also highly skilled and experimented shipyards used to composites specially carbon, and a bunch of engineers able to make the structural calculations on so extreme and big wind machines. compared to that a Formula One chassis is a piece of cake. (i'm a retired Naval Engineer and I've worked in this peculiar field until 1996, I know a bit about the subject). Motor multis have not these constraints as the power is aligned with the hull, the center de gravity is lower, and the construction is far simpler, using aluminium or steel. The shape of the hulls are totally different of the sailing boats. Cats have been pretty successful, see the catamaran ferries by Incat and Austal for example with speeds ranging from 35 to 62 knots. The ancestor of motor tris is Ilan Voyager by Nigel Irens. Made in 1988, very simple in low tech composite (wood, fiberglass, epoxy) with a single engine diesel Yanmar of only 235 HP, long of 21.30 meters. This boat is able of 28 knots with its modest power, is very seaworthy, and hold a record around Britain of about 2600 NM if I remember well, at 21.5 knots without refueling. The commodities are very modest as the main hull is extremely slim. the boat has a long career of small ferry in Cabo Verde Islands There are very few military motor tris. the British Triton (sold in Australia) and the French CNM Ocean Eagle 43 a very economical small 143 feet patrol ship, using 1 metric ton of fuel for 238 NM at 15 knots. A video in sea state 5 kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWXOnp2DqdRpjtk But the ferries company Fred Olsen had ordered in 2004 Benchijigua Express, a 127 m stabilised monohull (trimaran) vessel that Austal built for Fred Olsen. It was the biggest ship made entirely in aluminium at the date. Olsen has ordered this years 2018 2 more trimarans to Austal.

[@scottd8108]

It was also a prototype for the American stealth ships🍻

[@eltonsulima3117]

.n.

[@Rocky1765]

Have they experimented with different percentages of buoyancy of the center hull? You stated 90-95%, leaving 5-10% for the amas. What if you changed it to 80% center hull and the amas then were enlarged providing the remaining 20%? Also, you stated the tri has a wider deck, but didn't give specifics. How much wider? If it is a significant amount, you would think it would be worth mentioning the amount.

[@DatawaveMarineSolutions]

Yes, they have experimented with different ratios for the amas. 90-90% in the center hull typically achieves the minimum resistance, because adding buoyancy to the side amas also increases their wetted surface area. They add more friction drag when being pulled through the water. And the combination of three hulls always has more surface area than a single hull. So we try to optimize the design by making the trimaran appear like a monohull underwater for steady conditions. As to the width of the deck, that is typically something specified in the commercial design. This is something you work with the engineer to design and specify, based on a host of vessel limitations.

[@jckirby7994]

Good post Nick...CAN'T WAIT UNTIL NEXT TIME

[@666Hansen]

Dragonfly - a danish yacht builder - has been building trimarans for quite some years now, with great succes....very fast boats.

[@brianjamesvayro2715]

Do you work for/with 'Dragonfly family? envy !envy!

[@joeprimal2044]

Does this mean that you’re less likely to get seasick on a trimaran? I’ve had some sailing journeys on my bucket list all my life , and I’m finally retired and ready to start the project. I bought a 24’ power fishing boat to start my ocean learning curve, and to my great dismay I find that I'm getting seasick much easier than I did when I was young. It’s bad. If I can’t find a solution I need a new dream. That would suck.

[@DatawaveMarineSolutions]

some trimarans and catamarans can help if you get sick easily due to the slow subtle rocking motions. But they tend to produce more aggressive and violent motions for larger seas, compared to a monohull. And naval architecture definitely has techniques to improve motion sickness, but you don't see many of those efforts on smaller yachts (anything under 60 ft). Honestly, I have talked to several professional sailors that just stay constantly on seasickness meds. I guess that you already know about Dramamine and Bonine. I know another sailor that gets seasick very bad, and they use Scopolamine. In the USA, I believe that requires a prescription.

[@joeprimal2044]

@@DatawaveMarineSolutions Thanks very much for answering. What gets me is the rolling motion, especially when I’m sideways to the swell, usually when I’m stopped and fishing or something. Underway it’s not so bad as thumping and pounding type movements don’t seem to bother me. It looks to me like a trimaran wouldn’t have that steep roll that a monohull has. I haven’t had much luck with the meds.

[@RandoCalrisiann]

I am an amateur, but am planning a trimaran hybrid, sailing, electric/solar and a back up diesel for my retirement home/world sailing boat.

[@zoomzoom3950]

I have a beach cat now, and plan to get a sailing trimaran (24' - 28') in the next few years; in addition to the stability, speed and handling advantage, it's also trailerable thanks to the folding arms for the amas which will save on marina fees and lift / hull cleaning fees which can add up quickly. Cheers!

[@adventure_unlimited]

I really want to know how a quad hull would perform in a sailing vessel, Would 4 identical hulls be easy to build provide stacks of deck space for a live aboard but still have fast hulls, How would you configure the hulls, with the central hulls longer that the armars or in a square shape. Perhaps the extra deck space would be better for a those solar panels on the next gen solar electric ships. A shallow draft would be great at Anchorage, 4 hulls sounds safer than 2. How would it perform

[@Northstar1989]

Interesting question. I'm not the author, but if I might provide my two cents: why four IDENTICAL hulls? It would seem that at that point you're greatly cutting into the below-deck usable space (and massively increasing the wetted surface area) for small gains in reducing form-drag... Due to the Square-Cube Law (bigger objects have relatively less surface area for their volume), you might be better off concentrating most of the hull in just two hulls, both relatively close to the center of the vessel (only separated by a short cross-deck), with two additional ams's at a much larger distance out from the center. The objective here would be to reduce the wetted area AND to keep the two central hulls submerged at all times (with only the ama's rising in/out of the water). Also, bigger ships have less wetted area for their volume in the first place (Square-Cube Law). So while a "quad-maran" might not make much sense for a small yatch, I bet it would still be massively useful for something like a warship or mid-weight cargo ship (veerry low form-drag while still keeping frictional drag reasonable due to the size of the vessel, and most volume being in the two center hulls...) The other really big advantage I could see of a "quad-maran" with most mass/volume kept in the center hulls is lots of deck-space with short (and therefore, easier to make strong) cross-decks. So, you end up with area that you could use for above-deck living-space, or some sails for a bot of extra fuel-efficient power (sails and engines AREN'T mutually exclusive. Many early mechanically-powered boats in fact had both, as early steam engines were unreliable and often broke down... By having both, ships could sail if their engines broke down, or steam if the wind was stagnant... Plus, early steam engines were so incredibly inefficient it was difficult from a mass/volume perspective carry enough coal to steam across an ocean on coal alone. Having both steam and sails allowed early steam ships to cross wider oceans, and to operate in areas where coaling-stations hadn't been set up yet...)

[@johnpotts7846]

With four identical hulls you will have a barge. Art Piver worked out wing-deck clearance and hull separation clearances back in the 1960s. Those who violate those clearances produce barges. The Gemini and Island Packet are two in the catamaran category, though it may be argued the Island Packet barge is actually a trimaran so poorly designed that it should not be on the market. Bow waves must have adequate clearance (separation) to run aft. Without adequate run, the bow waves will pile up at the bow, just like a barge.

[@jefffinley1303]

That was deep !Great vid great info thanking you sir U deserve a million likes

[@johnleach7879]

In these cat and tri programs, you've assumed blue water applications. However, in sheltered waters, life becomes more simple: Brisbane, Oz has used tris for streetcars for more than 20 years. The Brisbane River snakes thru town, making them a reasonable option.

[@russelpasamontehabla]

The basic design of trimaran is found in the Philippines. Boats with the so called "katig" (amas as you've mentioned it). This is a very stable design suited for major applications like fishing and transportation.

[@rock3tcatU233]

A clear and concise explanation, thanks a lot! The whole stability advantage could play a big role in designing a offshore mobile space launch platform, just like the one used by the Sea Launch corporation.

[@charonstyxferryman]

A launch platform would likely has one oil-rig type of "leg" - some 12 meters deep filled with water. Very stable due to a lot of inertia, which means that the platform don't move very easily.

[@Soothsayer210]

Thx. for the video. Could you clarify if Trimaran's are easier to Capsize than Catamarans', if so why? Also for open voyages, from a safety perspective, would you recommend a mono hull or a Trimaran?

[@DatawaveMarineSolutions]

Trimarans are generally harder to capsize than catamarans. Tri's can normally heel to a larger angle than catamarans before they capsize. As to the comparison of trimaran vs monohull for open ocean voyages. That one is more based on personal preference.

[@vsdktbkm5012]

Interesting video. As someone who has designed and studied resistance, maneuverability, sea keeping and strength of mono, cat, SWATH (T-AGOS) and tri hulls and having worked for the company which has built and continues to build large tris, I can say that the interdependence of stability, motions and resistance is most intricate in the case of tris than any other hull form. Trimarans are built for speed. Steel trimarans will not be economical. Heard several times "steel weight". There are more profound and significant challenges which have not been addressed. e.g: Jet or propeller propulsion?

[@nobody46820]

Jet drive all the way, it solves many issues.

[@dalejohnson9342]

Motor Yachts are a good candidate for Tri-Hull design as most owners of Yachts want large amounts of stability while anchored or underway. Another use is for shallow water compared to a comparable ship. With a slightly larger Amul ( I hope I said that correctly) you can decrease the draft of the vessel and thereby go into some shallower areas than a traditional hull which will allow the yacht to reach some areas for water sports that a mono-hull vessel of the same tonnage and size would not be able to get into.

[@OgamiItto70]

The trimaran concept *is* a great one, but it has a few situations where it is definitely *not* the best solution. Sailing yacht trimarans tend to be faster than similar-sized monohulls because of their greater stiffness and power to carry sail and keep said sail upright and perpendicular to the breeze. They are also much more resistant to capsizing, due to reasons stated in the video. They are harder to find slips for, though, because of their much greater beams in relation to their lengths. This is ironic, since they are so extremely well-suited to local cruising type sailing. For big-time, world-spanning, blue-water cruising they might be contra-indicated. It would depend on the vessel's communications and meteorological display equipment. For all their excellent qualities, you *do not* want to be caught out in a trimaran in weather that can cause it to be pitch-poled or capsized. Once it goes over, it's never coming back. It's like a turtle on its back, only worse because it's now on its flat surface with probably a mast (or two or more) with sails in the water. Monohulls with keels can be designed and trimmed to right themselves. Multihulls, not so much, with the *possible* exception of Bladerunner or Sea Blade-type hulls which *might,* due to being planing, speedboat hulls with their weight concentrated aft, be able to go nose up and "corkscrew" back upright after overturning. But a speedboat in the Roaring Forties? Doesn't seem too likely.

[@tomriley5790]

Realise that I'm being controversial but not so sure about this - firstly Trimarans are generally fast enough to sail faster than most systems so potentially you can avoid getting into any really nasty part of a system by simply sailing around it. You can also design the hull to have most of the bouyancy/mass at the back and so be very resistant to pitchpoling, simlarly if you have little lateral resistance (cats can be sailled with the downwind centreboard up) being rolled sideways will just result in you sliding/surfing sideways rather than capsizing (similar to a monohull with a raised keel). I've wondered about having some sort of self righting gear on a trimaran/catamarn, an inflatable bag that could be pulled down the mast and inflated, obviously there would be engineering challenges in designing such a system and it would necessitate that that had survived the capsize.

[@dominictarrsailing]

A capsize is a major drama on any boat. A ballasted monohull is theoretically gonna come back up, but it's quite likely to loose the mast in the process. Also, coming back up depends on not taking on too much water. Hopefully the hatch is closed and stays intact when it happens! Most monohulls have a single compartment inside, so if that gets too much water inside, it's gonna sink, or at least become incredibly unstable because of the free surface effect (see the great video on that on this channel!) on the other hand, most multihull have a number of separate compartments and will float upside down. Not the desired situation, but much better than being on the bottom! Worth adding, there have also been a number of clever designs to be able multihull to right themselves unassisted - however, I've never heard of any of these actually being used in a real capsize. That said, multihull is no longer a radical new design and many have crossed oceans.

[@geoffvannerson5252]

I think a Trimaran would be great as a farly small to large Cabin cruiser

[@joaomercado3220]

please do a video of catamaran sea behaviour, load distribution, hull design etc.

[@It-b-Blair]

I found this looking for sea condition comparisons. It would be great to see!

[@williamscott2704]

please talk about hull shapes for cats and tris to max out speed vs. stability.

[@johannjohann6523]

Thanks for the video. I guess it's safe to say the idea of a Catamaran style boat is due to the use of metals such as iron and aluminum in ship building. That the idea of steam bending wood to make a hull makes the catamaran idea not feasible? I'll have to check that out.

[@MrRandyScot]

Impressive presentation. You're the expert, which I certainly am not, but I don't think you really answered the question of why trimarans today are relatively unpopular compared to cats.

[@lubos4639]

Definitely learned a lot... Thank you Nick :-).

[@ZoneTelevision]

You’re wrong about cats. The bridge deck area is much larger on a CAT. Trimarans are faster than Cats. Period. You’re not accounting for the “box-rule” seen in global racing Trimarans which decrease wetted surface. They sail better in light wind, because the sail to mass ratio that can be carried is greater than that of monohull (with exception to ballast) and catamarans.

[@ERICWAGNERSLUCID]

Well done! Very coherent and easy to understand.

[@timothyblazer1749]

Trimaran concept: bulletproof shorthanded world cruiser. Made in alloy, with unstayed masts, a trimaran would be an ideal platform for world spanning adventure travel for a person with a moderate budget. Less power to move her, unstayed masts allow for simpler, self reefing sail plans. Good load carrying, so cold storage can be increased. Stable platform, so an older or less numerous crew can safely captain her, and be less beat up by the sea. Using minimal dihedral, the amas could be habitable. Draft could be minimized with an alloy centerboard, and with kick up rudders behind truncated skegs, drying her out is plausible. Insulated central hull means cold weather potential.

[@bishop9598]

Very interesting. Got a suggestion for you for future "studies". What is you take on whether inverted bows will make it into the "pleasure" boat ranks? Either power or sail - or both. Or is the concept relegated to large ships?

[@DatawaveMarineSolutions]

We already have inverted bows in pleasure yachts. They are more common on the superyachts, that can afford customization. But I am also seeing it occasionally on the more expensive production yachts. The concept works for small yachts too, to a limited extent. I think these inverted bows get used on yachts more often as an aesthetic choice.

[@616ck]

😂I think I agree with you with them doing this for aesthetics, as they never use a more efficient desogn like the curves used on Bourbon Orca anchor tug, rather they use more submarine like designs, as if a billionare asked for a "cool boat for insta", and a poor engineer had to painfuly try to make it work. Talking about poor engineers, is there any good software for simulating fiberglass parts stresses? Free to use would be ideal or a leaning licence, thank you so much.

[@BrianSmith-oc8vk]

Thank You, I learned something.

[@metalchilly]

Hello! Great videos, really educational, especially for design students looking into boat design, like myself. I'm planning on prototyping a mainly motor-powered yacht, but with sailing capabilities, be it a kite sail or some other sail type that DOES NOT require a full "static" mast (telescopic mast or some other way of anchoring the kite sail). I'm wondering if, given the way in which a kite sail is pulling the boat, the trimaran is the best hull type for this? Also, would you think it is possible to have this kite sail pulling the ship through waves, as it would feature a wave piercing bow, or is it just my imagination thinking that's an amazing idea?

[@CEverett55]

Always informative and insightful. I learn something in every video, thanks!

[@TelecasterLPGTop]

In a mono-hull when faced with huge seas and stormy conditions you pull in all your sail, batten down all your hatches go below and use the engine. If it fails and you get rolled 360 deg no problem she just comes back up. In a cat or a tri once she's over she stays over.you're in a glass bottom submarine.

[@DatawaveMarineSolutions]

Actually, most commercial monohulls capsize if rolled past about 60-70 deg. Sailing yachts are a different story.

[@sssbob]

I'd like to see a trimaran SWATH vessel loosely based on the Lockheed Martin Sea Shadow, but with a central submerged torpedo hull added.

[@predator1739]

agree! think about DIY one for yourself !

[@StuWilloughby]

Intending to use a trimaran SWATH design myself in building a DIY solar powered autonomous vessel. However in this design all three hulls will be submerged, with the heavy central hull containing the batteries. Should provide maximum stability, whilst allowing the solar array to sit clear of any small waves.

[@predator1739]

@@StuWilloughby I also have new ideas. I envisaged a new type of trimaran, with a smaller hull in the middle to provide directionality and install a power system, larger hulls on both sides to provide buoyancy and personnel accommodation, and a higher cabin for cooking For dinner, there are embracing sofas and large tables. But I think this kind of assumption will seriously hinder the rolling performance, leading to unpredictable consequences. Expect professionals to give suggestions and improve the plan.

[@Mikinct]

Is this video talking about residential boats or larger industrial military ships? A Tri-maran ferry & a Tri-maran a regular sailboat hobbiest would buy are very different animals all together.

[@DatawaveMarineSolutions]

It is targeted towards industrial ships.

[@m1rc23]

Why there's not trimaran supercarrier?

[@Dave_Sisson]

The thumbnail had a photo of the 127 metre Austal trimaran ferry in the Canaries, but there was no mention of ferries in the video. There has been some debate about the merits of fast cat ferries v. trimarans, so I was hoping the subject would be covered. :(

[@CapnZman]

I currently own an F-27 sailing tri AND a 62-foot power trimaran which is also called a stabilized monohull owning to the limited volume and length of the floats. This boat can reach 10 knots with only a 60 HP Mercury Bigfoot outboard for power.

[@TC-yx1qt]

What year is your F27 and how big is the rear cabin for sleeping?

[@Siskiyous6]

I am installing a diesel engine in one of Jim Brown's Searunner 31s. I am building a pod in the aft section to house the engine, like was done with sailing vessels when they first started powering them, the Sea Bright skiff has a structure like that. I expect truly awesome fuel economy using a 20HP Saab diesel with a CP propeller. Jim Brown himself has told me he hates the idea, so no technical help is available

[@svdoinitright7519]

Have you seen the Neel 51 Trimaran? I've only seen it in promotional videos, but it looks like the amas are enormous, compared to traditional small ones.

[@DatawaveMarineSolutions]

Yes, that is an interesting model. I think that those long amas may be there for better seakeeping response, and to provide more internal volume. That's a great example how you can start with a classic design and arrive at something completely different, which is just as good. It all depends on what the design goals are.

[@dieseldog00]

I've read lots of bad reviews of Neel's boats, mainly for substandard, poor quality workmanship. Read the comments on the Neel 51.

[@nobody46820]

@@dieseldog00 Same here.

[@brianjamesvayro2715]

So is 'Shonings (sorry wrong spelling) ,tri. very roomy and good ideas

[@LarsBohr5]

Check out the Hammerhead 54.

[@Northstar1989]

Just a thought, but what about building trimarans with weaker/more available materials (more plastics, aluminum, and wood; less steel) and just adding more of them? (more mass and volume of these weaker structural materials- thick plastic or aluminum beams to supplement steel where you still use it, etc. for a heavier ship than before) Since tri's can have less drag for a given displacement due to longer/thinner hull, trading off extra displacement and larger dimensions for reduced cost could make for an even cheaper ship, that's still more fuel-efficient than an equivalent monohull. Further, some of these structural cost-savings could also be reinvested in more efficient engines/propellers or even in some supplementary sails (yes, SAILS, in this age of oil-powered ships) to provide a bit of extra power with a lower operating cost (some simple sail designs, while not very efficient, also require very little labor/effort: such as some simple, fixed length-wise sails along the deck that you don't bother to put up if sailing at too much of a cross-wind, or in port) to mitigate some of the increased drag/power-requirements from a heavier ship (due to use of weaker/cheaper materials, in larger quantities)- though once again a ship with less drag or more stability than an equivalent monohull... Just like arguments for over-engineering some structures to save on engineering costs: sometimes the cheaper option is NOT to use the best materials engineered into the finest structures. Perhaps the inherent advantages of Trimarans are more amenable to using cheaper materials and substantially over-engineering the structural strength (not the rest of the ship: obviously you can't cut corners on things like boat motions...)

[@johnpotts7846]

I am not aware of any trimarans where steel is incorporated in any meaningful way. I am not interested in fold up trimarans. I am interested in Piver, Cross, Horstman, Brown, and a few others. My preferred trimaran would be a Cross, with a Horstman second, and then Piver, AA series.

[@adamschroeder3568]

Are there any ships that go beyond 3 hulls? Any benefits to a design like that?

[@DatawaveMarineSolutions]

I once saw a study by BMT Nigel Gee on a ship with 5 hulls: ngal.co.uk/downloads/techpapers/paper9.pdf But that never went anywhere. So far, no one discovered any benefits to going beyond 3 hulls. With each hull, we get more surface area in the water, which means more skin friction. It turns into a losing game very quickly.

[@DanielWilliams-oi4ss]

I think you could potentially do a quadmaran sailboat that heeled to lift to hulls out while reaching, but had both amas out while going down wind. As far as I know, this hasn't been done professionally though

[@MrAmerican]

I have seen ships that have lots of tiny hulls that adjust to give you a smother ride

[@otm646]

Daniel Williams it'd have dihedral.

[@akacreq]

dragonfly and they are fast!

[@sadbucket]

interested in the trimaran choice in the seadoo switch

[@Mike-h1k]

What if you put the outer hulls deeper and a larger percent width of center .Narrow entire vessel.

[@michaelbarden6987]

Hi Nicholas, I got another strange stupid question for you. How difficult would it be to make a sailing trimaran that could also double as a wing in ground effect vehicle? Assume the sail could be retractable.

[@DatawaveMarineSolutions]

Less difficult than you think. A wing in ground effect (WIG) vehicle is basically a trimaran when it sits at rest. Then you need to add on the mast for the sail. I think the mast and sail would need to be retractable when traveling at high speeds. Otherwise, the air drag on the mast would cause the WIG to pitch up. So on the whole, slightly more difficult than designing a WIG. Of course, WIGs are fairly hard to design already. It leads to the next question: why would you want that combination?

[@michaelbarden6987]

Nicholas Naval Architect, I want to build or have a boat built for me. I would love to sail the water for the relaxation and fun of it but sometimes you want to get somewhere really fast, WIGS are extremely fuel efficient and fast, and having a sail would give me a slower option that doesn't need fuel. Fyi you are awesome for making this channel and I appreciate your responses to my absurdity.

[@CheekyMonkey888]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/eV7WiKKhps6Jftk

[@michaelbarden6987]

Exactly, but with a sail and the right mods for sailing, and heck put on a hydrofoil for takeoff and landing assistance.

[@Platyfurmany]

I want one!!!

[@xpro2009]

Trimarans are very good in the shallows or littorals. Can go much nearer to shores.

[@finfanfifteen9659]

Interesting video but I think it leaves more questions than answers. Looking at blue water cruising, how would the tri perform with hulls that are more evenly distributed in their responsibilities (not all designs seem to have the amas "pulled back")??? That would seem to be a more stable ride but does it take away from the performance? Example: the larger Neel series have what looks like nice living space since the hulls are more useful. But, some other designs have motors in the amas which you seem to indicate they are expecting much heel action to be going on. What are your thoughts on these design parameters?

[@JennySusanti-u1q]

Hi Nick, Talking about sails on a 18 x 12 mtr trimeran have you seen any good designs for foldable or retractable masts and spars (alibaba has some telescopic masts only). The mast and spars need to fold into a 12 mtr length (to fit into half a 40 ft container). The recommended mast height one website said followed a rule of thumb of 1.3 times the boat length 23.4 mtr. In this case I would need 2 masts one fore and one aft unlike spindrift2 which has only one mast 42 mtr for a length of 37mtr and they can with hydrofoils go over 50 knots but there id nothing about it being folded up. Watching Brian and Karren on Dalios I apprectiate the value of having it all controllable from the bridge by one person using electric winches and without a dozen crew.

[@DatawaveMarineSolutions]

@@JennySusanti-u1qthere is no easy way to make a mast that large easily fold. It is possible, but would require some custom engineering. Look into a combination of mechanical linkages and shorter sail arrangements. The full explanation is too long for KZbin comments.

[@JennySusanti-u1q]

@@DatawaveMarineSolutions thanks

[@ijustlovequality5337]

I’m thinking about trying a 4-5m aluminium tri with twin 70hp outboards. A super sharp entry and plumb bow. How worried should I be about broaching? There are no great video explanations of broaching in power boats.

[@DatawaveMarineSolutions]

I would be fairly worried about broaching. But I don't have any direct calculations to give you a specific risk.

[@ijustlovequality5337]

@@DatawaveMarineSolutions of course, there are far too many variables to even begin with specifics. As for general rules, are we looking for features to oppose roll and yaw such as sharp submerged chines, deeper v in centre hull and outer edges.. or is there something else at play? I’m also interested to see the effect of Mounting outboards with a tilt outward at the bottom so the assist in creating a comfortable roll when cornering.

[@sergarlantyrell7847]

It all sounds great, but Panamax or even new Panamax restrictions will likely greatly limit the usefulness of trimarans on larger ships. Otherwise, a wide and stable deck on a fast ship sounds like it would be ideal for an aircraft carrier.

[@DatawaveMarineSolutions]

Well, the Gerald R Ford class of Aircraft carriers are already larger than Panamax and New Panamax. There are several classes of large vessels that exceed the limits of the Panama canal. Trimaran for an aircraft carrier would have potential. One challenge would be that current US aircraft carriers heavily armor their flight decks. That creates a lot of weight to support on the cross deck between center hull and amas. Not impossible, but it gets into asking questions of whether the engineering solution justifies the cost. Another potential advantage is the protection from torpedo attack. Assuming that the center hull is roughly the same draft as the amas, a torpedo hits the amas, limiting the amount of flooding done. Amas are usually skinny. So any strike to the amas will not lose much buoyancy to the overall ship.

[@Wick9876]

@@DatawaveMarineSolutions Modern torpedoes mostly use magnetic fuses for under the keel detonation so I wouldn't expect the amas needs to be as deep as the center hull, just deep enough to register as a ship.

[@WillN2Go1]

Very cool Nick. I stumbled on the Neel 4x in a sailing magazine, got curious.... well, okay.... Wait. What!? it can sail at the speed of the wind? Where do I sign up??? I just saw a video of a couple of guys crossing the Atlantic in 17 days, no record, but no bumping along either. I turned a couple kayaks into trimarans. I was after speed so I made two kayaks long and narrow - all I got was instability (which I expected but no speed?? seemed unfair) so I made outriggers and amas. By the second one (a skin on frame Iqyax) I had the amas dialed in. Single 1.25" diameter aluminum poles, bulky vertical floats...because as you well know not much touches the water. (and just the pole and little bit of weight 4' out added a lot of stability and balance). The vertical bulkiness was enough buoyancy to act as a paddle float in case I was in the water and needed to get back in. A surf ski coach happened by while I was hosing down after a paddle. He just couldn't contain himself, repeatedly telling me 'how stupid they looked.' I thanked him and kept hosing and wiping down. He totally didn't understand what he was looking at. I explained that almost nothing touched the water, and he went off again.... One thing I noticed with my amas is that even if I leaned over and put a lot of weight to the side the kayaks still tracked straight. (The yaks were 18' and 18'6" long, 17" and 16" beam less in the water). I think I figured out how the Aleuts were able to plane if anyone is interested.

[@gerhardkutt1748]

Lots of work not yet done on Trimarans. This is going to be the future of boat design in the near future. Using the Littoral hull by Austal is a good way to show a starting point that is not going anywhere without massive changes. I do not consider that hull a Trimaran. It is a narrow monohull with side sponsons, that do not do much to prevent rolling, which is why they needed to add the foils to the main hull. Lack if experience is the perfect comment here. The Triton was most likely a better design than the Littoral.

[@Falconnner]

Thank you for your consistent videos. The most of all vessels are small recreational, fishing or roundabout boats. Would it be possible to know your opinion: why the most of them are monohulls? If the extra cost of construction of trimarans is less than the benefit from engine power decrease and fuel economy (to say nothing about ecology), why small boat producers do not take this advantage? Thanks.

[@DatawaveMarineSolutions]

There are a lot of factors that make monohulls more appealing. More space below deck, easier to create new variations, more weight capacity, etc. But the biggest reason: small boats do not sell based on efficiency. Small boats are usually luxury items. Luxury items sell on emotional response. The appearance of the boat does more to sell than the efficiency or engine power. I spoke to one sales rep. who explained that boats with bigger engines are easier to sell, simply because the consumer sees a larger horsepower and assumes that means a faster boat. Not every customer is like this. But shipyards will always design to the majority preferences of the market. They are in the business of selling boats and meeting customer desires. That rarely means pursuing the "perfect" boat design.

[@Falconnner]

@@DatawaveMarineSolutions Thank you for super-fast and detailed explanation! I would agree that emotional factors dominate very often. So you help me to understand it more clearly about boats. I think to build my own fishing boat for a huge freshwater lake (34 miles shore-to-shore). Sometimes the weather conditions are pretty tough there. So the hull design is the biggest challenge at this point. I choose between cat and trimaran to get а good pack of speed and safety. Your reply helps a lot.

[@MrRugbylane]

This guy is great ...

[@Zofirael]

what are your thoughts on the Horstman trimaran design for blue water cruising? This is my dreamboat to cross the pacific.

[@the-naked-sailor]

Who are you talking to?

[@terrykeever9422]

Overall a good video. One problem you didn't cover that I've seen on test sails of the Neen and Leen yachts is they tend to hobby horse even in fairly calm seas. Maybe there was something they did wrong or could do different. This occurrs with sailing yachts as well as motor yachts. I'd be seasick most likely in a short time after leaving dock or anchorage. Also the smaller vessels had less comfortable usable space it seemed to me as amma cabins were very narrow and heads had to be under steps or in cubby holes.

[@DatawaveMarineSolutions]

True. And yacht trimarans are really a completely different vessel due to their restrictions. The hobby horse motions come from the proportions of the yachts length / beam ratio. This is why large commercial trimarans will keep a minimum length / beam of 3.0 - 4.0 or greater. But yachts are trying to fit more space into a smaller size, which necessitates a lower L/B ratio of around 1.5 - 2.0. There are ways around this problem, but it takes advanced naval architecture and careful design.

[@markhatch1267]

Just stumbled across your channel. Been watching videos about sail boat living and ocean cruising. Dreaming about living on a boat and sailing all over the world. My twist is I want to make it easy and safe for a less physically fit older person. Want to look for ways to use modern ingenuity to make the whole process of sailing far less work or even totally mechanized.

[@DatawaveMarineSolutions]

It can be done. There are luxury sailing yachts where every part of the sail is controlled by electric winches. You sail the entire boat with push buttons from the cockpit. I think there would still need to be a few basic physical requirements though. 1. Partial ability to walk. Even someone that needs support for stability but can still handle 1 or 2 stairs. We can work with that fairly easily. It's just a full-on wheelchair that gets challenging. (Not impossible, but we really need to redesign the boat around a wheelchair.) 2. Partial flexibility. You don't need strength. But maintaining a lot of the equipment requires people to contort and fit into odd shaped spaces. If the person has larger than average dimensions, we may also need to allow extra space for that. 3. Still serviceable eye-sight and hearing. You don't need perfect vision or hearing. But enough to maintain environmental awareness. You need to hear the giant wave coming so you have enough time to grab onto something. Biggest thing: strength is not a requirement. We can compensate for lack of strength with many mechanical devices.

[@markhatch1267]

Thank you so much for such a prompt reply. Into the mental stew pot they go :)@@DatawaveMarineSolutions

[@JennySusanti-u1q]

Hi nick. I was astounded to read that cruise ships gain stability by having a wide beam. But this means a lot of extra power is required. Why are cruise ships not bluilt as trimerans or quinmerans? Thanks Philip

[@DatawaveMarineSolutions]

Cruise ships don't use trimarans and quinmerans due to size. The cross deck on any multihull is the most stressed region. At cruise ship scale, that becomes massive heavy beams. All that weight takes away from passenger capacity. So the economics don't work out. Plus, the most valuable room on a cruise ship is the balcony cabin looking out on the sea. Designers want to maximize that type of cabin, and a multihull only adds space in the middle. It doesn't add more balcony cabins. That being said, people have considered multihulls for cruise ships. The idea has merit. But for the moment, it isn't the best way to make profit.

[@JennySusanti-u1q]

@@DatawaveMarineSolutions thanks

[@seedsinsixtyseconds]

Whenever can I find the acantling numbers, charts, graphs, and formulas required for trimerans?

[@Ladybirdsin16mm]

Tri's are great. Just a bit of an unfair comparison between the AC racing cat and the little performance/cruiser tri. Can you tell me what load a ORMA 60ft racing trimaran can hold? Assuming it weighs 9,000kg (20,000lbs), and is 47ft wide (or 60ft wide to bring it up to the newer ones). And it can sail on just one Ama (other 2 hulls out of water).

[@DatawaveMarineSolutions]

I would require data and drawings specific to the vessel to answer that question. I do not currently have that data for the ORMA 60 class.

[@bill4nier]

Really liked what you had to say about trimarans. Here's a crazy thought I had; would it be practical to take a used 42-47 foot Southerly swing keel and add the hulls of say a 40 foot cat (unfinished from production so it's just the hulls and bridge deck). Cut out a section of the bridge deck and glass/bond the two hulls to each side of the Southerly? This could possibly give you extra cabins and storage and there would be changes in the Southerly as well. Your thoughts?

[@DatawaveMarineSolutions]

Well, it definitely adds plenty of extra space. In theory, it could completely work. I think you would be better off getting the catamaran hulls without the cross deck. They make those as separate pieces at the production factory. And then add in your own beams to attach them as side amas. You would need to worry about the hull strength. The Southerly yachts are not built to handle the extra stress of two side amas. They bend the hull differently from a standard monohull. Expect LOTS of extra reinforcements for the side amas. It would be a very interesting configuration for space. LOTS of space on deck, in the main hull, and the side amas. But probably not speed out of the combination. Although, with the combination of side amas and the wide main hull, you have plenty of righting moment. That combo could handle some fairly large sails. See my other video where I discuss limits on sail power: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4rPemaNgJeKf9km42s It's a very interesting idea. I like it. But it will take some heavy modification to both hulls. Depending on your capabilities and situation, it might be cheaper to start with this idea and build everything from scratch. Definitely an interesting combo.

[@roxyknight4909]

I remember there an old saying - "best Bluewater designs start with worst case scenario, the boat upside-down in the Ocean" ..... this is an issue for Catamarans and Trimarans

[@tommyb6611]

Here is an idea, to check the chinese type 022 stealth boat design...looks like a catamaran but also like a trimaran. I wonder what would be the largest size of such a design, for example to create a heavy cruiser or larger for a pre ww2 era

[@ItisImarko]

I have a interesting question.. Conversion from sailboat to trimaran.. Im asking because sailboat is built in aluminium and not finished.. So it would make sense from financial stand point but.. I dont know if would be possible?

[@DatawaveMarineSolutions]

That hull may be a good candidate for a trimaran conversion. The aluminum can handle concentrated loads better than fiberglass. The conversion will definitely require some reinforcement where the side amas attach to the main hull. So it is good that the hull is unfinished. Although this type of conversion probably won't achieve all the benefits of a traditional trimaran. You still have the larger center hull. I would expect no major improvement in speed, but a large hull that doesn't heel much and has a shallow draft. For a cruising boat, that could be an excellent conversion.

[@davebolig1989]

I'm designing a swath trimaran that I think is the best of all worlds. M.P.G instead of G.P.H. is worth pursuing.

[@myparadiseonbantayanisland9030]

What happens if all 3 hulls have the same draft?

[@DatawaveMarineSolutions]

That depends on the relative size of each hull. We can have hulls with the same draft, but the outer amas are a much smaller beam. But I think your question could be generalized to: What happens if all three hulls are the same size? If the hulls are the same size, generally, the trimaran requires more power than an equivalent monohull. The three amas have more surface area than the equivalent monohull, which means more skin friction. And each hull produces its own wave system that interacts with the other two hulls, usually making things worse.

[@myparadiseonbantayanisland9030]

@@DatawaveMarineSolutions would catamarans have the same issue with wave systems that interact with the other hulls wave system?

[@DatawaveMarineSolutions]

@@myparadiseonbantayanisland9030 Absolutely. The wave interactions are one of the extra things we consider when working with multihulls (catamaran or trimaran). Even more interesting, those wave interactions can be positive or negative. With careful spacing of the hulls, we can align the wave systems from the hulls to partially cancel each other, slightly reducing the power required.

[@richardgould-blueraven]

Really digging the channel

[@SeaJay_Oceans]

Trimaran Ice breaker cruise liners and cargo ships for northern Polar shipping lanes... go Over the Top - once the rest of the ice melts...

[@shaneclk9854]

Whats the company of the ship in the thumbnail

[@DatawaveMarineSolutions]

The boat is owned by Fred Olsen Express, a ferry line. The ship was constructed by Austal, their Australian division.

[@bestvip5803]

Denison yachts review had me convinced trimaran are inferior to Catamarans, now I'm watching this and it seems Trimaran should be Superior to a Cat in almost all cases except for cost??? So which is it would love you two to hash it out in a vlog

[@amunderdog]

Dive/launch platforms so they may be great for exploration/salvage

[@smeggy7979]

I know this is an old video but, is there a danger in using a Rapido 50 trimaran in rough seas?

[@uni4rm]

There is a danger in taking any boat into rough seas.

[@sweeyong7756]

there is a level of danger taking any boat out to sea in the first place.

[@Uffeful]

I was thinking about seismic ships when I looked at this video. They do all business in the aft. Ramform titan is 70m wide in the aft. Why not use a trimaran to pull the stuff? Is it to heavy?

[@DatawaveMarineSolutions]

I asked that question myself the first time I saw the Ramform Titan. My colleagues in the offshore industry said that it had to do with signal quality from the seismic sensors. To get best readings, you want to eliminate any wave motion in the towed sensors. They tow below the surface, so the major motions result from movement of the towing vessel. The triangular shape of Ramform Titan effectively makes the stern a pivot point, with very little motion at that point. The design of Ramform Titan was all about seakeeping and sensor quality.

[@Uffeful]

@@DatawaveMarineSolutions Thank you for a fast and interesting answer. I haven't thought about the ships movement and sensor quality. I just thought it was the breath of the aft that made it better, so it could use more reels side by side.

[@DatawaveMarineSolutions]

​@@Uffeful You are correct. More reels is also a major benefit to the design.

[@adrianrubi5012]

Is it a monohull with outriggers?

[@ph11p3540]

Do you think we will see more navy trimerans after the Independence/Coronado class trimeran frigates? The US Navy loved their handling but they had some serious structural and mechanical defects. Clearly, a lack of design/manufacturing experience.

[@TC-yx1qt]

As far as smaller recreational trimarans.. is it true that they can point closer to the wind so more of a straight line towards the destination and less tacking?

[@kirkdeal2619]

I was wondering how good the Bayliner M-hull design is? Also, i was curious how a large displacement ship would react to a conversion to a semi-displacement with a multi-hull design incorporation..... More planing on the fwd hull and a M-hull from mid ship to stern.

[@DatawaveMarineSolutions]

I don't think you can call the M Hull good or bad. It was targeted towards a more stable ride while on plane. In theory, it should do that very well. As to converting large displacement ships into semi-dispacement, it doesn't work, due to something called the cube-square law. Short version: planing hulls have an upper limit for the maximum weight they can carry.

[@kirkdeal2619]

@@DatawaveMarineSolutions I was toying with the idea as a happy medium between a mono hull and a trimaran hull. So not as distinctive as the USS Cleveland, full on trimaran, but not just a standard displacement hull. Instead of the Bayliner M Hull catamaran style, I was thinking more true catamaran as far as the fwd/aft ends, of outboard hulls. With a respectable mid sections with that nice stepped center outboard for more displacement at low speed and less at higher speed. The ship i was considering this on, would first be overhauled and have around 1/2 its weight in old machinery/unneeded internal non-structural steel removed. The reduced weight and more available space I hope would make this modification to the hull easier and actually practical. I'm looking to increase hull speed and stability through this type of hull design rather than machinery. Thank you DMS

[@KartiacKID]

Also, would in terms of cost of docking fees factor in trimarans as a disadvantage compared to monohulls in the length rages of 20-50ft which the avg person middle class person can afford? Would a Trimarans owner be forced to pay for 2 docking births just like most catamarans in the 20-50ft range? I’m curious on doing a cost analysis between a trimaran to a monohull with the trimaran’s lower cost to operate compared to the lower costs in yearly docking and storage fees (I live in Cleveland Ohio so I would have to winterize and store the boat at a dock yard during winter)

[@TC-yx1qt]

Get a folding trimaran.. it also fits on a trailer so just take it home. Corsair or Dragonfly

[@caby9311]

I'm getting a 23ft trailor sailor but ide like a tri so I thought of adding 2,like hobie Odesys either side. Fold upwards or sideways. Then you can also have a quick relies and paddle them. Any advice would be welcomed.

[@budsbustbi6339]

i wondering if it would work for a crab boat?? heavy heavy loads on one side as pulling in the gear!! i can see for seeing gear it would save lots time with ability to haul more gear per load less trips back!!

[@yanassi]

Thanks. I’ve considered a small coastal vessel fir some future time. I noticed many newer boats having a (just learnt) axe stern. It seemed it would lessen pitching by cutting through rather than planning upwards. I like the trimarans to lessen rolling and flipping. The vessel that intrigues me most is the astus 22.5 as a beginner overnighter (after a sailing learning curve). Any thoughts on that personal vessel?