It has been a while since I've been on the boards.
Lots going off and head in a total spin of late.
To help me relax and unwind I have decided that a small sailboat to float around the Algarve is the best idea.
So, not having the money for a ready built trimaran, or even a clapped out sailboat at all, I took on the offer of a bit of a wreck in the local boatyard.
As you can see, this is not a trimaran and at the moment not much of a sailboat either.
But, I have a plan and hopefully it will be a good one.
The sailboat is a twenty foot long Seahorse that has more holes in it than a political manifesto, but all totally repairable.
It is designed mainly for racing and capsizing so not ideal for my plan of idyllic sailing with a few beers and a couple of fishing rods on it.
This is why the trimaran idea came to me.
A stable and steady surface to fish off and to chill out on during the long summer evenings.
This is one I found online to give some idea of exactly what I have in mind.
Converting this type of dayboat into a trimaran has been done before of course and there are some downsides.
The hull itself isn't particularly well shaped for a Tri, but for my needs it will be more than adequate.
The floats I will be building are causing me some head scratching too as I decide on the best material and of course the size.
As I want the boat to be electric/solar powered as well as sails, the boat floats need to carry a solar panel each. This will obviously add to the weight of them significantly.
The ratio between the floats and the main hull size are also causing me some difficulty in finding a proper balance. Anyone out there with a clue on how to work out the dimensions of the floats will be welcome to comment.
The spreaders I think, rather than just a single plank across as in the pic above or tubular poles, will be a stack of three boards in something like a leaf spring concept.
For now, it is a couple of weeks cleaning up this hull and exploring the options.
Have a sensational and Steeming day out there.