Working on TMS-20 again

Just a quick note started back on the TMS-20 again. I took 6 months off from working on the boat it started with a bathroom remodel, then I messed up my back, and the ultimate slow down I got a job. All things that hamper boat building, but it made the Mrs. Happy. I'm feeling well again for somebody as beat up as I am. My shoulder is as good as it is going to get and the back is better – time to sand. Looks like I’m going to miss my goal of having the boat finished this October, but that is how it is when you single handed take on such an endeavor.

My recent trip to the Mediterranean really excited me again to get my project moving on the TMS-20. I saw many nice sailboats and yachts in the ports. After a long days work I’d sit on the 10th aft-deck to smoke a real Cuban cigar and have a drink. Looking out on the moonlit Mediterranean Sea gave me time to think and it was good for the soul - plus crew cabins suck! My next trip to Europe will be in Northern Italy starting April and will be for two months at a ship yard for the delivery of a new ship, then the maiden voyage. I’m going to try to get a chance to do some sailing before I come back to the states even if it is for just a few days. Anybody have any connections in the Med?

The weather is getting cool (in the 70's- hay it's all relative) and it looks like we dodged Hurricane season for another year. My work days with travel to Ft Lauderdale run long about 12 hours I’m trying to get into the shop at least two nights a week and part of each weekend and keep moving forward. If you want free time never build a boat.
Pictures later,

Mike

Yipppeee! Mike's working on the boat again!


Dave

Dave,

Yeh I know not too exciting news SOS.
Your boat came out really nice with the new paint job. It is always great to get on the water! Some day the TMS-20 make it!

Starting the final fairing on the deck and **** area. Working on finishing out the lip of the **** and putting a molding around the opening to keep water on the hull from dripping into the ****. Also starting to skim out / fair the starboard side of the hull. Should have pic this week-end.

what are you aiming for regarding ama clearance at rest?

this is a recent pic of the orma60 vodaphone, (formerly geant)

looks as if both ama are clear of the water at rest here

the weta tri has the aft of both ama just touching

some homebuilt tri's seem to end up with the full length of both ama in the water at rest...

they complain of slow tacking

Without looking at the drawings I remember it at 18 1/2" from the water line to the crossbeam at rest. The beams de-mount by sliding in a sleeve so right now the plan is to have them straight. The shape is elliptical to help reduce windage and wave slap. Another thing I was looking for was the beams to mount flush on the ama and not Hobie 16 style.

Both ama's touch the water but they have rocker in the design so it does not tip to the side at rest. The ama’s are canted 15 degrees, when sailing the main hull is just breaking the surface of the water and the ama is at the proper angle the windward ama will be lifted so it will have more clearance to the waterline. Also the boards and rudders are in the ama's not the main hull.

As for slow tacking I'll have to see how it does compared to other 17' wide multihulls. Multihulls are not the fastest tackers to begin with.

Eric here is a link to some of the drawings and you can see how it sits - look at "front" for the beam location and New Lines to see how I redesigned the main hull.

http://themanshed.net/tms-20-trimaran/plans.html

looking forward to the pics Mike

are you going to have tramps?

have you given any thought to how to back it out from irons for the inevitable blown tack?

would you get out of the seat to push the back of the sail into wind and twist the rudder into reverse with the other hand?

how do they do it on the tandem seated windriders?

Mike,

Are you planning on beach-launching this thing in surf?

Just curious of how practically it will handle that.

Yes but I will have to see what kind of waves it will take. I can come out the inlet but in south FL the surf is usually not to bad less than 4 foot. My hope is that it will act like a beach cat, running start - push her into the waves, sheet in and go. My target weight is around 500 lbs. The start from the beach may be like the Jamaican Bob Sled Team getting ready to go down the slope……I hope I have a better finish.

Blown tack – same thing reverse rudders and back

I’m designing dual station steering from the ama’s and in the ****. That is why I added some additional buoyancy to the ama’s. I will have a tramp between the beams from the center hull to the ama’s made of a fabric with a large knit to not collect wind and water. I want to have the option to get out of the ****. The sail will be above my head so moving it about will not be a problem and hope enough room to not get my head taken off by the boom on the jibe.

Sounds great in theory - but in practice I think you'll find that launching yourself into a **** and maintaining course and optimum angle all while being beaten by waves might be a bit much to handle at once.

I know that by the time I jump on my boat, I'm about thigh high (and before Derek comes in here and complains, I'm talking about when I DON'T have an awesome pusher) and getting on the boat can sometimes be a bit of a challenge even in 2-3' waves.

Just sayin that you might want to give her some dry runs first on protected water

Look forward to coming down and seeing the completed boat.

You are right! I'm hoping to start from the tramp, then roll into the **** once I have some control, a rudder and board down at least. I'll do some trails in a lake or the intracostal under Blue Herron Blvd towards Peanut Island. Just got to watch the divers. Craig pissed them off last time...Ha. If you want to swim in a boat ramp....

between the m23 and seacart30 the new seacart26 enters the market

with twin rudders is this the smallest main hull,vaka flyer?

http://seacart26.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/SC26OD_General_Specifications_A3_50.pdf

OK I took some measurements on the main hull:
Hull length: 20’
Beam: 31" at max
Height at max 33"

So to answer you question it is smaller then the boats you mentioned.

Here is where I'm starting. In the next 4 days I want to hit the Ft Lauderdale Boat show one day then on the boat clean up the **** area with a molding. The opening will be finished to 24" in the front tapering to 23 " in the back. I'll use a couple of scrap strips from building the hull. Glue them together to get a strip 3/4" wide. Route a 3/4" cove on the top. Run the strip though dado blades to make a step in it that will trim out the inside surface. Use a round over bit to fare the inside bottom and fare into the side hull. Once all of that is done glue it to the opening and glass it in place to be ready for the final layup. If I have any time left I’ll continue to fare out the deck and the skim coat on the foam on the port hull under the chine.

Bottom hull profile and aft view. It only took two of us to lift it from the cradle to the table.

lookin' good Mike

lookin' good milke

the $80,000? price on the seacart26 certainly leaves a lot of space for homebuilt tri's in this size trange

Thanks! For $80K I could build 4 of them.

After 2 days of work I have the foam all sealed and the initial faring on the port side of the hull. The boat is back in the rack again. Tomorrow I'll go back to work on the **** opening and decks. I switched to a notched putty knife it makes the faring faster and the bog has a tendency to run less on a vertical surface.

The boat show was good not much in the way of sailing stuff but I got some good ides and Craig made some good contacs.

Looks good, Mike!

If you want reinforced beams, PM your email and I'll show you how they made my boat's beams. They are extra strong due to lifting foils.

Cheers,
Luiz